After Koko settled on Alex’s back, she began another silent stare-off with Rika. Rika squinted, glaring at Koko, while Koko, with a satisfied smile, hung on Alex’s back, her legs firmly wrapped around his waist. Valmet, on the other hand, stared at Alex as if she were ready to shoot him at any moment. Alex, however, remained calm, patiently waiting for everyone to finish their preparations.

He surveyed the officers under Rika’s command as they checked their weapons and ammunition. Koko’s entourage did the same but occasionally glanced at Koko and Alex. Tired of the staring contest with Rika, Koko decided to entertain herself differently while everyone prepared.

Alex’s appearance had calmed her anxieties, bringing back the usual ease. To distract herself, Koko began playing with the earrings in his ears, gently poking them with her fingers. She was curious about the ornaments, examining them with genuine interest. Alex felt her fiddling with his earrings but did nothing—he had long since built immunity to such distractions.

Finally, when everyone finished preparing, Alex spoke in a serious and authoritative tone:

“Since everyone’s ready, we can begin. I’ll repeat this for the smartest ones: outside these walls are zombies and mutants. Anything we encounter on our way is a target that needs to be eliminated. And remember: if someone falls behind or gets knocked down—consider them dead. Yes, I sound like an asshole, but that’s the reality in an apocalypse.”

Lehm, listening to him, smirked and said with a slight smile:

“Don’t worry, kid. We’re all seasoned soldiers, been through a lot. If it weren’t for you, those things would’ve devoured us already. So, lead the way, we’re with you.”

The rest of Koko’s entourage nodded, agreeing with Lehm’s words. Alex turned his gaze to the officers, and they too confirmed their readiness with brief nods. Then, he looked at Rika, standing next to him.

Their eyes met, and Rika gave him a thumbs-up:

” I’m ready, handsome. I’ll be right behind you,” she said with a cocky smile.

Alex sighed and, placing his hand on her head, replied:

“I’d prefer not to let Shizuka down. Well, since everyone’s ready, let’s move out. GIR, MIMI, you’re bringing up the rear. Make sure no one gets left behind. If someone slows down, feel free to speed them up.”

Everyone exchanged glances, and then their eyes fell on the two robo-dogs. No one understood what Alex meant by “speeding them up,” but the answer came quickly: GIR and MIMI’s paws began crackling with electric sparks. The realization caused the guys to nervously chuckle—first, Alex warned that the stragglers were doomed, and now he had ordered the robots to “speed up” the lagging ones.

When everyone was ready, Alex took out his phone, checked the airport map, and estimated the route to the arsenal. He put the phone away and took action. With a swing, he kicked the wall, breaking through it and clearing the path.

Everyone’s jaws dropped at the sight.

“What are you standing around for? Let’s go!” Alex shouted, and he was the first to charge ahead.

Rika and Valmet immediately rushed to follow Alex, while Koko, with a wide smile, carefree hung on his back, not even thinking of exerting any effort. The guys in the group didn’t have time to react before Alex had already broken through the second wall. The sound of crackling electricity behind them snapped them out of their shock—GIR and MIMI were confidently bringing up the rear.

“Fuck, they’re already gone! Guys, forward!” R shouted loudly, noticing the entire group had frozen in place.

His voice instantly snapped everyone into action, and the soldiers hastened through the hole in the wall, following Alex. GIR and MIMI, maintaining their pace, brought up the rear, ensuring no one fell behind. Alex moved forward with unwavering determination. As soon as he reached a wall, one powerful kick created a new passage.

Rika and Valmet followed closely, trying to stay near but leaving enough space for Alex to clear the path. Koko, sitting on his back, leaned forward to get a better view of Alex’s profile. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she observed his focused expression.

Another strike—and another wall collapsed. But before Alex could move further, a window in the room shattered with a crash, and a Zombie-Jumper jumped inside. It froze, staring at Alex with its cloudy eyes.

Rika and Valmet caught up to Alex, stopping beside him. They studied the new enemy carefully, assessing its danger.

“Is this a new type of zombie?” Koko asked, examining the Jumper with interest.

“No, this is our new battering ram,” Alex replied, a cocky smile appearing on his face.

The girls exchanged confused glances, unsure of what he meant. The Jumper, unwilling to miss out on its prey, suddenly leaped at Alex, its clawed hands raised. Koko instinctively squinted, but Alex lightning-fast grabbed the monster by the neck, holding it at arm’s length.

“Thanks for the help, buddy. I actually needed a battering ram,” Alex smirked, squeezing the zombie’s neck tighter.

Rika and Valmet, stunned, watched him. Alex didn’t waste any time and, holding the Jumper, charged forward. Reaching the next wall, he slammed the zombie into the obstacle with force, creating a new hole. Without stopping for a second, he continued moving forward.

Footsteps began to sound behind them—the others were catching up. Koko, watching the scene, shifted her gaze from the zombie Alex was using as a battering ram to his cocky smile. She even felt a little sorry for the Jumper, who had become another victim of Alex’s audacity.

Valmet, running behind, gritted her teeth. She was worried that Alex was putting Koko in danger by holding the zombie. However, the thought of how dangerous and resolute Alex was couldn’t help but cross her mind.

Rika, watching the scene, couldn’t contain her mixed emotions. On one hand, it seemed incredibly crazy and frightening, but on the other—she admired that even in an apocalypse, Alex managed to remain so bold and resourceful.

“This guy is definitely crazy… but damn, he’s cool,” she muttered to herself, following him.

Breaking through wall after wall, Alex glanced at his makeshift battering ram—the Zombie Jumper—and noted with regret that it would soon become useless. Its body was barely holding together, with only the head and a battered torso remaining. But Alex hoped that “Jeff,” as he had mentally named the zombie, would last a little longer—until they reached the room that served as a weapons storage. After breaking the last wall, Alex finally entered the armory, throwing the remains of the Jumper aside.

“You served well, my friend,” he said with a light smile, addressing the zombie. “I don’t know what your name was in life, but now you’re Jeff. Named after an old friend who gave his life taking care of scum. Rest easy, Jeff.”

Koko, sitting on his back, watched Alex with slight confusion. He had named the zombie used as a battering ram and dedicated it to the memory of a friend. Valmet and Rika also watched him in surprise, but remained silent, unsure how to respond. Rika remembered how Shizuka once mentioned that Alex had been a mercenary before the whole catastrophe started.

“Was Jeff your friend when you were a mercenary?” Rika asked, stepping closer.

Koko and Valmet looked at Alex in surprise. Now that they knew about his past, their understanding of his skills and strange behavior was starting to form a clearer picture.

“No, Jeff is the brick I found in an alley,” Alex grinned. “I used it to smash the heads of a group of bastards who were trafficking people.”

“You named a brick Jeff and attacked armed human traffickers? Is your head on straight?” Valmet asked skeptically, eyeing him closely.

“Of course it is,” Alex smirked. “Everyone has their quirks. I don’t criticize you for yours. Before judging others, think about yourself.”

“Pff, he got you, Valmet,” Koko giggled, trying hard to hold back her laughter.

Valmet’s eye twitched, but she chose not to respond. Rika just shook her head, mentally agreeing with Alex: everyone really did have their quirks.

Meanwhile, a noise from outside interrupted—footsteps rapidly approaching. Through the holes in the walls, Alex could see men running as if a ghost were chasing them. He couldn’t help but laugh: he didn’t even need to guess that GIR and MIMI, his two robo-dogs, had decided to motivate the lagging group, likely using their shockers.

“You guys are taking forever. We’ve been here for a while,” Koko said lazily, resting her chin on Alex’s shoulder.

“Sorry, Koko,” Lehm exhaled, shaking his head. “No one expected him to break through walls so quickly. We couldn’t even keep up with you!”

The others nodded in agreement, wiping sweat from their brows.

“Are you by any chance a martial arts master, or whatever they call it?” R asked suspiciously, eyeing Alex.

Alex simply smirked, looking at the exhausted men, and lazily shrugged.

R’s words made everyone focus on Alex, awaiting his response. Koko, sitting on his back, scrutinized his face. In her opinion, the assumption that Alex was a martial arts master seemed quite logical. During her career as a weapons dealer, she had encountered people with similar skills, but none of them came close to the level Alex displayed. None of them could have plowed through a horde of zombies and come out unscathed.

Rika squinted, contemplating the extent of Alex’s abilities. She decided that once they got out of this nightmare, she would ask Shizuka about his past. The guys looked at Alex with undisguised curiosity, waiting for him to speak.

“You can consider it that way,” Alex replied calmly, glancing at everyone. “Now that we’re in the armory, arm up. It’s time to get out of here.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and began to replenish their ammo, check weapons, and load their guns. Meanwhile, Alex turned to GIR and MIMI.

“Fill up the bags with ammo. We’ll need it,” he said, looking at the two robo-dogs.

GIR and MIMI nodded and immediately began gathering ammo into the bags, not bothering to sort it by caliber. They looked like real little thieves, working with incredible speed. The others watched their actions with surprise, amazed by the robots’ coordination and efficiency.

Alex stood aside, and Koko was still perched on his back, showing no sign of getting off.

“So, are you really a martial arts master?” she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder. “I’ve seen people like that when I was in the business, but they weren’t like you. And by the way, they were much older.”

“Well, I’m special,” Alex smirked, slightly turning his head toward Koko. “Are you planning to stay on my back?”

“Don’t you like it?” Koko smiled coquettishly, blowing air into his face. “Any normal guy would be happy to have a beautiful girl like me on his back.”

Alex opened his mouth to say something but suddenly realized he didn’t know how to respond to her behavior. He just smiled awkwardly, looking at her.

“Is there any kind of transport here that we can use to leave?” he changed the subject, trying not to fall for her playful tone.

“Don’t change the subject,” Koko pouted. “And why would we need transport when I have a plane?”

“I don’t mind you being on my back,” Alex admitted with a smile. “I actually like it. But are you sure your plane can take off in these conditions?”

“Heh, of course!” Koko replied proudly. “You have no idea how much money I spent on it.”

Looking at Koko’s satisfied expression, Alex couldn’t help but smile. The plane certainly sounded good, but in the current conditions, it was too big of a target. If the Live Corporation decided that the airspace belonged to them, they could easily shoot down the plane. The safest option remained a ship.

“Becca, how’s it looking outside? Check if there’s a plane on the runway,” Alex said, contacting Rebecca through the communicator.

“Hey, handsome, most of the dead have gone inside the building, so it’s quiet outside,” Rebecca replied. “As for the plane, give me a minute, I need to change position to check.”

The conversation ended, and Alex stood still, mentally planning his next moves.

Alex wasn’t so much interested in Koko’s plane as a means of transport to get them out of the city or even the country, but rather as a source of useful resources. He needed to understand what was on board and what could be applied in the current situation.

Koko listened as Alex spoke to someone through the communicator. Upon hearing a female voice, she immediately became alert, her curiosity sparked. Who was this girl, crazy enough to venture into such a dangerous place? She decided that Becca, as Alex had called her, must be just as crazy as he was, getting involved in a rescue operation and risking her life for Rika and those who had ended up in the epicenter of the events.

“Who were you talking to?” Koko asked, her voice sounding innocent, but she was clearly trying to pry for more information.

“My sniper,” Alex replied calmly. “She’s covering us and scouting the area. I want to know what’s up with your plane. But, honestly, I think using it is risky.”

“A sniper? What’s she to you? Partner? And why do you think using my plane is dangerous?” Koko quickly bombarded him with questions, not hiding her interest.

“When I started as a mercenary, she was my partner,” Alex began without emotion. “We pretty quickly started living together, and now she’s one of my fiancées.”

Koko absentmindedly nodded, processing his response, but then suddenly realized he said “one of” instead of “the only one.” That phrase made her fall silent as she processed what she’d heard. However, Alex continued:

“As for the plane… If you know who’s behind all this, you understand why it’s better not to use it.”

Koko furrowed her brow, thinking for a moment. Her mind quickly pieced the picture together: the plane was indeed a bad idea. If the enemies noticed their attempt to take off, they could easily shoot down the plane. An explosion in the air or a fall from a great height was not the outcome she’d want. Realizing this irritated her, and she barely held back from swearing, only clicking her tongue softly.

“Aren’t you worried your fiancée might get hurt?” Koko asked lightly, with a hint of teasing, testing how far she could go with her questions.

“My gremlin is much more dangerous than you can imagine,” Alex smirked, clearly unbothered by her suggestion.

Koko’s skeptical gaze slid across his face, but her thoughts turned to Becca. Maybe this girl was also a martial arts master, just like Alex.

“Hey, handsome, I have a couple of pieces of news for you. Want to hear them?” Becca’s sardonic voice suddenly came through the communicator.

“Surprise me,” Alex replied, lighting a cigarette.

Koko glanced at the cigarette in Alex’s mouth, clearly intending to knock it out. But when he lit it, the usual pungent smell of smoke didn’t follow. She stared at the cigarette, confused, but decided not to dwell on it and postponed the question until he finished his conversation with his fiancée.

Meanwhile, Rebecca, perched on a high spot, was observing the runway through her sniper scope. Her attention was immediately drawn to the plane standing alone—the very one Alex had mentioned earlier. She carefully scanned the surroundings while talking to him through the communicator.

The first thing that caught her eye was a strange zombie with massive, steroid-enhanced arms, like a gorilla on steroids. It stood by the plane’s open hatch, guarding it with unsettling calm. Rebecca couldn’t help but compare it to the residents of Night City who had gone overboard with cybernetic implants, making their limbs absurdly large.

“It’s a circus here, you won’t believe what I just saw,” her voice sounded both surprised and sarcastic.

“What kind of show are they putting on this time?” Alex responded, lighting another cigarette and momentarily shifting his focus from serious thoughts.

“A new kind of zombie,” Rebecca started, “a gorilla with pumped-up arms. Then there are these jumping soldiers. They pulled some kind of box out of the plane, opened it, took out a strange container, and handed it to one of them. This guy took off like a marathoner, jumped over a fence, and disappeared into the dark. The rest scattered, leaving just one soldier and a crowd of zombies. They surrounded the plane like a meat shield.”

“Well, that’s crap,” Alex summarized briefly. “Keep watching. If you see anything else, let me know right away.”

After the conversation with Rebecca ended, Alex fell into thought. The new type of zombie—a “tank”—was a dangerous opponent. Their thick skin made them incredibly tough to kill. But what really piqued his interest was the container they took from the plane. The only thought that came to mind was that Koko was transporting a fragment of the Marker, possibly without even realizing it.

Alex turned to Koko, staring intently into her blue eyes. He hoped she wasn’t connected to the Live Corporation. However, to clear everything up, he decided to ask directly.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Have you fallen for me?” Koko asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood. “Of course, I’m grateful for the rescue, but I’m not ready for that kind of relationship yet.”

“What were you transporting in your plane?” Alex asked sharply and seriously, ignoring her attempt at humor.

Koko blushed, but when she saw his serious expression, she realized the matter was urgent. Even her men, busy reloading ammunition, grew tense. She signaled them to continue working, indicating that there was no need to worry.

“One of the clients asked me to deliver a box. I didn’t want to agree, but we were already flying in that direction, so I decided to take the job. If you think I’m involved in the zombie virus outbreak, you’re mistaken. When it all started, I was still at the airport,” Koko explained, trying to clarify.

“I’m not accusing you. I’m interested in the cargo. Those soldiers took a container from your plane—clearly something important. If we assume that the zombie horde was sent here on purpose, the goal was to wipe everyone out and take the cargo. If you were working for Live Corporation, we wouldn’t be talking right now,” Alex said, smiling slightly.

Koko listened carefully, realizing that the situation was far more serious than it had seemed.

Alex’s words made Koko think. She herself wanted to know what was in the container she brought here and why it was so important. When she was offered the cargo, she was told it was just a collector’s item for an important person, and nothing more. She agreed only because the request came from an old friend of her father.

Koko’s entourage watched her reaction closely. They saw how she fell silent and became lost in thought, nervously biting her nail— a habit she displayed when deeply focused.

“Honestly, I don’t know what was in the container, or why it was taken. And I definitely didn’t have any contact with anyone from Live Corporation or anything like that,” Koko said, shaking her head.

“I’m curious about what’s in that container, for which they sent a whole horde of zombies after us. They clearly didn’t want anyone to interfere, or for that white-haired woman to fly away,” Rika added, stepping closer to Alex and Koko.

“I have a theory, but I’m not going to voice it yet because it’s just a guess,” Alex replied calmly, shifting his attention to Rika. “Better tell me if there’s any transport around here that we can use to get out of the airport. We can’t all fit on my motorcycle, and the guys probably won’t want to run across the whole city to our temporary base by the bank.”

“There should be military ‘HMMWVs’ in the hangar. Unless those soldiers you mentioned did something to them,” Rika replied.

Koko continued to stare intently at Alex. She was sure he knew something but didn’t want to say. She was practically bursting with curiosity about what she had been transporting and what the container that was stolen from her plane was. Driven by the desire for answers, she began poking Alex in the cheek, demanding an explanation.

Alex simply pulled a candy from his pocket and skillfully popped it into Koko’s mouth to distract her. For a moment, Koko was distracted by the sweet treat, but her persistence remained unwavering. Alex just smiled and waited for the others to finish preparing to leave.

“Alright, guys, listen up,” Alex began, scanning the group. “Our goal is to get to the hangar, hop into a HMMWV, and get the hell out of here. We move in an organized manner, no lagging behind. The rules are the same: no unnecessary questions, right now the most important thing is getting out of here. Everything else—rest, food, and discussions—can wait. If you’re ready, let’s move.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Alex pulled out a black cube from his inner pocket and placed it on the table. The strange object immediately drew the attention of everyone around.

“What’s this thing? I’ve never seen such a shape. Is it a toy?” Koko asked, pointing at the cube.

“No, it’s my personal bomb. Or did you think I wanted the zombie horde to follow us all the way to the base? Hell no. I have no desire to kill another crowd of those bastards and get covered in their blood,” Alex said, shaking his head.

“This is the first bomb of this kind I’ve ever seen. How powerful is it, if you don’t mind me asking?” Wiley asked, stepping closer to get a better look at the cube.

“Powerful enough to send this whole building into orbit. So it’s best to hurry up and get the hell out of here before it goes off,” Alex replied with a smirk, giving Wiley a thumbs up.

“Could you give me one? I’d love to study how it’s made,” Wiley suggested, clearly excited about the idea of dismantling the bomb.

“Maybe later. I’ll give you the blueprints so you can make one yourself,” Alex said with a smile, packing his things and getting ready to leave.

Wiley’s eyes lit up with excitement as he realized that such a small black cube could destroy an entire airport. The others looked at Alex and Wiley with evident caution, as though they were maniacs enjoying explosions.

Hearing that the inconspicuous cube was a powerful bomb, everyone instinctively took a step back, trying to stay as far away from it as possible. Alex just shook his head, observing their behavior, and headed toward the nearest wall, clearly planning to break through it.

“The hangar’s the other way. The main terminal’s that direction,” Rika stopped him, stepping into his path.

“Couldn’t you have said that earlier? Everyone’s quiet as fish. Should I be reading your minds? You know, I’m going to complain to Shizuka that you’re being mean to me,” Alex responded, puffing out his cheeks dramatically.

“Oh, my little one. Do you want your big sister to comfort you and give you a kiss?” Rika teased, stifling a laugh.

“Maybe later. You can kiss me when I save you and deliver you to Shizuka,” Alex smirked, responding to her joke.

“As you say, handsome. And I can do more than just kiss you, if you want,” Rika winked, matching his playful mood.

“You two, stop flirting. You’re not alone here!” Koko fumed, pulling on Alex’s cheeks to express her displeasure.

Rika couldn’t hold back her laughter, pleased that she had managed to annoy Koko. Alex, used to such antics, simply smiled slightly and didn’t react to the tugging on his cheeks.

“Becca, we’re heading toward the hangar. Can you take out the soldier controlling the zombies?” Alex said, connecting with Rebecca while studying the wall.

“I thought you’d want to grab one to ask your favorite questions. You usually do that,” Rebecca replied, clearly surprised by his decision.

“Right now, it’s too risky. The main goal is to get everyone out of here. I’m not putting the group in danger for this,” Alex said firmly, prioritizing the situation.

“As you say, handsome. This soldier’s already starting to get on my nerves. He reminds me of those secondary villains who die first,” Rebecca laughed.

Everyone recognized Alex’s actions as an example of prioritizing people’s safety over useless information gathering. Alex, meanwhile, thought for a moment and quickly realized that sooner or later, he would encounter more soldiers like this one, and he wasn’t worried about it. His main concern was just two things: how they controlled the zombies and where their branch in Japan was located.

After quickly counting on his fingers, he came to the obvious conclusion—the branch of the corporation was most likely in Tokyo. It was the most logical place for a secret laboratory hidden beneath the main street of the city. Shaking off any unnecessary thoughts, Alex kicked through the wall and moved forward. Rika and Valmet immediately followed him.

As soon as Alex began moving, Koko clung to him tightly with her legs, trying not to fall. The guys, picking up on the signal, immediately ran after him to avoid any “unexpected charges” from one of the robo-dogs. Breaking through walls, Alex led the group outside. Once they were on the street, he looked at Rika to signal the direction. She pointed with her finger, and Alex hurried toward the hangar.

However, out of nowhere, a Tank zombie dropped from the roof in front of them. Alex’s eyes twitched in surprise—its timing was disastrous. Everyone immediately aimed at it, ready to turn it into meat.

“Well, you sure picked the right time to show up,” Alex muttered, assessing the situation.

Instead of responding, the Tank zombie roared and began beating its chest like a gorilla, then charged toward the group. Alex didn’t wait for the Tank to get too close and disappeared from the spot, which shocked everyone. He materialized right on the Tank’s head, and this move made everyone’s eyes widen. The most shocked was Koko, who was still tightly holding onto Alex.

“Seismic step,” Alex mumbled, standing on the Tank’s head.

When Alex used the technique, his foot pressed the Tank’s head with unimaginable force, crushing it flat under the weight and turning it into a bloody pulp. Koko tried to recover from the sudden movement, feeling dizzy and nauseous.

Once the Tank was flattened, everyone stared at Alex as if they’d seen a ghost. They knew he was a martial arts master, but the way he literally crushed a huge zombie with his foot, turning it into meat paste, revealed a new world to them—one they hadn’t even suspected existed.

Alex turned to the group, looking at their stunned faces.

“What?” he asked, noticing their surprise.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep