Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At this moment, Ethan was silently observing, noticing that the mutated fungus had indeed evolved significantly. It had learned how to deceive and was getting better at mimicking human expressions.

The scruffy man, in the end, couldn’t resist the temptation of the mushroom. His last shred of rationality was defeated by hunger.

He took a few steps forward, grabbed the mushroom, and took a bite. His eyes lit up—it seemed genuinely delicious. Then, he started devouring it like a starving wolf.

In no time, the piece of mushroom was gone.

”Got any more?” he asked.

”Sure do.” Ivy grinned, pulling out another piece of a white button mushroom.

”Hey! Save some for me!” The last young man, seeing the other two eating so happily and seemingly unharmed, panicked at the thought of missing out. He dropped his guard completely and stepped forward to grab a mushroom for himself.

And just like that, all three of them ended up eating quite a bit of the mushrooms. But as they ate, their gazes grew increasingly unfocused, as if they were sinking into some kind of blissful trance.

Their expressions now were eerily identical to the woman’s right before she died.

Seeing this, Ivy’s grin stretched wide, almost unnaturally so, her cheeks lifting to reveal a sinister and chilling smile.

”Follow me,” she said.

”Hehehe, okay,” the three men replied, their faces plastered with vacant, foolish smiles. They looked like they’d lost all sense, their hands reaching out as if trying to grab invisible stars in the air.

It was obvious—they were already hallucinating, lost in some euphoric dream, likely their last before death.

”It actually has hallucinogenic properties…” Ethan muttered to himself from a distance, analyzing the situation.

The three young men, now completely dazed and mindless, looked like puppets on strings as they followed Ivy toward the fungal zone.

”Where are they going?” Ethan could feel it—their human aura was changing. They were already parasitized by the fungus. Perhaps because of their enhanced Awakened physiques, the red tumors hadn’t sprouted on their bodies yet, but it was only a matter of time.

As the group moved forward, Ethan quickly followed, keeping a safe distance.

Maybe… just maybe… this was his chance to find the fungal core.

Thanks to Ethan’s stealth abilities, Ivy didn’t notice him at all. As they walked deeper into the forest, the surroundings grew eerily quiet. Soon, the red tumors began to reappear, this time in even greater density.

When they reached the center, the scene was horrifying. Piles of white bones were stacked high—human skulls, bird skeletons, all layered on top of one another.

Clatter!

The bone pile began to rattle. Something underneath was moving, writhing, as if it was about to break through the surface and emerge.

”Underground?” Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the scene.

Before long, several humanoid figures began to form, rising from the bone pile. Among them, one figure stood out—a tall, slender figure wearing a pristine white shirt.

”You’ve got to be kidding me!” Ethan blurted out in disbelief. The figure’s face… it was identical to his own.

Clearly, the fungus here had mimicked his appearance.

Among the other humanoid figures, one was particularly familiar—thin, with sharp, claw-like nails. It was Laura.

The rest of the figures were strangers to Ethan, but one thing was clear: they were all people the mutated fungus had encountered or killed before.

The other ”Ethan” radiated the strongest presence among the mimics. It was obvious—this was the ruler of the area.

The surrounding humanoid figures, along with the red tumors growing everywhere, were its minions—or perhaps more accurately, its offspring. After all, they were all spawned from its spores, growing bit by bit.

Ethan couldn’t help but click his tongue in frustration. If this thing was allowed to keep growing, it might actually manage to create an entire zombie army that looked just like him.

Good thing he’d found it early. He had to deal with it now.

Ivy, upon seeing the other ”Ethan,” immediately adopted a posture of utmost reverence.

”I brought back the prey,” Ivy said, her tone dripping with pride.

”Well done,” the other ”Ethan” replied with a nod, clearly pleased.

Its mimicry was leagues ahead of the others—so lifelike it was uncanny. Ethan, watching from the shadows, couldn’t help but think that if there were a contest for mimicking him, this fungal copy would take first place, and he’d only come in second.

Meanwhile, the three young men were still in their dazed, foolish state, swiping at the imaginary ”stars” in front of them, blissfully unaware of the death creeping closer.

”Please, let the Queen enjoy the feast,” Ivy continued, bowing slightly.

”Queen?” Ethan’s brow furrowed at the strange title. It felt off, but after a moment’s thought, he figured it might be because the fake ”him” was the fungal hive’s mother organism.

The so-called Queen was just about to make its move on the three men, ready to claim its meal. Ethan, however, wasn’t about to let his potential leads—or the fungus’s food supply—be snatched away.

He stepped out of the shadows, dropping his stealth entirely. His figure emerged from the darkness of the forest, standing tall and unyielding.

”Hm?” The mutated fungus immediately sensed his presence.

”We have an intruder…” The Queen turned its head, locking eyes with Ethan.

For a moment, the two Ethans stared each other down, their gazes sharp and unrelenting.

The fake Ethan’s expression twisted into something feral and aggressive. Without hesitation, it lunged at him.

Ethan’s eyes glinted coldly. In an instant, his Domain of the Dead unfolded, a wave of oppressive energy rippling outward like a tidal surge.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Several nearby trees exploded into splinters under the sheer pressure. The mimics froze mid-motion, as if someone had hit pause on their movements.

Amid the flying debris of grass and wood, Ethan drew his tachi. Flames erupted along the blade, roaring to life as he swung it forward in a single, decisive slash.

WHOOOSH—

The blade cut through the air with a mournful hum, slicing cleanly through several of the humanoid figures. They didn’t bleed; instead, a white, spore-like substance scattered into the air. But as soon as it touched the flames, it ignited with a crackling pop-pop-pop, burning fiercely.

The remaining mimics recoiled, their expressions flickering with fear.

”They’re afraid of fire,” Ethan noted, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

He surged forward, his tachi slashing in wide arcs, setting the forest ablaze as he went. The once-dark woods were now illuminated by the bright, flickering glow of firelight.

The Queen’s expression darkened, its brows furrowing in frustration. It quickly summoned reinforcements.

The red tumors scattered throughout the forest began to writhe and shift, merging together to form humanoid shapes—or even animals. A swarm of fungal creatures, ranging from tiny rats to massive black bears, charged at Ethan all at once.

But despite their numbers, these creatures were weak. They were no match for Ethan’s Domain of the Dead. The moment they stepped into its range, the overwhelming pressure crushed them into nothing but pulp. They posed no real threat.

However, amidst the chaos of battle, something unexpected happened.

In the distance, Sam and the other two young men began to stir. They shook their heads, their eyes clearing as they snapped out of their hallucinations. The noise and commotion of the fight had jolted them back to reality.

”What… what’s going on?” the youngest of the three asked, his voice filled with confusion. He looked around, dazed, as if he’d just woken from a long dream.

Sam’s face twisted with urgency. ”Ivy! Where’s Ivy?!”

”Ivy? Are you kidding me? We’ve been played!” the scruffy man roared, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

Though the three of them had broken free from the hallucination, their bodies were already parasitized. Their life force was draining rapidly, leaving them weaker by the second.

”This…” Sam’s gaze locked onto the scene ahead. Through the flames, he saw a figure burning—a figure with half its body consumed by fire. But even with only half a face remaining, he could still recognize her.

It was Ivy.

”Is she… really dead?” Sam’s eyes went hollow, his face etched with profound sorrow. But as his gaze shifted to the monstrous fungal creatures in the firelight, his expression twisted into one of fury.

”It’s your fault! You killed Ivy!” he screamed, his voice cracking with rage.

”Kill them!” he roared, charging forward with reckless abandon.

…