Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 190: The Hidden Threat

Chapter 190: Chapter 190: The Hidden Threat

The sun hung low in the sky, painting the base in a soft orange glow. The second day of Atlas’s visit was finally reaching its end.

Now they were currently sitting inside the two-story building where Liora’s room is located. Both Liora and Atlas sat across from each other.

The atmosphere was strangely calm for once.

For the first time since Atlas arrived, there were no teasing words, no dramatic acts of playing the "Lord." Instead, they quietly shared tea while she told him about her power increasing and becoming stronger.

Atlas’s long fingers slowly traced the rim of his cup, his eyes half-lidded as if lost in thought.

Liora raised her head slightly. She had noticed his strange mood all day. "You’ve been quiet today."

Atlas glanced at her, the corner of his lips lifting in a faint smile. "Even I know when to stay quiet, Liora."

Liora narrowed her eyes. "Are you hiding something from me?"

He lifted his half-hooded eyes and smiled lazily at her and answered, "What if I am?"

"Then continue hiding it," Liora said with an eye roll. It is not like she would be upset if he did not say it to her.

"Haha! Dear, why are you still the same!" Atlas laughed at her reaction with amusement for a while before he sat up straight on his seat and said with little serious tone. "Remember, if you suddenly feel a sense of crisis from someone, run away from him."

"Why would I feel like that?" Liora asked bewilderedly. She has not done something to raise someone’s ill intent towards her, then why?

Atlas didn’t answer right away. He simply looked out the window, where the sky had already turned a soft pink.

Then suddenly—

His entire expression shifted.

The faint warmth disappeared in an instant, replaced by a sharp coldness that froze the air around him. His deep blue eyes sharpened, locking on something invisible to Liora.

Before she could react, Atlas’s body moved like lightning.

He lunged forward, grabbed her wrist, and with one powerful motion shoved her hard toward the open window behind her.

"Jump."

"What?!" Liora’s eyes widened, shocked by the sudden push.

But Atlas’s voice snapped like a whip. "I said jump!"

Without questioning, she allowed her instincts to take over. Her body flew through the window just as a deafening boom shattered the room behind her.

The entire roof exploded into a shower of debris.

Liora hit the ground, rolling to absorb the impact. Her heart raced wildly as she quickly turned back toward the ruined house.

Smoke and dust filled the air. The peaceful home was now nothing but a half-collapsed mess of broken wood and cracked stone.

Atlas stood at the center of the chaos, unharmed.

His long coat fluttered under the force of the blast, but his stance remained steady. Cold. Unmoving.

His sharp eyes lifted upward, staring at a shadowy figure standing atop the neighboring building’s rooftop.

A man had appeared.

The man was tall, dressed entirely in black. His short silver-gray hair danced in the wind while his cold eyes stared down at Atlas. He carried no weapon, yet the pressure radiating from him was suffocating.

His lips curved into a faint, sinister smile. "I must say, your reflexes are still impressive, Atlas."

Atlas’s gaze remained sharp. "So you finally showed yourself, Kazren."

The man named Kazren let out a low chuckle, his voice echoing across the ruined buildings. "You dare to touch my things, Atlas, and I should just let you walk away? I have every right to come and claim it back."

Atlas’s eyes narrowed, his tone calm but sharp. "That thing was unmarked. Abandoned. It was lying here on the land. You do not own it."

Kazren laughed louder, his sinister grin widening. "Here, you are wrong, Atlas. This base... this forest... this entire planet belongs to me. I am the master here. And you are the one intruding in my territory."

Atlas sneered coldly, his voice laced with disdain. "The exiled criminal dares to claim a planet? Are you not afraid the Empire will know?"

Kazren’s laugh turned darker, mocking. "And who is going to complain? You? Go ahead. But if I am doomed, you will be too. Do not forget... we both carry the same dirt."

As the two exchanged sharp words, Liora stood below, frozen. She clenched her fists, her mind spinning with confusion.

Master? Empire? Exile? What are they even talking about?

She could not understand a single word. This was her base. The home she had built with her own blood, sweat, and countless crystal cores. And now this stranger dared to blow up her house like it was nothing. She had spent a fortune upgrading that place. Her anger bubbled beneath the confusion.

Who the hell does this man think he is? Is he another lunatic like Atlas?

The heavy tension in the air grew thicker, like an invisible storm pressing down on everything.

Around Liora, the other survivors began to gather, drawn by the loud explosion and the strange confrontation unfolding above. Their eyes were wide with shock and fear as they stared up at the two figures standing face to face on the rooftop, both radiating a terrifying aura that made even the strongest feel small.

The pressure rolling off the two men was almost unbearable. The weaker survivors clutched their chests, struggling to breathe as if an unseen force was squeezing the air from their lungs.

Some dropped to their knees, faces pale, their bodies trembling under the crushing weight. A few simply collapsed to the ground, unconscious, unable to withstand the overwhelming force.

Only Liora remained standing in the middle of the chaos. Her level 17 strength barely allowed her to resist the suffocating pressure that filled the air like heavy chains.

Sweat formed on her brow, but her body held firm. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the scene unfold, unable to tear her eyes away.

Below her, the base had fallen into a hushed panic, yet neither Atlas nor Kazren paid any attention to the growing crowd. Their gazes remained locked solely on each other, like two beasts preparing to strike.

Their sharp gazes were locked on each other like predators ready to strike.

Kazren tilted his head, his voice filled with mock curiosity. "I’m actually quite curious, Atlas. Why would the young master of the Veritas Clan be here on such a small planet? Hmm? Don’t tell me you were kicked away from the Spire too?" His laughter rang out, sharp and taunting.

Atlas’s expression remained cold, but there was a faint flicker in his eyes.

Before Kazren could continue his mocking, Atlas launched himself forward like a bullet, closing the distance in an instant.

His fist sliced through the air, aimed straight at Kazren’s face.

But Kazren’s body twisted unnaturally, vanishing into a ripple of space as if the air itself folded to protect him. He reappeared a few meters away, landing lightly.

Kazren grinned. "You’ll have to be faster than that, Atlas."

Atlas’s eyes narrowed. The air around him warped slightly as his ability activated. The flow of time bent. Dust particles froze mid-air. The sound slowed. In the stillness, Atlas moved again.

Kazren, sensing the shift, snapped his fingers. The space around him distorted like broken glass, tearing open small portals that absorbed Atlas’s approach, forcing him to change direction.

Atlas appeared behind him with a sudden flicker, his fist aiming for Kazren’s ribs. Kazren barely managed to bend space again, creating a shield-like ripple that deflected the blow, though the force still sent him sliding back several steps.

"Impressive," Kazren hissed. "But you’re not the only one who plays with the fabric of reality."

The ground beneath them split as Kazren slammed his foot down, opening a black void-like crack. Sharp space blades shot upward, cutting toward Atlas like invisible swords.

But with a flick of his hand, Atlas slowed the blades to a crawl, stepping between them as if walking through a field of frozen daggers. He lifted his hand and twisted his fingers, reversing time on the blades, forcing them to retract back into the ground.

Kazren clicked his tongue. "Annoying."

He suddenly bent the space beneath Atlas’s feet, creating a collapsing sinkhole that tried to pull him in. But Atlas froze time for himself, stopping mid-fall, then unfroze it as he appeared mid-air, balancing as if gravity itself no longer applied to him.

In a flash, he was beside Kazren again, landing a solid punch across his face this time, sending Kazren flying into the side of a building with a loud crash.

The wall cracked but held as Kazren slowly pulled himself out, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His grin never faded. "Ah... it’s been too long since I’ve had a proper fight."

The two men stood facing each other again, breathing heavier, but neither willing to back down.

Below, Liora’s eyes were wide, her heart pounding.

What are these monsters?