CHAPTER 746: WE’RE NOT STAYING QUIET ANYMORE...

"Join you guys?" Hammerhead looked hesitant.

Sensing the hesitation, Hank jumped in, laying it on thick. "We’re the Overlord Squad, man. We’ve racked up serious achievements—took down entire zombie nests, made history..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s not brag about the glory days," Big Ears cut in, pretending to be modest. "I mean, sure, I’ve gone on killing sprees with the boss, steamrolled Genesis Biotech’s North American HQ, and commanded tens of thousands of elite zombies... but hey, no big deal."

The two of them played off each other like a well-rehearsed act, putting on a show of swagger and bravado.

If it were any regular zombie, they might’ve been impressed.

But Hammerhead just squinted and asked, "You guys raise pigs or something?"

"Uh..." Hank froze, caught completely off guard.

The air went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. An awkward tension settled over the group.

"You... how’d you know?" Hank asked, genuinely curious.

Hammerhead sniffed the air. Even from a distance, he’d caught the scent—pig manure and feed.

"I could smell it. You guys reek of pigs."

"Uh..." Hank was speechless. The awkwardness only deepened.

Big Ears’ eyes darted around, then he quickly jumped in, trying to spin it. "You’ve got a sharp nose, I’ll give you that. Raising pigs is actually a top-priority job. It’s all about feeding the entire zombie nest, you know? That’s why the boss personally put me in charge."

He clapped a hand on Hammerhead’s shoulder. "Stick with me, man. I’ll take good care of you."

"..."

But before Hammerhead could respond, PhD’s voice called out from a distance. "Hammerhead, come on. I’ll show you the lab."

"Yes, PhD!" Hammerhead straightened up, nodding respectfully. Before leaving, he turned back to Big Ears and said, "Sorry, man. Raising pigs is clearly important, but I don’t think I’m cut out for it. I’ve gotta head to the lab."

Big Ears: "..."

The other zombies stood there in silence, watching Hammerhead walk away until he disappeared into the lab.

No one said a word for a long moment.

Finally, Shrimpy broke the silence. "Who the hell is that guy? Shows up and gets taken straight to the lab?"

"No clue," Big Ears muttered, shaking his head.

Shrimpy rubbed his chin, thinking. "Maybe I should talk to the boss too... see if I can get into research or something?"

"Uh..."

All the zombies turned to look at him, giving him a once-over. No one said a word.

Then, without a word, they all just walked off in different directions.

"Let’s go, let’s go. Time to eat the fresh meat the boss brought back..."

"..."

Meanwhile, over in the lab, Hammerhead was completely blown away.

There were Guard Mechs, high-tech instruments, and all kinds of advanced weapons—cutting-edge human technology, all right here.

"Holy shit..."

Hammerhead was stunned speechless, his mind reeling.

PhD glanced at him. "So? Interested?"

"Hell yeah, I’m interested!" Hammerhead nodded so fast he looked like a bobblehead.

Only now did he realize—the boss’s flying machine was just the tip of the iceberg. He’d basically moved an entire human research lab into the nest.

After watching him for a bit, PhD could tell Hammerhead wasn’t dumb. Maybe not scientist material, but definitely smart enough to be a decent assistant.

So he handed him a white lab coat.

Hammerhead slipped it on, looking surprisingly legit. His heart swelled with excitement. He swore to himself he’d learn everything he could and be the best damn assistant this lab had ever seen.

"Not bad..." Ethan said, nodding in approval. With Hammerhead helping out, PhD would have a lighter load.

And who knows—maybe with more brains in the mix, they’d come up with something groundbreaking.

Ethan had already made up his mind: he was going to recruit more talented zombies and build a full-on zombie research team.

At that moment, PhD stepped up to a glowing screen.

"Boss, human activity’s been picking up lately. A bunch of them have crossed into The Exile Zone, flying around the edges like they’re scouting for something."

Ethan nodded, unsurprised. Between the humans’ so-called "Grand Council" and the academy’s student competitions, he already knew they were planning to come to Necroterra.

Of course, they wouldn’t just charge in blindly. They’d send recon teams first to scope things out.

"Their scouting range isn’t limited to Southvale," PhD continued. "They’ve been poking around Westmarch too. We can’t tell yet which direction they’ll launch their main assault from."

"Doesn’t matter," Ethan said, waving a hand dismissively. "Humans aren’t gonna stir up much trouble for now. I need rest—I’m not wasting time on them. You guys handle it."

His recent trip to Eastreach had netted him three SSS-grade crystal cores. Absorbing all of them would take at least a month.

And the humans? Still stuck in recon mode. Who knew how long before they actually made a move?

Their advance teams wouldn’t include any top-tier fighters either. His zombie underlings could handle them just fine.

PhD understood immediately. "Got it. We’ll keep gathering intel and make sure we’re ready before the main force arrives."

"Good. Go on. If anything comes up, just handle it however you see fit." Ethan trusted his crew enough to let them take the reins.

With that, he turned and headed into a clean, well-equipped room—converted from a large aircraft, complete with all the comforts and tech he needed.

From his spatial storage ring, Ethan pulled out a glass and filled it with thick, crimson "juice."

Then, three crystal cores appeared in his palm.

He glanced down at them—each one pulsing with dense, potent energy.

These SSS-grade cores were priceless, no matter where you were on this planet.

"Let’s see how this tastes."

He popped one into his mouth. It melted instantly, turning into a warm current that flowed through his entire body.

It felt incredible—like soaking in a hot spring.

At the same time, the pure energy began nourishing his flesh, strengthening him from the inside out.

All three cores were focused on physical enhancement. With each one he absorbed, Ethan would evolve further, pushing his body toward new transformations.

And so, the long night passed quietly.

With Ethan back, the zombie nest had returned to a calm, steady rhythm.

But the next morning, a piece of news spread like wildfire—sending a jolt of excitement through the entire horde.

"What?! Humans are coming to Necroterra?!"

"Humans?! No way—actual humans?! I haven’t seen one in forever!"

"Yeah, yeah, PhD said so! And the boss told us we can do whatever we want!"

"This is amazing!"

The zombies were practically buzzing with bloodlust. It had been ages since they’d seen humans—let alone had a chance to fight them.

Out near the edge of the pig farm, four zombies lounged on a pile of hay.

Big Ears lay back with his arms behind his head, one leg crossed over the other, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

He was still a little salty about failing to recruit Hammerhead as his underling. "You think we’ve been outta the game too long? Feels like the rest of the horde’s forgotten who we are."

"Totally," Shrimpy nodded eagerly.

Mist, lying nearby, chimed in. "PhD said we’ve got free rein this time. So... what’s the plan?"

Big Ears’ eyes lit up. He sat up straight, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

"We’re not staying quiet anymore... The Overlord Squad is done playing it low-key!"

...