The scars on Bloodveil's face, still raw from the corrosive poison mist, hadn't even begun to heal.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Bloodveil opened his mouth, but no words came out. After everything they'd been through—the brutal battle, breaking into Heartland territory—how the hell were they all still in one piece?
Okay, maybe it made sense that Ethan was fine. He hadn't gone toe-to-toe with the Deathless Sovereign, so sure, he could've come out unscathed.
And Wraithshade had Leviathan backing her up, catching Heartland off guard. That checked out too.
But even Westmarch's Meteorfall? That guy was still bouncing around like nothing happened. Aside from being ugly as sin, he looked totally fine.
"Meteorfall, you're not hurt either?" Bloodveil couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, I'm hurt," Meteorfall replied, deadpan. He'd spent most of the fight locked in a long-range standoff with the warlord Hydrissa. Neither of them had gone all in—more trash talk than actual blows.
"My throat's kinda dry."
"..." Bloodveil's face twitched. Seriously?
So after all that, he was the only one who got his ass handed to him?
Ethan wasn't asking about injuries out of concern. He was sizing up their combat readiness. The climb ahead—up The Origin Mountain—was going to be the deadliest part yet.
"Bloodveil, you still good to fight?"
"Of course I am! I'm totally fine… doesn't hurt at all," Bloodveil blurted out, trying to sound tough.
"Good." Ethan's eyes narrowed as he stared off at The Origin Mountain in the distance. Shrouded in mist, it loomed like a sleeping beast.
Something was up there. Waiting for him.
"Move out."
"ROOOAAARRR—!" At Ethan's command, a deafening roar erupted behind him. Millions of zombies howled in unison, a tidal wave of sound that split the sky.
Overhead, two Dreadnought-class Starcruisers—massive as floating islands—began to drift forward.
On the ground below, the undead surged like a tsunami, kicking up clouds of dust as they charged. Among them were monstrous zombie beasts and the towering Leviathan of the North, its bulk shaking the earth.
Zombie Kings emerged one after another, their auras crashing like storms.
The undead army roared behind them, their cries piercing the heavens.
The horde thundered toward The Origin Mountain, the sheer scale of it all utterly overwhelming.
From their vantage point aboard a hovering aircraft, Claire and the other humans could only stare, wide-eyed.
"This might be the biggest battle in history," someone muttered.
"Yeah… just don't know how it's gonna end," another voice added, quiet with unease.
Up ahead, Ethan still stood tall atop a massive wreck, his coat fluttering in the wind.
Above him, the two Dreadnought-class Starcruisers soared past, their sleek hulls a stark contrast to the rusted ruins below.
This place had been silent for thirty years. Now, it was the stage for an epic war.
The return of the Dreadnoughts to Heartland marked the end of an era. A new king was rising, and the old one wouldn't go quietly. This battle would be to the death.
"If only I could hit SSS rank…" Ricky murmured, eyes gleaming as he took in the battlefield. The sheer scale of it stirred something in him.
Claire glanced at him. "There's always another mountain beyond the one you've climbed."
"Oh… right. Thanks for the wisdom," Ricky nodded, a little sheepish.
Claire's expression turned solemn. She looked up at the peak of The Origin Mountain, her face suddenly serious.
"If I die out there… take care of my daughter."
"Huh? Wait—me?" Ricky blinked, pointing at himself in disbelief.
What the hell? Why was she suddenly talking like this was her last stand?
"..."
Inside The Origin Mountain, the undead were everywhere—packed across the slopes like a sea of rotting flesh.
A crimson poison mist hung thick in the air, dyeing the zombies' eyes blood-red. They twitched with manic energy, like they were high on something, all standing at the ready.
On three separate peaks stood the Deathless Sovereigns: Endless, Lilith, and Nightwraith—the most powerful beings on the entire continent.
"They're coming," Lilith said, her voice calm but sharp.
"Yeah," Endless replied, eyes locked on the horizon. There was no retreat now. Holding The Origin Mountain was their last stand. It was fight or die.
Lilith turned to him, her bright eyes steady. "This might be the greatest crisis Heartland has ever faced."
"It is…" Endless's gaze softened for a moment, a flicker of emotion breaking through his usual coldness.
"Do you think we can hold them off?" Lilith asked quietly, her long hair flowing in the toxic wind.
Endless didn't answer right away. He stood still, thinking, then a sharp glint flashed in his narrow eyes.
"Time… will tell."
BOOM—
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the mountain. The undead howled in unison, their cries echoing off the cliffs like a war drum.
The vanguard of the zombie horde had already clashed at the base of the mountain.
Billions of undead surged forward. The final battle had begun.
From above, the battlefield looked like two massive black tides crashing into each other—an endless swarm of tiny dark dots, piling up, tearing each other apart.
Agile elite zombies leapt from the cliffs like spiders, pouncing on their enemies and dragging them down.
"Not bad…" Endless murmured, watching with satisfaction.
As the battle dragged on, the humans' technological edge was clearly fading. Their crystal core energy reserves were running dry.
Even many of the Guard Mechs had powered down, standing lifeless on the field.
But just then—BOOM!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air. The two Dreadnought-class Starcruisers hovering above unleashed simultaneous blasts of pure destruction.
RUMBLE—
A wave of terrifying energy swept across the valley.
One of the mountain peaks collapsed entirely, triggering a massive landslide. Boulders and debris tumbled down, crushing and burying countless zombies beneath the rubble.
Heartland's undead forces took a heavy hit—but they didn't stop. Driven by madness, they clawed their way out of the wreckage, covered in blood and dirt, and threw themselves back into the fight.
"How the hell do those Dreadnoughts still have power?" Endless muttered, annoyed.
Those damn things were like a bone stuck in his throat—he couldn't ignore them, and he couldn't swallow them either.
"Let me handle it," Nightwraith said, his brow furrowed. He'd learned from last time. This time, he was going all in.
His Deathless Sovereign-level psychic energy surged outward, shaking the sky. It tore through the air like a storm, locking onto one of the Dreadnought-class Starcruisers.
PhD, stationed aboard the ship, looked up calmly. His eyes narrowed as he summoned a massive energy barrier to intercept the attack.
"Hmph. Foolish," Nightwraith sneered. As a Deathless Sovereign, he had no fear. His psychic force twisted into a massive serpent and lunged forward.
BOOM—BOOM—
PhD's barrier trembled violently. In terms of raw power, he was still a step behind.
Nightwraith's energy slammed into the shield again and again, like a giant python thrashing in a cage.
The sky itself seemed to warp and crack under the pressure.
Then—CRACK!
The barrier shattered like glass.
Nightwraith's eyes gleamed. His energy surged forward, ready to strike the Dreadnought-class Starcruiser and repeat the devastation he'd caused before.
The zombies below held their breath, watching with wide, bloodshot eyes.
"This is it… are we really gonna lose a Dreadnought this time?"
"There's no stopping him… Nightwraith's too damn strong. Even PhD can't hold him back!"
"..."
On the other side, Endless and the other Sovereigns watched with anticipation.
If they could take out the Dreadnought, it would be the turning point. The signal to launch a full counterattack. They'd bury the enemy right here, on The Origin Mountain.
Nightwraith's psychic force descended like a mountain, crushing the air beneath it.
Then—WHUMMMM—
A strange hum echoed through the sky.
The Dreadnought-class Starcruiser lit up. Runes etched across its hull flared to life, glowing gold. A massive energy shield erupted upward, blinding and impenetrable.
PhD's monocle flashed with a sharp glint.
"I told you… once this thing breaks, it's a bitch to fix."
...