Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System-Chapter 290: War Meant To Erase Them.

The night was silent, but silence did not bring peace.

Liora sat alone on the rooftop of her house, her knees pulled close, her eyes staring upward into what should have been the vast, endless sky.

But there was no sky anymore.

Instead, the heavens crawled with Zerg.

They floated like a swarm of nightmares, blotting out every star, their twisted bodies pressed against the dome that sheltered the base. Their eyes glowed a sickening red, dripping with hunger as they gazed down at the humans below.

Liora’s gaze wandered past them to the residents of the base.

People moved about as usual—walking, working, eating—but their expressions betrayed them. That same shadow of dread lingered in every face. Because no one could forget what was above them, watching and waiting.

They all knew.

The moment the dome collapsed, the Zerg would fall upon them like starving beasts, devouring every last shred of humanity.

How could anyone live in peace when just above your head were creatures waiting to devour you alive, denying you even the freedom to breathe without fear?

It felt as though they were trapped inside a giant cage. And outside that cage, the monsters circled endlessly, hungry for the chance to feast.

There was one truth no one could deny.

They had become prisoners in their own homeland.

Liora’s chest tightened painfully. Was this how humanity would end? Locked away, trembling in fear, until one day their cage broke and they were swallowed whole? Or worse... would they be forced to live like this forever, never free, never able to roam on their own land again?

Countless questions swirled in her mind, refusing to stop even for a second.

Just who had opened the portal to this monstrous dimension?

What kind of hatred did they harbor against their own world to take such a step?

This wasn’t mere invasion—it was war.

War meant to erase them.

If these Zerg continued pouring from the portal, it wouldn’t take long before humanity itself was wiped out.

Her fists clenched tightly on her lap. Her gaze hardened.

"System," she whispered in her heart. "How do we stop this? How do we stop the Zerg from invading our world? Even if I accept this ’ultimate mission’... what can I possibly do? And even if we close the portal... what about the countless monsters already here? How do we kill them all?"

The system’s cold reply rang in her ears.

[Host, the first step is to close the portal. Only then will humanity have a chance to survive.]

Liora’s breath hitched. Close the portal?

Her brows knitted together. "How would I close the portal? I don’t have the ability to split space, let alone open or close it. Even Atlas... his ability is time manipulation. He could never control space."

Her thoughts raced—until suddenly, a face came to mind.

Kazren.

Her chest grew heavy. That man... he could manipulate space. If anyone had a chance to touch such a rift, it would be him.

But then doubt clouded her. Did he is the one who opened the portal.

Had Kazren truly reached the level where he could open such a massive portal to another dimension? No... she didn’t think so.

The system confirmed her fear.

[Host is correct. Kazren has not yet reached such a level. The portal was opened by someone else—someone capable of such immense power. You must find this person. Only with their help can you hope to close the portal.]

The words struck her like a blade.

So it wasn’t Kazren. It was someone else. Someone powerful. Someone who had brought this ruin upon them all.

Her nails dug into her palms as her determination grew.

If closing the portal was the only chance humanity had, then she would find that person—no matter who it was.

Because she refused to let her daughter grow up in a world where the sky was gone, stolen by monsters.

Because she refused to watch humanity die caged and trembling.

This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be.

Not if she had anything to say about it.

Liora’s resolve began to take root, heavy and unshakable in her chest. She had been drifting, torn between fear and duty, but no longer. There were two things she could not compromise on—finding her daughter and finding the one who could control the portals. Only then would humanity stand even the faintest chance of survival.

She descended from the rooftop slowly, her mind already set, her steps carrying a weight that her friends noticed the moment she entered the hall. The chatter quieted as their eyes lifted to her, each of them sensing something had changed in her.

"I’m going out," Liora said firmly, her voice cutting through the silence. "You can stay here where it’s safe... Or you can follow me. But I can’t wait anymore."

Her words struck the air like a stone in water. No hesitation, no wavering—it was a declaration of war against fate itself.

Zhou Yinuo’s brows furrowed. "Liora... where are you going?"

Liora took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping across each of them. "To find my daughter. And to find the man who can manipulate portals. Without him, there is no chance to close the one above us. If that portal remains open, humanity will be erased."

Her words dropped like thunder. For a long heartbeat, no one moved, no one spoke. Then the shock broke into a wave of disbelief.

"Portal?" Zhao Ren echoed, his expression pale. "What are you talking about? These things... these monsters—"

"They are called Zerg," Liora interrupted, her voice low but steady. "They came from another world. Someone opened the portal to their dimension. Someone invited them here."

The silence that followed was deafening. Faces shifted from confusion to horror. Shen Haoran looked as though he couldn’t breathe, his lips parting and closing again without sound.

Zhou Yinuo shook her head slowly, her hands curling into fists as if trying to grasp something invisible.

Atlas, however, did not look shocked. His sharp eyes fixed on her instead, and for a moment, the noise of the others faded. He had seen that look in her eyes before.

"It was the system, wasn’t it?" He looked at her with a gaze that was practically screaming this question.

Liora turned her gaze to him. Their eyes met, and in that single look, everything was said. She nodded.

Atlas inhaled sharply, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. The others glanced between them in confusion, but not a word of explanation left their lips.

The system was her secret, and only Atlas and Xu Kai knew.