Alex

Alex Orlov was a 34-year-old Russian mafia boss. He was known as a man who never showed emotion. He was cold, calculating, and always remained calm, no matter how difficult the situation.

That day, he was driving to an important meeting, accompanied by several black SUVs. Each car contained his armed bodyguards.

The weather was normal, the city streets were filled with people and cars. Everything seemed completely normal.

But after a few minutes, chaos suddenly broke out ahead.

Cars began to stop abruptly, some colliding with each other. People ran out onto the road, screaming loudly and trying to run in different directions.

"What's going on there?" Alex asked calmly.

One of the bodyguards looked forward.

• I don’t know, boss... People are acting very strange.

At that moment, several people began randomly attacking passersby. No one understood what was happening. Sirens blared throughout the city, and traffic came to a near standstill.

Alex watched the events unfold silently through the car window for a few seconds.

“It looks like something serious has happened,” he said calmly.

He made his decision immediately.

— Let's turn around. We're heading to the penthouse.

• Eat.

The motorcade quickly changed route and headed towards the elite area where Alex's luxurious penthouse was located.

When they arrived, they found panic reigning here too. Security guards were trying to maintain order, while residents were hastily leaving the building. Unknown, aggressive individuals had already appeared at the entrance.

The bodyguards quickly cleared a path for their boss, after which the entire group ascended to the top floor.

The penthouse door closed.

For the first time in a long time, Alex looked out the panoramic window at the city.

Sirens were heard everywhere, smoke rose over some areas, communications were intermittent, and the news reported only one thing:

“We ask all residents to remain in safe places and not leave their homes until further notice…”

Alex silently realized that his normal life was over. The only question was,

Two months passed. Alex had already gotten used to the new world. During this time, he had summoned his men and, with them, occupied the building, turning it into a safe haven. Money no longer mattered—food, water, and survival were paramount. Zombies roamed outside the shelter, and every day became a struggle for survival.

But the world changed even more dramatically. After the first cases of awakening, people began to gain superpowers, just like in novels. The state officially announced a new system and divided abilities into several types: elemental—fire, ice, lightning, water, wind, earth, plants, light, and darkness; physical—superstrength, speed, regeneration, and enhanced senses; spatial and mental abilities; and rare and unique powers.

Each awakened person received a rank:
F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS → EX.
The higher the rank, the stronger the person. However, even awakening to an F or E rank was rare.

After a zombie's death, an energy crystal would sometimes remain. Their quality depended on the zombie's strength: ⚪ white, 🟢 green, 🔵 blue, 🟣 purple, 🟡 gold, 🔴 red, and ⚫ black. Crystals were used to enhance abilities, and the rarest ones could even help unlock new skills.

Alex awakened a unique ability—"Absorption." Using crystals, he not only grew stronger but could sometimes absorb some of the abilities of special zombies. Killing a Lightning Zombie gave him the "Discharge" skill. Defeating an Ice Mutant gave him "Ice Wall." And if he manages to kill the Zombie King, he could unlock an incredibly rare ability.

That is why his power was considered one of the most dangerous.

Alex awakened immediately at Rank A+, which was almost unbelievable. Some of his men also gained abilities—fire, water, lightning, telekinesis, and metal manipulation—but their ranks were still only at Level C and Level D.

His personal bodyguards, Misha and Vlad, were stronger than the rest. Both had reached B-rank.