Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Ethan activated the stealth ability of his Domain of the Dead and followed the sound of gunfire, heading deeper into the small town.

He moved silently, like a ghost. Even when he passed right by the zombies, they didn’t notice him at all.

Effortlessly, Ethan slipped through the barbed wire and entered the town.

From a distance, he could already see a makeshift trench formed by sandbags piled high. Two humans were stationed there, rifles propped up on the sandbags, firing at the zombies outside the wire.

On top of the sandbags, a few cigarettes were laid out—clearly, they were betting on their shooting skills.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, observing them closely. He quickly realized these two weren’t ordinary humans. They were Awakeners, individuals who had developed Neurocores—what some called ”cherries.”

Nearby, a crate of weapons bore the unmistakable logo of Genesis Biotech.

It was obvious.

These weapons had been supplied by Genesis Biotech. The two shooters were likely hired guns, temporary workers tasked with clearing out zombies or handling other assignments for the company.

But Ethan could sense more human presences in the town.

Some were sleeping, others eating, a few playing cards for fun. There were even couples chatting, laughing, and dreaming about the future. Altogether, there were over a dozen people in the area, including four more Awakeners who had developed crystal cores.

”San Bernardino really is crawling with humans…” Ethan muttered to himself as he made his way toward the two men competing in their shooting game.

He appeared behind one of them, a skinny guy, his figure slowly materializing out of thin air. But the man was so focused on aiming and firing that he didn’t notice a thing.

”These snacks are way too careless. Low-level players,” Ethan remarked, almost bored.

Without hesitation, he reached out with his hand, his fingers piercing into the man’s skull. With a casual motion, he plucked out the Neurocore. The skinny man’s head slumped forward, and he collapsed onto the sandbags, dead without a sound.

At that moment, the other man had just finished firing his fifth shot.

”Haha! Five for five this time! You’re done for, man. What’s the matter? Too scared to shoot now?” he said, grinning smugly.

But when he noticed the silence beside him, his smile faltered. He turned his head, confused, only to see his partner slumped over the sandbags, completely still.

”Hey, get up! Don’t play dead just because you’re losing. What, can’t handle a little competition?” he said, giving the man a shove.

But the body didn’t respond. Instead, it toppled sideways, hitting the ground with a lifeless thud.

”What the…???”

The man’s eyes widened in shock as he finally realized something was very, very wrong.

”He’s actually dead…”

”Not bad aim you’ve got there,” a calm, magnetic voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

The man froze, his heart skipping a beat. He spun around, only to see a tall figure standing there, seemingly out of nowhere.

His stomach dropped. A wave of dread washed over him.

”Who are y—”

Before he could finish, Ethan’s hand moved in a blur. In one swift motion, he extracted the man’s Neurocore. The shooter crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Ethan worked efficiently, scooping up the bodies and storing them away with practiced ease. The entire process was seamless, like a choreographed routine.

Then, without missing a beat, he turned and headed toward the nearby buildings where more humans were gathered.

The whole thing felt almost casual—like stumbling across a fruit tree during a hike and plucking a couple of wild apples to snack on.

Ethan approached a large house that seemed to be the liveliest spot in the area. Inside, four or five people were sitting around a table, playing cards. In the back, a young couple was cuddled up together, lost in their own little world.

”Honey, it’s the apocalypse, but I still think we should have a wedding. Life needs a little ceremony, don’t you think?” the girl said, tilting her head with a hopeful smile.

”Alright, I’m in,” the guy replied, nodding seriously. ”But only if someone gets us an espresso machine as a wedding gift.”

”Pfft!” The girl burst out laughing, giving him a playful shove. ”The world’s ending, and all you care about is coffee?”

”Well, someone’s gotta keep you caffeinated for all that zombie fighting, right?” he teased, grinning as he leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

The two of them giggled and whispered to each other, dreaming about a future that, to them, still seemed full of possibilities.

Little did they know…

Their time was already running out.

The middle-aged man playing cards turned his head and clicked his tongue.

”Tsk, tsk, can you two stop showing off already? You know what they say—flaunt your love, die fast.”

”Pfft! I’ll flaunt it all I want!” the girl shot back, her face glowing with sweetness. ”Even if I die, I want to die with my Honey.”

Ethan had initially planned to leave the couple alone, not wanting to interrupt their little moment. But when he heard the girl’s words, he began walking toward them, step by step.

”Well, if that’s what you want, who am I to deny such a heartfelt request? I’m just that considerate,” he said with a faint smirk.

He stopped behind the girl, reached forward, and plunged his hand into her skull, extracting her Neurocore with a single, fluid motion.

Her neck went limp, and her head lolled onto the boy’s shoulder. Her eyes closed, and her body stilled completely.

”Huh? Babe, what’s wrong?” the boy asked, his voice tinged with concern.

”Wish granted,” Ethan said calmly.

The boy’s heart sank as he turned to look at her. But before he could fully turn his head, his peripheral vision caught the edge of Ethan’s coat. His world went dark, and he collapsed forward onto the ground.

Ethan had already taken his Neurocore.

”Huh?”

The sound of the couple hitting the floor startled the card players nearby. They all turned to look, only to see the two lovers slumped together, lifeless. Behind them stood a tall, imposing figure that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

He was silent, his presence unnerving. No one had noticed when he’d arrived.

”Crap! We’ve got an intruder!”

”Grab your weapons!”

”Everyone, attack! Take him down!”

The group scrambled to their feet, fumbling for the weapons they carried.

One of them, a short, stocky man wielding a titanium machete, let out a battle cry and charged at Ethan, his face twisted in determination.

Their strength was laughable—barely on par with that of a laborer like Chris. Charging at Ethan was like a moth flying straight into the flames of an erupting volcano.

”Boom!”

The stocky man didn’t even make it halfway before his shouting abruptly stopped. It was as if an invisible force had crushed him mid-charge. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Ethan had used just a sliver of his Domain of the Dead to deal with him.

Seeing how eager the man had been to rush over, Ethan casually stored the body in his spatial storage ring.

”Hiss…”

The remaining humans collectively sucked in a sharp breath, their eyes wide with terror. Realization dawned on their faces.

A Zombie King.

This wasn’t just any infected—it was a Zombie King.

Panic spread like wildfire.

”It’s a Zombie King! Run!”

”We need a crystal-core Awakener to fight him!”

”Quick! Go find the Captain and the others!”

The group erupted into chaos, scattering in every direction. Some bolted for the door, while others, in their desperation, dove headfirst through the windows, shattering the glass in their frantic escape.

But Ethan’s Domain of the Dead had already expanded, spreading outward like a suffocating wave.

The walls of the building groaned before collapsing entirely, crumbling into dust under the immense pressure. Two of the slower humans didn’t even make it out. Their bodies crumpled to the ground, blood seeping from every pore as if they’d been crushed under a massive millstone.

However, Ethan sensed four stronger human presences rapidly approaching. These were no ordinary humans—they were Awakeners who had developed crystal cores.

’Boom!’

Before the four even arrived, a massive fireball descended from the sky, hurtling straight toward Ethan. The heat radiating from it grew more intense with every passing second.

Ethan glanced up, his expression calm. With a flick of his Domain of the Dead, the fireball was deflected, snuffed out as easily as a candle in the wind.

Moments later, four human Awakeners appeared before him.

”Captain! Thank God you’re here!” one of the Neurocore Awakeners from earlier cried out, his face pale with fear. ”That thing—it’s a Zombie King! Please, save me!”

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