Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Ethan’s eyes swept across the battlefield, scanning for the right target. The ones packing the most punch were clearly Adrian’s personal guard.

One of them stood out—a fire-type Awakener, ranked A+. The guy was a walking inferno, flames licking off his body, every move unleashing jets of fire like a flamethrower. Zombies didn’t stand a chance. They were incinerated on the spot, reduced to ash in seconds.

With that kind of firepower, mowing down the undead was a breeze. He moved through them like a hot knife through butter, already pushing toward the outer edge of the crowd, leading the charge.

”Playing with fire’s dangerous, you know…” Ethan murmured, his voice low and amused as he stepped forward, cloaked in swirling black mist. At the same time, his Domain of the Dead erupted outward like a shockwave.

Several psychic barriers had been set up around the perimeter earlier to push back the black fog. Now, they were the first to clash with Ethan’s domain.

Caught completely off guard, the psychics felt a crushing force slam into their minds. It was like having a boulder dropped on their brains—sharp, stabbing pain exploded behind their eyes.

”Ahhh—!”

More than a dozen psychic-type Awakeners screamed in agony, their voices overlapping in a chorus of pain. Even working together, they couldn’t withstand the sheer pressure of Ethan’s Domain of the Dead.

Clutching their heads, faces twisted in torment, they dropped to their knees. A few of the weaker ones collapsed entirely, unconscious before they hit the ground.

”What the hell’s going on?!” Adrian’s eyes widened in alarm. But before he could act, a wave of dread washed over him—something terrifying was coming.

With the psychic barriers shattered, the black mist surged forward again, thick and fast, like a drop of ink spreading through clear water.

”Everyone, stay sharp!” Adrian shouted, instantly realizing the nightmare wasn’t over. That thing—whatever it was—was making its move again.

The Awakeners on the outskirts panicked, instinctively trying to back away. But the space was too cramped. Many were still swallowed by the fog.

Including the A+ fire-type Awakener.

A heavy sense of dread settled over the group. No one said it, but they were all thinking the same thing: the disappearances were happening again. Adrian’s heart sank. He frantically scanned the area, searching for his men.

Then he noticed something—something off. The spot where his elite guard had been… was now empty.

”Shit!” Adrian cursed, his expression darkening. A pale blue energy surged around him, and with a wave of his hand, a tidal force burst outward, roaring like a crashing wave.

The power was immense. The air howled as the shockwave tore through the fog, scattering it in all directions.

But when Adrian looked again, his eyes went wide.

The spot was still empty.

His men were gone.

Including the A+ fire-type Awakener.

A chill ran down his spine. The air felt wrong—too quiet, too still. The unease was suffocating.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Adrian hadn’t planned to get involved directly. He wanted to conserve his strength. But when he saw his personal guard in danger, he had no choice but to step in.

And yet… it didn’t matter.

The moment the black mist passed over them, they vanished—snatched away like prey caught in a trap. Swift. Precise. Ruthless.

Ethan had done it again, using the same method—sweeping them into his spatial storage ring like collecting trophies.

Taking down an A+ Awakener? For him, it was a matter of seconds.

And now, he’d gotten a good look at Adrian’s powers too.

”S-rank water-type, huh…” Ethan mused, a smirk tugging at his lips. ”That’s new.”

…

Adrian’s face was like a thundercloud, dark and stormy. He could practically feel the pressure building behind his eyes. For someone to make an A+ Awakener vanish in seconds… that meant they were dealing with something far beyond ordinary.

Maybe… he’d underestimated the enemy.

He’d assumed the worst he’d face was another S-rank. That was the logical ceiling. Anything beyond that was a statistical anomaly—one in a million. Adrian had never even considered the possibility.

It was like hitting the lottery.

But today… it looked like he’d hit the jackpot.

”Did I just win the worst kind of lottery?” he muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the mist, every nerve on edge.

His confidence was cracking. His men were vanishing one by one, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The whole squad was being picked off, piece by piece.

And once they were gone… he knew he’d be next.

”Boss, I think… I tagged him!” the Tracker Captain suddenly called out, eyes wide with excitement.

Right when the black mist had surged over them earlier, he’d caught a flicker of movement—just a shadow shifting in the fog. He didn’t hesitate. Instinct kicked in, and he immediately cast Hunter’s Mark.

As a psychic-type Awakener, his perception was already razor-sharp. With the mark in place, he could now sense exactly where the target was.

Adrian’s brows lifted. Finally, some good news. He hadn’t brought over a thousand people here just to get picked off like amateurs.

If they could focus fire with a few hundred Awakeners at once—even someone above S-rank would be reduced to ash.

”Everyone, with me—attack!” Adrian shouted, no longer holding back. The air around him churned as water energy surged, coalescing into a massive waterspout shaped like a dragon. It twisted and roared, then launched toward the location the Tracker Captain had marked.

The water dragon tore through the air like a sky-serpent, howling as it went. The sound was deafening, like thunder cracking open the sky. The sheer force behind it was terrifying—nature’s fury unleashed.

The rest of the squad didn’t hesitate. Abilities flared to life, crystal-core firearms fired in unison, and in an instant, a tidal wave of elemental energy surged forward.

Nearly 800 Awakeners unleashed their power at once. The sky lit up with color, the air thick with the scent of ozone and burning magic. The sheer scale of the assault radiated destruction.

Ethan stood still, eyes calm, watching the onslaught barrel toward him.

”So… they found me.”

He could’ve used his Domain of the Dead to block it. But honestly? There was no need.

With a flicker of movement, he vanished backward, slipping away just before the first strike landed.

The water dragon hit first, slamming into the spot where Ethan had just been. The explosion of S-rank energy blasted a crater into the ground, sending chunks of earth flying.

Then came the rest.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Hundreds of attacks detonated almost simultaneously. The entire street shook violently. The ground cracked and caved in, spiderweb fractures racing outward. A thick column of black smoke shot into the sky, and a shockwave rippled out in all directions.

Nearby buildings—already half-ruined—were obliterated. Stone and steel were torn apart, collapsing into rubble. Dust and debris filled the air, turning the world gray.

The impact was like a meteor strike—raw, cataclysmic power.

”Did we get him?!” Adrian asked, eyes burning with anticipation.

The Tracker Captain shook his head grimly. ”No. He’s still moving. And… he’s about to slip out of range of my Hunter’s Instinct.”

Adrian froze.

He couldn’t believe it. That kind of firepower—and the guy still got away?

Even with the Hunter’s Mark in place, the tracking range wasn’t infinite. And now, the signal was fading fast.

”This guy… he’s too damn fast,” Adrian muttered, mind racing.

But maybe that was a good sign. If he was running, it meant he was afraid. That meant he wasn’t invincible. That meant he could be killed.

And if they could take down a high-level Zombie King like this? That would be a massive win. Not just for the mission—but for Adrian’s reputation. And besides… he still hadn’t gotten a good look at the guy. That mystery was eating at him.

”Boss, he’s about to disappear from my range. Are we chasing or not?” the Tracker Captain pressed, frowning.

Adrian hesitated. Chasing meant heading straight into whatever nightmare had taken out his men earlier.

But if they pulled it off? The payoff would be huge.

This was the moment.

If not now—then when?

”After him!” Adrian barked.

…