LOGINThe next day…The skies were clear, the sun blazing.A line of warships cut across the open sea, dark and imposing."Listen up, Ascendant Creed! This is Hayley, from the Haylight League."Hand over my aunt, alive and unharmed. I'm not negotiating terms. Give Aunt Ruby back, and we can talk. Refuse, and I will wipe the Sovereign Academy off the map today."If you so much as lay a finger on her, I swear on my name, Haylight League will rain fire on every one of your branches! The Sovereign Academy, the Sovereign Research Institute, Sovereign Industries, the Sovereign Legion, all of it. Including Ascendant Creed itself."I'll bury every last one of you with her!"Her voice blasted through the airwaves and into a conference room.A man with an SS insignia pinned to his chest listened, his eyes lighting up with growing excitement.Hayley's words echoed again and again across the island as her fleet crept closer, inch by inch.Still, not a single reply came from the other side."H
Who the hell did this?The Sovereign Academy?But Hayley had never given them her league's location.Their first contact with the Sovereign Academy had been at the inner camp in the canyon between Brookville and Crestford, miles away from Aecraton. The second time was over the sea. There was no way they could've pinpointed Haylight League's position.During negotiations, not a single detail about their location had been revealed.And yet those fighter jets had just roared in and headed straight for their territory.How the hell did the Sovereign Academy know where they were?Henerland's territory was massive. Even if they had a rough idea, there was no way they could've found them so precisely along that vast coastline.Who leaked it?Just then, a little girl came running over in a panic."Hayley! Something's wrong. Ruby's been taken!"Winona rushed up, breathless. Hayley hadn't brought her along and had left her under Ruby's care.The moment Hayley heard Winona, she snappe
"I want to know the full extent of this test subject's potential!"The man's voice trembled, excitement running straight through him.Hayley's strength had him shaking to his core.This was beyond anything anyone had expected, beyond anything anyone had imagined could emerge from the apocalypse. Hayley was a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, the perfect test subject."Make her show everything she's got. No holding back!"He rose to his feet, eyes locked on the warship pulling away. The access card hanging from his chest was different from the others; it was black and gold.At its center were two sharp, gleaming letters: SS.Hayley's warship cut through the water, heading toward her league.On deck, Susan stood frozen, staring at the crowd gathered around Hayley as they rapidly reported updates.From their conversation, she realized these people were running a massive league.Its base was in Aecraton, an entire city already under their control.What…Susan looked at Hayley, shoc
Hayley grabbed a set of clothes and strode out like she owned the place alongside A051 and Griffin.A051 led the way. They had just reached the entrance when they saw a crowd rushing inside."Why are you heading out? Did you catch the one inside?"A051 tensed instantly. Then a low voice cut in, "All of you, get in there now! We came out to call for backup. Move! That Gifted in there is strong as hell!"Hearing that commanding tone, the others swallowed whatever questions they had. Without a second thought, they rushed into the building in a swarm.Hayley didn't hesitate. She led her group straight out at full speed. Outside, she saw wave after wave of new arrivals being brought onto the island.So it really was a yearly selection.Another batch of unlucky souls.Hayley didn't spare them a glance. Using the access card she had taken, she followed A051 all the way to the outer edge.Beep.The outermost gate slid open.Hayley could already hear the commotion rising behind t
A051's expression turned heavy the moment Hayley pressed her. She frowned deeply. "You shouldn't be asking about this."Hayley held her gaze. "Do you remember what Winona told you? She almost got taken and turned into livestock. You probably haven't seen it, but there's already a full-blown market out there selling human meat in the open."A051 trembled at that."The whole world's been torn apart by the zombie virus. If it weren't for that, you wouldn't have been separated from Winona. She wouldn't have almost ended up like that either. How long are you planning to keep their secrets?"A051 stood stiffly, then finally spoke, her voice tight. "You really want to know?""Just say it."She let out a long sigh. "The Sovereign Academy isn't just some academy. There's a massive organization behind it."Hayley's eyes lit up. "Is it the Ascendant Creed?""You've heard of Ascendant Creed?" A051 looked genuinely shocked."A little. They're basically the Sovereign Academy, right?""No
This time, everyone got their own room.Once they got inside, they all locked the door.Hayley shot Griffin a look. He got the message right away.The new room was seriously upscale. It had a private bathroom, a closet packed with white uniforms, a fridge, and a microwave.The fridge was fully stocked. Snacks, soda, pastries, and even some wrapped sandwiches.The microwave was there to heat everything up. It was pretty clear this was all meant to be their food supply.Hayley did a quick sweep of the room and found cameras; even in the bathroom.She didn't hesitate. She grabbed some clothes and draped them over every camera she could find, then went to take a shower.She didn't have any second thoughts. She just did it.By the time she finished and changed into the uniform they had provided, evening had settled in. It was getting dark outside, but the hallway lights still hadn't come on.That was when she heard faint clicks coming from her locked door.Hayley moved silently t
About eight ferocious-looking zombies crammed into the doorway, howling as they forced their way in through the narrow gap Mona had slipped through.Thankfully, the entrance had two layers. Behind the metal outer door was a wooden sliding door.Julian reacted fast and slammed the wooden door shut.
After Alex finished speaking, the others quickly followed."Captain Reid, our base is in serious trouble. Since spring started, not a single drop of rain has fallen. We've got no food left!""Same here. Our farmland was limited to begin with, and now, it's hopeless!""Our base ran out of food a l
"Wow, that's insane!" a slightly soft male voice exclaimed. "Vic, look! They're all so strong!" Before his words even settled, a mocking voice cut in. It was Daniel. "Todd, can you shut up a little? You're yelling like a sissy. Don't you feel embarrassed?""You shut up! Don't you dare criticize m
Mandy Cook noticed the two people sitting on the low stools at a glance.One of them, a woman, had her hair tied in a high ponytail. Even in the scorching heat, she wore a full set of sleek combat gear. She was beautiful, her long hair neat and flowing. Her skin was fair and so flawless that it b






