Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Let them fight. The more chaotic, the better...” Dave stood silently with his crew from the Black Hand Legion, watching the scene unfold with cold detachment.

The mutated rats weren’t particularly strong yet, given their recent transformation, but their sheer numbers overwhelmed Genesis Biotech’s forces.

Two armed guards were dragged down, their screams piercing the air before they were swallowed by the writhing black tide of rodents. Moments later, as the swarm dispersed, all that remained were two skeletal corpses, stripped clean.

”We need to find their Rat King,” Samantha said, her sharp gaze scanning the battlefield.

If they could kill the Rat King and retrieve the Radiant Crystal, the rest of the rats wouldn’t matter. They were just cannon fodder.

It didn’t take long for her to spot it—a massive rat, nearly 15 feet long, perched on a large tree. Its fur was matted with the blood of other animals, giving it a grotesque and menacing appearance. The creature’s body emitted a faint, shimmering glow, a sign of its rapid growth from devouring flesh.

”That’s the one!” Samantha shouted, her voice firm and commanding.

One of her teammates reacted instantly, raising a hand. A stream of pale blue energy surged forward, encasing the giant rat in a shimmering sphere of water.

”Water Prison, activated!”

Samantha didn’t waste a second. With a single step, she launched herself forward like a predator on the hunt. As an A-rank Speed Awakened, her movements were a blur, leaving afterimages in her wake as she closed in on the Rat King.

”Squeeeak!”

Sensing the danger, the Rat King let out an ear-piercing screech. In response, countless rats leapt from the trees, forming a living wall to block Samantha’s path.

Without hesitation, Samantha drew her blade. Her katana flashed through the air, slicing with such speed that it seemed to vanish, leaving only a whirlwind of afterimages. The rats in her way were shredded instantly, their blood and flesh spraying in all directions.

Step by step, she pushed forward, carving a path through the swarm. The ground behind her was littered with mangled rat corpses, and she was closing in on the Rat King.

”Time to die!” Samantha thought, a flicker of triumph in her eyes as she raised her katana for the killing blow.

But not far away, the Black Hand Legion was watching closely, their expressions darkening.

”She’s stronger than I thought...” one of them muttered.

”Of course she is. She’s an A-rank Speed Awakened. Aside from the Four Knights of Bernardino, she’s one of the best out there.”

”So what now? She’s about to take out the Rat King!”

”...”

Dave’s eyes narrowed as he observed the scene. A cold, murderous intent began to radiate from him. There was no way he was going to let Samantha claim the Radiant Crystal. If she got her hands on it, they’d never be able to catch her—not with her speed.

”Move in!” Dave barked.

At his command, the Black Hand Legion sprang into action, charging toward the fray.

Samantha, still focused on the Rat King, didn’t notice the danger closing in. Her katana gleamed as she prepared to strike. But just as she was about to deliver the fatal blow, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through her head, like needles piercing her brain. A psychic attack had blindsided her.

”Ahhh!” she cried out, clutching her head as her vision went black. Her body wavered before collapsing to the ground.

The surrounding rats seized the opportunity, swarming toward her in a frenzy.

Fortunately, her teammates reacted quickly. They rushed forward, cutting down the rats and pulling Samantha to safety.

”Samantha! Are you okay?” one of them asked, his voice filled with concern.

”I... I’m fine,” she replied, though her pale lips and dazed expression said otherwise. The psychic attack had left her shaken, and she wouldn’t recover immediately.

As she struggled to regain her composure, her eyes darted toward the commotion. That’s when she saw them—Dave and his Black Hand Legion charging into the battlefield. Her heart sank, and her face twisted in alarm.

”Damn it! It’s an ambush.”

”Heh, you’re dead meat now!” one of the Black Hand members sneered.

The Black Hand Legion was infamous for their brutality and madness. They didn’t discriminate in their slaughter—whether it was Genesis Biotech personnel or the mutated rats, anything in their path was fair game.

The battle escalated into utter chaos, the violence and bloodshed reaching new heights.

Samantha’s brow furrowed as she tried to piece it all together. She hadn’t expected the Black Hand Legion to show up, but it didn’t take long for her to figure out their motive.

”There’s a mole!”

The Black Hand Legion tore through the battlefield like a storm, cutting down over ten Genesis Biotech operatives in mere moments. Victory was within their grasp.

”Make sure to capture Samantha alive,” Dave growled, his voice dripping with malice. ”She’s been a thorn in our side in San Bernardino for way too long.”

One of his men grinned wickedly. ”Oh, don’t worry. We’ll make sure she gets a taste of the Black Hand Legion’s... hospitality before we finish her off.”

The Black Hand Legion had the upper hand, boasting twenty Awakeners with crystal cores, while Genesis Biotech only had five, plus two dual-ability cyborgs. And with the element of surprise on their side, the outcome was almost inevitable.

If it weren’t for the fact that Genesis Biotech had a few A-rank fighters, they’d have been wiped out already.

The armed personnel were faring even worse, falling one after another, their bodies littering the ground.

But amidst the chaos, one corner of the battlefield stood out.

A frost-type Awakener from the Black Hand Legion raised his hand, conjuring a sharp icicle that shot forward and impaled a Genesis Biotech soldier.

The soldier didn’t fall.

No blood spilled.

He just stood there, motionless, staring blankly at the frost Awakener.

”What the...?” The frost Awakener frowned, confused. Why wasn’t this guy going down?

Unsettled, he decided to test it further.

He yanked out the icicle and stabbed the soldier again. And again.

Still, the man didn’t budge. His lifeless eyes remained fixed on the frost Awakener, and a strange, unsettling grin spread across his face. Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth as if he were... excited.

”What the hell...”

A chill ran down the frost Awakener’s spine. Something was very, very wrong.

Before he could react, a massive mutated rat leapt from a nearby tree, landing squarely on the soldier’s head. The rat bared its fangs, ready to tear into the man’s skull.

But then, the soldier’s mouth opened wide—unnaturally wide.

A tentacle shot out, piercing the rat clean through. The creature squealed in agony as the tentacle coiled around it and dragged it back into the soldier’s gaping maw.

The man didn’t even chew. He just swallowed the rat whole.

”I can’t hold back anymore...” the soldier muttered, his voice guttural and alien.

”W-what the hell?!”

The frost Awakener’s eyes widened in horror. Even the notoriously ruthless Black Hand Legion members froze, stunned by what they were witnessing.

And then, the soldier’s mouth split open.

It didn’t just open—it split, peeling back into four sections like a grotesque flower. Before the frost Awakener could scream, the soldier lunged forward, biting down on his head with a sickening crunch.

The frost Awakener’s headless body crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath it. The scene was beyond brutal—it was monstrous.

And this wasn’t an isolated incident.

All across the battlefield, other Genesis Biotech soldiers began to reveal their true forms. They had been parasitized by horrifying creatures, and now their bodies were splitting open, sprouting writhing tentacles that lashed out at anything nearby.

Some of the parasites burst out of their hosts entirely, seeking new victims to infest.

The battlefield, already a bloodbath, descended into pure nightmare fuel. What had been a brutal fight now became a scene of unspeakable horror.

Even the mutated rats hesitated, their primal instincts screaming at them to stay away.

The parasitic creatures were something else entirely—something that inspired a deep, instinctual fear.

”What... what the hell is this?!”

Dave and Samantha both froze, their faces pale. Neither of them had ever seen anything like this before. Fear gripped them both.

”What are these things?”

But there was no time to dwell on it. Both of them instinctively turned their eyes toward the Rat King.

The only way out of this nightmare was to grab the Radiant Crystal and get the hell out of there. Staying any longer was suicide.

Without a word, they both charged toward the Rat King.

”It’s mine!” Samantha’s speed was unmatched. In the blink of an eye, she was at the Rat King’s side.

But Dave wasn’t about to let her win. His psychic energy surged forward, enveloping her in a mental assault.

Samantha had been expecting it, but even so, the sharp pain in her head made her falter. Her vision blurred for a split second.

”Hand it over!” Dave roared, closing in fast.

”ROAR!”

The parasitic creatures screeched, drawn to the Radiant Crystal like moths to a flame. Their tentacles shot out in all directions, a writhing mass of death and destruction converging on the Rat King.

”Squeak! Squeak!”

The mutated Rat King looked around frantically, its beady eyes filled with panic. It seemed to realize that everyone—human, rat, and parasite alike—was after it.

For a moment, it just froze, as if thinking, What the hell is wrong with all of you?!

But Samantha wasn’t about to let anything stop her. As an A-rank Speed Awakener, she was a master at snatching things in the heat of chaos.

Ignoring the stabbing pain in her head, she raised her katana and slashed the Rat King in half with a single, precise strike.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and the Rat King’s organs spilled out onto the ground. Among the carnage, a radiant, glowing crystal shot into the air.

”So that’s the Radiant Crystal...” Samantha muttered, her eyes locking onto it.

But she wasn’t the only one.

Dave, the Black Hand Legion members, and even the parasitic creatures all turned toward the crystal, their movements eerily synchronized.

For a split second, time seemed to slow down. The chaos around them faded into the background as everyone focused on the glowing prize.

Thinking fast, Samantha grabbed the crystal mid-air and hurled it toward one of her teammates.

”Catch it!!!”

...