Apocalypse: King of Zombies

A moment later.

The dozens of people in the hall had been completely slaughtered. Corpses lay sprawled in every direction, blood pooling across the floor.

With a wave of his hand, Ethan collected all the bodies.

Unfortunately, none of them were high-quality—no advanced Awakeners among them.

”Let’s head upstairs.”

Ethan could sense more human presences on the upper floors.

They continued their massacre, ascending the central staircase. Along the way, a few people rushed down, alerted by the commotion. Before they could even grasp what was happening, Mia cut them down with a single stroke of her blade.

Ethan followed behind, gathering the bodies as they went.

The building had three floors in total. The second floor was where they kept the survivors—people who had either been tricked or kidnapped and brought here.

The place was lined with metal bars and echoed with the clanking of iron chains. It was nothing short of a massive prison.

Guards patrolled lazily, some wandering aimlessly, others gathered in groups playing cards and drinking, enjoying themselves without a care in the world.

As Ethan and his group stepped onto the floor, they immediately saw the imprisoned survivors. Many bore bruises and wounds from beatings. Their eyes were dull, lifeless—numb from the torment they had endured.

The contrast between them and the carefree guards was stark.

Though they shared the same space, it was as if they existed in two completely different worlds.

”There are so many of them...” Ethan scanned the area, estimating that nearly fifty people were locked up here.

The patrolling guards quickly noticed them, their expressions turning to confusion.

”Who the hell are you? New recruits?”

”Nope.” Mia shook her head, ever straightforward. ”We’re here to send you off.”

With that, she raised her tachi and cut the man down.

The other guards immediately realized something was wrong. Roaring in fury, they charged forward, weapons drawn, engaging Mia and the others in battle.

The slaughter on the second floor had begun.

But Ethan paid them no mind. He strolled through the battlefield as if he were on a casual walk, his gaze fixed on the prisoners in their cells.

Severed limbs flew past his head, blood splattered around him, yet not a single drop touched him.

The imprisoned survivors, seeing this, seemed to awaken from their despair. Hope flickered in their eyes as they clutched the bars of their cages, shaking them desperately.

”Help us! Please, help!”

”Open the door, I beg you!”

”Please, take me with you!”

Ethan swept his gaze over them as if he were observing an exhibit. He quickly noticed that the prisoners had been divided into different categories.

The women were separated based on their looks and body types. The men, on the other hand, were grouped by physical strength—stronger ones in one section, weaker ones in another.

Clearly, their captors had assigned them different values.

The most disturbing sight, however, was a particular ”cell” that held only women who had just given birth.

Nearby, there were containers filled with stored breast milk.

In a world where food was scarce, the purpose of these women was obvious. As for what had happened to their newborns… there was no way to know.

Behind him, Mia and the others showed no mercy as they tore through the Black Hand Legion members. Within moments, every last one of them was dead.

Then, with a swift swing of her blade, Mia sliced through the locks on the prison doors, freeing the captives.

But some of them, even with the doors wide open, remained huddled in the corners, trembling in fear. Their eyes were filled with terror, as if something still held them captive, preventing them from escaping.

”Why aren’t you coming out?” Mia asked.

A woman with disheveled hair curled up in the corner, her entire body shaking. Fear was etched across her face as she hesitantly raised a trembling hand and pointed toward the window.

The group followed her gaze.

There, beneath the window, sat a large oak barrel.

Something inside it was moving, making a faint rustling sound.

”Could there be... some kind of monster in the barrel?” Leah tensed, her guard up.

Chris, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. Eager to show off his bravery, he scoffed, ”Let me take a look. What kind of monster could possibly be in there? Whatever it is, I’ll cut it down with one swing!”

Gripping his titanium-alloy machete, he strode forward confidently. With Ethan and Mia by his side, he figured that no matter what was inside, they could handle it.

There was nothing to be afraid of.

Besides, he reasoned, truly dangerous monsters wouldn’t be hiding inside a wooden barrel.

Within a few steps, he reached the barrel’s edge and leaned in to take a look.

But the moment his eyes landed on what was inside, his pupils dilated in shock. His face twisted in horror as he stumbled back several steps, his breath hitching. Then, as if his stomach had turned inside out, he clamped a hand over his mouth and gagged violently.

”Ugh!”

His entire body shuddered as nausea overtook him. His face turned an ugly shade of green, and he looked like he was about to vomit.

”Uncle Chris, what’s in the barrel?” Leah asked, her curiosity piqued.

But Chris just shook his head, unable to form a single word.

Ethan turned his gaze toward the barrel. He could sense a faint life force inside—so weak it was barely clinging on, teetering on the edge of death.

”What the hell is in there?” he muttered, stepping forward.

Mia, just as curious, followed closely behind him.

As they neared the barrel, Ethan took one glance inside—and immediately understood.

Inside the barrel was a woman.

Or rather, what was left of her.

Her arms and legs had been severed. Her eyes had been gouged out. Her ears had been punctured, leaving her deaf. Even her tongue had been ripped out.

Her scalp bore the grotesque scars of a branding iron, the flesh burned and disfigured beyond recognition.

It was a sight straight out of a nightmare.

Mia’s brows furrowed. Even for her, this was pushing the limits of human cruelty.

”This is...”

”So fucking cruel...”

Leah and the others paled. Just hearing the description made their stomachs churn. A wave of nausea hit them, and they had to fight the urge to throw up.

There were stories—horrors from history—about the Nazis conducting live experiments on prisoners in concentration camps. The methods were inhuman, beyond comprehension.

But now, here it was. Not just a story. Not just a rumor.

It was real. Right in front of them.

”Bastards!” Brandon clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. His teeth ground together as he spat out his rage. The Black Hand Legion wasn’t just evil—they weren’t even human.

There was no limit to the depravity they were capable of.

It was obvious why they had done this.

This woman had been turned into a living warning—a message to the other prisoners.

Try to escape, and this is what happens to you.

And worse, the captives had likely been forced to watch the entire process unfold.

The air in the second-floor hall grew heavy, suffocating.

Ethan stared at the woman in the barrel, his expression unreadable. Even he had to admit—this was beyond cruel.

”Rest now.”

His tachi materialized in his hand. With a swift, clean thrust, he pierced the barrel, ending her suffering.

Blood seeped through the cracks, pooling onto the floor.

Another tormented soul, finally freed.

Brandon and the others remained silent. They had survived in this apocalypse for seven months, seen their fair share of horrors. But today… today had set a new low.

Compared to monsters devouring humans, this was worse. Humans devouring each other—now that was true horror.

”From this day forward, I swear—I’ll wipe out every last member of the Black Hand Legion.” Brandon’s voice was steady, but his eyes burned with a newfound resolve.

Something had taken root inside him. A seed of vengeance.

The apocalypse had unleashed countless horrors, but nothing disgusted him more than the depths of human depravity.

The Black Hand Legion was a disease. And he would be the cure.

Chris, seeing the fire in Brandon’s eyes, sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. ”Brandon, don’t get too worked up. Take a breath, cool your head.”

”I’m fine, Uncle Chris. I’ve never been more clear-headed.”

Chris blinked. ”Oh… well, I support your decision, obviously. But, uh… you’re still struggling to condense a crystal core. How exactly do you plan on wiping out the entire Black Hand Legion?”

...