Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The zombie horde surged forward, colliding head-on with the lizard-like monsters. Claws tore through flesh, teeth sank into bone, and the battlefield echoed with the guttural roars of the undead and the anguished cries of the beasts.

The forest descended into utter chaos.

Blood splattered everywhere, severed limbs littered the ground, and even the air seemed to take on a crimson hue, transforming the scene into something straight out of a hellish nightmare.

Amidst the carnage, Ethan’s elite squad of 500 warriors stood out as the most ferocious. Their cells were hyperactive, their bones unnaturally dense, and many of them had developed sharp bone spikes protruding from their bodies.

They tore through the battlefield like unstoppable war gods, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.

”Damn, they’re this strong?” The Azure Scaled Zombie King frowned, his expression darkening as he observed the enemy. The level of evolution these zombies had achieved was far beyond anything he’d anticipated. His own territory by the coast was rich in resources, allowing him to raise countless elite creatures.

But how had the other side managed this?

To make matters worse, there were several powerful zombie kings among Ethan’s forces.

In the dense jungle, however, Sprout had the home-field advantage.

”Endless Growth!” Sprout’s voice rang out, calm but commanding. In an instant, vines erupted from the ground around him, growing at an insane rate and blotting out the sky. The green tide surged forward, swallowing Aqua Zombies and lizard monsters alike. The vines pierced through flesh, draining their victims dry and leaving behind shriveled husks.

Some vines climbed up the trees, hoisting Aqua Zombies into the air. The forest soon resembled a grotesque hanging ground, the sight chilling to the bone.

Meanwhile, Shroom’s spores spread far and wide, targeting any creature in their path. The spores latched onto their victims, rapidly parasitizing them and sprouting clusters of grotesque red tumors. The tumors writhed and merged, forming mimics that joined the fray.

Though the mimics weren’t particularly strong, they were disturbingly lifelike, sowing confusion and disrupting the enemy’s coordination.

Among the chaos, Snowy, the zombie tiger, was on an absolute rampage.

Having absorbed Ethan’s blood, Snowy had started at a solid B+ rank. After devouring flesh and basking in the light of the Radiant Crystal, its power had skyrocketed in just a few months, nearing A+ rank.

Snowy was the embodiment of the phrase ”a tiger among sheep.” With a single swipe of its massive paw, it unleashed a force of several tons, smashing monsters into pulp. Its tail lashed out like a steel whip, effortlessly snapping bones with each swing.

On another part of the battlefield, Bulldozer was locked in a brutal clash with the Brutal Iguana Zombie King. These two powerhouses had faced off before, and their rivalry burned hotter than ever.

”ROAR—!”

The two roared ferociously, grappling and trading blows like primal beasts. Each punch landed with bone-crushing force, the sound of flesh meeting flesh reverberating through the forest.

Overall, Ethan’s forces held the upper hand, dominating the battlefield with overwhelming strength.

But the tide wasn’t entirely in their favor. Parasitic monsters continued to pour in from all directions, working in eerie harmony with the Azure Scaled Zombie King’s forces. They specifically targeted Ethan’s zombie horde, their coordination unnervingly precise.

The Azure Scaled Zombie King’s minions, the Aqua Zombies, were distinct with their webbed fingers and toes, making them easy for the parasitic monsters to identify and avoid.

The parasites had one ultimate goal: Ethan. More specifically, they wanted the Radiant Crystal.

”Hand over the Radiant Crystal, and we’ll leave. We won’t interfere in your fight,” snarled a fully-formed humanoid parasite, its voice dripping with malice.

Ethan barely spared it a glance. ”Oh? Then I guess you’re staying.”

With that, his terrifying Domain of the Dead expanded, engulfing the creature in an instant. Flames erupted as he charged forward, wielding his blazing tachi. One swift slash, and the parasite was reduced to ash.

But more parasites kept coming, relentless and unafraid of death.

Behind Ethan, the ground trembled and rumbled. Towering bio-monsters emerged, led by Aaron, their presence radiating pure, unbridled fury. They stood shoulder to shoulder, forming an impenetrable wall of flesh and muscle. Like living tanks, they advanced, crushing the parasitic monsters beneath them.

The battle raged on, growing fiercer by the second. The chaos reached a fever pitch, the forest becoming a maelstrom of blood and violence.

The Azure Scaled Zombie King watched the battlefield intently, his expression grim.

His forces were losing ground. The enemy’s level of evolution was simply too high, and he himself wasn’t confident he could take on Ethan.

”Should I retreat?” he muttered to himself, hesitation flickering in his eyes.

But just as he wavered, the ground in the distance began to quake violently. A suffocating aura of malice swept across the battlefield as over twenty towering figures emerged from the horizon.

Their appearances were grotesque, their faces twisted with fangs and malice. Every single one of them was a bio-monster.

At the forefront stood a particularly massive figure, its presence dominating. The air around it shimmered with spatial distortions, and its aura was nothing short of terrifying.

”Keh keh keh… looks like I showed up just in time.” A raspy, mocking laugh escaped the towering bio-monster’s mouth as he led over twenty hulking monstrosities straight toward Ethan’s elite zombie forces.

These creatures weren’t just mindless brutes—they still retained the abilities of human Awakeners, making them exceptionally dangerous. Every movement they made carried devastating power, capable of crushing zombies with ease.

”What the…?” The Azure Scaled Zombie King raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard by the sudden arrival. But as he observed the situation, a flicker of realization crossed his face. These monsters weren’t enemies—they were allies.

The lead bio-monster bared its fangs, its beady eyes locking onto Ethan with a look of pure hatred. Without hesitation, it charged forward, its massive fists glowing with spatial energy. The air around its punch warped and twisted, as if a falling star was about to crash down.

Ethan’s Domain of the Dead flared to life, its oppressive energy pushing back against the spatial distortion. With a quick sidestep, he narrowly avoided the incoming blow.

”BOOM!”

The monster’s fist slammed into the ground, unleashing a deafening shockwave. Trees snapped like twigs, rocks shattered, and a cloud of dust and debris erupted into the air.

Ethan raised a single hand, his Domain of the Dead rippling outward. The swirling dust froze mid-air, then fell harmlessly to the ground, as if gravity itself had been momentarily suspended.

”This fight’s getting messy,” Ethan muttered under his breath, brushing some dirt off his sleeve. ”Almost ruined my outfit.”

He glanced up at the bio-monster, his sharp eyes assessing its strength. ”Not bad,” he admitted, though his tone was more curious than impressed.

The bio-monster sneered, its voice like grinding stones. ”What’s the matter? Don’t recognize me?”

Ethan tilted his head, studying the creature with mild interest. ”Should I?”

”Griff,” the monster growled, its tone dripping with venom. ”Ring any bells?”

Ethan’s expression didn’t change, though he squinted slightly, as if trying to jog his memory. ”Griff… Griff…” He repeated the name, then shrugged. ”Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell.”

”You—!” Griff’s fury erupted like a volcano. His massive fist clenched, veins bulging as he roared, ”Die, you bastard!” He lunged forward, swinging his fist down with enough force to split the earth.

Ethan didn’t bother dodging this time. Instead, he stepped forward, meeting the attack head-on. His own fist shot out, a blur of raw power. It was like a dragon breaking free from its chains, carrying an overwhelming force that seemed to shake the very air.

”BOOM!”

The two fists collided, unleashing a shockwave that rippled across the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked and caved in, forming a crater from the sheer force of the impact.

Ethan’s slender frame looked almost fragile compared to Griff’s hulking bio-monster form, but the result of their clash told a different story. The spatial energy surrounding Griff’s punch shattered like glass, and the massive creature was sent stumbling backward, skidding over a hundred feet before regaining its footing.

Griff’s arm trembled, a numbing pain shooting up his forearm. He clenched his jaw, his sharp teeth grinding together in frustration. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

He was Griff, one of the so-called Four Knights of Bernardino. Before his transformation, he had been an A+ rank Awakener, a force to be reckoned with. After injecting himself with the G-virus, he had broken past the limits of S-rank, becoming something far more powerful. Or so he thought.

”Still not enough?” Griff muttered through gritted teeth, his rage boiling over. His mind burned with the memory of his failure—the moment his poor decisions had cost the lives of his entire team. The guilt had consumed him, driving him to the brink of madness. He had sworn to do whatever it took to avenge them, even if it meant sacrificing his humanity.

Even if it meant becoming this… thing.

His claws dug into the earth as he steadied himself, his eyes blazing with hatred. ”I’ll drag you into the abyss with me, Ethan,” he snarled, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and desperation. ”Even if I have to become a monster to do it!”

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