Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The allure of the two Radiant Crystals was simply irresistible to the parasitic monsters.

But something about this whole thing felt off. The Radiant Crystals weren’t meteorites that fell from space—they just appeared out of nowhere. The parasites couldn’t wrap their heads around it.

Still, they weren’t about to miss out on something this tempting, so they decided to check it out anyway.

Besides, their leader was confident in his own strength, certain he could crush any obstacle in his path.

With a single roar from him, the entire city’s parasites stirred into action. Screeching and snarling, they poured out from streets and ruined buildings, quickly forming a dense, monstrous tide.

The parasites moved swiftly, racing through the wrecked streets and heading out of the city, their collective roars shaking the earth.

Not far from the city outskirts, another group was closely watching this scene unfold—Jacob’s squad.

Sophia had instructed them to not only capture mutated beasts but also, if possible, retrieve the Radiant Crystals. Jacob knew this mission was probably beyond their capabilities, but he still brought his team to scout things out.

”What the hell’s gotten into them? Why are they suddenly leaving the city all at once?” one squad member asked, eyes wide with shock at the sight of the parasites pouring out.

Jacob frowned thoughtfully. ”Something must’ve stirred them up.”

”You think... they’re about to fight another group of parasites?” another member guessed immediately.

Jacob nodded slowly. ”Yeah, that’s probably it. Can’t think of any other reason.”

”Then doesn’t that mean... this is our chance?” The squad members’ eyes lit up.

Previously, the parasites had been holed up in the city, making it impossible to strike or even locate their leader. Now, with them all rushing out, the situation was crystal clear.

Plus, if they got into a fight with other monsters, there might be an opening. If they could take out the leader during the chaos, they’d have a shot at grabbing the Radiant Crystals.

”Chance my ass!” Jacob snapped, smacking the back of the squad member’s head lightly.

”This is a chance to get ourselves killed.”

”Huh? Captain Jacob, what do you mean?”

”A battle of this scale is bound to be insanely dangerous. They’re monsters, for crying out loud—they’ll chew us up and spit out the bones. As humans, we should stay as far away as possible. You wanna run toward that mess? That’s just asking to die,” Jacob explained bluntly.

”...” The squad members stared blankly, but after thinking it over, they couldn’t argue with his logic.

”Our odds of actually getting those Radiant Crystals are slim to none. If we fail, we’re dead meat. The company barely gives us enough supplies each month—why risk our necks for them?” Jacob scoffed.

The squad members nodded vigorously, finding his reasoning perfectly sound.

”So... what do we do now?”

”We go home!”

...

Meanwhile, back in the small town.

The zombies were in high spirits. They’d feasted on fresh meat earlier, and after basking in the glow of the Radiant Crystals, they felt fantastic.

”Haven’t felt this good in ages!”

”Yeah, looks like our tough days are finally over!”

”Picking the right boss is like choosing the right captain.”

The zombies chatted excitedly among themselves.

Under the influence of the Radiant Crystals, many of them had evolved into stronger forms, significantly boosting the Zombie Horde’s overall strength.

Mad Dog, in particular, had jumped from a B-level to a solid B+, his bone mutation abilities becoming even more powerful. He felt confident he’d soon reach A-level.

With his newfound strength, Mad Dog couldn’t help but feel a bit cocky.

”If we run into humans again, I won’t even need the boss to step in—I can handle them myself!”

”Yeah, totally!” His followers eagerly agreed.

Mad Dog waved his hand dramatically. ”Come on, let’s patrol the area. See if any idiots dare to mess with us.”

”Right behind you, boss!” His followers quickly fell into step.

The group of zombies swaggered down the street, proudly patrolling their territory.

Mad Dog was bursting with energy, desperate for something to vent on. Even a fly buzzing by would get stomped flat under his foot.

If he spotted a tiny bug, he’d chase it down and crush it without mercy.

”You see that? From today onward, Mad Dog is officially the toughest bastard in town!” he boasted loudly.

”Yeah, we saw... you just killed two bugs,” one of his zombie followers muttered.

Smack!

Mad Dog slapped him upside the head.

”What do you know? It’s symbolic—shows my determination!”

”Oh, right... symbolic,” the zombie follower nodded, clearly not getting it.

Just then, a faint noise echoed from the street ahead.

Mad Dog snapped to attention, eyes narrowing sharply. He caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure darting quickly into a nearby alley.

”Huh?” Mad Dog growled, instantly alert. ”Did you guys see that? Looked like someone ran past.”

”Yeah... I think I saw someone too, but it was too quick,” another zombie replied uncertainly.

”Quick! After him!”

Mad Dog had been itching for a fight, thinking this might be some survivor who’d slipped through the cracks. He sprinted toward the alley, his followers close behind, snarling and moving swiftly.

They rounded the corner into the alley, and Mad Dog sniffed the air, immediately picking up the scent of a human.

”He’s over there!”

They chased the figure through winding alleys, twisting and turning until they reached the edge of town, emerging onto a road leading out of the area.

Scanning the surroundings, Mad Dog quickly spotted the figure standing still ahead, no longer running.

”That’s him!”

Mad Dog was certain this was the guy they’d been chasing.

The man was average height, dressed in ragged clothes, his hair and beard messy and tangled—he looked like a homeless drifter. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were cold and sinister, staring straight at the zombies without blinking.

”Stopped running, huh? Waiting to die? Giving up... isn’t a good habit, you know,” Mad Dog sneered, forcing a stiff grin onto his face.

He wasn’t used to smiling like this, but he’d seen Ethan do it plenty of times. Now that he considered himself a badass, he figured he should act the part.

”You guys stay back. I’ll handle this myself!”

”Uh... sure thing, boss,” his followers quickly agreed.

Determined to prove he wasn’t just bragging earlier, Mad Dog stepped forward alone. With a thought, the bones in his hands cracked and shifted, rapidly swelling and mutating into two massive hammer-like fists.

”Ever seen fists as big as wrecking balls?” Mad Dog shouted, charging forward and swinging his mutated fists straight at the man’s head with impressive speed.

But the man just stood there blankly, not even trying to dodge.

”That’s it? Not even gonna put up a fight? How boring,” Mad Dog scoffed, disappointed. Still, he didn’t hold back. His mutated fist slammed heavily into the man’s forehead with a loud, dull thud.

But then, something bizarre happened.

Instead of the bloody mess Mad Dog expected, the man’s head snapped backward at a grotesque angle, neck clearly broken—but he didn’t fall. He remained standing perfectly still.

Then, with a sickening crack, the man’s head slowly rotated back into place, wobbling slightly before reconnecting itself perfectly, as if nothing had happened.

”What the hell?!” Mad Dog’s eyes widened in shock, staring dumbfounded at the impossible sight before him.

This was way too creepy!

...