Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”You let him go?” Oliver stared in disbelief. Was this Zombie King really that merciful?

In his mind, Zombie Kings were ruthless, cold-blooded killers who slaughtered without a shred of mercy.

He never imagined Ethan would actually let someone go...

Ethan turned to him, ”Do you know where the Japanese shelter is?”

”I...I have no idea,” Oliver shook his head.

Ethan glanced in the direction Ken had fled, ”We’ll find out soon enough.”

Oliver froze for a second, finally realizing Ethan’s true intentions. This wasn’t mercy at all—he’d let Ken go as bait, planning to reel in a bigger catch.

He wanted to wipe them all out in one go!

Such calculated thinking... it was terrifying!

Earlier, seeing Ethan act so ”kind,” Oliver had even considered asking when he’d be allowed to leave.

Now, he quickly dismissed that thought...

Actually, when Ethan was busy killing the centipede earlier, Oliver had a chance to escape—the aircraft was right there.

But considering its low energy reserves, he knew he’d never make it back to the States.

So he gave up on that idea.

”Where’s your Captain Jacob?” Ethan asked casually.

He’d already learned that the Genesis Biotech operation was led by Jacob, one of the Bernardino Four Riders.

And the Bernardino Four Riders always tasted pretty good.

Oliver shook his head, ”No clue. Captain Jacob said the mission was risky, so he partnered with the Japanese Awakeners. He had them capture mutated creatures and ship them back. He rarely showed himself.”

”He promised the Japanese Awakeners he’d transport them out of here as payment. Once they’re back, the strong ones would be recruited, and the weaker ones would be used directly for human experiments. Either way, it’s a win-win deal.”

Hearing this, Ethan couldn’t help but feel impressed.

Genesis Biotech really lived up to its reputation.

Always profit-driven—Jacob had a sharp business mind.

And Jacob himself was cunning and cautious as hell...

”Alright, let’s go,” Ethan said.

”Where to?”

”Time for an all-you-can-eat buffet,” Ethan replied casually.

Oliver shuddered involuntarily. The thought of a Zombie King’s ”buffet” was terrifying enough to make his skin crawl.

...

After all the chaos, the long night was finally ending. The horizon began to glow softly, the sky shifting into shades of pale blue and white.

Ethan stored away the aircraft with its depleted energy. He wasn’t short on crystal cores anyway—he could recharge it anytime.

Then, he headed off in the direction Ken had fled.

He didn’t even need to track carefully. Ken was injured, leaving a clear trail of blood behind, the scent lingering strongly in the air.

Ethan simply followed the blood trail, knowing exactly where it would lead him.

Ken gritted his teeth, his face twisted in agony. Every step forward sent sharp, stabbing pains through his broken ankle and fractured bones.

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Yet despite the pain, excitement surged through him. He couldn’t believe he’d survived such a nightmare—he was incredibly lucky.

”What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” he muttered to himself, feeling his spirits lift, mirroring the sky above as dawn approached.

Dragging his injured leg, he moved forward cautiously. Behind him, the sun slowly rose, its warm rays scattering the darkness and filling him with a comforting warmth.

Once daylight arrived, the mutated beasts would become less active.

Daytime was far safer than night.

Fortunately, the wasteland was mostly empty, and Ken encountered no trouble along the way.

Their shelter wasn’t far from here, located at the edge of the wasteland. It was strategically placed—safe enough to avoid danger, yet close enough to the forest to gather resources.

Soon, Ken reached a cluster of scattered rocks. He stopped in front of a large stone slab. At first glance, it looked identical to the others around it.

Slowly, painfully, Ken bent down, wincing as the movement tugged at his wounds. He tapped the stone slab lightly with his finger, following a specific rhythm—clearly a secret code.

Listening carefully, one could distinguish the pattern: three long taps, two short taps...

After repeating this sequence a few times, a muffled voice finally responded from beneath the ground.

”Who’s there?”

”It’s me. Hurry up and open the door,” Ken said weakly.

With a grinding sound, the stone slab slid aside, revealing a staircase leading downward.

Clearly, the shelter was built underground.

Standing on the stairs was a short, middle-aged man with a small mustache beneath his nose.

”Ken Ishida?” The mustached man looked shocked. ”Didn’t you go to the Genesis Biotech camp? How’d you end up like this?”

”Don’t even ask...” Ken’s face twisted bitterly.

The mustached man frowned. ”Did Genesis Biotech betray you?”

”No, they’re dead. All of them...” Ken shuddered, still shaken. ”We ran into a Zombie King from America. I’m lucky to even be alive.”

”What?” The mustached man’s eyes widened in disbelief.

An American Zombie King? How could someone like that end up here?

Realizing it wasn’t safe to linger at the entrance, they quickly moved inside. Once Ken entered, the heavy stone slab slid shut again, leaving the rocky landscape looking as barren and deserted as before.

From the outside, nothing seemed out of place.

But moments later, another unexpected visitor arrived...

”Pretty well hidden,” Ethan murmured, approaching slowly. Even standing directly above the shelter, he couldn’t sense any human presence.

The shelter had to be at least 150 feet underground, protected by multiple psychic barriers.

”Should I go in?” Ethan considered. He wasn’t sure how many Awakeners were inside, and it could be risky. But after a moment’s thought, he realized there probably weren’t any strong fighters down there.

If there were, they wouldn’t have needed to cooperate with Genesis Biotech—they could’ve simply stolen the aircraft and escaped.

Besides, Japan’s human population had dwindled drastically. Most strong Awakeners had already fled, like Ryuji, who’d even made it all the way to America.

This shelter probably housed nothing but the weak, injured, and desperate.

With that thought, Ethan activated his Domain of the Dead, effortlessly phasing through the stone slab and into the corridor below. He moved silently, cloaked in stealth.

The underground air was hot, humid, and pitch-black.

The staircase descended steeply, stretching deep underground.

Ethan walked down carefully, finally reaching the bottom after about 300 feet. Ahead lay a long corridor, dimly lit by flickering torches mounted on the walls, casting eerie shadows.

The shelter felt more like an ancient tomb than a refuge.

Ethan suddenly felt like a tomb raider exploring some forgotten crypt...

Not far ahead, two guards stood watch, along with Ken and the mustached man.

Ken had collapsed against the corridor wall, unable to move another step.

”Man, I can’t believe I actually made it back alive...” Ken sighed heavily.

”Yeah, sounds like it was a nightmare,” the mustached man said sympathetically, having heard the whole story.

Ken nodded weakly. ”I’m lucky to be alive. If it weren’t for that Zombie King distracting the mutated centipede, I’d be dead meat right now...”