Urban Powers After the Apocalypse

The Skeleton Tiger clearly did not expect its prey, which was almost within reach, to make a sudden escape at this critical moment. Unwilling to let it go, it immediately halted its standoff with the Giant Zombie, leaping several times toward the base of the cliff. Its sharp claws reached into the crevice, coming just centimeters away from grabbing Xu Mo's shoulder.

The Giant Zombie seized this rare opportunity—its iron chain suddenly lashed out like a whip, striking the Skeleton Tiger's body. The chain wrapped around the tiger several times before being yanked outward with immense force, brutally slamming the entire Skeleton Tiger down the cliff. Without hesitation, the Giant Zombie leaped forward, grabbing the tiger's claws as they wrestled fiercely.

Although the Giant Zombie was sluggish and clumsy, it had thick skin and immense strength. The Skeleton Tiger's razor-sharp claws could only inflict superficial wounds that barely broke the skin, whereas the zombie's colossal fists could easily shatter the tiger's bones. While the Skeleton Tiger lacked any weaponry aside from its fangs to deliver fatal blows to the Giant Zombie, its speed and agility perfectly compensated for its lack of brute force. For every punch the zombie landed, it suffered over a dozen wounds in return.

The sheer scale of the battle between the Giant Zombie and the Skeleton Tiger exceeded Xu Mo's expectations. Above him, the cliff wall trembled under the force of their clashes, sending shattered rocks tumbling downward. Uncertain whether the cliff would collapse under the onslaught of these two terrifying undead creatures, Xu Mo had no choice but to press forward into the fissure, seeking a safer location.

After advancing approximately thirty meters, the crevice widened enough for a person to walk normally. However, Xu Mo decided to continue deeper to determine whether there was another exit. He only stopped once he reached the fissure's end.

By now, Xu Mo was at least two hundred meters from the entrance. Though he could still faintly hear the sounds of battle between the undead creatures, this place was relatively safe.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Mo quickly fused with a red Doomsday Shard. The random enhancement increased his brain capacity while also fully healing the wound on his left arm and the fractured bones in his right arm, restoring his body to peak condition.

He then sat down deep within the crevice, placed his phone on his lap, and checked the time, patiently awaiting the moment of spatial reset.

As the phone's clock approached midnight, Xu Mo, finally able to relax, felt an overwhelming fatigue wash over him. Intending to rest against the cliff wall for just a moment, he unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep.

"Damn it! I'm late!"

Xu Mo suddenly jolted awake, instinctively reaching for a nonexistent backpack. His hand grasped at empty air before he remembered—he wasn't at home. He was inside the Doomsday Mirage.

The phone displayed 7:50 AM, only ten minutes before the spatial reset. Xu Mo felt incredibly fortunate—he had slept for nearly eight hours without encountering any danger.

Stretching his stiff limbs, he suddenly noticed that the sounds of battle between the two undead creatures had vanished. Driven by curiosity, he cautiously retraced his steps to the entrance of the fissure and peeked outside. What he saw left him utterly stunned.

Less than ten meters from the fissure's entrance, the Giant Zombie lay flat on its back. Its bald head had four gaping holes that plunged deep into its skull, wounds unmistakably caused by the Skeleton Tiger's fangs. However, in the zombie's tightly clenched fists, it held the shattered remains of the Skeleton Tiger's skeleton. The tiger's massive skull had been reduced to fragments, scattered beneath its corpse.

The two terrifying creatures had ultimately perished together!

Though the outcome surprised Xu Mo, his focus quickly shifted to something else. Near the fallen undead beasts, two Doomsday Shards—one blue and one orange—gleamed in the morning light.

Yet, aside from the Doomsday Shards, another problem arose. Roughly fifteen or sixteen meters from the fissure's entrance, nearly a hundred ordinary zombies, roughly human-sized, now wandered the area. If he wanted to claim the shards, he would have to sneak past them unnoticed.

The only silver lining was that these zombies appeared sluggish and unobservant, all of them facing away from Xu Mo. The odds of retrieving the shards without alerting them seemed promising.

With less than a minute remaining before the spatial reset, his hunger for power took over. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed through the crevice and carefully stepped toward the shards.

Just as he reached out to grab them—

"Gah! Gah!"

Two piercing screeches suddenly echoed through the valley behind him.

Xu Mo nearly jumped out of his skin. Without a second thought, he snatched up both Doomsday Shards and bolted!

The zombie horde immediately turned their attention to him, letting out deep, guttural roars as they shuffled toward him from all directions.

"Damn it! What the hell was that?!"

As he fled, Xu Mo frantically scanned his surroundings for the culprit behind the noise. What he saw made his jaw drop.

It was the crow! The same one he had encountered upon first entering the Mirage!

And he knew it was the same crow for one undeniable reason—this wretched creature had lost all its feathers.

"Shut up forever!" Furious, Xu Mo didn't hesitate to raise his USP pistol and blew the noisy bird's head off with a single shot.

This time, no feathers were left behind. The headless corpse twitched a few times before falling completely still. But to Xu Mo's utter shock, a blue light began to coalesce above the dead crow's body.

Xu Mo could understand powerful undead creatures like the Giant Zombie or Skeleton Tiger dropping Doomsday Shards. But a crow? A completely useless, bald, shrieking crow?

Yet, the evidence was right before his eyes.

With only three seconds remaining before the spatial reset, Xu Mo changed direction, sprinting straight into the oncoming horde. The blue flames of Demon's Hand flared to life, and just as he was about to collide with the zombies, he threw a devastating punch.

"Get out of my way!"

The force of his strike sent several zombies flying back several meters. Without hesitation, Xu Mo grabbed the blue Doomsday Shard from the ground, then instinctively shielded his head and used the recoil of his attack to roll backward.

By now, the zombies had completely surrounded him. The overwhelming stench of decay filled the air as rotten hands clawed at him from all sides. Xu Mo could feel their teeth and nails tearing at his clothing, the sound of fabric ripping echoing in his ears. He was seconds away from being torn apart.

Then, in an instant, all the weight pressing down on him vanished. The world fell silent.

The spatial reset of the Doomsday Mirage had begun.

The city center clock tolled its familiar chime. The early morning wasteland was damp with dew, carrying the crisp scent of dry grass. Birds chirped overhead in the clear sky, a scene of serene harmony.

But Xu Mo's relief was short-lived. His fleeting sense of safety was shattered by the crackling sound of a loudspeaker.

"Attention! Put your hands on your head and do not resist!"

Wait… Why did this sound so familiar? Was there a hostage situation at school?

Xu Mo scrambled to his feet, eyes scanning his surroundings—only to be struck speechless.

The previously desolate field was now surrounded by military vehicles of all kinds, including tanks and armored personnel carriers. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers stood at the ready, while a helicopter hovered overhead. Rows of cold, metallic gun barrels were aimed directly at him—the sole target in the open space.

This… this was an outrageously excessive welcome committee!

Xu Mo's expression darkened. After all, no one could remain calm while staring down the barrels of hundreds of loaded guns.