Stronghold In The Apocalypse

Chapter 77: Prince Ashton

"*Huff* Huff*, Shit, I haven't been this tired before since I gained my abilities" Leo's hands was on his waist and he was panting so hard that his shoulders and chest was synchronizing along with his breathing and around him are corpses over corpses of ordinary zombies, mutated zombies like the Hunter and Striker and there are even mutated beast like the mutant boar.

Leo then took a deep breath and for the first time in a while, opened his Status Window.

[Host Status]

[Name: Leo Wood Age: 27

Lvl. 16

Title: Mankind's Last Hope (+10 to All Attributes)

Strength: 32 (+10) Agility: 12 (+10)

Stamina: 22 (+10) Luck: 10(+10)

Endurance: 10 (+10) Vitality: 12 (+10)

Free Stats: 40

Skills:

[Level Max] Sharpshooter (Passive)

[Level Max] Bear God Body Strengthening Technique (Passive)

[Level Max] Iron Skin (Passive)

Sword Quake (Active)]

"Heh? I have so much free stats because I haven't been allocating it and my stats had massive improvements since I started eating mutant beast meat and also from the Bear God Body Strengthening Technique" Leo was amused and surprised at his stats as it became really absurd since he last opened it. After all, it's been over a month already since the start of the apocalypse.

Leo then started assigning his free stats.

[Added +10 Strength, +10 Agility, +10 Vitality, +5 Endurance and +5 Stamina!]

[Host Status]

[Name: Leo Wood Age: 27

Lvl. 16

Title: Mankind's Last Hope (+10 to All Attributes)

Strength: 42 (+10) Agility: 22 (+10)

Stamina: 27 (+10) Luck: 10(+10)

Endurance: 15 (+10) Vitality: 22 (+10)

Free Stats: 0

Skills:

[Level Max] Sharpshooter (Passive)

[Level Max] Bear God Body Strengthening Technique (Passive)

[Level Max] Iron Skin (Passive)

Sword Quake (Active)]

"Mwahahaha~!" Leo started laughing hysterically as he felt the surging changes on his body as it started getting warm.

*****

"S-should we go over?" one of the soldiers laying on the ground unconsciously asked as he gulped down nervously.

"What do you think Colonel Brock?" the prince asked with a bit of nervousness and fear in his voice.

Brock looked around at his subordinates and sighed as he thought, 'Good thing there are no casualties and it's thanks to that young man since he appeared but for them to be this nervous now even when their companions died one by one or when we were surrounded but I can relate to them. He's distance away from us but I still can't help but feel fear which I haven't felt in a long while' Brock bitterly thought that him a former British Commando who had face numerous life and death battles is currently feeling apprehensive.

"Colonel!" the prince called out again in raised but soft voice.

"Y-yes?" Brock was startled from his thoughts.

"I said, do we approach him?" the prince asked cautiously and at the same time feeling confused as he haven't once seen Brock being out of focus.

'It seems that even a former british commando is afraid. After all, who wouldn't? If they saw that we witnessed today, a man single-handedly slaughtered more or less a thousand zombies with mutated zombies and beast in the mixed? Also a mutant like me is leagues away from him' the prince bitterly thought to himself.

Brock was about to answer the prince but then, they heard Leo laughing like crazy, like he was possessed by a devil.

Leo's laughed sent a shiver at Brock's spine when he heard it, "I think we should stay put for now and wait for him to come to us, we don't want him to misunderstand something" Brock said seriously, trying to hide his nervousness through his stern face.

"Yeah, I agree with the colonel"

"Uh huh, we should"

The soldiers immediately agree when they heard Brock and even though they are afraid, they are still considered elite soldiers for them to survive this long even when surrounded by hundreds of zombies just shows how capable they are and that's including them having a far more sensitive senses than normal people as they can still sense the bloodlust around Leo that haven't disappeared yet even though the battle is already over and this is the reason why they are feeling apprehensive and wary towards Leo.

*****

Leo then stopped laughing and suddenly started coughing as he finally noticed that there are numerous pair of eyes staring at him.

Leo then smiled as he walked over towards them while waving his hand, "Hey! Are guys suffering from painful cramps that you guys can't even get up now?" he started chuckling.

Hearing him, the prince and his group hastily stood up embarrassed as they started dusting themselves off.

"You guys okay?" Leo asked them while smiling with his greatsword resting on his right shoulder.

"Haha, yeah" Brock answered immediately with a wary smile on his face while looking at the devastation around him.

The prince confidently stepped forward in front of Leo then warily stretch his hand towards him and said, "Thank you for your assistance. I'm Prince -"

"Ashton, right? I'm...Dylan" Leo didn't let him finish and cut his introduction instead and even lied about his name shamelessly.

Prince Ashton's mouth twitch as he wasn't used to people being rude to him but he immediately understood it that the world wasn't the same as it used to be and even the man in front of him is far more stronger than any them combined excluding the fact the Leo could kill them on his whim.

The soldiers around Prince Ashton and Leo backoff to give them some privacy as they talked to each other while the soldiers kept a lookout in case a hostile appears but they didn't forget to prick their ears to listen to their conversation as they are really curious about Leo that even Brock wasn't an exemption.

"You guys are lucky that I was able to spot you when I circled around this place or you guy would have either become like them or become their feast" Leo immediately said.

"So, what brings a member of the royal family all the way here?" Leo was especially curious of why they are here and at the same time surprised that Royal Family has still this much power within their hands.

'It seems they have a secured based somewhere for them to still have this much elite soldiers to spare to guard a prince, Interesting' Leo snickered inside.

Prince Ashton didn't immediately answer Leo but instead looked at Brock from which the latter nodded towards him.

When Leo saw what they are doing, he felt impressed, 'It seems this prince is not an idiot nor arrogant that he would even consult his people for this matter'

Prince Ashton sighed before saying, "We were sent by Her Majesty to go to a place called Dawn Camp or Stronghold and meet their leader, who goes by the name Leo"

"Hmm?" Leo raised an eyebrow as he was surprised that they know about him and then started recalling people he met along the way and finally remembered Captain Charles that he met before.

'It seems they are able to survive after all' Leo suddenly smiled and felt relieved at the same time that Charles and his men are alive, he wasn't even bothered about them telling the royal family about him. After all, this people or others would sooner know about him, it was just a matter of time.

Prince Ashton noticed the slight changed on Leo's expression, "It seems you have already heard about them?"

Hearing Prince Ashton, Brock and the soldiers gave a glanced towards them as they didn't expect to bumped into someone who probably knows about the place they're headed to.

"Of course, I've heard about that place...after all, I live there" Leo gave a wide grin inside him as he didn't mind lying to know what their purpose are to even risk themselves to the dangers outside just so that they could meet him.

"Then, can you lead us towards Dawn Camp. I mean, could you possibly "guide" us towards the place? I'm willing to give you a satisfying reward if you do so" Prince Ashton immediately rephrased what he said as he felt it was too rude or inappropriate for someone like him.

"Of course. but only under one condition"

Leo gave a devilish smile on his face as he wasn't stupid to not even guessed the meaning behind the prince's words and so he thought of something kind of stupid in his mind.

Prince Ashton felt something wrong when he saw Leo's smile but he gritted his teeth as immediately nodded as he didn't really have a choice right now, as his group are already reduced to over half of their numbers and travelling with their current number would only lower their rate of survival but if they stick with Leo, then wouldn't even worry if they get surrounded again by a thousand wave zombie.

"Then, I want you guys too...."