Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The woman froze in shock, instinctively clutching her daughter and stepping back a few paces.

”Dad! What’s wrong with you?”

”He’s been parasitized by the worms in the seawater for a while now.”

Mia walked forward slowly, her hand reaching back to grip the hilt of the blade strapped to her back. With a sharp shing, she unsheathed her tachi, making her intentions crystal clear.

The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. She couldn’t accept what was happening.

”How… how could this happen?”

”He’s known about his condition for a while,” Mia explained, her voice steady but tinged with sadness. ”He didn’t want me to tell you. He said he just wanted to spend his last days with you and your daughter.”

The woman covered her mouth with one hand, her sobs breaking free. Memories flooded back—her father had spent hours in the seawater, scavenging for supplies they desperately needed. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now it all made sense.

The seawater was teeming with mutated parasites. That must have been when it happened—when he was infected.

The old man groaned in agony, his body stiff and contorted as he struggled to rise from the ground. His movements were unnatural, his posture grotesquely twisted. A guttural wail escaped his lips as something beneath his skin began to writhe violently, as if trying to break free.

Then, with a sickening pop, one of his eyes burst open. Thin, thread-like worms spilled out, wriggling with unsettling energy. They resembled horsehair worms, long and unnervingly slender.

”Ugh—”

The middle-aged man let out a guttural scream, his body now fully overtaken by the parasites. His movements became erratic, and it was clear he was no longer in control. The parasites were driving him, seeking new hosts to continue their reproduction.

”There’s no saving him…” Mia muttered under her breath. Allowing him to stay with the group had been her final act of mercy.

The others stood frozen, their jaws clenched in grief and anger. Some of the more timid survivors couldn’t bear to watch and shut their eyes tightly, trembling.

Chris, however, stepped forward without hesitation. He scooped up the crying little girl and gently covered her eyes with one hand.

Shing!

Mia’s blade flashed through the air, severing the man’s head in one clean stroke. Blood sprayed out in a crimson arc, and more worms spilled from the wound, writhing as they hit the ground. The man’s lifeless body collapsed with a heavy thud.

”Let’s move. The Black Hand Legion will catch up to us if we stay here any longer,” Mia said, sliding her blade back into its sheath.

”Yeah…” The group nodded somberly. They had lost so many already, but those who remained had no choice but to keep moving forward.

”Wait…”

Chris’s sudden shout broke the silence. His face was pale, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at the little girl in his arms.

The others turned to him, their expressions darkening as they began to piece together what was happening.

”Uncle Chris… you don’t mean…” Brandon stammered, his voice trembling. He didn’t want to believe it.

But Chris had seen it clearly. Beneath the little girl’s forehead, just under her skin, something about two inches long was moving. If you weren’t paying close attention, you might mistake it for a pulse—but it wasn’t.

The woman’s face turned ashen as she realized what was happening. She rushed forward, snatching her daughter from Chris’s arms.

”Chris! My daughter’s fine, right? She’s not infected, right?!”

”She…” Chris opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

His silence was enough. The woman’s last shred of hope shattered. She broke down completely, wailing uncontrollably. First her father, and now her daughter—one blow after another had pushed her to the brink.

The little girl, despite her young age, was remarkably composed. Her eyes dimmed, but she reached out a small hand to wipe her mother’s tears.

”Mommy, don’t cry.”

”Okay, okay…” The woman nodded desperately, clinging to her daughter as if holding her tighter could somehow protect her.

She turned to Mia, her eyes pleading. ”My daughter’s symptoms aren’t that bad yet. There has to be a way to save her, right?”

”I’m sorry, but there’s no cure right now,” Mia said, shaking her head. But then she added, ”If the parasites haven’t reproduced yet, it might be possible to remove them. But we’d need advanced surgical equipment, and we don’t have that here. If we can make it to the shelter in time, the researchers there might be able to help.”

”Then let’s go! Let’s go right now!” The woman nodded frantically, clutching her daughter tightly. They were already near the outskirts of Los Angeles, and the shelter wasn’t far. Every second counted.

But fate has a cruel way of striking when hope begins to bloom.

Just as they were about to move, a powerful presence surged from behind them. The air grew heavy as the sound of footsteps echoed—dozens of them.

The Black Hand Legion had caught up.

”Hah! Trying to run? None of you are leaving here alive today!” The bald, muscular man at the front of the Black Hand Legion sneered, his voice dripping with menace.

Chris and the others froze, their frustration boiling over. Chris clenched his teeth so hard it felt like they might shatter. ”Oh, come on! Are you kidding me?!”

”Of all times, they had to show up now!”

”Get ready for a fight!” someone shouted.

The fighters in the group immediately drew their weapons, their faces grim with determination.

Mia’s gaze sharpened as she assessed the situation. ”Chris, take the survivors and the supplies. Get out of here. We’ll hold them off.”

Chris hesitated, his concern evident as he glanced at Mia’s calm but battle-worn face. They’d been through so many brutal fights already, and even the strongest warriors had their limits.

”Alright… but be careful,” Chris said, nodding reluctantly. He couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at him. Mia had been pushing herself to the brink, even resorting to self-inflicted wounds to boost her power. He feared she might finally hit her breaking point.

”You watch yourself too,” Chris added, his voice low.

But the Black Hand Legion wasn’t about to let them escape with their supplies. Several Earth Awakeners stepped forward, their hands glowing as they pressed them to the ground. The earth rumbled violently, and massive walls of stone erupted from the ground, cutting off every possible escape route.

”Damn it!” someone cursed, their fists clenched in frustration.

Sean scratched his head, his eyes scanning the towering walls that now surrounded them. ”What the hell is this? A maze?”

He muttered to himself, ”Good thing I’m a genius. Breaking through mazes is my specialty.” Without waiting for a response, he cocked his fist back and slammed it into the nearest wall. With a deafening boom, the wall crumbled into dust, the force of his punch rippling outward.

But there was no time to celebrate. The battle erupted in full force.

Mia’s group of Awakeners clashed with the Black Hand Legion, their powers colliding in a chaotic storm of energy. Blasts of fire, lightning, and earth energy lit up the battlefield, the sheer intensity of the fight shaking the ground beneath them.

Mia, as always, was a force to be reckoned with. Her tachi flashed with arcs of lightning as she swung it, slicing through several earthen walls in her path. Her target was clear—the bald man leading the enemy forces.

”So, you’re the famous Awakener 001, huh?” the man muttered, his voice low and mocking. ”Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The ground beneath his feet shifted as dirt and rock surged upward, encasing his body in a thick, impenetrable suit of earthen armor. With a roar, he charged forward, his massive fist swinging toward Mia like a wrecking ball.

Mia met his attack head-on, her tachi slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. The blade struck the earthen armor with a loud clang, sinking in a few inches before the force of the impact was absorbed. The blade stuck fast, unable to cut any deeper.

The backlash from the strike sent Mia flying backward, skidding nearly 50 feet before she regained her footing.

”That’s it? Is that all you’ve got?” the bald man taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. ”A weapon like that can’t even scratch my defense.”

Mia didn’t respond. She didn’t waste time on words. Instead, she pressed the blade of her tachi against the wound on her left arm, the sharp edge biting into her flesh.

The crystal core embedded in the hilt of her blade began to glow, arcs of electricity crackling to life and dancing along the blade. The energy surged into her body, sending waves of searing pain coursing through her. Her muscles trembled involuntarily, her body wracked with both agony and exhilaration. Every nerve felt alive, every cell in her body thrumming with power.

This was Deadly Pain, her most dangerous ability.

The numbers on the bracelet around her wrist began to climb rapidly: 12%... 19%... 26%... 31%.

Mia’s lips curled into a faint, almost mocking smile. ”Did you really think a sword is just for cutting people?” she muttered under her breath.

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