Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”I think we should keep an eye on them. If they get eaten by monsters, that’s on them, not us,” Logan said, a sly idea forming in his mind.

”Do whatever the hell you want,” Franklin waved him off, clearly annoyed and not in the mood to argue.

Ethan and the rest of the group stepped into a spacious guest room. The lighting was dim, the furnishings barebones—just a few wooden tables and chairs, and a bunch of planks laid out to form a large communal sleeping area.

”This place is a dump. I’ve stayed at construction sites with better conditions,” Chris muttered.

”Huh? Uncle Chris, I thought you used to deliver packages. When did you work construction?” Brandon asked, making small talk.

Chris gave an awkward chuckle. ”I got too many complaints delivering packages.”

”Oh...” Brandon nodded, like that totally tracked for him.

Thomas gave a sheepish smile. ”Yeah, the accommodations are a bit rough, but this is actually the best we’ve got in Oasis. Hope you guys don’t mind too much.”

”It’s fine. Looks good to me,” Ethan said, glancing around.

Thomas let out a small breath of relief. ”Oh, that’s great to hear. As long as you’re okay with it.”

”Yeah, I’m not sleeping anyway,” Ethan added casually.

”Uh...” Thomas froze for a second, unsure how to respond. He quickly changed the subject. ”Well, I’ll go get some food ready for everyone. Please hang tight.”

”Yeah, make sure it’s something good,” Sean called after him.

Inside the room, Chris kept scanning the space, checking out the surroundings, especially looking for any other beds.

”There’s no separate beds, just this big shared platform. Looks like we’re all bunking together tonight.”

”Forget it. I’m not sleeping next to you. I’ll just crash on the floor,” Brandon said.

Chris grinned. ”What are you scared of? I’m not gonna do anything to you. Sleeping on the floor’s a bad idea—what if you catch a cold?”

As the two bantered, Mia turned her head, her face cool and sharp. ”You’re all sleeping on the floor tonight.”

”Huh?” Chris opened his mouth, then sighed. ”Alright, fine...”

...

A little while later, Thomas had dinner brought in. It was mostly wild greens and foraged fruits, but since they were considered VIPs, there was also a small plate of sand rat meat.

In the desert, sand rats were one of the few animals that weren’t poisonous and could still be hunted—basically a rare delicacy.

A young girl, maybe seven or eight years old, carried the food in and carefully placed it on the table with a respectful nod.

”Honored guests from afar, your meal is ready. Please enjoy.”

”Aww, thanks! You’re such a sweet kid,” Chris said, patting her gently on the head. He couldn’t help but think how tough life had become—this little girl already working as a server at her age.

”What’s your name, sweetheart?”

”I’m Ellie,” she replied.

Chris nodded. Cute name, he thought. Ever since the world went to hell, kids had become a rare sight. They were the future—precious and few.

Sean, on the other hand, wasn’t feeling sentimental.

As soon as the food hit the table, he started sampling everything—wild greens, fruits—but his face twisted more with each bite.

”The greens are bitter, the fruit’s sour. Nothing tastes good.”

”You should try the sand rat meat. It’s really tasty,” Ellie suggested, her eyes locked on the plate. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard—clearly, she wanted it badly herself.

She was just a kid, after all.

”Wait, rat meat?” Sean’s face scrunched up even more. The word ”rat” instantly brought back memories of the pet hamster he’d raised back in the orphanage.

”I love rodents. I’d never eat one.”

”Uh...” Ellie scratched her head, clearly confused. That was the first time she’d ever heard someone say that.

In this world, food was too precious to be picky.

Seeing the group barely touch the meal, Ellie’s heart sank. They’d gone out of their way to prepare this, even giving up food they normally wouldn’t dare eat themselves. And now these outsiders were turning their noses up at it?

Her eyes welled up, and tears threatened to spill.

But just then, Sean picked up the plate of greens and sand rat meat and held it out to her.

”Here. You can have it all.”

”Huh?” Ellie blinked, stunned. The hurt and disappointment from earlier vanished in an instant.

”R-Really?”

”Yeah, really. If you want it, it’s yours,” Sean said, his tone firm but casual.

Ellie stared at the food, her stomach growling louder now that it was so close. Her mouth watered uncontrollably. But even with the hunger gnawing at her, she clenched her jaw and shook her head, eyes squeezed shut.

”I can’t! Uncle Thomas said you’re VIPs. I’m not allowed to eat the guests’ food.”

”It’s fine. I’m telling you to eat it, so go ahead,” Sean insisted.

Chris and Brandon both nodded in agreement.

”Kid’s young, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders,” Chris said with a smile.

”If you’re hungry, eat. We’re not,” Brandon added.

Ellie opened her mouth, eyes welling up again—but this time, it wasn’t from sadness.

She was touched.

These people… they were actually being kind to her?

”Then… then I won’t hold back!”

She dove in, both hands grabbing at the food, stuffing it into her mouth like she hadn’t eaten in days. Her cheeks puffed out adorably, like a little hamster hoarding snacks.

...

Night fell.

Out by the Oasis’s perimeter fence, patrols were still making their rounds.

Beyond the walls, the desert was pitch black. The wind howled like a chorus of ghosts, and beneath it all, the faint, guttural growls of mutated beasts echoed in the distance.

From under the sand, a soft rustling began—something was moving. Moments later, scorpions began to emerge, crawling up from the earth.

Their jet-black shells blended into the night, but their eyes gleamed faintly in the dark. Inside the fence, flickers of torchlight and the silhouettes of patrolling guards danced across the walls.

To the scorpions, this was a hunting ground.

Some of the mutated beasts had even gotten used to this routine—nighttime was feeding time.

The mutant scorpions picked up speed, skittering toward the fence in a swarm.

But one of them clipped a thin tripwire strung low to the ground. The wire tugged at a series of wooden tubes hanging along the fence, which clattered together with a loud, chaotic ding-dong.

”They’re here!”

”Monsters incoming!”

Shouts rang out from inside the walls—the patrol had spotted them.

One of the guards stepped forward, heat radiating off his body as red energy surged around him. Flames erupted from his hands, and with a sweeping motion, he sent a roaring fire serpent crashing into the darkness.

The blaze lit up the night sky, casting a harsh glow across the sand.

And in that light, they saw them—dozens, no, hundreds of black shapes, swarming like a living tide, all surging toward Oasis.

”There’s so many of them!”

”Yeah… something feels off tonight.”

”Doesn’t matter. Get ready to fight!”

...

Night raids weren’t anything new. Humanity had long since adapted to the rhythm of survival. The awakened fighters sprang into action, summoning walls of ice and stone to block the oncoming swarm.

From the rear, other Awakeners launched ranged attacks—blasts of energy, elemental strikes, anything to thin the horde.

For the bigger, tougher mutants, close-combat specialists stepped in, engaging them one-on-one with brutal efficiency.

The people who’d survived this long in Oasis weren’t rookies. They were hardened, battle-tested, and worked together like a well-oiled machine.

In seconds, the battlefield lit up with elemental energy. Shouts and battle cries echoed through the night. Blood—red, black, and everything in between—splattered across the sand.

The fight for survival had begun.

...