Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At Genesis Biotech, Nathan stood frozen, staring blankly at the scene before him.

That’s it?

He had expected the Bone-Claw Zombie King to rise again, but instead, it was crushed in an instant—brutally stomped to death by Ethan. The sight was downright gruesome.

”Isn’t his awakened ability supposed to be Absolute Domain? How is his physical strength this insane?”

This revelation completely upended Nathan’s understanding of things.

He had hoped, at the very least, to use this fight to uncover some kind of weakness in Ethan. But now, it seemed…

He didn’t have any.

”This Zombie King was way stronger than I imagined. Even if Sophia’s people showed up, they’d just be walking to their deaths!” Nathan thought to himself. But he knew Sophia—she was arrogant as hell and wouldn’t believe a word he said. If he tried to warn her about this… she’d probably just use it as an excuse to humiliate him.

He needed a plan.

One of the senior executives standing beside him was equally shaken.

”Mr. Nathan, what are we supposed to do now?”

”Emmm… start packing.”

By the river.

The golden sunlight spilled over the water, making the surface shimmer. But unlike before, the river now glowed a deep crimson, stained by the blood of the fallen.

Corpses and severed limbs floated downstream, attracting swarms of mutated fish that chased and tore into the remains. Even the riverbanks were piled high with bodies, blackened blood pooling and flowing everywhere. The entire scene was a wasteland of carnage.

”Raaaargh—!”

Bulldozer and the other zombies roared in excitement, their voices echoing as they celebrated their victory over a major rival.

Big Ears, among them, was especially smug. ”We’re unstoppable!”

”Huh? What does this have to do with you?” Laura shot him a sideways glance, her tone dripping with disdain. Clearly, she still wasn’t fond of him.

Ethan, meanwhile, had already pocketed the crystal core of the Bone-Claw Zombie King. He didn’t feel much about the victory—it was just another fight to him. Nothing special.

The whole reason for the battle had been simple: he wanted peace of mind. He didn’t want to be disturbed, so he’d wiped out the Bone-Claw Zombie King and its crew.

Now that the fight was over, Los Angeles and the surrounding areas were free of any zombie nests that could challenge him. Sure, there were still a few small factions scattered around, but none of them would dare to make a move.

”It’s done… Let’s head out,” Mia said as she approached with a few of her ”helpers” in tow.

The injuries she’d sustained during the fight had already healed, most of them scabbed over. The bite marks on her neck, however, were still particularly gruesome.

Even though she’d been bitten by the Zombie Fetus, her powerful physique allowed her to purge the zombie virus on her own. She wouldn’t turn unless the virus exceeded her body’s limits.

”Good work,” Ethan said, offering her a rare word of comfort. Mia had played a big role in the fight, helping him take down the Pregnant Zombie King.

Wait.

Speaking of the Pregnant Zombie King, Ethan suddenly remembered something.

”What happened to the Zombie Fetus it gave birth to?”

”I have no idea…” Mia thought back for a moment but couldn’t recall. ”I think I just flung it away during the fight. No clue if it’s dead or alive. It disappeared after that.”

”Alright,” Ethan said with a nod, deciding not to dwell on it. It didn’t seem important.

With that, everyone went their separate ways.

After defeating the Bone-Claw and Cat-Faced Zombie Kings, Ethan’s territory expanded once again. His zombie horde now numbered over 40,000, with nearly 8,000 elite zombies among them—and the numbers were still growing.

The bridge over the river had been destroyed during the battle. The broken section was now connected by Sprout’s vines, leaving half the bridge covered in plants. It looked like something straight out of a post-apocalyptic war zone.

From now on, Sprout would guard the bridge. With the river below and mountains on the sides, it was a prime spot for mutated beasts or other strange creatures to show up.

As for the new territory, Ethan couldn’t be bothered to inspect it himself. He left it entirely in the hands of his underlings.

Big Ears, in particular, was eager to take charge. He pressed his oversized ears to the ground as he moved forward, scanning for potential threats like a living vacuum cleaner, ”sweeping” the area clean.

But what no one knew…

Floating in the river, carried along by the current, was a baby.

”Waaah… waaah…”

The baby’s cries echoed loudly, filled with despair and grief. Black mist swirled around him, thick and ominous. His sorrow was overwhelming—his ”mother,” the one who had been feeding him, had been killed by humans.

The face of the human who did it was burned into his memory, etched so deeply that a seed of hatred had already begun to take root and grow.

The baby’s scent and cries quickly attracted mutated fish from the river. But as soon as they got close, the black mist surrounding him would freeze them in place, dragging them straight to the riverbed.

The fish couldn’t harm him.

The baby drifted downstream, carried by the current. The river gradually calmed, and he eventually floated into an artificial drainage canal that led to the flooded ruins of Santa Monica.

Along the way, he passed toppled skyscrapers and desolate wreckage, the remnants of a world long gone. Finally, he ended up in a pile of floating corpses.

Around him, the sounds of flesh being torn and devoured echoed in the air. The water beneath him had turned into a literal pool of blood.

Suddenly, a glowing blue claw emerged from the water. It ignored the black mist entirely and grabbed the baby, pulling him out of the river.

The Zombie Fetus immediately stopped crying. His pitch-black eyes opened wide, reflecting the grotesque head of a monstrous creature.

”What a precious little child…”

A raspy voice, like the sound of rust scraping against metal, whispered in his ear.

...

Meanwhile, Ethan had returned to his clean and orderly home. After taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes, he pulled out the crystal core of the Bone-Claw Zombie King and popped it into his mouth.

The core was high-grade, packed with dense energy. It melted instantly on his tongue, its flavor surprisingly sweet—like a perfectly ripe mandarin orange.

Ethan could feel the pure energy nourishing his body, fueling his ongoing evolution.

Since taking down the Bone-Claw Zombie King and the others, the world outside his window had grown quieter. The constant howls and roars of zombies had faded, leaving the area around his building eerily peaceful.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine it was the world before the apocalypse.

”Life without enemies is so relaxing…” Ethan leaned back on the couch, savoring the rare moment of tranquility.

...

While Ethan enjoyed his peace, his underlings were hard at work, busy taking over the newly claimed territory. Their first task was to patrol the area and ensure there were no hidden dangers.

Big Ears, as usual, was the most diligent. He pressed his oversized ears to the ground, tirelessly scanning for threats.

The area across the river was relatively isolated, bordered by the San Gabriel Mountains on one side and the river on the other. To the east lay San Bernardino, a neighboring region.

The mountains, however, were far from safe. They were teeming with mutated beasts, plants, and even humans hiding in the wilderness.

Closer to the San Gabriel Mountains was a vast cemetery—a burial ground where the city’s dead had been laid to rest before the apocalypse.

For years, the cemetery had been shrouded in eerie legends, stories of strange and terrifying phenomena. No one knew if the abundance of Zombie Kings in the area was somehow connected to that cursed land.

At that moment, Big Ears’ ears twitched. He suddenly lifted his head and looked toward the sky.

Far in the distance, at the edge of the horizon, he spotted a small shadow flying over the mountains from the other side.

”Bulldozer! I’ve found something…”

...