Chapter 411: Second Generation Commanders

The Evolution King accepted them one by one and placed the five crystals onto a massive stone table. The moment they touched the surface, countless images appeared. They were details of the battle, and every attack used by Vikram’s army, every technique used by the werewolves, every transformation. Everything had been perfectly recorded.

The Evolution King calmly watched the memories.

"Evelyn’s cloning ability... Carol’s illusions and tricks... Lyra’s Shadow Form... Kara’s creation style... Liora’s Giant Form..."

He now possessed enough data to begin adapting.

Closing the journal, he looked toward the countless cocoons filling the underground city.

"Begin the second generation."

At his command, every cocoon began beating like a living heart. The flesh walls surrounding the chamber started to move. Hundreds of intelligent zombies immediately began transporting corpses into the incubation chambers.

The second generation had begun.

---

Back in the Southern Argenti Kingdom, Vikram stood before the map once again. Instead of removing the markers where the commander zombies had appeared, he drew five new circles around them.

"They all died... but each of them chose a different battlefield."

Kara frowned. "What does that mean?"

Vikram tapped the center of the map.

"It means they weren’t defending territory. They were collecting data."

Carol’s playful smile disappeared. Aurelia stepped closer, her golden eyes narrowing.

"So the next ones... will know exactly how we fight."

Vikram slowly nodded.

"They’ve finished studying us. The next time they attack... they won’t come to test us. They’ll come to kill us."

---

Vikram’s words proved true far sooner than anyone expected.

Only five days later, emergency horns sounded across the Southern Argenti Forest. One report after another poured into the royal hall.

"My King! The second-generation zombies have appeared! They’re different!"

A messenger hurried into the hall and handed Vikram a bloodstained report.

"The commander in the Iron Claw Territory is immune to heavy weapons!"

Another messenger rushed in.

"The commander attacking the Shadow Fang Territory can keep up with Lyra’s Shadow Form!"

A third arrived moments later.

"The commander in the Silver Moon Territory can counter Carol’s illusions!"

A fourth messenger hurried into the hall.

"The commander in the Black River Territory can fight all four of Lady Evelyn’s clones at once!"

Before anyone could respond, a fifth messenger burst through the doors.

"The commander in the Golden Valley has adapted to Lady Liora’s Giant Form!"

The Evolution King hadn’t simply created stronger zombies. He had created zombies specifically designed to counter the strongest warriors of the Southern Argenti Kingdom.

Vikram looked down at the reports.

"He really learned from the first generation."

For a brief moment, even Vikram felt the weight of the situation. The enemy had studied them too carefully. Every strength they possessed was now being used against them.

Then the doors of the hall opened.

The Mist King and the Sand King walked in side by side. Both wore calm, determined expressions.

"Leave this to us," the Mist King said. "It’s time we showed the younger generation what the old kings are still capable of."

Before Vikram could respond, both elders vanished from the hall in a blur of speed and power.

Aurelia stepped forward immediately afterward, her golden eyes filled with determination.

"Leave the commander in the Golden Valley to me."

Vikram looked at the three departing figures before slowly nodding.

"Be careful. These enemies won’t be like the last ones."

---

The battlefield of the Iron Claw Pack had long since descended into chaos.

Explosions echoed one after another across the plains. Pillars of fire rose into the sky, and thick smoke covered the battlefield like a dark curtain. The once-solid defensive walls had collapsed in several places, while numerous craters scarred the earth. Thousands of zombie corpses lay scattered everywhere, yet the undead army continued advancing without fear or hesitation.

Standing at the forefront was Kara. Her expression remained calm despite the desperate situation. She stretched out her hand. A massive steel cannon rapidly assembled itself from countless metallic fragments and floated high above the battlefield.

Without the slightest hesitation, she fired.

A deafening explosion shook the heavens. The massive artillery shell streaked across the sky like a blazing meteor and crashed directly toward the towering zombie.

The giant did not dodge. It simply raised one enormous arm.

The shell exploded on impact. A blinding fireball engulfed its body. The violent shockwave flattened hundreds of nearby zombies, and burning debris rained across the battlefield.

Then the gigantic figure slowly emerged from the flames.

Standing nearly four meters tall, the creature resembled an indestructible fortress rather than a living being. Thick layers of black bone armor covered its shoulders, overlapping like the scales of an ancient dragon. Pitch-black armor reflected the burning fire while crimson veins pulsed beneath the metallic plates like flowing lava. Its grotesquely oversized arms ended in colossal fists capable of crushing mountains. Most horrifying of all were its emotionless crimson eyes, eyes that promised only endless destruction.

This was the second-generation commander: the Iron Tyrant.

It lifted its head and stepped forward.

The ground collapsed beneath its feet. Every step left a crater several meters wide.

Kara narrowed her eyes. Without wasting another second, she extended both hands. Countless mechanical parts appeared around her. Within moments, dozens of heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, and artillery cannons floated in the air.

"Fire!"

Bullets poured down like a torrential storm. Missiles streaked through the sky. Artillery shells continuously bombarded the advancing Iron Tyrant.

The Iron Tyrant charged straight through the barrage. Bullets bounced harmlessly off its armored body. Missiles exploded behind it. Even the heavy artillery failed to slow it in the slightest. It was as though the overwhelming firepower simply did not exist.

One elite werewolf captain felt his scalp turn numb.

"How... how is this possible?"

Another warrior stared in disbelief.

"The previous commander was never this terrifying..."

Kara’s expression grew more serious. This monster had been created specifically to counter her fighting style. Its armor almost completely nullified explosions. Its body ignored heavy firepower.

The Iron Tyrant suddenly bent its knees.

A heartbeat later, its enormous body shot forward like a cannonball. Hundreds of meters vanished in an instant.

Kara reacted immediately. Several steel walls appeared before her.

The Iron Tyrant’s fist crashed into them.

CRASH!!

The walls shattered like fragile glass. Kara leaped backward as steel fragments exploded in every direction. The terrifying shockwave sent dozens of nearby warriors flying, and she landed dozens of meters away, her brows furrowed.

One elite warrior hurried to her side.

"Queen! We can’t stop it!"

Another captain rushed over.

"Queen! Has the information been sent to His Majesty?"

Kara nodded, her eyes never leaving the Iron Tyrant.

"Yes. The message has already reached the royal capital. Reinforcements should arrive soon."

Although she spoke calmly, she knew that until those reinforcements arrived, they had to hold the line, or the Iron Claw Pack would fall.

Taking a deep breath, Kara dismissed the floating artillery. Instead, streams of steel gathered within her right hand. A long silver blade slowly took shape. If long-range bombardment could not defeat the Iron Tyrant, she would fight it herself.

The Iron Tyrant let out a thunderous roar and charged once more.

Kara’s figure disappeared.

The next instant, one human and one monster collided in the center of the battlefield.

The sound of metal striking metal echoed across the plains. Sparks erupted into the air. Kara’s blade slashed across the Iron Tyrant’s armored chest, leaving only a faint scrape across the armor. The monster retaliated with a colossal punch. Kara narrowly dodged, but the violent wind pressure alone sent her sliding backward across the ground.

The surrounding elite warriors gripped their weapons tightly, yet none dared interfere. The battle before them had already surpassed their level.

Just then, a strange phenomenon occurred. A cool breeze drifted across the battlefield. The smoke from the explosions slowly faded. Instead, countless strands of pure white mist quietly spread across the plain, rolling over the broken earth like flowing water. Within moments, it covered the entire battlefield.

Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the mist. A lone elderly figure calmly walked through the endless white mist. Each step seemed unhurried, yet in the blink of an eye he had already crossed hundreds of meters. The surrounding mist naturally gathered around him, as though welcoming the return of its king.

The elite warriors’ eyes widened. Several older werewolves immediately recognized the figure.

"The... the Mist King..."

"He has arrived..."

Kara also turned toward the familiar figure, surprise filling her eyes. "Dad? Why are you here?"

The Mist King smiled gently. "I heard my daughter was having a little trouble." His gaze shifted to the towering Iron Tyrant. "Now... you can rest. Leave this battle to me."

Kara looked at her father for a moment before nodding.

---

The battlefield of the Black River Pack was equally fierce.

Sword light flashed continuously. Queen Evelyn and her three identical clones closed in on the Blade Mimic from every direction. Four silver longswords moved in perfect harmony, launching an unending barrage of attacks. Regardless of how flawlessly they coordinated, their opponent defended every strike.

The creature was slender and nearly three meters tall. Its entire body was covered in dark gray skin stretched tightly over powerful muscles. Razor-sharp bone blades extended from both forearms in place of hands. Its crimson eyes constantly swept across the battlefield, tracking the movements of all four Evelyns simultaneously. Every feint, coordinated assault, and attempt to overwhelm it with numbers was answered with flawless precision.

This was the second-generation commander: the Blade Mimic.

It had been created specifically to counter Evelyn’s cloning ability. No matter how many directions she attacked from, it reacted to every one of them. The numerical advantage that had once overwhelmed the first-generation commander had become almost meaningless.

Their blades collided once more, but neither side managed to break through.

The terrifying impact forced every combatant backward. The Blade Mimic’s crimson eyes calmly shifted from one Evelyn to another, never allowing even a single clone to escape its attention.

Seeing this, Evelyn’s expression grew increasingly solemn.

"It can follow all four of us at once..."

Just then, golden sand drifted gently across the battlefield. At first no one paid any attention to it, but within seconds the amount of sand increased. The breeze grew stronger. The scattered grains began dancing through the air.

Then a tall elderly figure slowly walked onto the battlefield. Every step he took drew more sand toward him, gathering naturally at his feet as though welcoming the return of its king. His expression remained calm and composed, carrying the dignity of someone who had once stood at the peak of an era.

Queen Evelyn looked at the newcomer in surprise.

"Dad... what are you doing here?"

The Sand King smiled faintly.

"You’ve done enough."

He then turned his gaze toward the Blade Mimic, whose crimson eyes were already fixed upon him.

"The rest... leave to me."