Chapter 274 Uninvited Guest
Void Perry's real name wasn't Void.
Before the world had fractured, before the dead walked and the very air they breathed turned toxic, he'd had a different name, a different life. A life filled with the laughter of children, the warmth of a loving embrace, the simple joys of family dinners and stolen kisses.
When the apocalypse hit, he watched his family, lover, and kid die in front of him in the most brutal ways. He felt dead inside, so when people asked his name, he just said, "Void."
Void was just a hollow shell running on autopilot.
He never used to smoke; he thought the money could be better spent on toys for his kids or a nice handbag for his girl.
But now, he smoked like a chimney, even using cigarettes to lure women, way hotter than his late lover, to strip for food and water.
Void found that when the smoke curled in front of him, it brought back shadows from his past, and he got hooked on that feeling.
Maybe, in those moments, he could find a piece of forever.
"Mr. Perry, something's off outside." One of his top guys walked over, looking puzzled, and told Void.
Void snapped to attention; he knew this guy wouldn't talk nonsense. In the post-apocalyptic world, lying was a luxury no one could afford.
Void walked to the window and looked out. Being on the first floor, the view wasn't great, but he could see the streets around them.
Nothing. No zombies, no mutated plants or animals, not even corpses.
This was weird. In Accraville City, the streets were usually full of bones. If a street was clean, something was definitely up.
It was too clean here.
The Mercy Vanguard warband had been here for days. They'd prepped a lot for this trade fair. Even though they cleared the area early on, zombies would still wander in. Just this morning, Void had taken out a few with a crossbow from the second floor.
But now, the zombies with their Magic Crystals dug out were gone.
"Stay sharp, send someone to get Captain White," Void said.
The Mercy Vanguard warband was the top dog in Accraville City for a reason. Each of Chester's lieutenants had their strengths, and Void was known for his cool head. Even in a crisis, he was ruthless.
With everyone he cared about gone, what did he have to fear?
Void's squad of twenty immediately went on high alert. One guy ran upstairs to get Chester, who was in a meeting. Two others put on thick homemade steel armor and cautiously went out the side door to check things out.
Void's eyes scanned the area, and one of his hands turned pitch black.
That was the sign his Plague Sentinel powers were kicking in.
Suddenly, strange noises reached Void and his team. The two guys outside heard it too, probably clearer since they were out there. They looked up, and their faces went pale.
"Watch out above!" Void saw their faces and knew something was wrong. He shouted and led everyone away from the window. The next second, countless small, fast black shadows smashed through the tempered glass, zooming towards the survivors inside.
"What are those things?" Void said.
One survivor reacted a bit slow and got too close to a black shadow. Panicking, he tried to swat it away.
But as soon as he touched it, he felt a sharp pain. Freaking out, he swung his weapon at it.
As Void backed up, he glanced at his guy. The black shadow didn't care about the weapon. It bit into the guy's throat.
No blood, no flying flesh. The survivor's body shriveled up instantly, and the black creature finally showed its true form.
It was a fox-like creature with a wolf's head, made of mist, about 10 inches long. It floated in the air, moving incredibly fast, and its attack was no joke. Otherwise, a one-star Evolving person wouldn't have been so helpless.
Void roared, thrusting his blackened hand at the Wolf Spirit-like creature, activating his Plague Corrosion skill.
Both sides screamed in pain.
The Wolf Spirit turned green, its misty face twisting with a disturbingly human-like expression, and then it dissipated.
Void screamed too, quickly looking at his right hand. It should have been pitch black, but now the bones were exposed at the knuckles.
Urgent footsteps echoed from the street, followed by the short screams of his two guys outside. Void knew they were in deep trouble. He shouted to his terrified team, "Fight while retreating, head upstairs to meet Captain White."
Void made a smart call. Even though the Mercy Vanguard warband wasn't fully deployed today, and the leaders upstairs didn't have many subordinates, they were the strongest in Accraville City. Together, they could wipe out anything. As long as they got upstairs, he and his team would be safe.
A squad of warriors in black combat uniforms appeared at the door. The main door, blocked by debris, was shattered by their savage charge. Their uniform gray long-handled battleaxes gleamed with a chilling light, whistling towards the retreating Mercy Vanguard members.
In Accraville City, the Mercy Vanguard warband was famous because all their members were Evolving persons. Even though they weren't many, they held the top spot. Anyone who had seen the whole team in action was awed by their strength.
But today, they met their match.
These black-clad warriors acted more like a military unit than the Mercy Vanguard, advancing and retreating with precision, killing decisively and without hesitation.
Void was a two-star Evolving person and a professional. Leading so many one-star Evolving persons under the threat of those black Wolf Spirits, they lasted less than ten seconds against the black-clad warriors before collapsing.
Collapse meant death. Void truly lost his will to survive. Lying on the ground, he felt the cold floor and saw those illusory shadows again. He knew that this time, he could finally die.
The entire trade fair came to an abrupt halt with the sudden sounds of battle below.
"Mr. White, what's the meaning of this?" Some people thought Chester was up to something shady and looked pissed.
"Those are my guys downstairs." Chester growled, his face turning ferocious.
Chester heard the screams, the desperate sounds people make before death.
The conference room door was pushed open, and a blood-soaked subordinate stumbled in. Seeing Chester, his eyes lit up, and he reached out to say something, but his body suddenly stiffened and turned into a dried corpse right in front of everyone.
Everyone who saw this felt a chill in their hearts.
Orderly footsteps echoed from the hallway outside, putting immense pressure on those inside. Chester and those near the door stepped back, leaving space to deal with any sudden situations.
Moments later, a burly figure with crossed arms appeared before them, surrounded by about fifteen black Wolf Spirits.
Behind him were dozens of fully armed, menacing warriors.
"It's good to see you." Quincy began speaking as if no one else was there, completely ignoring these elites of Accraville City. "How did you feel when you got a bottle of Evolution Elixir just before injecting it? Well, that's how I feel right now." Quincy continued.
Quincy spread his arms in an embrace, his eyes filled with a madness others couldn't understand. "Come on, gentlemen. Don't disappoint. It's time to make your contributions...to Lord Gray."
In response, a dazzling knife light flashed.
William, unexpectedly, was the first to strike.
