Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At that moment, Dreadkelp stood frozen in place, an unsettling feeling creeping over him.

Bonefin had gone silent too…

”What the hell is going on?”

A wave of unease surged in his chest. Maybe… this was something he needed to report to the boss.

Just as Dreadkelp was mulling it over, he suddenly sensed a strange presence.

His plant-based perception was razor-sharp.

Lifting his gaze, he spotted a tall, lean figure approaching.

”Who is that…?”

Ethan walked forward at an unhurried pace, his expression calm, his eyes fixed on the zombie ahead. Taking in its appearance, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, ”Isn’t this just… seaweed?”

Dreadkelp’s unease intensified, and it didn’t take him long to piece things together. Bonefin and the zombie horde hadn’t returned—most likely, they’d been taken out by this guy.

This wasn’t some minor skirmish on the outskirts. This was a full-on invasion by the Zombie King.

”ROAR—”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Dreadkelp let out a guttural roar.

”You dare invade our territory? You’re dead meat!”

At the same time, the seaweed on his head began to grow wildly, snaking out like countless writhing serpents, surging forward to engulf everything in sight.

Ethan’s gaze swept across the scene, now completely overtaken by the seaweed.

A crimson glow flickered in his eyes. The Domain of the Dead unfurled once more, its immense pressure rippling outward, freezing the surrounding space in an instant.

The seaweed halted abruptly, then shattered into countless fragments.

But from the alleys and streets nearby came the sound of frenzied footsteps. One terrifying face after another emerged—clearly, Dreadkelp’s roar had summoned more zombies from the area.

In no time, Ethan’s tall figure was surrounded by both zombies and the relentless seaweed.

But his Domain of the Dead was overwhelmingly powerful.

The zombies couldn’t even get close. Their only purpose seemed to be to slightly ease the pressure on the Domain.

With a wave of his hand, Ethan summoned a tachi. Heat radiated from the blade as flames roared to life.

Slash!

His blade swept out, flames surging in its wake.

The fire, a natural counter to the Aqua Zombies, tore through them effortlessly. Their bodies ignited, crackling and hissing as smoke billowed into the air.

The seaweed, too, caught fire, the flames spreading rapidly, racing toward Dreadkelp.

”Damn it!”

Dreadkelp gritted his teeth, pouring more energy into his attack. The seaweed continued to grow wildly, fighting back against the flames.

Maybe… maybe he didn’t need to kill this guy. If he could just hold out long enough, the boss would surely notice the commotion here.

And sure enough…

From the waterlogged depths of the city, a deafening chorus of zombie roars erupted, shaking the very air. The sound boomed across the city, so loud it seemed to stir the winds and clouds.

Moments later, the entire city began to tremble.

”Now this… this is gonna be big,” Ethan muttered, his gaze shifting toward the heart of the city. There, he saw an enormous wave rising, hundreds of feet high, forming a massive tsunami.

But what was truly terrifying was what lay within the wave—countless zombies, packed so densely they seemed endless. The sheer scale of it was staggering, a scene straight out of a nightmare.

This apocalyptic display was something even Ethan’s Domain of the Dead couldn’t withstand. His best option was to leave before the wave reached him.

”Hmph! Just wait for your death,” Dreadkelp sneered, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his lips. His boss would be here any moment now.

Ethan, however, remained unfazed, his gaze steady and calm.

”With the time I’ve got, killing you will be more than enough.”

In the next instant, he unleashed his Domain of the Dead to its full extent. The overwhelming pressure surged outward indiscriminately, causing the crumbling buildings on either side to collapse into dust, disintegrating into rubble and debris.

The area around Ethan became a zone of pure destruction.

As for the zombies caught within the domain? There was no need to elaborate. They were crushed instantly, their limbs torn apart, blood and flesh splattering in every direction.

Ethan stomped his foot down, the sheer force of it sending shockwaves through the street. Cracks spiderwebbed outward, splitting the ground beneath him.

Amid this apocalyptic scene, Ethan bent his knees and launched himself into the air. His body shot forward like a cannonball, hurtling straight toward Dreadkelp. Wherever he passed, it was as if a storm had descended—disaster followed in his wake.

Dreadkelp’s seaweed tendrils were utterly useless. They shredded like paper, scattering into fragments that rained down around him.

Ethan, cloaked in the terrifying aura of his Domain of the Dead, closed the distance in an instant.

Dreadkelp stood frozen, unable to move a muscle under the crushing, mountain-like pressure. His eyes were wide, the ferocity in them quickly giving way to fear.

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

A primal sense of danger exploded in Dreadkelp’s mind, the realization of his impending death sinking in. He couldn’t comprehend how such a terrifying creature could exist in this world.

But the next second, the flaming blade was upon him. The searing heat made every pore on his body feel like it was being stabbed with needles.

Ethan’s blade came down in a single, decisive slash. The edge tore through Dreadkelp’s neck, the sound of bone grinding against metal echoing in the air. The once-writhing seaweed tendrils shriveled, withered, and rotted away in an instant.

Dreadkelp was dead.

Ethan lifted his gaze, scanning the horizon. In the distance, the massive tsunami was drawing closer, the deafening roars of the zombies within it growing louder and louder.

The wave swept through the ruined city, toppling what remained of the crumbling skyscrapers, reducing them to rubble and debris.

”Time to go…” Ethan muttered.

With a flicker of movement, his figure vanished into thin air.

Only moments later, the colossal wave crashed down. Endless seawater surged through the streets, sweeping up the shattered remains of the dead. The water turned a deep crimson, littered with floating limbs and mangled corpses.

From the blood-soaked waters, countless feral zombies began to rise, their grotesque faces twisted into snarls, their guttural roars echoing like the cries of hell’s messengers.

Amid the dense horde of zombies, the towering figure of the Azure Scaled Zombie King stood tall.

His crimson-yellow eyes scanned the scene, radiating a violent, oppressive aura. His gaze landed on Dreadkelp’s headless corpse, bobbing lifelessly in the water.

The area reeked of burnt flesh, the charred remains of the battlefield still smoldering.

Dreadkelp was dead. Bonefin was dead.

He had lost two of his strongest subordinates.

Beside him, Zombie Fetus tilted its head, its pitch-black eyes swirling with dark mist as it surveyed the carnage.

”Someone actually dared to come here, kill our own, and set the place on fire…” Zombie Fetus hissed.

”It’s probably the Zombie King of Los Angeles,” Azure Scaled speculated, his tone grim. ”He’s strong enough to pull this off.”

Zombie Fetus’s brows furrowed, hatred flaring in its chest. Ethan was one of its sworn enemies—he had conspired with humans to kill the mother that had once fed it.

”Then why aren’t you storming Los Angeles to kill him?” Zombie Fetus snapped.

”The time isn’t right,” Azure Scaled replied, his anger simmering but still under control.

Zombie Fetus was visibly frustrated. ”When will the time be right? What are you waiting for?”

”Our advantage is in the water,” Azure Scaled explained, his tone measured. ”If we go ashore in Los Angeles, it’ll be much harder to win.”

Zombie Fetus clenched its teeth, unwilling to let it go. ”So we’re just going to let this slide?”

”What else do you suggest?” Azure Scaled shot back.

”…” Zombie Fetus was at a loss for words, staring at him in disbelief. This guy’s such a coward, it thought bitterly. Unable to hold back, it muttered in a mocking tone, ”One Zombie King, all on his own, dared to invade our territory. He killed Dreadkelp, Bonefin, and over a thousand zombies. When are you going to grow a spine and head to Los Angeles to take out a few Zombie Kings yourself?”

Azure Scaled didn’t respond immediately. He turned to look at Zombie Fetus, his gaze heavy. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

”Are you trying to take my throne?”

…