Chapter 96: Cain vs Zombie King (2)
Using the brief opening, he pulled his sword free and stepped away before another attack could reach him.
The wound beneath the Zombie King’s ribs immediately began closing, only for dark gray energy to spread around the damaged flesh. Its regeneration slowed considerably as the newly formed tissue continued deteriorating under the effects of Ruin.
However, Cain was watching something else.
A tremendous amount of energy suddenly flowed toward the injury. The damaged flesh began rebuilding again despite the Ruin continuously suppressing its regeneration.
’There.’
Cain avoided another punch and created some distance.
’That’s what I needed to know.’
Bottomless Furnace was not giving the Zombie King unlimited power.
Every time it regenerated or strengthened its body, the energy stored inside that enormous reservoir was being consumed.
The amount might be terrifyingly large, but it was still a reservoir and would eventually run dry.
Cain tightened his grip around the sword and rushed forward again.
The next several minutes became increasingly violent.
There was no question that the Zombie King possessed the advantage.
Cain could temporarily match its speed and physical strength whenever he pushed Ruin Dragon Force harder, but every increase placed tremendous pressure on his body.
Muscles tore beneath his skin whenever he exceeded what his current physique could normally withstand. Undying God Body continuously repaired the damage, allowing him to continue fighting, but the process still consumed his own energy.
The Zombie King faced a similar problem.
Cain opened another wound across its shoulder before immediately thrusting beneath its arm. The Zombie King concentrated energy around the area, hardening its flesh enough to stop the blade from penetrating deeply.
Cain changed direction and slashed its thigh instead.
This time, the Zombie King allowed the attack to land.
The sword sank into its leg, but before Cain could pull it free, one hand closed around the blade. Its flesh contracted tightly around the metal until the weapon became trapped.
Cain pulled backward, but it barely moved.
The Zombie King’s other fist was already approaching.
Cain released the handle and raised both arms.
Bang!
His body flew across the ground before rolling several times.
Both forearms had fractured from blocking the attack and his left shoulder had partially dislocated, yet Cain immediately pushed himself back to his feet as his damaged bones began repairing themselves.
The Zombie King glanced at the sword trapped inside its palm.
Dark gray energy spread from the blade into its fingers, causing the surrounding flesh to blacken and deteriorate. The creature immediately released the weapon.
Cain rushed forward.
His foot struck beneath the handle and kicked the sword upward. He caught it in the air and continued attacking without stopping.
The blade swept toward the Zombie King’s neck.
Dark flesh rapidly gathered from its shoulder, forming biological armor before the sword arrived.
Shhk!
The blade cut deeply into the hardened flesh, but it wasn’t enough.
The Zombie King caught Cain’s wrist and squeezed.
Crack!
Several bones fractured beneath its fingers.
Cain stepped closer instead of pulling away and slammed his forehead directly into the Zombie King’s nose.
Its head moved slightly backward.
The creature immediately counter attacked.
Bang!
Cain’s vision darkened for an instant as his nose broke. Warm blood covered his lips, but before he could recover, the Zombie King pulled him closer and drove a fist into his chest.
Several ribs broke at once.
Cain was sent flying through another tree.
The trunk split from the impact and collapsed together with him.
For several seconds, Cain remained among the broken branches while breathing heavily. His chest visibly shifted as the fractured ribs began returning toward their proper positions.
He pushed himself upright.
The Zombie King was already approaching.
Its own condition was far from perfect.
The wound created by Cain’s first spear still had not completely disappeared. The hole through its forearm remained surrounded by darkened flesh, while several cuts across its body were healing much slower than before.
Cain wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled.
"You’ve spent a lot of energy, haven’t you?"
The Zombie King answered with an enraged roar before rushing forward again.
Cain raised his sword as he had not expected an answer anyway.
Their battle continued toward the southern section of the park.
Cain deliberately gave ground with every exchange, gradually leading the Zombie King toward the intersection where the others were waiting.
He was at a disadvantage and there was no point denying it.
His injuries accumulated faster than Undying God Body could completely repair them, while maintaining Ruin Dragon Force at such a high output continuously drained his Mana.
The Zombie King was simply stronger than him.
However, Cain’s confidence had not disappeared.
Nearly everything that made the difference between them so overwhelming depended on the enormous reservoir stored inside Bottomless Furnace.
Its regeneration consumed energy.
Energy Reinforcement consumed energy as well, and continuously reshaping its body through Flesh Armament placed even more pressure on the same reserve.
Cain did not need to overpower the Zombie King while it was at its strongest.
He only needed to survive until it no longer was and he had already prepared for exactly that possibility.
The sounds of battle reached Cain before the intersection came into sight.
Zombies roared somewhere ahead, mixed with the sounds of weapons striking flesh and bone. Nathan’s arrows repeatedly tore through the air beyond the trees.
Cain stepped around another punch and slashed across the Zombie King’s waist before immediately retreating.
The trees finally opened ahead of him.
The entire intersection had become a battlefield.
Hundreds of zombies had followed Ron and Nathan out of the western public park, but Cain’s group had met them before the horde could spread across the surrounding roads.
Alex fought near the center.
His greatsword descended onto the shoulder of a Level 49 1st Echelon zombie.
Bang!
The creature’s reinforced body buckled beneath the strike. Alex immediately pulled the weapon free and attacked again before it could regain its footing.
Not far away, Elara was fighting another 1st Echelon zombie.
The difference after reaching the Tempered stage was obvious.
Her Ice Mana had become considerably denser, and cold energy followed every movement of her sword.
When the zombie swung toward her, Elara calmly moved outside its reach before stepping into the opening.
Her blade pierced beneath its arm.
Ice spread through the wound and slowed the creature’s movements enough for Jack to attack from the side, driving his fist into its head with enough force to twist its neck violently.
Ron had already returned after delivering Cain’s instructions.
He moved rapidly across the battlefield with his spear, helping the others deal with the stronger zombies while deliberately remaining far away from Cain’s fight.
Farther behind them, the weaker survivors were dealing with the enormous number of Unranked zombies.
Cain’s side was clearly winning.
The ten 1st Echelon zombies were not weak. Even the lowest among them had reached at least Level 45, and any one of them would have been capable of massacring ordinary survivors.
Unfortunately for them, Cain’s group was no longer ordinary.
Many of their strongest fighters had already entered the 1st Echelon and experienced the enormous increase that came from advancement. Their high-ranking Talents only widened the difference further.
Against the Unranked zombies, the advantage was even greater.
As long as the weaker survivors maintained their positions around the strong fighters, the horde would struggle to break through.
Cain only managed to glance across the battlefield once as the Zombie King had already reached him.