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If one were to ask, "What is the most terrifying trait of mindless zombies?" some might say it's their ability to infect. But no, the infection is the virus's doing, not the zombies themselves. Others might suggest their strength or numbers.

However, numbers alone can be countered—replace them with any other creature relying solely on numbers, and with enough cruelty and determination, their will to fight can be broken.

What truly makes zombies terrifying is, first and foremost, their mindlessness. This makes them utterly fearless. Then comes their overwhelming numbers, a result of uncontrollable infection. No matter how many of their own are killed, they relentlessly charge through gunfire toward their food sources, undeterred by the carnage around them.

— Ottoman Levant, One Day Later —

At the border of the quarantine zone surrounding the Ottoman Levant capital, the sounds of gunfire and cannon blasts echoed as defenders fought desperately against the zombie horde assaulting their defensive perimeter.

Unfortunately, the capital of the Ottoman Levant was built in a large oasis surrounded by barren land and desert. This meant there were no natural choke points or obstacles for the government to rely on. At best, they could erect barricades near some high hills or rugged terrain that made it harder for zombies to traverse.

But even though zombies lose their intelligence, they gain feral instincts, as well as heightened senses of smell and hearing. With the subconscious limits of living creatures removed from their bodies, zombies became much stronger and faster than normal humans.

Though zombies take damage much like ordinary humans, unless their brains are sufficiently destroyed, they continue to move and hunt. Wounded zombies may have diminished movement or ferocity, but they will never stop seeking prey.

With these factors at play, the military of the Ottoman Levant was steadily pushed back. Some of the horde had flanked their defensive perimeter, spilling into nearby areas left unguarded due to the vast, open terrain and lack of natural barriers.

Initially, the military gained a temporary advantage with the authorization to use heavy weapons. However, the sheer number of zombies eventually overwhelmed their defenses, leading to flanking maneuvers that caused them to lose significant ground.

In the process, the military lost a substantial number of soldiers, support personnel, and essential equipment, including weapons that were never fired, as well as large amounts of ammunition and fuel abandoned during hasty retreats. This constant loss of resources weakened their forces as the battle dragged on.

While the military grew weaker over time, the zombie horde only grew stronger. By the end of the first day, the horde had swelled to 3 million, and by the morning of the second day, it had reached 7 million—meaning over 80% of the capital's population had become zombies. The actual number was likely even higher, as many zombies were killed by heavy weaponry during the initial defense.

With limited reinforcements available due to the quarantine and the need to reserve forces to block the spread of zombies to other parts of the country, the military assigned to eliminate the horde lost more ground than they could regain. Eventually, orders came down from the top to retreat from the city's vicinity.

— Mediterranean Sea - Aircraft Carrier —

In the war room of the High Command aboard the aircraft carrier, an officer rushed in to report to the gathered group of high-ranking officers and the President of the Republic of the Ottoman Levant.

"Sir, our forces have successfully retreated from the area," said the officer.

One of the senior officers nodded and addressed the communication officer seated at their console. "Begin the bombing run! Cut down their numbers as much as possible, now!"

The communication officer nodded and began coordinating with the field commanders.

"Mr. President, has Europe responded to our request for a nuclear strike yet?" asked the general.

The old man, in his late 50s, sighed and shook his head. "No, General… They said they're still considering it."

Since the Ottoman Levant was the remnant of the Ottoman Empire, a nation that had lost the war, its nuclear program had been rejected by the UN. As a result, they had no nuclear weapons of their own and couldn't deploy one immediately to contain the outbreak.

"Those damn pricks! If we drive the horde north, maybe their 'consideration' will speed up!" the general cursed.

"Yes… since Turkey is part of Europe, maybe that'll light a fire under them," another officer added.

At this moment, an officer monitoring the situation through the drone cameras rubbed his eyes and squinted at the monitor, trying to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Sir… the zombies are behaving strangely. They… they're ignoring our forces and heading east. All of them! Every one of them is moving east right now!" the monitoring officer reported.

"Are you serious?" The general moved quickly to the console to see for himself.

On the screen, he saw a long line of the horde staggering toward the east, where the vast desert of the Ottoman Levant stretched out. Zombies from different parts of the city were converging and marching eastward. They ignored the defensive perimeters completely, even when provoked or fired upon. No matter what the military did to draw their attention, the zombies didn't react.

"Haha! Maybe the virus has rotted their brains to the point that they're ignoring us. This is good—free target practice!" one of the officers said mockingly.

"No… this is bad, very bad…" the general muttered, his expression growing serious. He looked at his men. "Don't you see? They're ignoring us. This… is a sign they've developed some form of intelligence. They're no longer just acting on impulse or instinct."

"Sir… maybe they're being drawn to something in the desert," another officer suggested.

"It's possible. But whatever is drawing hordes of mindless zombies can't be good news for us," the general responded. He paused for a moment, considering the situation, then turned to his communications officer.

"Call off the bombing run. Let them gather in the desert first—then finish them off," the general ordered.

— Sultanate of Aqaba —

In a war-torn country rich in oil, many factions and warlords vie for control, with little regard for the suffering of the population.

In the middle of a small city built near an oasis, there is one place where ordinary people can live without constant fear for their lives—the city where their Sultan resides. The various warlords competing for control of the oil fields use the Sultan as a pawn in their power struggles.

Maliq al-Nasir, the current Sultan of Aqaba, is a powerless man in his 40s, living his life as a puppet ruler. However, even as a puppet, he has his uses as a strategic piece in the warlords' games. This gives him some influence, allowing him to balance their power and deflect animosity between rival factions.

Despite his powerless position, Maliq has considerable wealth. He keeps a low profile and is willing to humble himself to gain small benefits, such as monetary wealth, which he uses to support the people of his city. Some call him a spineless coward, but he is a man of high political intelligence, navigating this dangerous landscape for a long time as if walking a tightrope.

He must constantly balance the warlords' ambitions, reading the flow of power so that none of them see him as a threat and decide to replace him with a more compliant puppet.

It's fortunate that his daughter is not of marriageable age yet; otherwise, she might become a target in the warlords' schemes.

Maliq was watching the news about the outbreak in the Ottoman Levant. Since his country, the Sultanate of Aqaba, shares a border with the Ottoman Levant, he needed to stay informed about the latest developments.

At that moment, one of his confidants entered the study where he was working. Even though Maliq was just a puppet, he could not afford to slack off—his people depended on him for their livelihoods, and he needed to take care of them.

"Your Majesty, bad news!" the confidant began. If Daniel were here, he would recognize this man as the one who inquired about the cost of using Astral Corp's automated farming services to increase food production.

"Sigh…" The Sultan let out a long sigh, removed his glasses, and massaged the bridge of his nose, preparing himself for the bad news. "Tell me, Shahid… What is the bad news?" he asked.

"The zombie horde, Your Majesty—they are moving toward us. They're now just 100 kilometers from our border," Shahid reported.

Hearing this, the Sultan felt a surge of anxiety. He had no idea what to do. The only armed force he controlled without interference from the warlords was his personal bodyguard, numbering in the hundreds. He had no heavy weaponry, and the most firepower at his disposal were assault rifles.

"What about the warlords? How are they reacting?" the Sultan asked.

"Other than the ones near the border, none have responded. In fact, some are stationing forces near the border warlords, hoping the chaos will weaken their rivals when the zombies attack. They plan to strike while their enemies are busy dealing with the horde," Shahid reported.

"Those damn fools! Do they think they can handle the zombies on their own?" the Sultan cursed. He wanted nothing more than to chop these selfish warlord's heads off, but he was merely a powerless monarch with only the will to care for his people. Stay updated via мѵʟ