Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 63: Are We All Dead?

Chapter 63: Are We All Dead?

Waiting for them were more of Victor’s soldiers.

The moment the soldiers spotted the group, they opened fire. But just then, Scarlett, Larry, and Maya arrived, already cloaked in invisibility. The instant they touched the other survivors, they became invisible too. Without hesitation, they pulled the survivors to the ground for safety. Meanwhile, Scarlett and Larry launched into action, wielding their fire-element swords with deadly precision, severing the soldiers’ heads from their bodies in a whirlwind of flames and destruction.

The growls of monsters echoed through the air, drawn by the screams and anguished cries of the dying soldiers. But Scarlett didn’t waver. Her movements were relentless, every swing of her blade fueled by rage and determination. Blood splattered across her face and clothes, but she cared little. Her focus was singular eliminate the threat.

And then, as suddenly as the deadly battle had begun, it was over. The lifeless bodies of Victor’s soldiers lay scattered on the ground, blood pooling around them.

"Damn," Louise muttered under his breath, swallowing hard as he stared at the carnage. His voice trembled with a mix of awe and horror. "How... how were you both able to do that in a swift?"

He took a hesitant step forward, his wide eyes fixed on Scarlett and Larry. "And what’s going on? Why did they stop attacking us? If felt like they couldn’t even see us"

Louise knelt beside one of the fallen soldiers, his curiosity overpowering his revulsion. "Is this one of Victor’s fanatics again?" he asked, tentatively reaching out to touch the soldier. His hand passed clean through the body.

"What the...?" Louise gasped, stumbling back in shock. "Are we... are we dead? Seriously? Are we all dead? Did we get shot and...?"

"Calm down," Larry interrupted, rolling his eyes as he sat on the floor panting heavily from the fight. "It’s an invisibility spell. We’re not dead, just hidden for now. Victor probably planted cameras on his soldiers’ bodies. This keeps us off his radar."

"Invisibility spell?" Louise repeated, his fear replaced with cautious excitement. "So... we’re invisible? I thought we were ghosts for a second!"

"Scarlett?" Garvin called out softly. His gaze lingered on Scarlett, who stood drenched in blood, her fire element still burning in hand. "Are you okay?"

Larry and Maya were equally bloodied, their expressions cold and unreadable, their hands stained with the massacre they had just wrought.

Scarlett’s voice broke through the tense silence. "We need to move. Now." Her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

The survivors quickly got up, keeping low to the ground as they moved. Guided by Scarlett and her team, they maneuvered through the darkness, avoiding the lurking monsters whose growls and snarls filled the night. Every step was filled with fear and terror, but their invisibility gave them an edge.

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Meanwhile, in a dimly lit, enclosed room, Victor sat rigid in his chair, his eyes blazing with anger as he watched the carnage unfold on the screen before him. The death of his trained soldiers was a bitter sight, but what came next was even more infuriating, the survivors vanished without a trace.

The air around him seemed to thrum with tension as the growls of monsters and the howls of human hybrids men injected with monstrous blood filled the background.

"Interesting," Victor finally murmured, a wicked grin spreading across his face. His eyes never left the wide screen. "The queen isn’t to be underestimated after all."

"Boss..." the doctor beside him began cautiously, his tone heavy with concern. "How did the survivors vanish? Is the queen really responsible for this?"

Victor’s grin widened. "Of course, she is. Only she could do something so... impressive."

’No wonder my system wants me to get the queen’ Victor murmured under his breath.

The doctor sighed, his frustration palpable. "Sir, we’ve lost over two hundred soldiers tonight. If we keep sending our men to their deaths, we’ll be left with nothing but amateurs. We’re dealing with a force we don’t fully understand. Our current methods.."

Victor cut him off with a sharp laugh. "Methods? This is a game, Doctor. A game of cat and mouse. And I always play to win. The game is going to be a long one though."

The doctor’s expression darkened, his skepticism evident. "This isn’t a game, boss. Those were two hundred trained men. Gone. Slaughtered. This... this is insanity!"

Victor’s eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. "Ah, Doctor, you don’t see the beauty of it, do you? This is the challenge I’ve been waiting for. A worthy opponent. The queen has proven her strength and now I want her to myself more than ever."

The doctor hesitated, then lowered his gaze. He knew better than to argue further, but he couldn’t completely suppress his doubts. "What’s your plan now?"

Victor leaned back in his chair, his grin fading into a cold, calculating smirk. "The two children. The boy and the baby. Bring the boy to me tonight as he has to start his own mission."

The doctor’s jaw tightened. "The boy? He’s seven years old, boss. His sister was older, stronger, and she still didn’t make it. Sending the boy is suicide. He won’t even make it past the base."

Victor’s smirk didn’t falter. "The children are important to Scarlett and her group of survivors. That much is clear. Golden’s dying words confirmed the connection. If the queen feels pain, if she feels the sting of loss she’ll falter. And when she falters, I’ll strike."

"This is madness," the doctor muttered under his breath. "You really can’t capture her like this."

Victor’s voice turned icy. "Madness? No, Doctor. This is strategy. The boy will die. The baby..." He paused, a sinister grin curling his lips. "The baby will become a monster. My monster. And it will hunt Scarlett down. "

"I’ll get the boy here now then." The doctor said as he turned to take his leave. It was obvious Victor had made up his mind and there’s no turning back.

"Once the children are dealt with, once they fail," Victor continued, rising from his chair and staring at the screen where his dead soldiers lay in their own blood, "then I’ll go after my queen myself. But first... I want her to hurt. I want her to bleed. That can be considered a revenge for my two hundred fallen soldiers."

His laughter echoed through the room, chilling and triumphant. The doctor didn’t look back as he left, heading toward the cages where Jaden and little Hope awaited their grim fate.