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At that moment, the phone in the pocket of the Sultan's confidant rang. He glanced at the screen and saw an unfamiliar number, so he immediately declined the call without answering.

"Who was that? Why didn't you answer?" the Sultan asked.

"It was an unfamiliar number, Your Majesty, and we still have matters to discuss. I figured it was probably a scammer," replied the confidant.

Beeep! Beeep! Beeep!

The phone rang again, the same number flashing on the screen. Shahid frowned and declined the call once more, this time blocking the number on his phone.

For about 15 seconds, the phone was silent before it rang again. This time, it connected itself without Shahid's permission, and a voice from the other side spoke.

"Mr. Al-Amin, you said you wanted to establish a connection with us, but you don't seem to care much about it," the voice said.

"Who are you?" Shahid asked, his suspicion growing.

"I'm Gua Jia, Chief Strategic Officer of the Minister of Defense of New Atlantis," the voice replied.

Upon hearing this, Shahid quickly responded in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry, Mr. Gua. The number was unfamiliar, and I thought it was a scammer. Please forgive me if I've offended you."

"It's alright," Gua Jia replied, moving swiftly to the point. "Mr. Al-Amin, the reason I'm calling is that Mr. Emberweave wishes to form an alliance with your nation and seeks your permission to move our forces into your waters. We aim to help you contain and eliminate the outbreak before it becomes a global crisis."

"I'm afraid I don't have the authority to grant such permission, Mr. Gua. You will need to speak directly with His Majesty, Maliq al-Nasir. Only he has the authority to make that decision," Shahid explained.

"Could I speak with His Majesty now?" Gua Jia asked. "I know you're at the palace, and I realize this may seem a bit forward, but we're running out of time. Could you hand him the phone? The virus is evolving as we speak."

"What did you say? The virus is evolving?" Shahid asked, alarmed by the revelation.

The conversation was now on speaker, and the Sultan, having overheard Gua Jia's words, became visibly concerned, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"To be precise," Gua Jia continued, "it's the infected that are evolving. Our sources indicate that while rare, these evolutions are happening.

At least one in every ten thousand zombies is mutating into a stronger being, and there's a one-in-a-million chance that a powerful variant will emerge—one with psychic or supernatural abilities, like heightened intelligence, telepathy, or the power to control other zombies.

Furthermore, if the virus spreads to the sea, infecting wildlife or aquatic creatures, it will mutate them into monsters. The destruction they could cause, especially if the virus spreads extensively, would be catastrophic.

In the worst-case scenario, sea travel and shipping could become impossible if these aquatic lifeforms evolve to the point where they can sink an aircraft carrier with a single strike," Gua Jia warned.

Hearing this, the Sultan looked at Shahid, and the two exchanged a silent understanding before the Sultan gave a nod.

With his Sultan's signal, Shahid spoke. "Isn't this a bit of fear-mongering? This is the real world, not a sci-fi movie." He deliberately provoked Gua Jia, testing the waters on the topic. Even if an alliance was on the table, allowing foreign forces onto their soil was not a decision to be taken lightly.

Moreover, given the current local situation, where warlords and various factions were vying for control, they couldn't guarantee the safety of any allied forces. The Sultan was a man of limited power and influence, barely able to protect his own people.

"If you don't believe me, we can wait. We have a contingency plan to isolate the Middle East, turning it into a quarantine zone. At that point, I believe the UN and the rest of the world will ask us to intervene," Gua Jia replied coolly.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

The call ended abruptly, leaving both the Sultan and Shahid flustered. They were only testing the waters! Why do you get so offended and hang up like that? Bro! It's just politics! Politics!

We were just gauging how eager you were to bring your forces here! If we offended you, we're sorry, okay?

In a panic, Shahid tried calling the number back, but it seemed to be a fake—likely used to hack their phone and force the call through.

The Sultan quickly made a decision. "Shahid! Prepare my private jet. We're going to New Atlantis immediately! Bring my entire family along as well. I want them safely in New Atlantis in case things go wrong."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Shahid responded and quickly relayed the order to the servants and maids. He also informed the Sultan's family, including all 25 concubines in his small harem.

— Republic of Ottoman Levant —

— 100 Kilometers West of the Aqaba Sultanate Border —

In the middle of the desert, under the scorching sun, millions of zombies had gathered, forming a circle around a vast, empty patch of sand, as though something lay in the center. They stood still, unmoving, as if waiting for something.

Suddenly, the sand began to rise, as if something long-buried beneath it was emerging. Tons of sand slid downward to the desert floor, yet the zombies remained stationary, seemingly unbothered by the event.

Strangely, the torrents of sand sliding down from the rising object didn't harm the zombies. It was as though they knew exactly where to stand to avoid being affected, all the while keeping a close watch on the unfolding phenomenon.

This strange occurrence was being monitored by Ottoman Levant spy drones, which were flying overhead in preparation for a bombing run set to target the zombies below.

In the war room aboard the Ottoman Levant aircraft carrier, the military high command watched the scene unfold through drone footage, feeling incredulous, as though they had been thrust into a fantasy movie.

The situation continued to develop as the sand gradually cleared from the object rising from the desert. A black obsidian wall, built from gigantic bricks similar to those used in constructing the pyramids, was revealed.

The wall formed a pyramid-like structure, and as more sand slid away, a staircase leading up to the pyramid's peak became visible. Eventually, the full structure emerged—a ziggurat made of obsidian-like bricks. At its summit stood a massive green crystal, about three meters tall, sitting atop a crown-like structure, seemingly acting as some kind of focal point.

Rows of ancient script glowed with a green light, as if illuminated from beneath. These inscriptions were carved across the pyramid, converging near the crystal at the top.

"Sir, are we proceeding with the bombing run?" one of the officers asked their general.

"Is that even a question? Of course, continue the bombing. This is a golden opportunity to eliminate all the zombies. If that thing gets in the way, bomb it too," the general commanded.

"Yes, sir." The officer relayed the orders to the pilots to continue toward their target.

Three large bombers flew through the sky, headed for their designated target—the millions of zombies encircling the newly emerged black ziggurat.

"Bombs away!" the officer in charge of the bombing bay announced over the radio as the bombs were released.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions rocked the desert as fireballs tore through the hot sand, blasting both the zombies and the terrain. The mindless zombies stood in place, unfeeling, as the blasts ripped their bodies apart.

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The bombing run continued toward the ziggurat until one of the bombs finally struck it.

Boom!

The explosion shook the structure, but as the smoke cleared, a thin energy shield became visible, deflecting the impact.

At that moment, clouds began to gather, obscuring the scorching sun. The sky darkened as if night had suddenly fallen.

Suddenly, a beam of green light shot up from the crystal at the pyramid's peak, piercing the sky. Millions of green wisps began to swirl toward the ziggurat, converging from all directions. Most of these glowing wisps came from nearby cities, places where countless lives had been lost.

"What… What is this? Are those… souls?" one of the officers muttered, watching the live drone feed in disbelief.

The bombing continued, fireballs ripping through hundreds of thousands of zombies. This was just the first wave, as wiping out millions of zombies without using nuclear weapons in such a short time seemed impossible.

At this moment, a lone figure emerged from the top of the ziggurat. Dressed in black robes with golden lining, the figure was adorned with various pieces of gold and jewelry across its body. A golden crown rested on its head, and a golden mask concealed its face, making it impossible to discern the figure's true appearance.

The figure looked up at several bombers flying overhead before raising its black skeletal hand.

Suddenly, the planes felt as though a massive, invisible hand had grabbed them, pulling them down from the sky.