Apocalypse: King of Zombies

In this remote wilderness, running into someone was rare, so the two men didn’t let their guard down. They kept a close eye on Ethan, quietly analyzing where he might have come from.

Seeing that he was alone, they figured he probably wasn’t part of the Black Hand Legion. That group of psychos usually moved in packs.

Besides, this guy looked clean and well-dressed—almost too put-together for someone out here. He gave off the vibe of a big-shot executive or maybe a spoiled rich kid.

”Probably a survivor from the villa district… and he’s got a stash of supplies,” one of them guessed.

Whether it was for crystal cores or supplies, they both agreed: they couldn’t let him go.

”Let’s go.”

Having made up their minds, they stepped out of hiding and walked straight toward Ethan.

Ethan glanced at them, his expression calm.

Finally, he thought. Took them long enough to show themselves.

The two men raised their hands in a gesture of peace, smiling as they approached.

”Hey, don’t worry. We’re not here to cause trouble,” one of them said.

”Oh…” Ethan nodded slightly, his face unreadable.

He took a closer look at them. They were wearing light blue security uniforms, now torn and tattered from branches and brambles. Their hair was long and unkempt, their beards scruffy, and their faces smeared with dirt and grease. They looked more like wild men than security guards.

The younger of the two, who introduced himself as Frankie West, spoke up first.

”Hey, man, where’s the man-eating vine?”

”I have no idea,” Ethan replied, shaking his head, feigning confusion.

The two men exchanged a glance. Their suspicions were confirmed—Ethan must’ve come here after hearing the commotion, just like they had. That put them a little more at ease.

Frankie’s small, shifty eyes began scanning Ethan up and down, sizing him up.

”So… did you pick up anything?”

”No,” Ethan said flatly.

The other man, meanwhile, was scanning the ground, his eyes darting around the withered vines and rotting roots. But there was no sign of the ”super crystal core” they’d been hoping for.

”Could it really… not be here?” he muttered under his breath.

Frankie, however, wasn’t so easily convinced. He was sharp enough to know that no one in their right mind would admit to finding something valuable out here—not to strangers, anyway.

”Alright, fine,” Frankie said with a casual shrug, though his tone hinted at disbelief. He quickly changed the subject.

”So, bro, this forest is dangerous as hell. Where’ve you been hiding out these past couple of weeks?”

”I haven’t been hiding,” Ethan replied honestly.

Frankie’s eyes narrowed slightly. He’d asked the question to probe for information—maybe Ethan had a ”secret base” somewhere, stocked with supplies. But Ethan wasn’t giving anything away.

Frankie tried a different approach. ”Look, it’s the end of the world. The more people we have, the better our chances of survival. We should stick together. You should join us.”

”You guys? There are more of you?” Ethan asked, his tone casual but probing.

”Yeah,” Frankie replied.

Before he could elaborate, the other man chimed in, nodding. ”We used to have over twenty people in our security team. But now… more than half are dead. There’s only…”

He trailed off, his voice faltering. It seemed like whatever he was about to say was hard to put into words.

But Ethan didn’t need him to finish. He could already guess.

Back at the villa district, the only people besides the security guards were the wealthy—billionaires, trust-fund kids, and celebrities.

But now, in this post-apocalyptic world, money and fame meant nothing. Everyone had been dragged down to the same starting line.

Equality, in the harshest sense of the word. Survival was the only currency now, and strength was the only thing that mattered.

Ethan could imagine what had happened. The guards, who had once been ordered around, scolded, or outright humiliated by the rich, now held the power. Some of them probably harbored deep resentment toward their former employers—envy, hatred, and bitterness that had been simmering for years.

Now that the tables had turned, it wasn’t hard to guess what they might have done. Those wealthy elites were likely being tormented, maybe even worse.

This was the ugly side of human nature.

Ethan had seen it too many times before.

Frankie said, ”Our Captain is an Awakener who can condense crystal cores. He’s really strong and treats people well. It’s thanks to his protection that we’ve survived this long.”

The meaning behind his words was clear: he was warning Ethan not to get any funny ideas. They had a powerful Awakener backing them up.

But Ethan raised an eyebrow and asked, ”Then… didn’t you still lose more than ten people?”

”Uh… well…” Frankie opened his mouth to respond but found himself at a loss for words.

His companion quickly jumped in to smooth things over. ”Anyway, you should join us. The Captain will definitely protect you too.”

”Oh, sure,” Ethan said casually. ”I wouldn’t mind checking out your place first.”

”OK, no problem. If you don’t like it, you can leave anytime,” Frankie replied with a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

With that, Ethan followed the two men into the dense forest, his pace unhurried.

Of course, everyone had their own agenda.

Frankie’s thoughts were spinning. This guy’s clothes are way too clean. He must have a stash of supplies somewhere—maybe even a small private shelter.

Some rich kids, bored before the apocalypse, had built survival bunkers for fun. Now, those frivolous projects might actually be paying off.

And then there was the crystal core from the man-eating vine. Frankie was convinced Ethan had found it and hidden it somewhere. His plan was simple: keep Ethan close, gain his trust, and eventually get him to spill the truth—or just follow him quietly. When hunger struck, Ethan would have to retrieve his supplies, and that would reveal everything.

Ethan, on the other hand, had his own plans. He’d originally come to deal with the vine infestation, but on the way back, he didn’t mind grabbing a few snacks—maybe some wild fruit.

As they walked, Frankie kept the conversation going, smiling as he said, ”You know, this forest isn’t actually short on food. But food isn’t the key to surviving the apocalypse. Those monsters are evolving, so strength is what really matters. Don’t you agree?”

”Yeah, that’s true,” Ethan replied, not denying it.

But he caught the underlying message. Frankie was subtly suggesting that hoarding food was pointless. Without strength, anyone would eventually get eaten by monsters. Better to share supplies with the group, work together, and grow stronger by hunting monsters.

It was a classic attempt at manipulation—planting ideas, nudging Ethan toward their way of thinking. A bit of psychological pressure, almost like PUA tactics.

Unfortunately for Frankie, he’d picked the wrong target.

After about twenty minutes of walking, signs of human activity began to appear. Ethan noticed a wire snare set under a tree, clearly meant to catch rabbits. Similar small traps were scattered around the area.

Soon, a small dirt mound came into view. This was Frankie’s group’s hideout.

Ethan quietly extended his senses. Inside, he detected the presence of over ten people, half of whom were Awakeners.

”We’re here. Let’s head in,” Frankie said.

At first glance, the dirt mound looked completely overgrown with weeds, with no visible entrance.

Frankie stepped forward and called out, ”Johnny, we’re back!”

”Password!” came a muffled voice from inside.

”The eagle flies at midnight!” Frankie replied without hesitation.

A rumbling sound followed, and the dirt in front of them began to split apart, sliding to the sides. Within moments, a rectangular opening appeared, about 7 feet tall, wide, and deep.

It was the work of an Earth-type Awakener.

The tunnel wasn’t dark, either. Flickering firelight illuminated the interior, driving away the damp shadows.

”Not bad…” Ethan thought to himself, impressed.

The place was well-hidden. Even someone like him, with his sharp senses, would’ve had a hard time finding it without knowing where to look.

...