Read Novel Full Chapter 1264 Shield
Chapter 1264: Chapter 1264 Shield
Ross and his people arrived deep within the thick forest.
By then, night had already fallen, and darkness blanketed the land.
The only sources of light were the moon above and the occasional torches carried by some of the survivors.
The forest was eerily quiet.
Strange noises occasionally echoed from the darkness, making the newcomers nervous.
Every rustling leaf and snapping twig caused them to tense up.
Yet despite the dangerous atmosphere, Ross’s group continued walking as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
Some chatted casually.
Others laughed among themselves.
A few children even played while their parents walked beside them.
It was a scene that completely baffled the people who had joined Ross only a few days ago.
“It’s so strange,” one newcomer whispered.
“I know,” another replied. “They’re all so strange.”
The two looked around at the thousands of people moving through the forest.
Nobody appeared particularly worried.
Nobody seemed afraid of the darkness.
Nobody seemed concerned that monsters could attack at any moment.
It was as though they were taking a leisurely stroll through a public park rather than traveling through a deadly forest during the apocalypse.
“It feels like they have absolute faith in Ross,” a woman said quietly. “Look at them. They don’t even seem scared.”
The others nodded.
She was right.
There was an almost blind trust among Ross’s followers.
Whenever his name was mentioned, their eyes would light up with confidence.
Whenever danger appeared, they would instinctively look toward him.
To them, Ross Oakley seemed less like a leader and more like an unshakable pillar supporting their entire world.
“Well, it’s Ross fucking Oakley we’re talking about,” a man said with a snort.
The others turned toward him.
The man lowered his voice.
“Even back on Earth, he always seemed larger than life.”
A few people nodded in agreement.
Who hadn’t heard of Ross Oakley?
The man who had become a global sensation.
The lottery winner who became unimaginably rich overnight.
The basketball monster who shattered records.
The man whose every action made headlines.
The man surrounded by beautiful women and countless fans.
Back then, Ross had already felt like someone operating on a completely different level from ordinary people.
“But look at him now,” the man continued.
“Before, he was ugly as hell. Now he’s ridiculously handsome. It’s like he became an entirely different person overnight.”
Several women nearby secretly glanced toward Ross.
Even from a distance, he stood out.
His posture was relaxed.
His movements were confident.
Combined with his handsome appearance and powerful aura, he naturally attracted attention wherever he went.
The man continued speaking.
“And let’s be honest. There’s no way he only got better looks.”
“What do you mean?” someone asked.
The man pointed toward Ross.
“I bet he’s gained all sorts of powerful abilities too. Otherwise, no one in their right mind would follow him into the middle of nowhere like this.”
The group fell silent.
That theory made perfect sense.
After all, this was no longer Earth.
People were awakening strange powers every day.
Monsters roamed the world.
The impossible had become reality.
Why couldn’t Ross possess incredible abilities as well?
The man then pointed toward another section of the marching group.
“Look over there.”
Everyone followed his gaze.
Brandon and his men were marching alongside the main force.
Unlike the average survivors, they looked like a professional military unit.
Every one of them was heavily armed.
Sophisticated armor covered their bodies.
Protective helmets concealed their faces.
Advanced weapons hung from their shoulders.
The disciplined formation they maintained made them appear intimidating even while walking.
One newcomer swallowed nervously.
“Those guys don’t look weak.”
“Not at all.”
“They look like they could wipe out an entire army.”
The newcomers exchanged uneasy glances.
The more they observed Ross’s people, the more mysterious they seemed.
The women were beautiful.
The men were well-equipped.
The children looked healthy.
Nobody appeared hungry.
Nobody appeared desperate.
In a world where most survivors struggled just to stay alive, Ross’s group looked absurdly prosperous.
Almost unreal.
One man lowered his voice.
“Do you think we made the right choice joining them?”
A moment of silence followed.
Then another survivor nodded firmly.
“I think joining them might end up being the best decision we’ve made since the apocalypse started.”
As they spoke, their eyes drifted toward Ross’s figure at the front of the group.
Walking beneath the moonlight, the man appeared calm and completely at ease.
As if no danger in the world could possibly threaten him.
And for some reason, simply looking at his back made them feel safer.
A few minutes later, the atmosphere in the forest suddenly changed.
Growls echoed from every direction.
Rustling leaves filled the night.
Then dozens of massive beasts emerged from the darkness and surrounded Ross’s group.
“ROAR!”
Their deafening roars shook the forest.
Some resembled giant wolves.
Others looked like oversized bears covered in black scales.
One particularly terrifying creature resembled an alligator over twenty feet long, with teeth as large as daggers.
The newcomers immediately turned pale.
“Monsters!”
“We’re surrounded!”
Many of them instinctively reached for their weapons.
However, Ross’s veteran followers barely reacted.
Some even yawned.
Others continued chatting as if nothing unusual was happening.
It was almost as though they had seen this countless times before.
The beasts charged.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
The giant alligator-like beast led the assault, opening its enormous jaws as it lunged toward the group.
Unfortunately for the monsters, Brandon and his men were already moving.
For the second time that day, they were about to teach the local wildlife a painful lesson.
Not a single gun was drawn.
There was simply no need.
Brandon stepped forward and met the charging alligator head-on.
The monster’s eyes flashed with bloodlust.
Brandon’s expression remained calm.
Then he threw a punch.
PAK!
The sound was surprisingly soft.
Yet the effect was anything but.
The gigantic beast instantly exploded into a cloud of blood and flesh, as though it had been struck by a meteor rather than a human fist.
The surrounding monsters froze.
The newcomers froze.
Even some of Ross’s newer followers stood there with their mouths hanging open.
“What the hell?”
“Did he just…”
“One punch?”
Meanwhile, similar scenes unfolded all around the perimeter.
One of Brandon’s men casually slapped a charging wolf-like beast.
The creature was sent flying hundreds of feet into the distance.
Another soldier kicked a giant bear monster and launched it through several trees.
A third casually flicked a finger, sending another beast tumbling across the forest floor.
The battle ended almost as soon as it began.
The monsters had arrived full of confidence.
Now they knew fear.
The surviving beasts let out frightened cries before turning and fleeing into the darkness.
Within moments, the forest became quiet again.
The newcomers stared at Brandon and his men as though they were looking at monsters disguised as humans.
“What kind of people are these?”
“No wonder they’re not afraid.”
“Those beasts never stood a chance.”
High above the forest, an old man stood silently upon a flying sword.
His robes fluttered in the wind as he observed everything from afar.
His eyes narrowed.
“These people are strong,” he muttered in a strange alien tongue.
“It seems this is why my master ordered me to serve them, particularly a man named Ross Oakley.”
The old man was one of the subordinates sent by Cyrus Thorn.
Initially, he had looked down upon the assignment.
Now he was beginning to understand why it had been given to him.
Still, his pride remained.
He was an immortal cultivator.
These mortals, no matter how powerful, were beneath him in his eyes.
With a thought, his flying sword descended from the heavens.
The newcomers immediately noticed him.
“A flying sword!”
“It’s him!”
Fearful whispers spread through the crowd.
The old man hovered high above Ross’s group, looking down at everyone from the sky.
Many people raised their heads.
Ross glanced upward.
His expression remained calm.
“I don’t want to keep looking up at an ugly old man all night.”
The crowd instantly became silent.
Ross continued.
“Come down and let’s talk.”
His tone was casual.
Yet those closest to him immediately sensed something dangerous beneath the words.
His wives exchanged glances.
They knew that tone.
Ross wasn’t happy.
The old man’s face darkened.
For thousands of years, nobody had dared speak to him like that.
His eyes filled with fury.
“You ignorant imbecile!”
His voice thundered through the forest.
“Even maggots possess more worth than your useless self. If not for my master instructing me to…”
Unfortunately, he never finished the sentence.
A blur suddenly appeared beside him.
It was Brandon.
Nobody saw how he got there.
Nobody saw him jump.
One moment he was on the ground.
The next he was standing in the sky.
PAK!
A casual slap landed across the old man’s face.
The old man’s eyes widened.
His body shot downward like a meteor.
BOOM!
A massive crater appeared in the forest below.
Dust exploded into the air.
The crowd stared in stunned silence.
A few moments later, the dust settled.
Nothing remained. No movement. No voice. No flying sword. No old man.
Unknown to everyone present, the slap had completely annihilated him.
His body had been reduced to a mist of blood.
His soul, spirit, and consciousness had all been erased instantly.
There would be no escape.
No resurrection.
No rebirth.
No second chance.
Only complete oblivion.
Ross glanced toward the crater.
Then he shrugged.
“I guess we need another guide.”
The crowd didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
An immortal-looking expert had just appeared dramatically from the heavens.
Less than ten seconds later, he was gone.
Ross waved his hand.
“Let’s keep moving.”
The group immediately resumed marching through the forest.
As for Ross, he didn’t spare the matter another thought.
His children were still present.
He disliked exposing them to scenes of death and violence whenever possible.
The night continued peacefully as thousands of people followed behind him, while the newcomers silently wondered what kind of terrifying existence they had chosen to follow.