Chapter 162: Law Weapon
The moment Leo pulled the trigger, unleashing the Annihilation Bullet, the smugness drained from Zeltan’s face, leaving behind raw terror.
"Impossible..."
His eyes stretched wide, reflecting the dark anomaly.
"A Law weapon..."
The black sphere tore through the space between them. It slammed into the blood-red monster’s chest with a heavy thud.
Stillness hung in the air for a tense second.
Then—
A web of deep fissures fractured the monster’s thick hide. Its corrupted flesh flaked away. The enormous blood-red ape crumbled, breaking down into a storm of countless dark particles.
Zeltan kept his hand hovering in midair, his gaze locked on the impossible scene.
The towering beast was fading away.
Yet, the destruction shifted.
A warm glow ignited within the fading dust. The blood-red fragments washed out, bursting into brilliant golden specks of light.
Drifting on an unseen breeze, the specks gathered and fused.
Ten distinct cards materialized, floating mid-air.
Zeltan flinched, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
Before he could twitch a muscle—
The ten cards blinked out of existence. They faded into the empty air, leaving no trace behind.
Panic overtook the horror on Zeltan’s face.
What... just happened?
A heavy stare settled on his back. He turned his head, his neck stiff.
Leo watched him with cold focus. The barrel of that strange, devastating revolver drifted, aligning straight at Zeltan’s chest.
Every survival instinct in Zeltan’s mind flared.
Forgoing any pride, his solid form collapsed, melting into a dark puddle of blood.
WHOOSH!
The liquid shadow streaked across the cracked earth, escaping the battlefield in a blur. Zeltan was gone.
Leo narrowed his eyes at the empty space.
Activating Void Walk, he stepped through reality.
WHOOSH!
His body blurred across the war-torn ground. A heartbeat later, he stood right beside Valentine. He swept his gaze across the smoking wreckage, checking every shadow.
Nothing.
He peered out toward the distant battle lines. The threat had passed.
Leo let his tense shoulders drop, exhaling a quiet breath.
"Phew..."
He pointed the revolver down.
"Thank God. That was enough to fool him."
Time was short. Leo crouched low, wrapping his arm around the injured Valentine, and hoisted the man onto his shoulder with a grunt.
Then—
WHOOSH!
The space warped, and the two vanished from the blasted zone.
Farther back, Adrian and his surviving soldiers remained frozen in place. Nobody could grasp the sequence of events.
The monster had shrugged off Valentine’s absolute strongest attack. Then, an unknown man in a hood stepped from the shadows.
A single strike... and the nightmare ended.
A lone, shaky voice shattered the dead silence.
"We won!"
A soldier tossed his heavy rifle high into the smoky air.
"Ha! Ha ha! We won!"
Tears carved clean paths through the grime on his face.
"We won!"
The cry carried over the wind. A ripple of realization hit the others, and hoarse cheers joined the first.
"We won!"
"It’s dead!"
"We actually killed it!"
A chorus of relief and pure exhaustion washed over the ruined earth.
Adrian grabbed a nearby megaphone, snapping it to his mouth. His harsh tone sliced right through the celebration.
"SILENCE!"
The cheering faltered and died down.
"Get into formation!"
Muscle memory kicked in, and the troops snapped to attention.
Adrian swept his grim gaze over his people.
"The war is not over."
"There are still countless infected creatures and zombies on this battlefield."
"The heroes have done their part."
He squeezed the plastic handle of the megaphone.
"Now it’s our turn."
"Those people gave their lives fighting for humanity."
"We will avenge our fallen comrades."
The fleeting joy drained from the soldiers’ faces, replaced by cold resolve. One by one, they raised their weapons. Fire returned to their tired eyes.
The only word on their lips was—
"Kill."
Boots slammed against the dirt as they marched forward. The grim symphony of gunfire resumed.
Miles away, Leo flickered back into existence inside the enclosed stone dome.
The echoes of pain had settled into absolute quiet. Linda no longer thrashed against the dirt. She rested motionless, locked in a deep, silent sleep.
The jagged black veins that had spiderwebbed from her bite mark were gone. Only an ordinary, red wound remained.
Wasting no time, Leo reached out to the voice in his head.
"How is she, System?"
"Is she safe, or is she still in danger?"
The robotic tone chimed inside his mind.
[Host, she is completely fine.]
[There is no longer any risk of her turning into a zombie.]
A heavy weight lifted off Leo’s chest as he exhaled deeply.
"Good..."
Stepping closer, he gave Danny a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Looks like it worked."
"She’s out of danger now."
Danny looked up, his voice cracking with sheer disbelief.
"Really?"
Leo offered a firm, quiet nod.
Seeing fresh emotion welling up in Danny’s eyes, Leo shifted their focus. He lowered Valentine to the ground, propping him gently against the rough stone wall.
Brushing the dirt from his hands, he rolled up his sleeves.
"First, we need to get the truck upright and get out of here."
"I’m completely spent."
"I’m running on my last reserve."
"I don’t have enough strength left to fight the military."
Danny cast a worried glance at the wall.
"Surely they wouldn’t attack us after we helped them, right?"
Grandpa Jiro stepped forward, shaking his head with a bitter scowl.
"No."
"He is right."
"You can never trust the military."
"They’re exactly the type of opportunistic bastards who’ll turn on you once you’re no longer useful."
Ignoring the ache in his bones, Leo approached the flipped truck. He jammed his hands underneath the metal frame, planting his feet tight against the floor. He pulled.
His muscles strained, burning with effort, but the massive machine barely budged. Exhausted, his superhuman strength fell short.
Grandpa Jiro moved to his side, rolling his stiff shoulders. Danny scrambled over to join them.
"Let’s do it together."
All three men grabbed the cold metal, bracing themselves for a combined lift.
A sharp chime echoed from the dashboard.
[Ding!]
The truck’s onboard AI flared to life.
[Attempting to stabilize vehicle.]
[Launching repair toolkit.]
Hidden panels slid open along the armored exterior. Three thick, hydraulic poles extended outward from the undercarriage.
With a heavy mechanical groan, the poles planted firmly into the dirt. Pushing with immense force, they levered the massive vehicle upward.
THUD!
The tires hit the ground, landing perfectly upright.
Leo, Grandpa Jiro, and Danny just stared at the metallic beast, panting uselessly.
The AI’s calm voice continued.
[Vehicle stabilization complete.]
[Tyre No. 2 requires replacement.]
A roof hatch clicked open, pushing out a fresh tire. Sleek mechanical arms unfolded from the side panels, reaching out with precise movements. They grabbed the spare, unbolted the shredded rubber, and swapped the wheels in a matter of seconds.
[Repair complete.]
Leo blinked, dropping his hands.
"...Convenient."
Glad to skip the manual labor, the group scrambled into the cabin. Leo climbed behind the wheel, gripping the leather tight.
Before starting the engine, he looked over his shoulder at Danny.
"Can you remove the stone dome?"
Danny offered a weak shake of his head.
Leo studied the young man. His skin had taken on a sickly pale hue, and his eyes lacked any focus. Every ounce of energy seemed drained from his bones. Sheer willpower was the only thing keeping him awake.
The memory of the wild, explosive attacks Danny had unleashed right after awakening crossed Leo’s mind. The kid had to be running on empty.
Frowning, Leo directed a quiet thought inward.
"System..."
"Is there something wrong with the X-Gene Serum?"
"Why does everyone who awakens after using it seem to show signs of madness immediately afterward?"
The robotic voice carried an odd hint of defense.
[Host, don’t blame the system.]
[The system’s products are always excellent.]
[If you have doubts regarding the product, simply don’t use the system’s products.]
An irritated tick caught Leo’s eyebrow. A headache pulsed at his temples, killing any desire to argue with a machine.
"Whatever."
He placed both hands firmly on the wheel. If magic couldn’t move the rock... horsepower would have to do the job.
Stomping hard on the gas pedal, Leo brought the engine to life with a deafening roar.
VRROOOOM!
The heavy tires spun, kicking up dirt as the truck lunged forward.
BOOOOM!
The reinforced bumper crashed directly into the solid wall. Rocks cracked apart, showering the ground as a massive hole tore open.
The truck pushed through the dust cloud and hit the open road.
Stepping on the gas, Leo steered the heavy vehicle on a route far away from the smoking frontlines. He refused to gamble with their survival today.
Behind them, the echoing thuds of war faded as the ruined battlefield shrank in the rearview mirror.
And for the first time since the battle began...
Leo loosened his death grip on the wheel, letting a genuine moment of calm wash over him.
******************
Author’s Note
Finally , Volume 1 of Apocalypse Transmigration -Card Captor system has come to an end .
I thank all the readers that have been following my book’s progress till now .
Stay tuned folks , because the next arc is going to be more exciting and action filled