NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: Chapter 15
"You're not too weak," Rogue muttered, eyeing the deep cut along her arm. Her glare sharpened, and with a burst of speed, she shot toward Ashburn, fists glowing with stolen power.
Ashburn moved instantly, not wasting a second. 'I wonder how fast Quicksilver will be when I bring him back to life,' he mused, activating [Stealth] to vanish from sight.
This wasn't a one-on-one fight—he couldn't afford to stand still. He had to keep moving, keep them guessing, and strike without warning.
"Behind you!" Storm shouted, her voice cutting through the air… But she was a heartbeat too slow. Ashburn's leg connected with Rogue's neck, the force of the blow snapping her head sideways as she was launched backward, rocketing straight toward Cyclops.
Cyclops' pupils shrank as Rogue rocketed toward him at blinding speed, far beyond the speed of sound, over Mach 100.
Storm's eyes widened in shock, watching Cyclops suddenly lurch forward, as if yanked by an unseen force. It wasn't voluntary. Ashburn had used [Ruler's Authority], and Cyclops had no means to resist.
"Damn you!" Storm cried out, her voice filled with rage. But before she could act, she froze, eyes locking on Cyclops as he fired a beam. The red blast struck Rogue mid-air, halting her momentum and knocking her off course.
In that split second, Ashburn appeared beside her, using [Flash Step] to close the gap. Without hesitation, he slammed her back into the beam, pinning her in place. Rogue's screams filled the air, her body writhing in agony as the unrelenting force burned into her.
But the attack didn't last long. Cyclops, now safe, cut off the blast.
"Mana Daggers!" Ashburn thrust two daggers made of pure mana into Rogue's eyes, twisting them without hesitation.
Before she could even scream, he kicked forward, and a heartbeat later… Boom! Rogue's head exploded, her body collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
"Ah—!" Ashburn barely had time to register the kill before an explosion blasted him off his feet, rocketing him backward. More explosions followed.
Cards. Dozens of them, each detonating quickly, forcing Ashburn to stagger further back, his body rattled by the relentless assault.
The timing was perfect. Ashburn had been fully focused on finishing Rogue, and someone had exploited that opening without hesitation.
Fighting through the pain, Ashburn, his body covered in burn marks, forced his shadow to rise, forming a barrier to shield himself from further harm. But the defense shattered instantly as Colossus' fist punched through the shadow, the sheer force sending Ashburn sliding across the ground.
His left arm, raised to block the blow, hung limp and broken by the impact. The air grew cold. Ashburn's gaze snapped to the side, locking onto Iceman, frost spreading across the ground as he advanced.
Ashburn moved fast, pushing past the pain, But before he could escape, a burst of light streaked from behind.
Boom!
It wasn't fire—it felt more like a firework, striking him square in the back and launching him forward. Not toward Iceman. Toward Storm. Her eyes crackled with energy, the attack already charged and waiting.
Boom!
The explosion tore through the air, shaking the heavens with its sheer force. Iceman had actd quickly, raising an ice wall to shield everyone. But it didn't matter. The wall shattered instantly, exploding into icy shards that scattered like shrapnel, offering no protection against what followed.
Smoke filled the air, thick and suffocating, obscuring the battlefield. For a moment, silence reigned. Then, without warning, heads began to pop—one after another. It was sudden, brutal, and absolute. No screams. No resistance. Just instant death, like an invisible hand, had plucked the life from each of them.
From the settling dust, a figure emerged. Ashburn stumbled forward, his body battered and bloodied, breathing heavily as he forced one foot in front of the other. His cloak was tattered, shadows flickering weakly around him like dying embers.
"That would've killed me," Ashburn muttered, glancing at his status screen. His HP flickered: 10,000/362,000. Gambit's cards had done real damage, more than he'd anticipated. If Jean Grey had been among the zombies still on Earth, he wouldn't have stood a chance. The only reason he was alive was because she had been one of those who left to devour the universe.
'I have to move. I don't know when Strange will make his move. And why am I not leveling up?' Ashburn's thoughts raced as he steadied himself, eyes flicking upward to a figure floating in the air.
Doctor Strange. But not the one he knew—this was Zombie Doctor Strange, his cloak tattered and eyes glowing dimly.
"You seem to be immune to the zombie virus…" Strange muttered, gaze sweeping over the lifeless bodies of the X-Men.
He wasn't angry, but there was a hint of frustration in his eyes. He had been too slow to save them, but that wasn't what truly shocked him. His eyes locked onto Ashburn, studying the burns, bruises, and open wounds. By now, Ashburn should've turned.
"On top of your high recovery speed… I believe I could cure the zombies worldwide with your flesh. That would be the first step in restoring peace to my world." Strange sighed, already formulating a plan.
"I'll keep you locked away. Your flesh will feed the starving. When it's over, and all zombies are amongst the living once more, you will be free." Strange said lightly
Of course, Strange wouldn't just feed Ashburn's flesh to the zombies. He'd enchant it, ensuring each piece slowly diminished their hunger, while also serving as the key to undoing the virus. It wouldn't be instant, but with the best minds working together, people like Reed Richards, Strange was confident they could find a cure. Ashburn was the key.
Boom!
Strange was blown backward, his body rocketing through the air before he caught himself, hovering mid-flight. His eyes snapped toward the dust cloud, narrowing as he spotted the figure standing within.
Susan Storm. She'd moved to one-shot him, but Strange was equipped with many artifacts killing him wasn't going to be easy.
"Everyone… Arise." Ashburn rose to his feet, battered but unwavering. In an instant, the once-lifeless bodies surrounding him shuddered, their eyes flickering with dark light as they stood once more.
Hundreds of X-Men. Now, they were shadow soldiers.
Doctor Strange's eyes widened, shocked at the sight before him. But it didn't end there. From Ashburn's own shadow, an even greater tide emerged, over a thousand shadow soldiers stood.
'I don't remember anything about Strange having artifacts that could instantly protect him. Why can't this be as easy as when Deadpool killed everyone?' Ashburn thought helplessly, his eyes narrowing at the faint glow surrounding Strange.
Meanwhile, Strange's mind raced as he scanned the newly risen X-Men. 'They're… 22 times stronger than when they were alive?'
"Go. Don't even let him breathe." Ashburn's voice was cold and sharp, cutting through the tension. In an instant, the shadows moved. Hundreds of former X-Men, now silent soldiers, shot toward Strange with terrifying speed. But not all of them.
Susan remained behind, forming invisible barriers around Ashburn and reinforcing the advancing shadows.
"My lord," Susan said, her tone firm but edged with concern, "what you did was extremely reckless."
Ashburn laughed bitterly, shaking his head. He'd held back and avoided using his shadow army immediately, hoping to catch Strange off guard. But it had failed.
" It felt clever at the time, hiding my cards until Strange showed up, but I almost died because of it." Ashburn sighed helplessly.
"Didn't know he could fight even without magic," Ashburn muttered, watching Strange summon a staff, effortlessly one-shotting every shadow soldier that got too close.
The only thing that could stop him? Susan Storm. Whenever Strange tried to break through, her invisible barriers snapped into place, deflecting his attacks. But even with her support, the constant losses drained Ashburn's MP, every shadow destroyed felt like a bite out of his stamina.
"My lord," Reed spoke up, standing nearby, his calm tone cutting through the chaos. "Magic has a huge weakness against science. If I had my gear, we'd have a real chance of winning."
Ashburn didn't hesitate. He called on of his shadows, and in an instant, Quicksilver appeared,
"Get him there. Fast." Quicksilver nodded, grabbed Reed by the arm, and vanished, leaving only a blur of darkness in their wake.
Boom
All the shadows were blown away, sent rocketing back as Strange lashed out with his staff. But before he could even catch his breath, another wave of shadows surged forward, relentless and unyielding.
They weren't fighting to win. They were fighting to stall. The shadow soldiers lined up, attacking in organized waves, each group moving in as soon as the last fell. It was a calculated sacrifice, designed to keep Strange pinned down, preventing him from casting any large-scale spells that could wipe them out in one shot.
For every shadow he cut down, two more stepped forward, leaving him no opening to regroup or channel more complex magic. And Strange couldn't stop moving. Every second, he was dodging, weaving, and swinging his staff, while his free hand unleashed quick-cast spells, the kind that didn't require gestures or incantations.
But those spells were limited. He couldn't afford to use high-tier magic, not when the casting time left him vulnerable. It was a war of attrition…