Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Infighting already?” Ethan’s gaze sharpened as he stared ahead.

The Bone-Claw Zombie King stood in the distance, clutching a blood-soaked crystal core in his hand. Without hesitation, he shoved it into his mouth, swallowing it whole like a ravenous beast. His body began to tremble as he absorbed the energy, his expression growing maniacally ecstatic.

”Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!”

A crazed laugh erupted from his mouth as his entire skeleton began to crack and pop audibly. His body swelled grotesquely, his skin splitting apart to reveal gleaming white bones beneath. But the truly horrifying part was what came next—those exposed bones started to writhe and shift, reshaping themselves into armor. His chest, arms, thighs, and finally his head were encased in a skeletal exoskeleton, forming a terrifying suit of bone armor.

At the same time, his aura surged wildly, radiating an oppressive force that made the air feel heavy. A crimson mist of blood energy swirled around him, giving him the appearance of a war god forged from bone and blood.

The Bone-Claw Zombie King’s unique ability was skeletal mutation, and now, after consuming an A+ grade crystal core, he had fully evolved into his ultimate form. His transformation was complete.

The power emanating from him now far surpassed that of the Crimson Titan from before.

”Damn, that’s insane...” Even Bulldozer, who rarely showed emotion, couldn’t help but mutter in awe. He glanced at the grotesque transformation and quipped, ”That’s one hell of a case of bone overgrowth.”

PhD, observing through his scanner, frowned deeply. ”S-rank.”

”What?!” The surrounding zombie kings were visibly shocked. None of them had expected his power to skyrocket so quickly.

PhD explained, ”He didn’t just absorb the crystal core. He already had a latent transformation ability, and now he’s finally unleashed it.”

”Ah, I see...” The other zombie kings nodded in understanding, though unease flickered in their eyes. S-rank... that puts him on par with the boss.

It seemed they had a real contender on their hands.

...

Meanwhile, back at Genesis Biotech, Nathan, who had been slumped in despair moments ago, suddenly perked up.

His eyes locked onto the massive screen in front of him, where the Bone-Claw Zombie King stood, surrounded by swirling blood energy. Every movement he made radiated raw, terrifying power.

A glimmer of hope sparked in Nathan’s heart. He had been convinced that their side was doomed, crushed under Ethan’s overwhelming strength. But now... now it seemed like there was still a chance.

”So you’re the real final boss, huh?” Nathan thought to himself, a mix of awe and relief washing over him.

The executives around him couldn’t help but murmur amongst themselves.

”A zombie king with this level of power is practically unheard of, even in the major cities.”

”We seriously underestimated them.”

”This is perfect. Let the zombie kings tear each other apart. The more they weaken each other, the better for us.”

”Ideally, they’ll both destroy each other.”

Their hushed voices carried a mix of fear and cold calculation as they watched the unfolding chaos.

The Bone-Claw Zombie King’s overwhelming aura seemed to invigorate the surrounding zombies.

Their morale, which had been faltering, surged back to life. They became even more ferocious, their bloodstained faces twisted into terrifying snarls. Their mouths, filled with jagged teeth, let out guttural roars as they charged forward with renewed frenzy.

Ethan, standing amidst the chaos, remained calm and unshaken.

His expression was as composed as ever, his voice carrying a faint trace of amusement as he muttered, ”Sacrificing your own allies to boost your power... truly limitless potential.”

The zombies around the Bone-Claw Zombie King went berserk, launching themselves at Ethan’s forces with reckless abandon.

They tore into their enemies with savage determination, biting and clawing even as their own bodies were torn apart. Some continued to attack even after their heads were ripped off, their jaws snapping mindlessly.

The Bone-Claw Zombie King’s gaze, however, was fixed solely on Ethan. His eyes burned with hatred, his mind consumed by memories of the humiliation and scorn he had endured the night before.

The fury within him had reached its boiling point.

”Let’s see how you handle this!” he roared, his confidence surging as he reveled in his newfound power. His figure blurred as he moved, his speed now so great that he seemed to vanish, leaving only a faint afterimage as he charged straight at Ethan.

Ethan didn’t move. He stood perfectly still, not even bothering to activate his Domain of the Dead. Slowly, he raised his hand, his long fingers curling into a fist. With a calm, deliberate motion, he threw a punch.

”BOOM!”

The Bone-Claw Zombie King didn’t hesitate, meeting Ethan’s punch head-on.

The collision of their fists unleashed a cataclysmic shockwave, like a volcanic eruption.

The sheer force of the impact sent a powerful blast of air rippling outward, knocking nearby zombies off their feet and hurling them through the air.

The ground beneath the two combatants cracked and crumbled, deep fissures spreading outward as the earth gave way under the immense pressure. The scene was one of utter devastation.

But then, a sharp cracking sound echoed through the chaos.

The bone armor on the Bone-Claw Zombie King’s arm splintered, fine cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.

A moment later, his massive body was sent hurtling backward, flying hundreds of feet through the air.

He smashed through two crumbling buildings before finally coming to a stop, buried in the rubble.

”This...” Even Bulldozer and the other zombie kings, who had seen countless battles, were stunned by the sheer intensity of the fight. For the first time, they found themselves at a loss for words.

”Heh, the boss is still the strongest!” one of them finally exclaimed, breaking the silence.

”I thought the other guy was supposed to be tough, but turns out he’s nothing special!”

”The boss is invincible!”

”...”

Laura, tilting her head slightly, frowned in confusion. ”But wait... isn’t Bone-Claw also S-rank? Shouldn’t he be on the same level as the boss? Why is the gap still so huge?”

PhD, who had been quietly observing, furrowed his brow in thought. After a moment, he removed his scanner and examined it closely. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.

”I’ve figured it out! His limit is just S-rank.”

”Huh???” The others turned to him, bewildered.

...

As the dust began to settle, the Bone-Claw Zombie King lay sprawled in the rubble, his jagged teeth clenched tightly in frustration. His mind was a storm of anger and disbelief.

”How could this happen?”

Lifting his gaze, he saw Ethan approaching. The man’s expression was as calm as ever, his pristine white shirt completely unblemished, as if the battle hadn’t even touched him.

Ethan’s piercing gaze locked onto the Bone-Claw Zombie King as he spoke in a measured tone. ”You’ve gotten a little stronger than before, I’ll give you that. But... just a little.”

”You...”

That familiar, suffocating sense of humiliation surged through the Bone-Claw Zombie King once more. He couldn’t accept it—he refused to accept it.

”Die!” he roared, blood energy flaring around him as he launched himself out of the rubble. Like a moth to a flame, he charged at Ethan, his fist raised for another desperate attack.

But Ethan’s figure blurred, shifting sideways with an almost unnatural grace. The Bone-Claw Zombie King’s punch struck nothing but air.

Before he could recover, Ethan spun around and delivered a swift kick to his back. The strike seemed effortless, but the force behind it was devastating. The bone armor on the zombie king’s back shattered as he was sent hurtling through the air.

Before he could even hit the ground, Ethan appeared above him in a flash. With a single, brutal motion, Ethan brought his foot down.

”BOOM!”

The Bone-Claw Zombie King was slammed into the ground with such force that the earth caved in, forming a massive crater. Dust and debris exploded outward as the ground trembled violently.

Ethan stood over him, one foot planted firmly on the zombie king’s chest. His expression remained cold and detached as he looked down at his opponent. Without hesitation, he raised his foot again and brought it down on the Bone-Claw Zombie King’s head.

The ground quaked with each stomp, the crater widening with every blow. The Bone-Claw Zombie King’s once-impenetrable bone armor was now shattered and crumbling. The blood energy that had once surrounded him had completely dissipated, his reserves of power utterly drained. His body could no longer heal itself.

Ethan finally stopped, his gaze sweeping over the broken figure beneath him. ”Hmm... that should do it,” he muttered, stepping back.

...

Meanwhile, inspired by Ethan’s dominance, Bulldozer and the other zombie kings fought with renewed ferocity. Leading their elite force of 500 warriors, they tore through the enemy ranks, leaving nothing but carnage in their wake. The opposing forces were completely overwhelmed.

As the battle wound down, the zombie kings began to regroup, making their way toward Ethan.

The Bone-Claw Zombie King, lying in the center of the crater, clung to the last shreds of his consciousness. His vision blurred as he saw the faces of the other zombie kings—Laura, Bulldozer, Sprout, Little Shadow—all staring down at him with cold indifference.

His remaining thoughts began to fade, his mind slipping into darkness.

”In the end... I still lost...”

And with that, his world went black.

...