Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At this moment, Ethan was busy ”settling” the clan members.

He stepped into a small tent where a few children were playing, their laughter filling the air. A woman sat nearby, cradling a baby in her arms, nursing it. The children chattered in a language Ethan couldn’t understand, their words a jumble of unfamiliar sounds.

They weren’t Awakeners—just ordinary humans.

Ethan observed them coldly, his expression unreadable. Without hesitation, he dropped his stealth mode, revealing himself. His Tachi sword gleamed in his hand as he slowly approached.

”Huh?” The children froze mid-play, their laughter dying instantly. They turned to look at him, their faces filled with shock and fear.

”W-who are you?” one of them stammered in Japanese, a language Ethan didn’t comprehend.

”Kids staying up this late? That’s not very well-behaved,” Ethan muttered, his tone devoid of warmth. He raised his blade and, with a swift motion, slashed downward. The sharp edge sliced cleanly through the child’s neck. A wet, sickening sound followed as blood sprayed out, painting the ground crimson.

The child collapsed, eyes closed, as if peacefully asleep.

”Ahhh—!”

The tent erupted in screams. The remaining children and the woman recoiled in terror, scrambling to retreat. The woman, clutching the baby tightly, instinctively shielded the other children behind her like a mother hen protecting her chicks. Her face was pale, her body trembling uncontrollably.

”D-don’t come any closer!” she cried out, her voice shaking. Despite her fear, there was a fierce determination in her eyes—a mother’s instinct to protect her young, no matter the cost.

But Ethan was unmoved. His expression remained cold, his steps deliberate as he advanced toward them, the blade in his hand glinting ominously.

The woman’s legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed to her knees, trembling like a leaf. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, switching to broken English in desperation. ”Please… please don’t kill us. Let us live. I beg you.”

Ethan’s gaze didn’t waver. His face was a mask of indifference, his intent clear. To him, these people were nothing more than ”ingredients” for his mission. Mercy wasn’t part of the equation.

Suddenly, a boy no older than seven or eight stepped forward. A makeshift headband tied around his forehead, he clutched a wooden toy knife in his small hands. His face twisted in a mix of fear and defiance as he charged at Ethan.

”I’ll kill you!” he shouted, his voice trembling but resolute.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, almost amused. ”What a naughty little kid…” he muttered under his breath. With a flick of his wrist, he swung his blade, effortlessly cutting the boy down.

The woman’s eyes widened in horror as she watched the boy’s lifeless body hit the ground. Blood pooled beneath him, spreading like a dark stain. Her lips quivered, and then she broke. Tears streamed down her face as she let out a heart-wrenching wail.

A devil. He’s a devil.

But her grief was short-lived. Ethan moved with mechanical precision, cutting down everyone in the tent without hesitation. By the time he was done, the silence was deafening.

Outside, two patrol guards had heard faint noises coming from the tent. They exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued.

”What’s going on in there? Why are they still awake this late?” one of them asked.

”Probably just the kids playing around again,” the other replied with a shrug. ”They’ve been cooped up for so long, they’re bound to get restless.”

The first guard nodded. ”Still, they need to get some rest. We finally found a safe place. They should take advantage of it.”

”Yeah…” his companion agreed.

The two approached the tent and pulled back the flap. The moment they stepped inside, the metallic stench of blood hit them like a wall.

”What the—?” One of them froze, his eyes widening in horror as he took in the scene.

The bodies of children lay scattered across the ground, blood pooling beneath them. In the center stood Ethan, dressed in white, his Tachi dripping with blood. His handsome face was expressionless, his cold eyes locked onto theirs.

”Shit…” one of the guards gasped, his breath hitching. The sheer brutality of the scene left them paralyzed.

Before they could react, Ethan moved. In a blur of motion, he was upon them. The guards barely had time to register his presence before their heads were severed cleanly from their bodies, their lifeless forms crumpling to the ground.

”Well, that was convenient,” Ethan remarked, his tone as detached as ever. ”Coming straight to me like that… saves me the trouble.”

With a casual wave of his hand, he stored all the bodies into his spatial storage ring, leaving the tent eerily empty.

...

Meanwhile, Ryuji and his group had finished their discussion. They had unanimously decided that after taking down the Zombie King, they would settle in San Bernardino and establish a base there.

With Genesis Biotech providing resources, their clan would grow stronger in no time. In a world like this, individual strength could only take you so far. To truly survive, you needed a community, a faction to call your own.

And for Ryuji, his clan was his faction.

Humans were social creatures, after all.

Living alone, without even a single servant to assist you, was a miserable existence. No matter how strong you were, loneliness was a pain that was hard to endure.

”Miss Sophia is really kind, letting us stay at the camp even though we haven’t completed the mission yet,” one of the Takahashi Family members remarked.

Ryuji nodded in agreement. ”Yes, Genesis Biotech is a powerful organization. Partnering with them is a smart move.”

”We need to take down the Zombie King as soon as possible. I saw the food they served today—there were fresh vegetables!” another clan member chimed in, his voice tinged with excitement.

”Oh?” The others’ eyes widened in surprise.

In the apocalypse, clean vegetables and fruits were nearly impossible to cultivate, making them incredibly rare and valuable. Just the thought of it had them practically drooling.

Ryuji continued, ”Alright, everyone, get some rest and recharge. We’ll move out first thing in the morning.”

”Yes, sir!” the group responded in unison, their voices filled with determination. They stood up and began heading out of the tent.

But the moment they stepped outside, something felt… off.

Why was it so quiet tonight?

And where were the patrols?

The camp had no electricity, so they relied on candles for light. Yet now, even the faint glow of candles in the distance was gone. The tents stood in eerie silence, shrouded in darkness, like rows of looming graves.

Ryuji’s brows furrowed as unease crept into his chest. Something wasn’t right. ”Let’s go check it out,” he ordered.

The group immediately moved forward, their steps cautious as they began inspecting the tents.

Ryuji pulled back the flap of one tent, only to find it completely empty. The ground was littered with a few scattered belongings, but there wasn’t a single person inside.

”Where is everyone?”

”Patriarch… there’s no one here. Where could they have gone?” one of the clan members asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

”Huh? Mine’s empty too,” another called out.

”Patriarch, same here. Could they all have gone to the bathroom together?” someone suggested, though the absurdity of the idea was clear in his tone.

”…”

One by one, they checked several more tents, only to find the same result—empty spaces, scattered items, and no sign of their people.

Ryuji’s expression darkened with every passing moment. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

”Where is everyone?!” he bellowed, his voice echoing through the camp as he shouted into the night. ”Get out here, now!”

A few stragglers emerged from nearby tents, rubbing their eyes groggily. They looked around, confused and disoriented, clearly unaware of what was happening.

”What’s going on?” one of them asked, his voice thick with sleep.

Ryuji’s urgency only grew. He rushed to open more tents, but the results were the same. The belongings were all there, untouched, but the people were gone.

The others began to realize the gravity of the situation. Fear flickered across their faces as they exchanged uneasy glances.

”Where did our clan members go?” someone whispered, his voice trembling.

”I don’t know…”

”Could they have left on their own?” another suggested, though the doubt in his voice was evident.

”Impossible. There aren’t even any footprints around the camp. How could they have left without a trace?”

”This is…”

In the oppressive darkness, their eyes darted around nervously, scanning the shadows. A chilling sense of dread settled over them.

Over a hundred clan members had vanished—without a sound, without a trace.

...