Chapter 163: Luther
Leo gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as he sped away from the ruined battlefield. A heavy, nagging weight gnawed at the back of his mind.
He had left something behind.
Something critical.
He creased his forehead, trying to pinpoint the missing piece, but the roaring engine and the chaos in the rearview mirror demanded his full focus. Survival came first. He forced the thought deep down and pressed his foot harder on the gas pedal.
Inside the abandoned streets of Rendell City lay trapped in absolute silence.
Not a single zombie roamed the cracked asphalt.
In the dead center of the road rested a motionless body. The top half of its skull had been blasted away, leaving a gruesome mess.
This was William.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The sharp sound of combat boots striking the pavement broke the quiet. The heavy steps halted right next to William. A man crouched low, his gaze sweeping over the ruined flesh. He pressed two bare fingers firmly against the center of William’s chest. He held his breath, waiting.
A deep crease formed between his brows.
"Interesting..."
"Even with half of his head gone, this creature’s heart is still beating."
The man pushed himself up to his feet. Any military officer walking past would have known his face in a heartbeat. He was Luther, the smooth-talking soldier who bragged about his ties to the high command, the one who promised desperate men a slot in the Superhuman Awakening trials.
Luther stared down at the broken body.
Without warning, the dark shape cast by his boots stretched outward. It leaked across the concrete like spilled black ink, shifting and writhing until it washed entirely over William. The heavy corpse began to drop into the flat darkness, sinking as if swallowed by a deep pool of water.
A heartbeat later, the road was empty. William was gone.
Luther reached into his vest and pulled out a bulky satellite phone. He punched in a short sequence of numbers. The line clicked open after three rings.
A youthful, sharp voice drifted through the speaker.
"Luther, is there any news?"
A thin smile touched Luther’s lips.
"Young Master, there is indeed news."
"I’ve gotten hold of an interesting specimen."
"I bet Dr. Frank would be thrilled after seeing this specimen."
The voice crackled with sharp irritation.
"Is that the only reason you called?"
"What about the test subjects Dr. Frank asked for?"
Luther did not lose his cool.
"Young Master, don’t worry."
"There are plenty of survivors and soldiers dreaming of doing something big."
"I’ve already signed up many of them for the experiments."
"But if we move too many people at once, the military will notice."
"We’ll have to take it slowly."
He let out a short breath and looked at the ruined buildings around him.
"But don’t worry."
"The military has suffered quite a lot to conquer this city."
"They’ll almost certainly turn Rendell City into a survivor base or supply point."
"When that happens, it’ll be much easier."
"Nobody will bother investigating a few missing people."
Silence hung heavy on the other end of the line.
Luther pressed the phone closer to his ear.
"But that’s not the most important reason I called."
"Young Master..."
"The Rizen Group’s Ape God was forced to flee the battlefield."
"He is severely injured."
"I suspect he can’t use even ten percent of his original strength right now."
The youthful voice lost all its former impatience, turning cold and focused.
"What is their route?"
"And is there anything we should be careful about?"
Luther answered without missing a beat.
"Young Master, I’m ninety percent certain they’ve gone to seek refuge at the nearby Kent Clan shelter."
"The Kent Clan’s Young Master Bear fled the battlefield the moment the aliens revealed even a fraction of their true strength."
"After what happened today, the Kent Clan will probably be desperate to regain favor with the Rizen Group."
He paused, letting the information sink in.
"And the Ape God isn’t alone."
"He’s accompanied by S-Borg."
"The Rizen Group sacrificed almost all of their machinery and equipment just to get those two out alive."
Only static whispered through the speaker for several long seconds. Then, the sharp voice returned.
"Alright."
"I understand."
The line went dead.
Luther slid the device back into his pocket. He cast a final look toward the distant smoke rising from the battlefield.
"I’d better leave too..."
"Before the military realizes my true identity."
He turned on his heel and walked down the empty road. With every step, his physical form fractured. Layers of dark shadow peeled off his skin like shedding snake scales. His youthful, rugged jawline softened and sagged. The dark hair on his head faded into a stark silver. Deep lines carved themselves into his face and hands, pulling his strong frame into a slight stoop.
When the last shred of darkness fell away, the young soldier no longer existed.
In his place walked an elderly man with a well-groomed beard, dressed in a crisp, spotless butler’s uniform. The old man stepped toward the shade of a ruined storefront. The moment his polished shoes touched the gloom, his body melted into the shadows.
Not a trace remained.
Far away, buried deep beneath the neon ruins of Vegas, a massive laboratory sat sealed behind thick walls of concrete and reinforced steel.
The glow of monitors bathed one of the private rooms in harsh light.
A masked man lowered a satellite phone to his desk. Spiky hair, burning as red as an open flame, framed his hidden face. He stared at the silent device, letting the weight of the news settle in.
A cruel smile curled his lips beneath the mask.
"Rizen Group..."
"The apocalypse has descended."
"The world is already heading toward its end."
"And yet..."
"You people are still desperately clinging to your miserable lives."
The amusement in his eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling glare.
"If you refuse to accept your end..."
"Then I’ll become your end."
The masked man turned his head to the empty corner of the room.
"Martha."
The shadows gathered and stretched, twisting upward until they formed the shape of an old woman. She wore a tailored butler’s uniform, matching the one worn by the old man in Rendell City. She dipped her head in a deep bow.
"Yes, Young Master."
The masked man delivered his command.
"Send a message to every cult member in the vicinity."
"We’re attacking the Kent Clan’s survivor shelter near Rendell City."
The old woman’s face hardened with grim focus. The masked man pushed his chair back and rose to his feet.
"It’s time..."
"For the Doomsday Cult to finally step into the light."
Martha bowed a second time.
"Understood, Young Master."
She took a step backward, letting the gloom swallow her whole. The masked man stood alone in the quiet laboratory. He watched the empty space where she had vanished.
A twisted grin broke across his face once more.
The Doomsday Cult had stayed hidden for far too long.
Now, they were making their move.
A masked man lowered a satellite phone to his desk. Spiky hair, burning as red as an open flame, framed his hidden face. He stared at the silent device, letting the weight of the news settle in.
A cruel smile curled his lips beneath the mask.
"Rizen Group..."
"The apocalypse has descended."
"The world is already heading toward its end."
"And yet..."
"You people are still desperately clinging to your miserable lives."
The amusement in his eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling glare.
"If you refuse to accept your end..."
"Then I’ll become your end."
The masked man turned his head to the empty corner of the room.
"Martha."
The shadows gathered and stretched, twisting upward until they formed the shape of an old woman. She wore a tailored butler’s uniform, matching the one worn by the old man in Rendell City. She dipped her head in a deep bow.
"Yes, Young Master."
The masked man delivered his command.
"Send a message to every cult member in the vicinity."
"We’re attacking the Kent Clan’s survivor shelter near Rendell City."
The old woman’s face hardened with grim focus. The masked man pushed his chair back and rose to his feet.
"It’s time..."
"For the Doomsday Cult to finally step into the light."
Martha bowed a second time.
"Understood, Young Master."
She took a step backward, letting the gloom swallow her whole. The masked man stood alone in the quiet laboratory. He watched the empty space where she had vanished.
A twisted grin broke across his face once more.
The Doomsday Cult had stayed hidden for far too long. Now, they were making their move.
A twisted grin broke across his face once more.
The Doomsday Cult had stayed hidden for far too long. Now, they were making their move.
The masked man stood alone in the quiet laboratory. He watched the empty space where she had vanished.
The Doomsday Cult had stayed hidden for far too long.