Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At this moment, Chris was just starting to recover from his injuries. The last encounter with that parasitic creature had really done a number on him—he’d barely escaped with his life.

His shoulder was still wrapped in bandages as he packed up his gear, getting ready to head out. The plan was to forage for some wild vegetables in the mountains or maybe hunt down a few mutated beasts to gather some much-needed supplies.

Nearby, Brandon glanced over and asked, ”Uncle Chris, are you sure you’re okay now? Your injuries…”

”I’m fine, kid. You think your Uncle Chris hasn’t been through worse? I’ve stared death in the face more times than I can count. This? Just a scratch.” Chris waved him off, trying to sound nonchalant.

”Oh… okay…” Brandon nodded, though he couldn’t help but think, Yeah, sure, but you weren’t saying that when you were on the verge of kicking the bucket…

”Still, Uncle, that parasitic thing was no joke. You’ve gotta be more careful next time. Don’t let them get the jump on you again.”

”Relax, Brandon. You think I’d fall for the same trick twice? Not a chance,” Chris declared confidently, puffing out his chest.

Brandon gave him a skeptical nod. ”You know what they say, though—temptation always comes with a price. But hey, live and learn, right? Maybe it’s not all bad in the end.”

”Wait, hold up!” Chris suddenly remembered something. ”Weren’t you gonna introduce me to someone? You know, that online dating thing?”

”…” Brandon was speechless. Seriously? This guy just can’t help himself, can he?

Before Brandon could respond, the tent flap was pulled aside, and a slender figure stepped in. It was Daisy, her delicate features and graceful demeanor immediately catching everyone’s attention.

Chris and the others turned to look at her, their expressions shifting to something… peculiar.

What’s she doing here?

They all knew Daisy, of course, but they weren’t exactly close.

”Uncle Chris, are you heading out?” Daisy asked softly.

”Yeah, I am. Why? Something up?” Chris replied casually, not thinking much of it.

But then Daisy lowered her head slightly, her demeanor suddenly turning shy and hesitant.

”Well… not really. I was just worried about your injuries. And… I also have something personal I wanted to talk to you about.”

”Huh?” Chris froze, staring at her. For a moment, he was completely caught off guard. Daisy’s pretty face, her bashful expression—it all left him a little dazed.

And then there was that word: personal.

His mind started to wander.

Brandon and the others exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Looking at Daisy now, with her flushed cheeks and nervous energy, she seemed like a girl with a crush.

Something about this feels… off.

Chris suddenly winced, clutching his shoulder. ”Ah, ouch! My shoulder’s acting up again. Brandon, you guys go ahead without me this time. I think I need another day to rest.”

As he spoke, he kept shooting Brandon meaningful looks, practically begging him to play along.

”Uh… sure, okay,” Brandon said, though he couldn’t help but feel a little weird about the whole situation.

Chris stood up and walked over to Daisy. ”So, Daisy, what’s on your mind?”

”Actually… ever since I arrived at the shelter, I’ve been… paying attention to you,” Daisy said, her face turning an even deeper shade of red, like a ripe apple.

Chris’s eyes widened, and a wave of excitement surged through him. He couldn’t help but glance back at Brandon and the others, a smug grin on his face as if to say, See? I don’t need your help. The ladies come to me.

Daisy continued, ”Uncle Chris, your shoulder must still hurt, right? How about I help you change your bandages?”

”Yes! Yes, absolutely!” Chris nodded enthusiastically, practically tripping over his words.

The two of them walked out of the tent together, side by side.

Brandon watched them go, still feeling a little baffled.

”Daisy’s not blind, is she? What’s she suddenly seeing in him?”

”Yeah, and isn’t there, like, a huge age gap between them?” one of the teammates chimed in, clearly just as confused.

Another teammate thought for a moment before suggesting, ”Maybe… she’s got daddy issues?”

”Pfft!”

The group couldn’t hold back their laughter. Shaking their heads, they finished packing their gear, strapped on their equipment, and headed out of the tent, ready for their mission.

At the shelter’s exit, Mia and Chloe were waiting with a group of Awakeners, their crystal cores gleaming faintly in the dim light.

When they saw Brandon and his team approaching, Mia called out, ”Is everyone here?”

”Yeah, we’re all set,” Brandon replied. But then he paused, as if remembering something, and added, ”Well, except for Uncle Chris.”

”Oh? Where’s he?” Mia asked, turning back just as she was about to leave.

Brandon scratched his head. ”He was supposed to come, but while he was packing, Daisy came over and pulled him aside.”

”Daisy went to him? On her own?” Mia frowned. In her mind, those two had absolutely no connection.

”Yeah,” Brandon said honestly. ”She suddenly started being all nice to him, said she’d been paying attention to him for a while. Then they left together. Probably off to… you know, talk about life or something.”

Mia stood there in silence for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she muttered, almost to herself, ”What kind of normal person would actually like him?”

”Uh…” Brandon and the others froze, her words hitting them like a bucket of cold water.

And then, as the realization began to dawn on them, their hearts collectively sank.

”Wait… you don’t think…”

…

Those parasitic creatures didn’t understand love. They didn’t even have a concept of human aesthetics. Their actions were purely based on cold, calculated logic—what they deemed effective. But to everyone else? Their behavior often came across as bizarre and downright illogical.

At this moment, Chris and Daisy had entered a private tent. A man and a woman, alone in such close quarters, with an air of ambiguity hanging thick in the atmosphere. The tension was palpable, and the mood was… complicated.

”This must be what they mean by ’surviving disaster brings blessings,’” Chris thought to himself, grinning like a fool. He was practically glowing with self-satisfaction.

In front of him, Daisy had already slipped off her jacket, her movements slow and deliberate.

”Uncle Chris, let me help you change your bandages,” Daisy said softly, stepping closer with each word.

Chris couldn’t help but smile, his ego inflating by the second. ”Oh, there’s really no need. Honestly, I’m already feeling much better. But, Daisy… why have you been paying so much attention to me?”

”Because…” Daisy paused, her voice dropping to a near whisper. ”I like your body.”

Chris’s face flushed red. The words hit him like a freight train. Whoa, that’s… bold. Are all young people this straightforward these days?

”Haha, well, if you like it, I mean… I could let you—”

”Good,” Daisy interrupted, nodding with a smile. But there was something off about her eyes. Beneath the surface of her seemingly sweet expression, a sinister glint flickered. Like a predator watching its prey, she knew her trap had been sprung.

Just as Chris was about to make his next move, something horrifying happened.

Daisy’s abdomen suddenly split open, revealing a grotesque, writhing mass. A long, slimy tentacle shot out with terrifying speed, slicing through the air with a sharp whoosh.

”Wha—?!” Chris froze, his brain struggling to process what he was seeing. The shock hit him like a punch to the gut.

This… this is another monster?!

Before he could react, the tentacle lunged at him. He tried to dodge, but they were too close, and he had been completely off guard. The tentacle moved faster than he could track, piercing straight through his injured shoulder with a sickening squelch.

”ARGH—!” Chris opened his mouth to scream, but before he could, another slimy tentacle wrapped tightly around his face, gagging him.

”Shhh, my little darling,” Daisy cooed, her voice dripping with mock tenderness. Her face twisted into a grotesque smile, equal parts eerie and menacing. ”No need to make a fuss.”

As she spoke, her body began to shift and contort. A pulsating bulge formed along the tentacle, growing larger with each passing second. It was a smaller parasitic creature, wriggling its way toward Chris, ready to invade his body.

”No… no, no, no!” Chris’s muffled cries were filled with desperation. He thrashed against the tentacle’s grip, his entire body trembling with the effort. But it was no use. The creature’s strength was overwhelming, and his struggles only seemed to amuse it.

The bulge crept closer and closer, inch by horrifying inch. Chris’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach. This is it, he thought, despair washing over him like a tidal wave. I’m done for. I’m going to become one of them…

But just as he was about to give in to hopelessness, salvation came crashing through the tent.

With a sharp swish, the tent wall was sliced open, and a gleaming blade cut through the air like lightning. A Tachi—a long, curved sword—sliced clean through the tentacle holding Chris captive.

The severed tentacle recoiled violently, and the parasitic creature it had been transporting fell to the ground with a wet plop. It looked like a grotesque little octopus, its slimy body glistening with mucus. It let out high-pitched squeals, like a rat caught in a trap.

Chris collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from his wounds. He gasped for air, his chest heaving as he tried to process what had just happened. Slowly, he turned his head toward his savior.

And there she was.

Mia stood in the opening of the tent, her sword still gleaming with the remnants of her strike. Her expression was calm, but her eyes burned with a cold, unyielding determination.

The faint light caught her profile, highlighting her sharp features and undeniable beauty.

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