Inside the meeting room for the Overlords, the Cold Expressionly Lady watched the screen disying us''s battle with the Zombie Kings. Her usual icy demeanor had softened, showing hints of shock, respect, and something else that couldn''t be pointed out.


    "This kid is something else," she muttered to herself.


    Suddenly, the door opened, and a redhead with a fiery gaze entered the room. Her eyes immediately locked on the screen—or more precisely, on us, who was fighting within his ice domain.


    "What are you doing here, Nari? Shouldn''t you be off exploring the Ancient Ruin?" the Cold Lady asked her tone a mix of curiosity and slight annoyance.


    "Tsk, I can''t just leave without saying goodbye," Nari said with a teasing smirk. "But hey, who would''ve thought the mighty leader of the Overlords would turn out to be a stalker?"


    "Who''s a stalker? I just wanted to keep track of things," the Cold Lady replied, her voice firm, though the faintest hint of a smile touched her lips.


    Nari''s grin widened. "Uh-huh, ''keeping track'' looks a lot like watching us''s every move."


    The Cold Lady shook her head. "He''s in the middle of an important battle. It''s natural to monitor the situation."


    "Sure, sure," Nari teased, crossing her arms. "But still, you have to admit, us is holding his own out there. He''s growing stronger every day."


    The Cold Lady nodded slightly, her gaze still fixed on the screen. "He is. But the enemies he''s facing aren''t ordinary either. This battle could be his breaking point."


    "Or it could be what pushes him to the next level," Nari added. "He''s not the type to back down, not after everything he''s been through." Nari in her attempt to be a perfect wingman has researched a lot on us instead of doing her duty as an Overlord. They both are stalkers in a way


    The Cold Lady remained silent, her thoughts drifting. She had watched us from a distance for a while now, and though she wouldn''t admit it out loud, there was something about him that intrigued her.


    His determination, his strength, the way he faced impossible odds, and well, his handsomeness. There is just something about him she couldn''t quite ce her finger on.


    "Anyway, I''m heading out soon," Nari said, breaking the silence. "But before I go, you should probably admit it."


    "Admit what?" the Cold Lady asked, her voice cool.


    "That you care about the kid," Nari said with a wink.


    The Cold Lady''s expression hardened, but she said nothing. Nariughed and vanished from the room, leaving the Cold Lady to sigh in relief. She turned her attention back to the screen, where us was still fighting, hard-pressed but relentless in his killing.


    "Amazing," she muttered, watching him push forward despite the overwhelming odds.


    ======


    Back in the Demon''s Abode, us was doing everything he could to hold the Zombies at bay, but it was easier said than done. The waves of undead seemed endless, and he was beginning to feel the weight of the battle pressing down on him.


    If not for the Dragon, which was tearing through Zombies on its own, us knew he would have been forced to retreat long ago. The sight of the Dragon''s raw power made him wonder just how strong it could be if he poured more of his Star Qi into it.


    But he hesitated. He needed to be calcted in this fight. If he recklessly used his energy without restraint, he knew he''d regret itter. Every second, he could feel his Star Qi being drained, and the battle was far from over.


    "At this rate, I won''t make it until the ritual is over," us muttered under his breath. He could feel exhaustion creeping in, his body beginning to tire from the constant fighting. His only hope was that Miriam would arrive before he ran out of energy entirely.


    The Zombies pressed down on him from all sides, their sheer numbers threatening to overwhelm him. Yet us held firm, his sword cutting through them with precision. He had to survive. There was no other option.


    Meanwhile, inside the force field atop the Seven Pirs, the Zombie Kings and the Zombie Lady continue to watch the battle. Their gazes were locked on us, their fists clenched in frustration. Despite sending wave after wave of soldiers at him, us continued to fight, killing their forces with terrifying efficiency.


    The Zombie Lady''s eyes narrowed, her murderous intent clear. "He''s more resilient than I thought," she muttered.


    One of the Zombie Kings grunted in agreement. "But even he has limits. The ritual willplete soon, and when it does, he''ll be finished."


    They all held that wicked, dangerous, and Bloodthirsty look in their eyes as they watched the battle with no hope of joining anytime soon. But they knew they would soon be finished, and once that time came, not even the gods could save us.


    The red energying from all over the forest was being poured into the pirs and then absorbed into the bodies of the Zombies atop the Pirs. By the seconds, one could tell some changes were appearing in the Zombies, but for now, until the ritual was over, all they could do was watch.


    They all knew us couldn''t keep up this pace forever. But us, exhausted as he was, still fought with everything he had, hoping that his allies would arrive in time.


    Suddenly, a Zombie King managed to sneak into us''s blind spot, aiming to sever his head. But before it could strike, us swiftly directed the Void Piercing Needle, piercing the Zombie''s skull and spraying blood everywhere.


    "I''m losing too much Star Qi," us muttered, feeling the strain of the battle.


    He had activated three powerful skills: Ice Lotus Bloom, the Fire Dragon Spirit, and the Bell of Harrows. These were the only things holding the Zombies back for now.


    The Ice Lotus served as his shield, a defensive barrier that also enhanced his speed and strike power. Inside the icy domain created by the Lotus, us moved like a god.


    While he was physically weaker and slower than the Zombie Kings, within the domain, he had the advantage of manipting the elemental essence in the air. His Elemental Overlord Talent had made him highly attuned to these elements, allowing him to thrive in the chaos.


    The Bell of Harrows, on the other hand, was his secret weapon. Each ring sent out sonic and soul attacks, momentarily severing the Zombies'' connection to their defense. This briefpse in their defenses gave us just enough time tond fatal blows.


    But even with this edge, us could feel his energy slipping away. The constant drain on his Star Qi was bing more noticeable with each passing second. While he was able to recover some of it, the rate at which he was spending it far outpaced his recovery.


    The Fire Dragon was doing its part, its tail shing through the air and sending out waves of fiery arcs. Each strike obliterated groups of Zombies, but like the Ice Lotus and the Bell of Harrows, the Dragon was draining us''s Star Qi reserves at an rming rate.


    He gritted his teeth, pushing through the exhaustion. us knew he couldn''t sustain this much longer, but he had to hold out. The battle was far from over, and he needed to conserve whatever energy he had left.


    Suddenly, a wave of Zombie Kings broke through the ice domain, using some strange ability that us had never seen before. They surged toward him with terrifying speed. His heart turned cold as he counted them—ten Zombie Kings, all with weapons drawn, eyes gleaming with hunger for his blood.


    us gripped his sword tighter, knowing this could be it. The Zombie Kings approaching him were far more powerful than the regr Kings for some unknown reason. If they got too close, the odds would turn against him fast. His mind raced, calcting his next move, but before he could act, a sudden heat burst through the cold.


    Just when the Zombie Kings were about to reach him, a massive wave of fire exploded in front of him, engulfing the undead in a zing inferno. us blinked in shock, feeling the searing heat even within his icy domain.


    He quickly turned to the source of the fire and saw his me Dragon Spirit in action, hovering above the battlefield, spraying fire from its mouth. The mes roared like a living thing, consuming everything in their path, including the Zombie Kings who had dared toe close.


    "The fuck?" us muttered, half in relief and half in disbelief