Read Novel Full Chapter 1173 Butter
Chapter 1173: Chapter 1173 Butter
Ross knew this.
He had seen the threads of the technique unravel before his eyes, thanks to his intimate knowledge of Cyrus Thorn, the man behind its power.
Every effect, every mutation, every twisted evolution of the zombie hordes had been calculated long ago—and he understood it all.
The devastation that others only began to recognize as it unfolded was no surprise to him.
Yet Ross felt nothing for it.
The plight of the world, the suffering of its people, the death toll climbing by the millions—none of it mattered.
He and his loved ones were safe. They would endure. Survival was guaranteed.
The collapse of civilizations, the agony of those left behind, the corruption of the World Heart—these were not his concern.
What mattered to Ross was how he would spend this interlude, this rare pause between waves of chaos.
A lull where danger had momentarily receded, where the world was forced to catch its breath.
For someone like him, moments like these were precious, rare, and deserving of attention.
And Ross had his ways of finding amusement.
He moved through the world with a predator’s calm, enjoying the vulnerability of others, observing them from a distance, seeing how they reacted to fear and uncertainty.
The helplessness of survivors, their panic, their confusion—it fascinated him.
He took advantage of it, shaping events to entertain himself, manipulating outcomes subtly while remaining untouchable.
Among his preferred diversions was hunting, not out of necessity, but out of pure sport.
He relished challenges, and there was no greater thrill for him than pursuing the beautiful, the elusive, and the unwary.
The chase was intoxicating, a distraction from the monotony of waiting for the next wave of destruction.
And in this brief lull, Ross indulged fully, meticulously planning his games, selecting his targets with precision, and ensuring that every pursuit satisfied his exacting standards.
To the rest of the world, he might have appeared detached or even coldhearted—but beneath that calm exterior burned a mind that thrived on control, on strategy, and on the satisfaction of knowing that he alone moved freely while chaos reigned all around.
The apocalypse raged outside, the zombie hordes advanced, and the World Heart trembled under the weight of despair—and yet, Ross walked through it all, untouched, calculating, and entirely unconcerned.
"So, let’s see who I’ll be playing with today," Ross muttered.
His voice was calm, almost idle, as though he were deciding how to spend a lazy afternoon rather than peering into the fate of the world.
His divine sense unfurled completely.
It spread outward in every direction, unhindered by distance or obstruction, washing over continents, oceans, and ruined cities alike.
Mountains might as well have been dust, and walls no more than paper.
Every living being was laid bare before him—heartbeats echoing faintly, thoughts flickering like dying embers, fear and hope intertwined in fragile threads.
He observed them all.
Survivor camps huddled behind crumbling defenses.
Lone wanderers scavenged through the remains of civilization, clinging to desperation. Some prayed.
Some cursed. Some had already resigned themselves to death.
Ross perceived it all with detached clarity, his mind filtering through countless existences in an instant.
Most were uninteresting.
Too broken. Too dull. Too predictable.
He passed over them without pause, dismissing entire regions as effortlessly as one might skim past words on a page.
Opportunities were abundant, yet very few were worth his attention.
Then—
His divine sense halted.
Among the countless flickering lives, one presence stood out.
Not because of overwhelming strength, but because of contrast. Resolve buried beneath fear.
A will that had not yet been crushed. Potential still untouched by despair.
It aligned perfectly with the unspoken standards Ross carried within him.
A faint smile slowly formed on his face.
"There you are," he murmured, his tone soft but unmistakably possessive. "You’ll do."
The world around him trembled ever so slightly—not from force, but from authority.
Space bent to his will, folding inward without sound or resistance.
There was no flash of light, no ripple of energy for others to sense.
One moment Ross stood where he was, and the next, he simply wasn’t there anymore.
Reality closed behind him as if he had never existed.
Elsewhere, far beyond mortal perception, Ross emerged seamlessly at his destination.
He stood close—far closer than any normal being should have been—yet remained unseen.
His presence was perfectly concealed, his aura erased, his existence reduced to nothing more than a shadow that even fate itself struggled to detect.
He observed his chosen target in silence.
Every breath. Every subtle movement. Every emotion flickering beneath the surface.
Ross did not rush. He never did.
After all, anticipation was part of the game—and he had all the time in the world.
***
Washington, D.C.
"I think that’s our target," the woman said, her voice low but firm, stating the obvious.
She was strikingly beautiful, with short crimson hair that barely brushed her chin.
Her combat armor, fitted tightly yet designed for mobility, covered her from neck to toe—but even through the layers of reinforced plating, her tall, athletic frame was impossible to ignore.
She carried herself with the calm assurance of someone who had faced unimaginable horrors and survived.
Her sharp eyes scanned the ruined streets below and the sky above, assessing every detail.
"Stay alert," the man beside her replied, his voice steady but edged with caution.
Tall, handsome, and clad in identical combat gear, he exuded quiet confidence.
Yet the tension in his shoulders betrayed the weight of the situation.
"We’ve all seen what these things are capable of. Don’t underestimate her."
They both looked upward.
Hovering far above the skyline was a baby girl—a vision both horrifying and impossible.
Her small, delicate body floated effortlessly, motionless in the air as though gravity did not exist.
She looked pristine, untouched by the devastation around her, yet her expression was anything but innocent.
Wide eyes gleamed with maniacal glee, and a twisted smile played across her lips.
The sheer unnaturalness of her presence made the two hunters tense instantly.