The midday sky was scorching, yet the atmosphere at the main base felt cold. A heavy tension lingered in the air as Sofia stepped into the large military-style room, alongside several other Awakened Team Captains. Some were already seated, engaged in hushed conversations. Everyone seemed more on edge than usual.
The room was oval-shaped, with a large screen at the front and semi-circular tables facing the podium. Standing there was Colonel Ren, the commanding officer of the Awakened operations in this zone. His expression was stern, eyes sharp as he scanned each of the team representatives.
Sofia sat in the middle row. She didn't know why her heart was racing, but her instincts told her: this wasn't a regular meeting.
And she was right.
Colonel Ren began speaking, his deep voice echoing through the room.
"Footage from our recent reconnaissance missions shows a resurgence in high-level zombie mutations." He pressed a button, and the large screen lit up. Several drone and helmet cam recordings played: teams of Awakened fighting against creatures that… weren't ordinary zombies.
"We've classified them into several new types," Ren continued.
The screen changed, displaying a tall, hulking creature with skin like rough, blackened steel. Its movements were slow, but every step shattered the ground.
"TANK," said Ren.
"Extreme durability. Resistant to high-caliber bullets. Takes at least three elemental users—lightning or fire—to bring one down."
The next footage showed a gaunt zombie with elongated arms like sickles. It moved fast, vanishing from camera view multiple times.
"HUNTER."
"Fast, lethal, and nearly impossible to track at night. Avoid close combat. It's already wiped out two teams in the past two days."
The next recording was pure horror: something crawling along a building wall, its head missing a skull—only a pulsating brain exposed. Its long tongue yanked off a soldier's head in a single motion.
Some of the captains winced or cursed under their breath.
"We call it... LICKER," Ren said flatly.
"High audio sensitivity. Attacks based on sound. Its tongue is its weapon—long and incredibly strong. Weakness: sudden loud noises can temporarily repel it."
Sofia watched the screen with growing discomfort. This… was evolving too fast. These mutations weren't normal. It was as if they were evolving like humans.
The screen switched again. This time showing a massive zombie, built like a bodybuilder. Its face was emotionless, yet each punch shattered military vehicles like they were toys.
"TYRANT."
"This one has immense physical strength, even greater than the Tank. But it's faster, and shows basic combat tactics—like predicting enemy movement."
Ren paused, then the screen changed once more.
This footage silenced the entire room.
A female zombie, with long, tangled hair covering part of her face, thin and in tattered clothes. But when she screamed—every nearby zombie rushed toward the sound.
"WITCH," Ren announced. "A summoner zombie. Usually passive, but if disturbed or if there's a loud noise, she'll scream and summon hordes. If you find one, kill it silently from a distance."
Sofia held her breath. But before she could fully process the horror, the screen changed again.
This time...
It was different.
Not a grotesque or terrifying zombie.
But… a graceful figure. A woman in a flowing dark and red gown, her long
black hair with a red gradient at the ends, and glowing red eyes scanning the battlefield..
Ren looked at everyone with an unreadable expression.
"This one… the last we called her witch but she to strong and Human-like appearance, intelligent, And even… have like noble aura."
He glanced briefly at Sofia. "But after deeper analysis… we've given her a new designation."
[QUEEN]
"."
Sofia bit her lower lip, She knew and no need to say it.
"This Queen we once carried out an ambush when she was still at Rank 1, but even then, there were already too many casualties. Out of 400 people, more than 150 were killed, as every one of her attacks carried zombie venom and various other poisons. For now, she has disappeared, and her whereabouts remain unknown.."
"The question is," Ren continued, "is she dangerous? yes, but she never attack first… and something we can negotiate with her? maybe no, because we have attack her first."
Silence fell over the room.
Ren placed his hands on the table. "For now, we know only one thing—she's an anomaly. Among all detected Rank 3 zombies, she's the only one we can't consistently classify and we don't know she has become rank 3 or not yet."
Someone from the back row asked, "Is it possible… she's their new leader?"
Ren didn't answer right away. The screen turned off. The room went still.
"In the past seven days, we've detected at least 13 Rank 3 zombies, each with unique abilities. But the Queen was the first to appear but now she gone"
"If you encounter her—do not act recklessly."
Sofia clenched her fists on her lap.
But… that didn't mean they couldn't meet again.