Chapter 167: The Chaos in the Plaza and the Rescue

Ethan activated Teleportation again, locking onto a spot a hundred meters ahead.

Space twisted around him.

A moment later, he reappeared in the middle of a cluttered plaza, stumbling as the dizziness washed over him. His injured body struggled to keep its balance, and he had to take a moment to steady himself against a rusted iron post.

The plaza was a battlefield.

The air reeked of blood and decay. Dozens of ordinary zombies wandered among abandoned cars and broken concrete, while the sounds of explosions and furious roars echoed between the surrounding buildings.

Blaze stood near the center of the chaos, her Wind Ability at full force.

A massive tornado swept across the plaza, dragging dozens of ordinary zombies off their feet. Their bodies spun helplessly through the air before being hurled against walls and abandoned vehicles.

Not far away, Max Cole sat with a bone flute pressed to his lips.

An eerie melody drifted from the instrument, rising and falling in an unsettling rhythm. Every time the notes changed, the zombies under his control responded, attacking another group of creatures.

Among them was a familiar figure.

The Quasi-S-Rank Awakened Zombie Ethan had encountered near Crestview Villa District.

Its movements were unnaturally fast, and its body was covered in dark, hardened patches. It fought against the controlled zombies, tearing through them whenever they got too close.

Beside Max, the Red-Haired Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey crouched on a broken concrete barrier.

Its crimson eyes glowed faintly as waves of Spiritual Power spread from its body, interfering with the Awakened Zombie’s movements.

Ethan’s gaze lingered on the monkey.

’There you are.’

He had finally found the creature he had been looking for.

Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

"Ethan?"

Blaze’s voice cut through the noise.

She had noticed him.

Max stopped playing almost immediately. Both of them turned toward Ethan, their expressions changing as they took in his condition.

They instinctively stepped back, putting some distance between themselves and the newcomer.

Blaze’s fingers shifted slightly, and the wind around her began to gather again. Max lowered his bone flute, ready to use it as soon as Ethan made a move.

They clearly hadn’t expected to encounter him here.

More importantly, they hadn’t expected to find him in such a miserable state.

His clothes were torn and soaked with blood. His face was pale, and he could barely remain standing. Even the way he breathed suggested that he was struggling to keep himself conscious.

This was the same man who had once forced them to retreat.

Seeing him like this was almost unbelievable.

Yet Ethan seemed completely unconcerned by their hostility.

He managed a weak smile and raised one hand.

"What a coincidence. Fancy meeting you two here."

His gaze moved briefly across the plaza.

"Are you clearing out the zombies?"

Blaze and Max exchanged a confused glance.

Neither of them understood what he was playing at.

Why was he acting as though they were old friends?

And why had he appeared here looking like he was about to collapse?

Before either could respond, a deafening roar rolled through the streets.

The ground trembled.

A few loose stones bounced across the plaza, and the zombies closest to the street turned toward the approaching sound.

Blaze’s expression changed.

Max immediately raised his bone flute.

At the far end of the road, a massive dark green creature emerged from between the buildings.

Its scales glinted beneath the sunlight, and its single horn radiated a faint black glow.

The Blackscale Drake had arrived.

"It’s the King-Rank Blackscale Drake!"

Max’s face drained of color.

The melody coming from his bone flute became faster and more frantic as he tried to strengthen his control over the zombies.

Blaze stared at the approaching monster, her earlier confusion replaced by alarm.

Even from a distance, the creature’s oppressive aura was enough to make her uneasy.

The Blackscale Drake’s blood-red eyes swept across the plaza.

Then they settled on Ethan.

He was standing beside Blaze and Max, looking almost as though he were enjoying a casual conversation with them.

The creature’s roar grew louder.

In its mind, the two humans were clearly working with the one it had been chasing. They had helped him escape, and now they were standing together as though they had planned the whole thing.

The Blackscale Drake’s fury erupted.

Ethan’s lips curved slightly.

’Perfect.’

The creature hadn’t activated its Space Sealing yet. Blaze and Max were also completely focused on the approaching threat.

He wouldn’t get a better opportunity.

Ethan’s figure flickered.

Before Max could react, Ethan appeared beside him.

His hand shot toward the Red-Haired Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey.

The creature barely had time to turn its head before Ethan grabbed it and pulled it into his Survival Space.

"What the hell?! screamed Max.

His eyes widened in shock.

He immediately raised the bone flute and pointed it straight at Ethan.

"You’re looking to die!"

But Ethan was already fading out of existence.

He had locked onto the Space Anchor Point inside the Air-raid Shelter.

A dark spatial distortion swallowed his body entirely.

A moment later, he was gone.

The Blackscale Drake’s attack arrived just as Ethan vanished.

A wave of black energy tore across the plaza, striking the exact spot where he had been standing.

It hit nothing.

The monster’s roar shook the surrounding buildings.

With its intended target gone, its fury turned toward the people left behind.

Blaze’s expression twisted in frustration.

"That bastard!"

Black energy surged outward like a rising tide.

Her tornado was swallowed by the wave and torn apart in an instant. The controlled zombies under Max’s command were swept away, their bodies thrown across the plaza.

Blaze didn’t hesitate.

"Ethan, fuck you!"

She turned and summoned a powerful gust of wind beneath her feet, launching herself toward the nearest street.

Max barely had time to register that the monkey was gone.

He had no choice but to abandon it and focus on surviving. He sent the remaining Mutant Beasts charging toward the Blackscale Drake to slow it down while he retreated.

The Quasi-S-Rank Awakened Zombie had already disappeared.

It had sensed the danger before the others and slipped away while everyone was distracted.

Within moments, the plaza descended into complete chaos.

Inside the Air-raid Shelter, Aria was carefully wrapping a bandage around Victoria’s injured arm.

Victoria winced as the cloth tightened, but she remained silent. Her face was pale, and the bloodstained bandage around her arm showed how badly she had been hurt.

The others were gathered nearby, watching anxiously.

Then a familiar distortion appeared in the air.

Ethan materialized.

Everyone turned instantly.

For a moment, nobody moved.

They had been waiting anxiously for his return, but the sight of him nearly made their hearts stop.

His clothes were torn, his body covered in blood, and his face was so pale that he looked as though he might collapse at any moment.

"Ethan!"

Aria immediately dropped the bandage.

Before anyone could approach him, Ethan raised his hand.

"Listen carefully. We need to leave. Now."

His voice was weak, but there was no uncertainty in it.

"The Blackscale Drake is coming. It’ll reach the shelter soon."

That was enough.

Nobody questioned him.

The women immediately began gathering their belongings. Those who had been treating injuries helped the wounded to their feet, while the others collected food, water, and whatever supplies they could carry.

Ethan didn’t waste time.

He opened the entrance to his Survival Space and began bringing everyone inside along with the supplies.

Once the last person had entered, he withdrew the Space Anchor Point from the shelter.

Then he locked onto the anchor at Victoria’s villa.

The familiar spatial distortion swallowed him.

The Air-raid Shelter was left empty.

About a minute later, the Blackscale Drake reached the southern wall.

Its enormous head swung from side to side as it searched for the humans it had been pursuing.

It found nothing.

The creature let out a furious roar and drove its single horn into the concrete wall.

BOOM!

The wall cracked.

Black energy erupted from its horn, spreading through the structure like a violent shock wave.

The entire section collapsed.

The Blackscale Drake continued attacking, tearing through the shelter as though it were trying to dig the humans out of the ground.

Concrete slabs crashed down. Steel supports twisted and snapped. The remaining walls shuddered beneath the force of its attacks.

But there was no one left inside.

After several more furious strikes, the creature finally stopped.

It stood amid the ruins, breathing heavily.

Its blood-red eyes swept across the wreckage.

The humans were gone.

With another frustrated roar, the Blackscale Drake turned and disappeared into the distance.

At Victoria’s villa, a spatial distortion appeared in a secluded corner of the balcony.

Ethan emerged.

His legs nearly buckled as soon as he landed. He caught the railing with one hand, struggling to steady himself.

He had made it.

For the first time since the battle began, he allowed himself a moment to breathe.

Then he immediately entered his Survival Space.

The instant he appeared inside, his body finally gave out.

His vision went dark.

He collapsed onto the ground.

"Ethan!"

The women’s cries rang out almost simultaneously.

Debbie and Tessa were the first to reach him.

"Help me!"

Debbie dropped beside him and carefully lifted his upper body. Tessa rushed over, helping her carry him toward the villa.

"Everyone, move!"

Debbie’s voice trembled.

"Give us some room!"

They carried Ethan into the bedroom and laid him on the bed. Debbie immediately placed both hands over his chest, releasing a soft white healing light.

Tessa took her position beside her.

A green glow spread from her palms, intertwining with Debbie’s healing energy.

The two women worked without stopping.

Ethan’s clothes were soaked with blood, and the wounds on his back were far worse than they had initially appeared. His breathing was shallow, and his body occasionally jerked as waves of pain passed through him.

Debbie’s eyes reddened.

"Don’t you dare die on us..."

Her voice was barely audible.

She poured more energy into her hands.

Tessa said nothing. Her face was equally pale, but she continued channeling her Ability, determined to keep Ethan alive.

The others waited outside, too worried to leave.

Nobody knew how badly he had been injured.

All they could do was wait.