Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Online, people were buzzing with all kinds of opinions.

Meanwhile, over at Genesis Biotech, Nathan, the person in charge, was fuming, silently cursing to himself.

”Michael and his team are such useless idiots! Wiped out by zombies? Seriously? Couldn’t even leave one or two survivors…”

But deep down, he knew the truth. Near the building, there was a powerful Zombie King. Even the company’s strongest Awakener probably wouldn’t stand a chance against it.

It seemed…

The zombies were just stronger. To kill a Phantom Infected, it would take another, even more powerful Zombie King.

”The zombie cultivation project has to continue. Ideally, we need to create Phantom Infected that we can control…” Nathan thought to himself.

He was fully aware that feeding zombies was like ”playing with fire,” but for the sake of that immense power, he was willing to take the risk.

”Or… if the opportunity arises, maybe we could even cooperate with the Zombie King. All it would take is providing them with some flesh and blood. I need to notify the rescue teams to speed up their search for survivors…”

...

Ethan, on the other hand, was still at home, completely unaware of Genesis Biotech’s plans.

Not that he cared.

By now, everyone knew there was a powerful Zombie King in the area near the building. It was extremely dangerous and had been declared a no-go zone.

Because of this, no one dared to disturb Ethan. In the past, helicopters would occasionally fly overhead, but now, even those had stopped.

This area had become a zombie sanctuary.

Ethan’s life was incredibly comfortable. He had plenty of food and drink, consumed energy daily, and kept evolving. When he got bored, he’d watch TV or play video games.

For him, the apocalypse felt more like a vacation. There wasn’t a single thing to worry about.

’Shelter News: Our researchers have improved the ”survival rations.” This high-fiber emergency food can be consumed in small amounts without causing stomach discomfort and can serve as a temporary hunger solution.’

’The water purification system has been fully repaired. Please drink with confidence—there will no longer be large-scale outbreaks of parasites or viral infections.’

’Tragic news: Our supply retrieval team was ambushed by an unknown group. If anyone has information, please report it immediately…’

”...”

The TV was broadcasting updates from the official shelter.

It was clear they were in dire straits.

They were down to eating emergency rations, their water situation had been terrible, and now, even after finally finding some supplies, they’d been robbed by an unknown force.

It was just… pitiful.

Ethan spared them a moment of sympathy—exactly one second—before turning back to his video game.

...

At the edge of Ethan’s territory, a small group of people was hiding inside a building.

The place used to be a karaoke bar, a three-story building. Now, the doors and windows were all barricaded, leaving only a few small gaps to observe the outside.

”Shh… zombies are coming. Don’t make a sound.”

A man crouched by the window, peeking through a crack to watch the street outside.

Behind him, two others held their breath, not daring to make a noise.

On the street outside, a massive figure lumbered along, swaying with every step. Behind it trailed a group of zombies. It was Bulldozer, patrolling the area.

Fortunately, Bulldozer’s senses weren’t very sharp, and it didn’t notice the humans hiding inside the building.

With its entourage of smaller zombies, it slowly moved away.

”Phew—”

The people inside let out a collective sigh of relief, finally able to relax a little.

”Good thing this brute-type zombie is dumb as a rock...”

Inside one of the private rooms of the karaoke bar, a few more people were lounging on the sofas. Thanks to the soundproofing of the KTV rooms, they didn’t have to worry about the zombies outside being alerted.

”We’re safe hiding here. No way the people from the official shelter will find us,” said a bald, burly man.

”Yeah, boss, you’re right. Even if they know we’re here, they probably wouldn’t dare come after us. This is the territory of a powerful Zombie King, after all!” another man chimed in.

This group was none other than the infamous Black Hand Legion, the ones who had ambushed and stolen supplies from the official shelter.

The Black Hand Legion had existed even before the apocalypse, operating in the shadows of the dark web. They were like a cult, worshipping the idea of absolute freedom—living without rules, doing whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

Back then, societal order kept them in check, preventing them from causing too much chaos.

But when the apocalypse hit?

It was like their dreams had come true.

Those among them who awakened special abilities banded together, raiding supplies, killing survivors, and committing every atrocity imaginable.

”Heh heh heh... The apocalypse is our time to shine!” The bald man’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

In the middle of the KTV room, three people were kneeling on the floor, their hands and feet tied together. Their mouths were stuffed with dirty rags, so all they could do was let out muffled groans of protest.

These three were Awakeners from the official shelter, tasked with transporting supplies. Unfortunately, they had been ambushed by the Black Hand Legion during their mission.

”Boss, what do we do with these three?” a wiry man asked.

The bald man thought for a moment. ”Keep them alive for now. They’re our bargaining chips. If they die, we can feed their Neurocores to the others, and their flesh can be used as food…”

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Ethan’s territory, another group of people had appeared.

Leading the group was a young woman with large eyes, straight brown hair with bangs, and a strikingly beautiful face. But despite her beauty, there was a perpetual air of disdain for the world etched into her expression.

This was Mia, the official shelter’s Number 001 Awakener.

Mia genuinely hated the world. She had grown up in an orphanage, only to later be confined to a mental institution. When she finally got out… she found herself in the middle of the apocalypse.

With a life like that, who wouldn’t hate the world?

The only thing she could look back on fondly were the rare, warm memories from her time in the orphanage.

Walking beside her was her partner, Sean, a man with a sharp, calculating gaze that gave him an air of intelligence.

Gurgle, gurgle!

Sean clutched his stomach, the intense hunger making him visibly uncomfortable. If not for the enhanced physique of an Awakener, he might have already passed out from starvation.

”When are we gonna find some supplies? I haven’t eaten in ten days!” Sean groaned.

”Uh… Sean, we’ve only been out here for three days,” Mia replied flatly.

Behind them were four other Awakeners who had reached the Neurocore stage. Their main job was to assist Mia and Sean, primarily by carrying supplies once they found them.

Sean scratched his head, his ”clever” eyes darting around. ”Only three days? I’m so hungry I can’t even count anymore…”

”Like you could count in the first place,” Mia shot back without even looking at him.

The street ahead of them was desolate. Rusted, wrecked cars were piled up, some of them overgrown with moss. The surrounding buildings were in ruins, their shattered windows occasionally echoing with the distant growls of zombies.

One of the Neurocore Awakeners, Chris, spoke up cautiously. ”Up ahead is where the Genesis Biotech team was wiped out. They say there’s a strange and incredibly powerful Zombie King in the area.”

Sean raised an eyebrow. ”Oh? Chris, are the people who stole our supplies hiding in that area?”

Chris nodded. ”Based on the direction they retreated, there’s a high chance they’re somewhere in that zone.”

”Then let’s go find them,” Sean said casually, his recklessness on full display.

Chris hesitated but nodded, adding a word of caution. ”Remember, our main goal is to find supplies. Whatever you do, don’t provoke the zombies here…”