Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”You’re completely surrounded! Just give up already!”

Outside the city, the battle raged on. Elias taunted Ethan, trying to shake his confidence.

In a fight between top-tier warriors, mentality was just as crucial as strength.

But Ethan merely smiled.

”No… it’s you who are surrounded.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his Domain of the Dead surged forward again, an overwhelming force swallowing everything in its path. To those watching, it was like a tidal wave of blood crashing toward them, ready to drown them whole.

”This bastard...” Elias frowned, his mental energy flaring outward, forming a storm to resist the terrifying Domain of the Dead.

The moment the two forces clashed, the very air vibrated with a deep hum.

A sharp pain stabbed through Elias’s mind, like needles piercing his brain. His mental energy was being crushed, on the verge of shattering.

He was strong, no doubt—but against Ethan, he was clearly outmatched.

”Bison! Get in there! I can’t hold this for long!”

”Got it.”

A towering man, 6’6” and built like a runaway freight train, launched himself forward.

With Elias’s mental energy holding back the Domain of the Dead, the oppressive force had weakened just enough for Bison to charge in smoothly. He closed the distance in an instant, raising a massive fist and swinging it straight at Ethan.

Bison’s arms were thick with muscle, nearly the size of a grown man’s waist. As his punch tore through the air, it created a series of sonic booms.

”Interesting...” Ethan didn’t even try to dodge. Instead, he met the attack head-on with a punch of his own.

A devastating force erupted as their fists collided—like two stars crashing into each other.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, forming a powerful gust that tore through the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked and split, deep fissures spreading in all directions.

CRACK!

A sharp snapping sound echoed.

Bison’s forearm buckled under the force, pain shooting through his body. His massive frame was sent flying backward, soaring nearly sixty feet before slamming into the ground. He tumbled twice before coming to a stop.

”...What the hell?”

The onlookers were stunned.

This Zombie King wasn’t just holding off Elias’s mental attacks—he had also just sent Bison flying with a single punch.

Bison groaned, pushing himself up with both hands. But his arms trembled slightly—he was injured, and not lightly.

Ethan, however, was impressed.

Taking a direct hit from him and surviving? That alone proved Bison was a powerhouse.

This guy… he had to be an S-Class Strength Awakener.

S-Class strength types were extremely rare. This was the first time Ethan had encountered one.

”Looks like you might actually be fun...”

Bison clenched his jaw, his expression dark with tension.

This Zombie King didn’t just have an Absolute Domain—his physical strength was monstrous too.

Elias, still standing nearby, shouted urgently, ”Bison! Use the enhancement serum!”

”On it!” Bison didn’t hesitate. He pulled out a sleek, silver alloy syringe and stabbed it straight into his neck.

The serum inside was similar to adrenaline, temporarily boosting combat power. The downside? Once the effects wore off, the body would be left severely weakened for days.

Normally, this kind of drug was a last resort.

But against Ethan? They were using it right away.

As the serum took effect, Bison’s skin flushed red, his muscles swelling even larger. Thick veins bulged beneath his skin, writhing like small snakes.

His breathing grew heavier, each exhale turning white-hot, as if his body were burning from the inside.

Even the injury on his arm healed in an instant.

”Die, you damn zombie!” Bison roared, charging forward again.

Ethan’s gaze sharpened. He was ready to throw another punch, this time with more force, to send Bison flying for good. But just as he was about to strike, something caught his eye—one of Elias’s five teammates had vanished.

Wait… something’s off.

His instincts flared. A sudden chill crept up his spine, and he heard the faint whistle of something slicing through the air behind him.

A girl had appeared at his back, an ice spear in her hand, its razor-sharp tip cutting through the air as it shot straight for the back of his skull.

Ethan twisted his body just in time, narrowly dodging the attack.

”Damn, so close!”

Elias clicked his tongue in frustration. The ambush had failed. Worse, the pain in his head was intensifying—his vision blurred, and his mental energy was nearly drained.

But he had to hold on.

If he collapsed, no one would be left to counter Ethan’s terrifying Domain of the Dead.

Ethan turned his attention to the girl who had just tried to assassinate him. He was mildly surprised—she was a close-combat elemental user, and her speed was impressive.

”This squad… they’re actually pretty interesting. And they all seem delicious...”

The remaining two members of Elias’s team jumped into the fray. The couple—one with enhanced leg strength, the other with speed-based abilities—moved in perfect sync, their attacks swift and lethal.

In an instant, Ethan found himself surrounded, besieged by multiple human elites.

The Awakeners from Genesis Biotech watched anxiously from the sidelines.

”Come on, keep pushing!”

”I think we’ve got a shot!”

”Are we actually gonna take down this nightmare of a Zombie King today?”

The battlefield was a blur of motion. Ethan weaved through the attacks with effortless grace, but he had already decided—he needed to take out the S-Class Strength Awakener first.

With a sudden burst of speed, he slipped behind Bison.

His long fingers reached out, aiming straight for the back of Bison’s head—ready to rip out his crystal core.

But just as he was about to make contact, Bison moved.

As if sensing the danger, he tilted his head at the last second, dodging the attack with uncanny precision.

”Hmm?” Ethan’s eyes narrowed. Does this guy have eyes in the back of his head?

And it wasn’t just Bison. Every time Ethan attempted a sneak attack, the humans reacted too quickly, dodging with unnatural accuracy.

His gaze flicked toward Elias.

The man was barely holding on, his teeth clenched, his body trembling from exhaustion. But his eyes—his eyes were locked onto the fight, unblinking.

Wait… could it be?

Ethan smirked.

Shared vision.

It made sense. Elias’s mental abilities weren’t just for offense—he could transmit his own sight to his teammates, letting them see what he saw.

That’s why they could track Ethan’s movements so precisely, even without looking directly at him.

The battle raged on, each clash shaking the earth. Every strike shattered the ground, sending debris flying in all directions.

The sheer intensity of the fight didn’t go unnoticed.

A short distance away, another force had been watching.

The Nightmare Zombie King’s undead army had fully assembled, waiting for reinforcements before launching their full-scale assault.

”Boss, looks like the humans are fighting the Los Angeles Zombie King up ahead,” Scissorhands observed, his sharp gaze fixed on the battlefield.

”Oh?” Nightmare turned his head, his interest piqued.

Sure enough, the energy fluctuations were massive. The battle was fierce—human elites were swarming Ethan.

Beside him, the Toxin Zombie King bared his teeth in a snarl. The sight of Ethan—the one who had killed his brother, the Giant Boulder Zombie King—filled him with seething rage.

”Boss, this is the perfect chance! We should rush in and kill the Los Angeles Zombie King!”

Nightmare stroked his chin, deep in thought.

It was an opportunity.

Ethan was alone, already locked in combat with the humans. If they struck now, they might be able to eliminate him—and if they did, they could even absorb his undead forces into their own.

That would be a massive power boost.

The temptation was too great to ignore.

And with the San Diego reinforcements arriving soon…

”Alright,” Nightmare grinned. ”We’re going in.”

”ROOOOAAARRR!”

A deafening chorus of undead howls erupted.

The zombie horde surged forward, a tidal wave of death crashing toward the battlefield.

The real war was about to begin.

...