Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Shrimpy usually went out of his way to avoid these guys, but today, he was being forced to seek them out. Of course, he was terrified. Still… if he didn’t go, he might not even live to see tomorrow.

Ethan spoke up, his tone casual but firm. ”Once the job’s done, I’ll give you back your lobster.”

”…” Shrimpy was speechless. Seriously? Was the lobster really the issue here?

But what choice did he have? He could only nod and agree. Gathering his small crew, they huddled together to brainstorm a plan.

Ethan, on the other hand, wasn’t convinced the situation was clear enough yet. Charging straight into the Azure Scaled territory seemed reckless. It’d be smarter to lure them out instead—and maybe snag a few smaller catches along the way.

With that, Shrimpy and his zombie crew started making their way deeper into the city.

...

The outskirts of the Azure Scaled territory were just as wrecked as the rest of the city. Skyscrapers leaned precariously, some collapsing into others. Walls were draped with seaweed, algae, and other aquatic plants. The streets were littered with bones, crawling with insects, and scattered with the rotting corpses of unidentifiable fish, their bodies slumped in murky puddles.

Zombies roamed the area, their appearances grotesque and their gazes filled with malice. Thin membranes stretched between their fingers and toes, a clear sign of their evolution. These weren’t your average undead—they were Aqua Zombies, and their mutation levels were no joke.

”Yep… that’s the bunch,” Ethan muttered to himself, standing atop a distant skyscraper, his sharp eyes scanning the scene below.

Down on the street, Shrimpy and his crew were inching closer to the edge of the territory. Their steps were slow and hesitant, like prisoners being marched to their execution.

”Ugh, all this trouble over a stupid lobster,” Shrimpy sighed heavily, his frustration clear.

Behind him, his crew shuffled nervously, their fear palpable.

”Shrimpy, are we really going into Azure Scaled’s territory?” one of them asked, his voice trembling.

”What else can we do? Got a better idea?” Shrimpy shot back.

”Well… what if we just, you know, ran for it?” the underling suggested, his tone hopeful.

”Run? Run where? Don’t be an idiot,” Shrimpy snapped, glaring at him. ”And stop calling me Shrimpy. Call me Lobster Hunter.”

”Sure thing, Shrimpy.”

”…”

As the small group of zombies trudged forward, the distant growls of Aqua Zombies reached their ears, growing louder and more agitated. These creatures had sharp senses, and they’d already picked up on Shrimpy’s scent.

Before long, more and more Aqua Zombies began to emerge onto the streets, slowly closing in on Shrimpy and his crew. Among them were some of the more advanced ones—zombies that had evolved intelligence. They didn’t attack right away. Instead, they glared at the newcomers with disdain, low growls rumbling in their throats.

”What are you doing in our territory? Looking to die?” one of them snarled.

”I… I have business here,” Shrimpy stammered, his voice shaking. His eyes darted around, taking in the sheer number of Aqua Zombies surrounding him. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, and their collective presence radiated a chilling, murderous aura.

One of the Aqua Zombies stepped forward, its tone dripping with suspicion. ”We don’t take in defectors.”

”No, no, it’s not that,” Shrimpy said quickly, forcing a nervous smile. ”I’m here to find someone.”

The zombie tilted its head, intrigued. ”Who are you looking for?”

”Uh… Bonefin and Dreadkelp,” Shrimpy managed to say, though his voice cracked halfway through.

The moment the names left his mouth, the Aqua Zombies erupted into furious roars. Bonefin and Dreadkelp weren’t just anyone—they were the rulers of this territory, the undisputed leaders of the undead here. To casually ask for them was nothing short of a provocation.

”You’ve got some nerve, huh? Coming here to stir up trouble?” one of the zombies growled, its eyes blazing with anger.

”No, no, no! I swear, I’m not here to cause trouble!” Shrimpy frantically shook his head, his heart pounding in his chest.

Farther back, behind the crowd of Aqua Zombies, a tall figure stood silently. His skin was a pale gray, but unlike the others, it wasn’t decayed. In fact, he was almost… handsome, if not for the wild, murderous glint in his eyes.

This was Bonefin, one of Azure Scaled’s top enforcers. A Zombie King.

Bonefin was a speed-enhanced zombie, his body mutated from consuming countless fish bones. His skeletal structure had adapted, allowing him to grow sharp, bone-like spines that he could use as weapons. His strength was formidable, nearing an A-rank level of power.

”Looks like we’ve got some zombies trying to stir up trouble,” Bonefin said, narrowing his eyes as he observed the commotion in the distance.

Behind him, the building was overrun with aquatic plants, most notably thick clusters of seaweed. From within this dense tangle, another figure slowly emerged—a zombie whose hair was entirely made of kelp, cascading down like a living curtain. This was no ordinary zombie; it was a fusion of undead and mutated plant life, similar to the ”Sprout” creatures found in Ethan’s territory.

This was Dreadkelp, the other Zombie King tasked with guarding the outskirts of Azure Scaled’s domain.

”Just some small fry from the fringe territories causing trouble,” Dreadkelp said dismissively, his tone calm and uninterested.

”Hmm,” Bonefin grunted in agreement.

Much like Ethan’s territory, it wasn’t uncommon for minor zombie factions to test their luck by causing disturbances. But for someone like Shrimpy? Bonefin couldn’t even be bothered to deal with him personally. This was a waste of his time.

He waved a hand lazily, issuing a casual command. ”Go kill them for fun.”

”ROAR—!”

The Aqua Zombies at the front immediately erupted into a frenzy. They had already been itching to tear Shrimpy apart, and now, with their leader’s permission, they charged forward like a pack of ravenous wolves. Their bloodlust was palpable, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble as they surged ahead.

”Oh my god!” Shrimpy’s voice cracked as he saw the horde barreling toward him. The sheer ferocity of their charge made the entire street quake, and the air was thick with the stench of death.

”Boss! What do we do?!” one of his underlings shouted, panic written all over his face.

”What do you think?! RUN!” Shrimpy screamed, spinning on his heel and bolting as fast as his legs could carry him. He pushed himself so hard that his legs blurred, moving faster than he ever had—even faster than when he was chasing that cursed lobster.

His crew didn’t need to be told twice. They immediately followed suit, their survival instincts kicking in. If there was one thing these fringe zombies excelled at, it was running for their lives.

But the Aqua Zombies weren’t about to let them off so easily. The horde gave chase, relentless and unyielding.

Shrimpy risked a glance over his shoulder, and what he saw made his stomach drop. ”We’re doomed! I didn’t even find Bonefin or Dreadkelp, and now I’ve got an elite zombie horde on my tail! What am I supposed to do?! Is that guy really not coming to help?!”

The horde was no joke. Their collective strength far surpassed that of a typical Zombie King, making them an incredibly dangerous force. To make matters worse, Shrimpy noticed movement on the sides—elite zombies were scaling the crumbling buildings, leaping from ledge to ledge with terrifying agility. They were closing in, preparing to cut off his escape.

”This is bad!” Shrimpy’s panic spiked, and he somehow managed to push himself to run even faster.

...

Meanwhile, Ethan stood atop a distant skyscraper, watching the chaos unfold below. He had sent Shrimpy to find the Zombie Kings, but instead, the little guy had managed to provoke an entire horde of Aqua Zombies.

Ethan’s lips curled into a faint smirk. ”Well… this works too. Might as well kill them all.”

Without another word, his figure flickered and vanished into thin air.

...

On the street below, Shrimpy was still sprinting for his life, his heart pounding in his chest. The thrill of the chase was anything but enjoyable—this was pure terror. The zombies on the rooftops were closing in, their movements eerily fluid as they bounded forward on all fours like rabid dogs.

”HELP!” Shrimpy screamed, squeezing his eyes shut as he let out a desperate cry.

And then, as if answering his plea, a tall, shadowy figure suddenly appeared behind him, stepping between Shrimpy and the oncoming horde.

Ethan.

His crimson eyes glowed faintly, and with a single flash of red light, the Domain of the Dead erupted from him, spreading outward in a wave of overwhelming pressure. The air itself seemed to ripple as the domain expanded, crashing into the horde like a tidal wave.

What happened next was nothing short of astonishing.

The once-ravenous Aqua Zombies froze in place, their bodies locking up as if someone had hit a giant pause button. Then, one by one, they began to explode. Boom. Boom. Boom. Limbs flew, blood sprayed, and the street was quickly transformed into a scene of absolute carnage.

Chunks of flesh and bone rained down, and a thick mist of blood filled the air. The area had become a hellish battlefield, a slaughterhouse where Ethan reigned supreme.

”Wha—?” Shrimpy skidded to a halt, his jaw dropping as he turned to look behind him. What he saw would be burned into his memory forever.

There stood Ethan, alone and unshaken, facing down an entire horde of Aqua Zombies. His expression was calm, almost bored, as if this was just another day for him. The zombies that dared to charge at him were obliterated before they could even get close, their bodies bursting apart like overripe fruit.

Ethan moved methodically, cutting through the horde with terrifying efficiency. Each step he took seemed to claim another dozen lives, and the once-mighty Aqua Zombies were reduced to nothing more than a pile of gore.

...