Apocalypse: Inhuman Ascension

As soon as Leon stepped out of the office, his tired expression disappeared. His eyes narrowed, suspicious of Miguel's appearance. From his past life's memories, Miguel was renowned as a notorious powerhouse called the Legendary Mechanic.

Leon had no idea why the man had become morally gray, making him feel uneasy. However, the Miguel who appeared before him today was nothing like the one from the past. His eyes were still brightly lit with hope, not looking dead like in his memories.

'Perhaps, he was supposed to experience something terrible, that'd break him in the future.'

His mind zeroed in on the boy standing behind Miguel. In his past memories, there had been no mention of the Legendary Mechanic having a son.

'Could it be that the boy died?' It seemed possible. 'Perhaps that was the catalyst in his change.'

Nonetheless, Leon was glad with the man's addition to his workers. Just like Elena, he was a talented scientist specializing in robotic engineering. Boosted by the Mech-Smith Class, there was no doubt that he'd become a great person just like in his past life.

'Haa… the establishment of the Red Wings is already bringing some changes, huh?'

He exhaled, then proceeded to enter the tower. A bit of sleep was necessary to relax the mind.

Unfortunately, the night had other plans for him.

Caw! Caw!

Saber, the familiar third-level crow descended from the sky and swooped down towards him. Leon paused in his tracks, and turned to the bird.

"You're here again. I suppose there's a feast?"

He was already familiar with the crow's attitude of only showing up whenever there was a chance to kill and eat. Surprisingly, the crow opened its beak and spoke.

"Strange human, other humans… going for a kill! A kill! Big one! A kill!"

Although its voice sounded childish, and its words were phrased awkwardly, Leon immediately understood. Still, he was surprised by the fact that it could speak.

'Since when did third-level mutated beasts start talking?'

The crow had to be a special case.

That aside, the information delivered deeply intrigued him. Other shelters were about to hunt something big? He remembered the new threat that had appeared in the country—Godzilla.

"They're going after the Fourth-Level beast?"

The crow flapped its wings, then nodded sharply. Leon covered his face with a hand, exasperated. He was thinking about taking a few days off before going to confront that thing, however, someone else was already trying to do it instead. Leon didn't appreciate the gesture, though.

He was the only one who was aware that the beast grew stronger by killing. He wasn't sure how powerful the shelter which wanted to slay the beast was, but he doubted they would be able to do it. The memory of the mayhem caused by that creature still lingered in his mind.

"Alright, I'll go prepare a few things."

He nodded slightly, then immediately entered the tower, with Saber on his shoulder.

That night, Leon almost emptied the shelter's collection of essence crystals and descended into a long stretch of forging.

...….

|Cleveland - Pittsburgh|

Early the next morning, the Saber Fangs shelter and Bull shelter gathered their strongest members at the border of Pittsburgh. The city far in the distance was eerily desolate. Occasionally, the sound of roars echoed in the distance, reverberating through the air.

"How do we share the profit?"

Austin asked without turning to the person beside him. His face was a mask of seriousness as he gazed into the distance.

"50-50, of course. Unless you want to give your share to us?"

A light voice replied to him, coming from a youth with light pink hair. He had a delinquent look, accompanied by several piercings on his ears and nose.

Austin didn't bother to reply, ignoring the boy's taunt. They were both aware of how valuable mutated beast meat was and the other materials in its body. In the end, they decided to set aside their enmity and share it equally.

Toji, the pink-haired delinquent, glanced at Austin's determined face with a flicker of annoyance. That man was just too rigid. Deciding to annoy him a bit, he played a prank.

He pulled Sophia close to him, then roughly squeezed her backside. Sophia gasped in surprise, a soft moan slipped from her lips.

Everyone turned their attention to the blushing woman, their gazes carrying varying degrees of discomfort. Seeing an adult woman being touched by a younger man gave a strange feeling.

Beside Austin, Ezekiel gritted his teeth, anger bubbling in him. Aside from Sophia, Toji was the next person he despised.

Austin felt his lips twitch at the sight, but hid his displeasure. He stepped forward, hoisting his greatsword on his shoulder.

"Let's move."

They drove into the desolate city of Pittsburgh, noting the lack of humans or zombies. At the outer edge of the city, there was no sign of life.

"Goddamnit. This feels eerie!"

Toji frowned, unnerved by the emptiness and silence. As a foreigner, he was used to Japan's lively atmosphere.

"Up ahead!"

An evolved with scouting attributes shouted, his voice filled with alarm. Everyone tensed, stepping out of their respective vehicles.

Boom!

A building to their left crumbled, and monsters poured out from it. Toji's eyes widened, instantly recognizing them.

"Kaijus! They must be from the dungeons."

The creatures looked like a mix of dinosaurs and dragons. They had thick hide covered with scales and large bodies. Before the monsters even noticed them, the evolved teams had already attacked.

Several weapons and abilities rained down on the monsters. Some attacks injured the monsters, while the others were ignored.

Roar!!!

The ground trembled as the monsters charged at them in madness. Immediately, Austin and Toji stepped forward. Both of them were the strongest in the group, being third-level evolved.

Austin brandished his greatsword, while Toji activated the chainsaw he was holding.

Bang! ZZZ!

Both weapons slammed into the incoming monsters, tearing their flesh with surprising ease. Most of the monsters died, while the stronger ones survived with grave injuries. Though, they didn't last long. The evolved teams made quick work of them, eradicating every single one.

Austin kicked the bodiless head of one monster, exposing its crystal.

"First-Level… they're not weak."

Toji wiped his chainsaw clean, then looked into the distance. For the first time, his expression was serious. The cannon fodder were already stronger than regular first-level creatures. Surely, the Fourth-Level beast must be very strong.

'The operation is already underway… no need to hesitate.'