Fortunately, the black dragon's explosive power was extraordinary. At full throttle, it gradually pulled away from the mutant mustang herd.

  Only then did Liam have leisure to open his interface and activate Flashback, studying the stampede behind them. He counted carefully: over eight hundred stallions, more than nine hundred mares. No wonder their charge created such earth-shaking momentum.

  "Liam... thank you." Emma smoothed wind-tangled hair from her face, turning to him.

  She'd already witnessed her home collapsing under the mustang charge, then ground to dust beneath their hooves.

  Hearing her gratitude, Liam merely nodded, continuing to study his interface. Something was wrong with these mustangs. Their eyes were completely white. According to his knowledge, mutant mustang irises should be pale blue. These were clearly altered. And while powerful, mustangs were generally docile creatures—they rarely stampeded collectively unless threatened.

  Suddenly, Liam watched a stallion smash into an exceptionally thick stone pillar. Its horn snapped, brain matter spraying.

  "So that's it." Liam murmured, rage igniting in his chest.

  These mustangs were clearly affected by that black-cloaked woman's ability too. Probably seeing nothing but fog in their eyes.

  Since making an enemy of Lucas, this was the fourth attack specifically targeting him!

  Liam closed Flashback and activated Terrain Detection. Quickly, he located what he needed and directed the dragon toward it.

  In the mustangs' vision, the fog churned endlessly. Yet within that white sea, one path showed light. Creatures of limited intellect, they charged toward salvation without thought—becoming Olivia's tools.

  The black dragon's burst speed was formidable, but endurance fell short of the mustangs'. Its velocity began dropping. Fortunately, Liam knew this weakness. He'd adjusted their route. Ahead lay a massive river. Cross it, and they'd be safe.

  "Liam! Buildings ahead!" Emma pointed forward.

  Liam looked up. A small settlement appeared—modest size, dilapidated condition, inadequate defenses. Their situation looked grim.

  "Damn. Damn. Damn!" Liam glanced back at the approaching herd, cursing repeatedly.

  Too late to change course now. This camp would be trampled to ruins. Everyone inside would die.

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  Liam had learned self-reliance, even indifference to others' fates. But these people were innocent. If they died, it would be his fault. That, he couldn't accept.

  In the apocalypse, no morality or law bound you. With sufficient strength, you could do anything. But every person had limits. Liam's was simple: don't involve the innocent.

  This mustang herd was between him and Lucas. Others must not suffer for it!

  "Emma—warn them to evacuate! I'll hold the herd!" Liam wrapped hair around her, depositing her on Black Armor, then lowered the beetle to the ground ahead. Black Armor immediately raced toward the camp at maximum speed.

  Liam exhaled slowly, then stood, turning to face the charging stallions. He needed to buy time.

  "I don't believe I can't stop you!" Liam's eyes grew wild, hair erupting in explosive growth. He leaped to the ground, roaring: "STOP!!!"

  His hair fanned out, thousands of strands piercing the earth. Instantly, a massive black net rose before him—sized precisely to snare the stallions.

  The mustangs charged madly, slamming into Liam's hair-net. Hundreds struck simultaneously. The impact shockwave alone damaged Liam internally. He bent double, vomiting blood.

  But he knew this was only the beginning.

  Emma glanced back repeatedly at the herd. Seeing that vast net, her eyes widened, worry surging for the man she'd known barely two days.

  "Big bug, your master's facing all those monsters—he might die! Can't you run faster?" Emma spoke to Black Armor, though she knew it was already at maximum velocity.

  Hearing her words, Black Armor's legs moved faster still. Wind blasted Emma's eyes shut. When it subsided, she'd arrived at the camp gates.

  She looked at Black Armor. Its eyes glowed crimson, cracks appearing across its shell—strangely orderly, not like wounds.

  Emma feared the beetle had injured itself from overexertion. But with time critical, she sprinted through the gates.

  The camp's defenders had spotted the herd. They were assembling to buy time while women and children packed. But at this rate, survival chances remained slim.

  "Who are you?" A man with a hunting rifle demanded.

  This camp held only a few hundred people—he knew every face. And all attractive women were his wives, so Emma's presence meant outsider.

  Emma halted, facing him urgently: "Massive horse herd approaching! My companion's holding them back—you must evacuate immediately!"

  "What?" The rifleman startled. He'd known about the stampede, but someone actually blocking them? Shocking.

  Fearing disbelief, Emma continued: "My companion's Evolved. He saw your camp, worried you wouldn't know, so sent me to warn you. He's right ahead—climb high and you'll see him."

  The rifleman studied Emma deeply, then agilely scaled a watchtower. Peering forward, he spotted an enormous net blocking the herd. His pupils shifted, vision enhancing. Soon he saw Liam standing on the ground, vomiting blood.

  "Damn. Some lunatic's actually holding them alone." The man was astonished. He'd assumed multiple people, not one man succeeding against impossible odds.

  But that man's condition looked dire!

  "Awoooo!!!" The rifleman unleashed a wolf-howl. Shadows immediately leaped from camp surroundings, gathering on the roof nearest the tower.

  Thirteen werewolves. Gray-furred, powerfully built, claws gleaming.

  "A brother fights for our camp. What do we do?" The rifleman's body ignited with flame, his own form shifting into lycanthropy.

  The thirteen werewolves responded as one: "Save him!!"

  "Good. Follow me!" The flame-werewolf roared, launching from the tower in a leap covering hundreds of meters.