Apocalypse: King of Zombies

This is way too easy, isn’t it?

Locomotive shook his head, feeling a bit lighter, as if a weight had been lifted.

”Heh heh heh, I’m good now…”

His face lit up with surprise and relief, as though a massive boulder had been removed from his chest. Ever since he had gained sentience, he had never felt this at peace.

Locomotive was completely in awe of Ethan’s methods. He thought to himself, Man, this guy’s a really decent zombie.

”Thanks, boss.”

”No problem,” Ethan replied casually.

Just then, in the distant sky, a few small dots appeared, buzzing as they flew closer. It was clear that Genesis Biotech’s drones had tracked them down.

On the streets below, hundreds of humans began to gather. They were dressed in matching combat uniforms, armed with alloy weapons that gave off a sleek, high-tech vibe. Honestly, they looked pretty badass.

Leading the group was a young man with short, spiky hair that stood up like steel needles, giving him a sharp, no-nonsense appearance. This was Alexander, one of the so-called Four Knights of Bernardino.

”Stay alert, everyone. We’re entering zombie territory,” Alexander warned.

”What’s there to be scared of? Zombies are under our control anyway,” a female team member chimed in confidently.

Alexander shot her a glance. ”Tessa, you’re skilled in every way, but you’re way too cocky sometimes. I’ve told you this before.”

”Oh, and am I wrong?” Tessa retorted, pouting slightly, clearly not convinced.

Alexander sighed and continued, ”The apocalypse is full of dangers. The battlefield changes in an instant. One careless move, and you’re dead. The only reason I’ve survived this long is because of one thing: caution.”

”Yeah, I think the captain’s got a point,” another young man in the group agreed. ”Tessa, you should listen to Captain Alexander. He knows what he’s talking about.”

As they moved closer to the train station, zombie figures began to appear in the distance. Though still far away, the zombies could already smell the humans. Their faces twisted with rage, and they let out guttural growls, ready to pounce.

”Hmm? Something feels off about these zombies today,” one of the team members muttered. ”They’re not acting like they usually do. Could it be that our Zombie King got taken out?”

”No idea. Let’s go check it out,” Alexander said, leading the group forward.

They stepped fully into the train station area, and the zombies began to converge. Many of them were elites, emerging from street corners or crawling out of windows in nearby buildings. Like spiders, they clung to the walls with all four limbs, their faces contorted with fury as they snarled down at the humans below.

”Well, well, aren’t they bold today? Do they think they can rebel or something? Tell your Zombie King to come out and meet me!” Tessa shouted fearlessly at the zombies.

Before long, Locomotive strolled out from the distance. With the bomb removed from his body, he looked unusually relaxed, swaggering as he walked, his steps exaggerated and carefree.

Behind him followed a group of elite zombie underlings. ”Oh, look who it is—humans. What brings you to my turf?” Locomotive asked, his tone dripping with mock politeness.

”We’re looking for a zombie that escaped from the lab. Have you seen it?” Alexander asked, his sharp gaze fixed on Locomotive. Something about this Zombie King felt… off.

Locomotive nodded. ”Yeah, I’ve seen it.”

”Where?” Alexander pressed, his tone serious.

But Locomotive just smirked. ”I’m not telling you.”

”You—” Tessa’s temper flared instantly, her face twisting in anger. ”A measly B-class Zombie King dares to talk to us like this? Do you want me to kill you right now?”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a remote control, her expression full of menace.

Locomotive eyed the device and feigned terror. ”Oh no, I’m so scared!”

”Hmph! Now you’re scared? Then spill it—where’s the lab’s zombie?” Tessa demanded, a smug grin spreading across her face.

Locomotive nodded. ”Alright, I’ll tell you.”

The humans leaned in, listening intently, eager for the answer.

Locomotive grinned wider. ”They’re in San Bernardino.”

”What?” The group frowned, realizing they were being played.

Tessa, in particular, was livid. Seeing Locomotive’s smug expression pushed her over the edge. She couldn’t hold back any longer.

”You dare mock us? Die!” she shouted, slamming her thumb down on the remote control.

But instead of an explosion near Locomotive, a series of beeping sounds came from behind them, among their own ranks.

”Huh? What’s going on?”

The squad members quickly turned to look behind them. The beeping sound was growing faster and faster, reaching a fever pitch.

Alexander’s eyes widened as realization struck him.

”Everyone, get out of the way!”

But his warning came too late. Just as the group began to scatter, a massive explosion erupted, flames roaring outward in a violent shockwave.

Four or five people were instantly consumed by the blast, while over a dozen others were hurled through the air like ragdolls.

”This… this can’t be…”

Tessa’s eyes were wide with horror, her face pale. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. The bomb she had triggered… had gone off in the middle of their own team.

How did this happen?

A wave of guilt crashed over her. Did I just… kill my own teammates?

The explosion left a scorched, empty zone in its wake. As the flames began to die down, a tall, slender figure emerged from the smoke, as if stepping out of thin air.

”So, I hear you’ve been looking for me.”

”What?” Alexander’s gaze sharpened as he studied the figure. ”You’re the zombie that destroyed the lab?”

Ethan nodded, not bothering to deny it. ”And you must be Alexander, one of the Four Knights of Bernardino.”

”You even know who I am?” Alexander’s expression flickered with surprise.

Ethan could sense Alexander’s A+ level strength, comparable to Griff’s. Based on the information he’d gathered online, it wasn’t hard to piece together who he was dealing with.

”Of course I know. I always research my targets before I hunt them.”

”Arrogant!” Tessa, already seething with rage, couldn’t hold back any longer. The deaths of her teammates were fresh in her mind, and she was determined to make Ethan pay.

”Die!” she screamed.

Heat radiated from her body as flames ignited in her hands. With a sweeping motion, she unleashed two roaring fire dragons that surged forward, aiming to engulf Ethan in their fiery wrath.

But Ethan didn’t flinch. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, and he remained rooted in place, his expression cold and unbothered. In an instant, the Domain of the Dead expanded outward, an invisible force blanketing the area.

The fire dragons, once fierce and unstoppable, suddenly faltered. Under the crushing weight of Ethan’s power, they flickered and sputtered out, like candles snuffed by a gale.

”What?!” Tessa’s heart sank, her confidence shattered. This attack had always been her trump card, capable of sending Zombie Kings fleeing in terror. Yet now, it had been neutralized as if it were nothing.

Before she could process what had happened, a strange melody began to drift through the air. The hauntingly beautiful music echoed across the city, soft and flowing like a gentle stream.

But instead of calming them, it filled the humans with unease.

”What… what is that sound?” someone muttered nervously.

Then, to everyone’s shock, a few Awakeners—those who had formed Neurocores—began to move. Their bodies stiffened unnaturally, and they started dancing in jerky, unsettling motions, as if puppets on invisible strings.

”Hey! What are you doing?” one of them shouted.

”I don’t know! I can’t stop!” another replied, panic in his voice.

”Somebody help me! Make it stop!”

The scene quickly descended into chaos.

”It’s mind control,” Alexander said grimly, his battle-hardened instincts kicking in. ”Luke, put up a mental barrier. Now!”

”On it!” the young man beside him responded, his psychic energy surging outward like a tidal wave.

But before they could regain control, the zombies around them let out bloodcurdling howls. The sound was primal, feral, like a pack of starving wolves unleashed from their cages.

And then they charged.

Locomotive, standing at the rear, barked out orders to his underlings. ”Attack! Tear them apart!”

His hatred for humans burned hotter than ever.

The explosion had only fueled his fury.

If it weren’t for Ethan removing the bomb from his body earlier, Locomotive knew he’d have been reduced to nothing but chunks of flesh.

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