Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Zombie King, huh? Don’t panic. Let me check out what kind of abilities he’s got first.”

The middle-aged man leading the group was a psychic-type Awakener. Without hesitation, he unleashed his mental energy, forming a barrier that surged forward to probe the enemy.

It was just a test attack.

But Ethan’s Domain of the Dead continued to spread, unstoppable and overwhelming, shattering the psychic energy like it was nothing and forcing it back into the man’s mind.

”AHHH—!”

The Captain let out a blood-curdling scream, clutching his head as if it were about to explode. The pain was unbearable, his vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious on the ground.

”Uh…???” The rest of the team stared, wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded.

What the hell just happened?

Especially the Awakener who had formed a Neurocore—he was frozen in place, utterly stunned. Just a second ago, the Captain had been telling them not to be afraid, and now he was out cold on the ground?

”This Zombie King is way too strong. We’re not equipped to handle this.”

One of the Awakeners, who had formed a crystal core, finally snapped out of it. His face twisted in panic as he turned to run. He was a speed-type Awakener, and his escape was lightning-fast.

Or at least, it would’ve been.

He barely made it a few steps before his body froze mid-motion. His bones cracked and popped like dry twigs under immense pressure, as if some invisible hand was crushing him. His entire skeleton shattered, and he crumpled to the ground like a broken doll.

”What the…”

The remaining survivors were now utterly terrified.

Everything happening in front of them defied logic. They couldn’t wrap their heads around it. The Zombie King hadn’t even moved, yet their teammates were dropping like flies.

The eerie, suffocating fear weighed heavily on their hearts.

”How… how are they even dying?”

Their confusion didn’t last long. The answer came almost immediately as Ethan’s Domain of the Dead expanded, enveloping the rest of them.

Their bodies grew heavy, like they were being crushed under a mountain. The pressure was unbearable, leaving them no room to resist.

Their fragile physiques couldn’t withstand it. Bones snapped, organs ruptured, and one by one, they collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

The hunt was over.

Ethan stepped forward, calmly collecting the corpses. The area fell silent again, save for the occasional creak of collapsing buildings. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Killing these humans had been child’s play.

The strongest among them was only B+ rank, and one of them had just barely reached B rank after awakening their abilities. They were no threat at all.

Still, this encounter gave Ethan some useful information.

San Bernardino didn’t seem to have any powerful Zombie Kings. If it did, weaklings like these wouldn’t dare to act so arrogantly out in the open.

With Ethan’s current SS rank strength, devouring a B+ rank crystal core was practically meaningless. It was like trying to fill a bottomless pit with a single drop of water. It wouldn’t make any noticeable difference.

He might as well treat it as a light snack.

What Ethan really needed now was a proper ”feast”—hunting down A+ rank or higher Awakeners.

After dealing with the humans, Ethan pulled out his phone and started searching for a signal in San Bernardino.

”Ugh, the internet’s so slow…”

Being in the outskirts, the connection was weak. Eventually, he managed to connect to the San Bernardino branch of Genesis Biotech. The system flagged it as a remote login.

Compared to the Genesis Biotech website in Los Angeles, this one was surprisingly lively.

As soon as he entered the site, a video popped up.

It was Sophia, sitting in her office, recording a message.

”Welcome to the San Bernardino branch of Genesis Biotech. I’m Sophia, the branch director. Our company is equipped with high-level Awakeners and a professional team to ensure your safety. We invite you to seek refuge with us. Genesis Biotech is committed to ending this apocalypse and rebuilding a better world. I’m Sophia, and I’ll work with you to create a future you can believe in.”

”…”

Ethan didn’t even bother analyzing their actual strength. Just Sophia’s face alone was enough to make this the most effective advertisement ever. Her stunning beauty, combined with her cool, commanding aura and obvious wealth, perfectly embodied the ”cold and elegant CEO” archetype that so many men fantasized about.

No wonder she had so many followers. She was practically a goddess to the masses.

”Sophia… please take me in! I’ll be loyal and even warm your bed!”

”You’re my eternal queen!”

”My goddess, I’ll support you forever!”

”…”

Comments like these flooded the page, thousands of them in total. It was clear that Sophia was insanely popular in San Bernardino.

Ethan kept scrolling.

He landed on the Genesis Biotech announcement board.

It was buzzing with activity. They posted updates almost every other day—far more frequently than Nathan had back in the early days.

”Breaking News: The area near the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Bernardino has been completely cleared of zombies. Survivors are encouraged to gather resources there.”

”Our third laboratory has been successfully constructed and is now operational.”

”Bounty: If anyone can capture a C+ or higher elite zombie, you can bring it to our lab in exchange for survival supplies.”

”Good News: Alexander Steele, one of The Four Knights of Bernardino, has successfully hunted down a B+ level Zombie King!”

”The mysterious Inland Center piano-killing incident is currently under investigation. We believe the Operation King Hunt team will resolve it soon.”

”…”

There were dozens of announcements like this.

The comments section was flooded with responses from survivors, most of them excited or hopeful.

Ethan skimmed through the posts, noting that most of them were about victories or progress. It was clear that Genesis Biotech in San Bernardino was very active, far more so than other branches he’d encountered.

”This place is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet,” Ethan muttered to himself.

He started mentally picking out his next targets—high-value ones, of course. For example, The Four Knights of Bernardino, who were apparently on par with Griff, seemed like excellent prey.

And then there were the Genesis Biotech labs. Those were definitely worth a visit. Who knew what kind of goodies they might have inside? Maybe even samples of the X Virus or Y Virus.

Ethan pocketed his phone and left the small town, heading toward the main city.

That was where the real action would be.

...

On the way, he passed countless wandering zombies. Their bodies were in various stages of decay, with large patches of flesh rotted away and skin peeling off. The stench of death hung thick in the air.

The road leading into the city was overgrown with weeds, littered with rusted-out vehicles. Some were so old that cobwebs had taken over, with fist-sized mutant spiders crawling across them.

Scattered among the wreckage were decomposing corpses and piles of sun-bleached bones, surrounded by swarms of buzzing flies.

San Bernardino was still very much a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

As Ethan moved closer to the city, the skyline began to shift. Tall buildings loomed in the distance, their walls covered in vines and moss. From the dark, gaping windows, the low growls of zombies echoed faintly.

Some of the skyscrapers had already collapsed, reduced to rubble. The streets below were a chaotic mess, filled with debris and remnants of a once-bustling city.

The streets were crawling with zombies, but they were low-level ones—mindless and un-evolved, aimlessly wandering around.

San Bernardino County had a population of over two million before the outbreak. Now, more than 80% of that had turned into zombies. Even though Genesis Biotech was strong here, clearing out the entire city was no small task. Most of the urban areas were still overrun.

Ethan walked through the zombie-infested streets without much concern. Soon, he reached the heart of San Bernardino’s downtown area. In the distance, he spotted several small shadows darting quickly through the air.

”Genesis Biotech’s aircraft…” Ethan murmured, narrowing his eyes.

He recognized them immediately. It wasn’t surprising—they were always on the move. With how active Genesis Biotech was, running into them was only a matter of time.

Looking ahead, Ethan noticed a large shopping mall in the distance.

Even from thousands of feet away, his sharp eyes could make out the bold letters above the entrance: Macy’s.

”Let’s see what Genesis Biotech is up to this time…”

...