A week had passed, and many things had already been done. Noel and I were able to clear out most of the meteor fragments that had crashed near our area.
With ten trees in total now growing steadily in our territory, and my points in abundance, I took the opportunity to upgrade my territory twice, extending it to a full 200 meters.
We had nearly occupied the entire forest behind the hotel. Our fortress was now clearly visible, especially at night when its silhouette glowed faintly under the moonlight. The place looked like a well-constructed village rather than a makeshift survival base.
I had just woken up, sunlight filtering in through the thick curtains, and instinctively looked at the system. The alert popped up immediately—the third wave was about to begin.
---
[Territory System]
Point: 1500
Rank: E-
Fortress: [Territory 200 Meters] [3000 Points to upgrade]
Technology: [Advanced]
Robots: [10]
Ability: [Sword Light, Ten Steps, Lord Territory]
Technology Upgrade: [2500 Points]
Robot: [Cost 750 Above Average Robot] [Cost 2500 Points]
Ability Lottery:
Scrap Ticket 0,
Bronze Ticket 0,
Silver Ticket 0,
Golden Ticket 1,
Diamond Ticket 0,
Ruby Ticket 0,
Legendary Ticket 0,
Mystical Ticket 0
System Shop: Supplies, Equipment, Foods
[Cost Upgrade 1000]
[Storage Space Unlimited]
{700 Billion liters of Water, 3 Million worth of Meat, Medicine, Armory, Tents, Lights, Etc...}
---
There were now four fully-operational turrets guarding the perimeter of the fortress. The robots had also built three additional houses for upcoming recruitment, expanding our small settlement.
I had refined every house and structure meticulously, making everything look like a perfect small village—organized, strong, and livable.
At the front gate, there were four houses. On the right side were mine and my sister's homes, designed with both comfort and defense in mind. On the left side were the houses meant for the new recruits, soon to arrive.
Going deeper into the territory, we had built public amenities: bathrooms, a water well with clean, drinkable water that never seemed to run out. It felt like we had created a small paradise amidst chaos.
At the edges of the village stood the ten trees I had planted. They were already beginning to bear fruit, a slow but hopeful sign that nature could still thrive in this world.
I was very satisfied with our progress. The robots were fully upgraded, now powerful enough to defeat a super zombie—something unheard of at this early stage. Their combat capabilities were beyond what even the military could manage right now.
But my mind was focused elsewhere.
The third wave was about to begin. According to Maria, this would be a catastrophic invasion. Zombies, in overwhelming numbers, would swarm out of nowhere. Even the military would require backup. This was also the moment Maria would awaken her power—"The Heaven Fist."
I remembered her story clearly.
Her arm had been severely injured while she held off waves of zombies to protect civilians. She fought on the frontlines, alone and determined. Despite being surrounded and nearly consumed, she refused to abandon the people.
Maria was different from others in the government. While most leaders only sought to protect high-ranking officials or themselves, Maria chose to protect the innocent. In exchange, her arm was damaged—an injury she would carry for the rest of her life.
Though later the technology grows she was able to fight again, thanks to technological advancements, her growth had been delayed significantly. But her bravery never faltered. She became a great leader in the future.
Back then, even though I already owned the Fortress, I hadn't implemented any sort of fair exchange system. I wasted so many points due to inefficiency and lack of structure. It wasn't until the 900th wave that I finally made a change—creating a merit system where robots could scan and track how many zombies someone had killed, rewarding them accordingly.
Those lessons were still fresh in my mind.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I suddenly barged into Noel's room. She was still fast asleep, curled under her blanket. I walked up to her bed and asked quickly,
"Wanna come with me? We're visiting people today." My voice was hurried.
She groaned and shook her head. "Not today, brother. My head hurts… because of all the training you made me do."
I smiled gently and nodded, understanding. As I closed the door quietly, I reflected on how far she had come. She had reached F+ rank now and could lift a boulder with her telekinesis. That was more than enough for now.
I summoned two robots to accompany me, deciding it was enough for our trip.
While walking, I pondered our current reputation. People were beginning to call us "The Demon Twins." Honestly, it sounded ridiculous, but I couldn't blame them.
Every time we went out exploring, we wore black masks and cut through zombies like grass. People who witnessed us said we moved like gods of slaughter.
The government had even started taking notice of us. But I didn't let any of their spies go back alive. It would be troublesome if they tried something later.
Their spies, once planted near us, were usually taken down immediately—our robots were equipped with top-tier detection protocols.
Some survivors had recorded our battles and posted the footage online. We had gone viral without meaning to. The strength of my robots amazed everyone. They were stronger than anything available through current government tech.
They came equipped with laser guns that could slice through any zombie, and shields that could repel even explosive force.
People even saw us taking down super zombies. That's when the government really started keeping an eye on us. But again, no one spying survived long enough to report back.
Now, the third wave was about to hit.
A massive meteor was falling—similar to the ones from the first wave that had devastated entire zones. This one was predicted to land near a civilian shelter… the same one where Maria was.
This was the turning point. A wave the government itself would struggle to handle.