CHAPTER 717: YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASY...

A powerful energy blast tore through the air, screaming straight toward them like a comet of death.

"Scatter!" one of the Zombie Kings shouted, panic in his voice.

The group broke formation instantly, diving in all directions.

Gravestone, however, didn’t move. A dark yellow aura surged around his massive frame as he braced himself, relying on his monstrous defense to tank the hit.

BOOOOM!

The blast detonated on impact, unleashing a shockwave that rocked the battlefield. The ground cracked and split beneath the force, tremors rippling outward like an earthquake. A small mushroom cloud rose into the sky, glowing with residual energy.

Even though the other Zombie Kings had dodged quickly, they weren’t fast enough to escape the blast radius. Laura’s shot had the force of an SS-class Awakener going all out—no joke.

"What the hell is this?!"

"They’ve got tech weapons on their Zombie Kings now?"

"This is cheating! Straight-up cheating!"

"..."

The surviving Zombie Kings were shaken. Nothing like this had ever happened on Necroterra. It was like the rules of war had just been rewritten in real time.

As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Gravestone’s towering figure still stood tall. His SSS-class durability had held up—but barely. And while he wasn’t physically injured, his mind was racing.

From the moment this battle started, the enemy had rolled out one high-tech weapon after another.

And each one was more terrifying than the last.

Who knew what else they were hiding?

"Let me show you what real cutting-edge tech looks like!"

A loud, booming voice echoed across the battlefield, thick with pride and a hint of mischief.

And with each heavy footstep that followed, the ground trembled.

"What now?!" Gravestone snapped, his nerves fraying. He was already on edge—this was starting to feel like a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.

He turned toward the sound—and saw a hulking figure barreling through the battlefield like a runaway freight train.

It was Bulldozer.

Wrapped in thick slabs of armor, he plowed through the undead like a battering ram, sending zombie bodies flying in every direction.

Gravestone squinted. "That’s it? Just a guy in a metal vest?"

He exhaled, almost disappointed. "I thought it was gonna be something serious..."

But just as he let his guard down—

SHHHK!

Eight mechanical tendrils suddenly unfurled from Bulldozer’s back, snapping out like serpents. They whipped through the air with terrifying speed, lashing out at the surrounding zombies.

One tendril snatched a zombie clean off the ground and flung it skyward with such force that it vanished into the clouds, its scream fading into the distance.

"Wha—?!"

Gravestone’s eyes went wide.

The biomechanical tendrils were fast, strong, and disturbingly agile. They wrapped around zombies, crushed them, impaled them, or hurled them like rag dolls. The carnage was brutal—and efficient.

These weren’t just random upgrades. This was lab-grade tech—biomimetic weaponry modeled after parasitic monsters’ tentacles. PhD had designed them specifically for Bulldozer, knowing his raw strength could handle the weight and torque without slowing him down.

The chest armor? That was just the base. The real weapon was what came after.

"Told ya," Bulldozer said with a goofy grin, clearly enjoying himself. "I told you this was cutting-edge tech. Y’all didn’t believe me!"

Now fully transformed into a walking biomech nightmare, Bulldozer rampaged through the horde, laughing as he tore through the undead like a kid in a candy store.

Gravestone and the others could only stare, slack-jawed.

One surprise after another. Each more devastating than the last.

"We can’t win this... We really can’t win this..."

"They’re using us to test new weapons, aren’t they?"

"Screw this. I’m out. I don’t care what the plan was!"

"..."

The alliance of Zombie Kings had always been shaky—just a temporary pact to help Gravestone take down Umbradrake. There was no real loyalty holding them together.

Now, faced with overwhelming firepower and no hope of victory, the alliance shattered.

"Every man for himself! Run wherever you can—just stay alive!" one of the Zombie Kings shouted.

The others didn’t need convincing. They bolted in all directions, abandoning the battlefield in a chaotic scramble.

The once-organized Zombie Horde fell into complete disarray, collapsing into panic and confusion.

The slaughter had become a rout.

"Get back here! All of you—stop running! You’re making yourselves easier targets!" Gravestone bellowed, his voice laced with fury and desperation.

But none of the Zombie Kings listened.

"Staying put is what’s dangerous right now!"

"Hah! Don’t think we don’t see through you—you just wanted to use us as cannon fodder!"

"Overlord of Southvale, my ass. You can’t even take down Umbradrake!"

"Split up! Let’s see if they can kill all of us!"

"..."

One by one, the Zombie Kings broke off, scattering in every direction like rats fleeing a sinking ship. Whether they lived or died now was up to fate.

They deliberately avoided the areas where the Guard Mechs, Laura, and Bulldozer were wreaking havoc.

One of them, spotting a stretch of open terrain ahead with no visible enemies, felt a flicker of hope.

"This way! It’s clear over here—follow me!" he shouted.

"Got it, boss!" a group of zombies responded, rushing after him.

But they didn’t get far.

The ground beneath them began to tremble.

"Vine Domain!"

A voice rang out from ahead. A lone figure stood atop a massive boulder, arms crossed, as if he’d been waiting there the whole time.

In an instant, the barren earth erupted.

Thick, gnarled vines burst from the ground like serpents, writhing and snapping through the air. They surged forward, wrapping around the fleeing zombies, dragging them down, crushing them, tearing them apart.

The vines covered the battlefield like a living net, choking the life out of everything they touched.

Elsewhere, the other fleeing Zombie Kings weren’t faring any better.

No matter which direction they ran, something was waiting.

In one quadrant, Gorewood’s Forest of Death sprang to life—twisted trees with razor-sharp branches and roots that impaled anything that moved.

In another, Petal’s Hallucinogenic Bloomfield unfurled, releasing clouds of shimmering pollen that sent zombies into a frenzy, turning on each other in a haze of madness.

And in the west, Lil’ Shroom’s Spore Parasites spread like wildfire, infecting the undead and bursting from their bodies in grotesque fungal blooms.

Each of these mutated plant Awakeners had terrifying area-of-effect abilities, and they were using them to full effect.

And behind the plants?

Ethan’s elite Zombie Horde.

Fully mobilized, they surged forward like a tidal wave of death. These weren’t your average mindless undead—they were evolved, disciplined, and deadly. Under the command of their own Zombie Kings, they tore through the enemy like a buzzsaw.

On a nearby ridge, Big Ears stood with a smug grin, watching the carnage unfold.

"See that? I’m a big deal," he said without even turning his head.

"Uh..." Hank blinked, glancing at him. "Big Ears, you didn’t even fight."

"Hmph! If it weren’t for the pigs I raised, none of our guys would’ve had the strength to fight in the first place," Big Ears huffed, arms crossed, full of pride.

Hank scratched his head. "...You know what? That actually makes sense."

The battle had become a bloodbath—completely one-sided.

Everywhere you looked, it was slaughter.

Of course, a few of the more agile Zombie Kings managed to slip through the chaos. Using their speed, they darted past the mutated plants and escaped the kill zones, putting distance between themselves and the battlefield.

"Fusion-type Zombie Kings might hit hard," one of them muttered, glancing back with a sneer, "but speed is king."

He didn’t notice the shadow behind him begin to rise.

It stretched upward, slowly taking shape—until it formed a humanoid figure.

Silent. Lethal.

Shadow.

Without a sound, he raised his clawed hand and drove it straight into the Zombie King’s back.

Shhk!

Black blood sprayed into the air as the claws punched clean through.

"You’re not getting away that easy..." came a raspy, almost gleeful whisper behind him.

The speed-type Zombie King froze, his body trembling. His eyes widened in horror as he slowly turned his head, puppet-like, to see what had struck him.

A pitch-black face stared back at him, eyes gleaming with cold malice.

"Wh—what the hell are you?"

"You may call me... the Lord of Shadows."

Little Shadow’s voice was low and chilling.

Then, with a sudden slash, his claws ripped through the Zombie King’s torso, splitting him nearly in half.

Blood sprayed across the ground as the body collapsed in a heap.

...