Apocalypse: King of Zombies

But finding ”prey” online wasn’t exactly easy. Most of them were too far away, outside his territory, so for now, there weren’t any good targets.

Before long, Ethan received a private message.

It was from Mia: ”Your profile style’s pretty cool...”

”Are you complimenting yourself?” Ethan shot back.

Mia replied, ”I’m planning to head to Pasadena. Thought I’d borrow a route from you, and I brought you something while I’m at it.”

”How polite of you,” Ethan responded.

Pasadena was just across the river. Taking a route through Ethan’s territory would save a lot of time compared to going the long way around.

Still... Ethan was curious.

”What are you going to Pasadena for?”

”Rescue mission. A supply team from the shelter got trapped there. Why? Interested?”

”Hmm... Come to my place first. We’ll talk then.” Ethan sent the message, set his phone down on the coffee table, and leaned back on the couch, deep in thought.

Since he’d eventually have to face the zombie king across the river, this could be a good opportunity. He could blend in with the shelter’s team, disguise himself as a human, and scout the area. After all, he currently knew nothing about that territory.

The real question was... how were Mia and her group planning to cross the river?

Were they going to fight their way across the bridge?

...

About an hour later, a group arrived in Ethan’s territory: Mia, Sean, and two young women following behind them.

The two girls were both B+-rank Awakeners who had condensed crystal cores. They were strong—some of the top-ranked fighters in the shelter.

Mia, this is a five-star zombie nest... one of the girls, a delicate-looking young woman, reminded her cautiously.

”Relax. I brought the toll fee.” Mia didn’t even look back as she walked forward, her aura completely unrestrained. She strode confidently down the middle of the road, clearly familiar with the area.

On her back, two long tachi swords were crossed in an ”X” shape, giving her a strikingly cool appearance.

”Oh...” The two girls nodded and followed her lead.

The journey was surprisingly smooth. They didn’t encounter a single zombie, making it even easier than the roads they’d taken before. Before long, they reached the area near Ethan’s building.

From a distance, they could see a figure standing in the middle of the street. He was wearing a white shirt, his face sharp and handsome, his gaze fixed on them.

”Hiss...”

The two girls knew exactly who Ethan was. They also knew he was an ally—for now. But that didn’t stop the nervous tension from creeping into their hearts.

Mia and Sean, on the other hand, casually walked up to greet him.

”We’re here,” Mia said with a grin.

”Yeah,” Ethan replied, glancing at the horizon. The sun was setting, painting the sky with streaks of red.

”Looks like you’re in a hurry this time,” he remarked.

”We are,” Sean admitted. ”It’s dangerous over there. The supply team’s on the verge of being wiped out.”

If it weren’t urgent, they wouldn’t have risked traveling at night—or asking Ethan for help.

”Let’s get moving, then. We should try to make it back before dark,” Mia said. Then, as if remembering something, she added, ”Oh, right. This is for you.”

She reached behind her and pulled out one of the tachi swords, handing it to Ethan. The blade was long, nearly as tall as a person. Embedded in the hilt was a red fire-element crystal core, its glow shifting and swirling like a dream.

Ethan studied it. ”This is the toll fee?”

”Yep. And it also covers last time. I said I’d pay you back, and I meant it,” Mia said.

After they’d taken down Serpent-Eye last time, Mia had scavenged some extra loot on her way back. This tachi was part of it, and she’d decided to use it as payment.

”Alright,” Ethan said, taking the sword without hesitation. As his hand gripped the hilt, a red glow flashed along the blade, radiating intense heat, as if it could burst into flames at any moment.

It was a fine weapon.

With a thought, Ethan stored the sword in his spatial storage ring.

Then, he lifted his gaze, looking past Mia and Sean to the two girls standing behind them.

”Why isn’t Chris here this time?” he asked.

”Because this is a rescue mission, not a moving job. He’d just get in the way,” Mia explained casually.

In her mind, Chris was basically just a glorified mover.

The two girls stiffened under Ethan’s gaze. Despite their best efforts to stay calm, they couldn’t help but tremble slightly. Forcing smiles, they introduced themselves.

”H-Hi, I’m Anna Miller,” said the short-haired girl with delicate features.

The shorter girl quickly followed. ”Hello, I’m Lillian Davis.”

”Nice to meet you,” Ethan said, his narrow eyes squinting slightly as he gave them a warm smile.

”Uh...”

Anna and Lillian froze for a moment, caught off guard. For a split second, they had the strange illusion that Ethan was just like the boy next door—the kind who’d smile at you on a sunny day, wearing a crisp white shirt.

...

The group began making their way toward the river. The journey was, unsurprisingly, smooth.

Before long, the sound of rushing water reached their ears. The river was as wide and fast-flowing as ever, its surface shimmering in the fading light. However, the occasional floating severed limb ruined the otherwise picturesque scene.

”How are we crossing?” Ethan asked.

Mia and her team were here for a rescue mission, but walking across the bridge would be far too conspicuous. That area was crawling with elite zombies.

”Follow us,” Mia said, leading the group downstream. After walking about 600 feet, she stopped.

Here, the river was narrower, and the opposite bank was much closer.

”Let’s get started,” Mia said.

”Got it,” Anna and Lillian replied, their expressions firm as they stepped forward to the riverbank.

The two girls slowly crouched down, placing their hands on the ground.

At the same time, a wave of icy energy began to spread outward, like a mist rolling across the surface of the water. The moment the cold touched the river, the water began to freeze. Within moments, a solid ice bridge stretched across the river.

”Oh?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, realizing for the first time that both girls were ice-element Awakeners.

No wonder Mia had brought them along.

”Let’s go,” Mia said, hopping onto the ice bridge and striding confidently forward.

The bridge was incredibly stable. Despite the rushing water beneath it, the ice didn’t wobble in the slightest.

Watching the scene unfold, Ethan suddenly had an idea. If he ever had to fight the zombie king across the river, this method could be perfect for launching a surprise attack—charging straight into enemy territory.

”Hmm, not bad,” Ethan thought, growing more satisfied with the plan the longer he considered it.

The crossing went smoothly. Even when aquatic creatures attacked, they weren’t particularly strong.

A few fish with razor-sharp teeth leapt out of the water, but Mia twirled her sword a few times, slicing them into pieces with clean, precise movements.

”What a shame,” Mia said, glancing at the remains. ”These fish have been feeding on zombies, so their bodies are infected with the virus. We can’t eat them.”

”You don’t want them? Then I’ll take them,” Ethan said without hesitation. With a wave of his hand, he stored the fish in his spatial storage ring. His underlings wouldn’t mind—they were zombies themselves and completely immune to the virus.

The fish were sizable, each weighing dozens of pounds.

The group encountered no powerful mutated creatures in the shallows. A few minutes later, they reached the opposite bank. The moment they stepped onto solid ground, the ice bridge melted away, leaving no trace behind.

Ethan glanced at Anna and Lillian, thinking they might be useful to him in the future.

He stepped forward, pulling out his phone. ”Let’s exchange contact info.”

”Huh?” The two girls stared at him, their mouths slightly open, looking utterly stunned.

Did they hear him right?

...