Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Where the hell did Kong go?” Lil’ Shroom asked, controlling the fake Bighead puppet. Based on what Daisy had let slip earlier, it was clear that the last of the Four War Generals wasn’t inside the Corpse Nest.

Daisy’s brows furrowed deeper, her patience wearing thin.

”Is that really your business? Get lost!”

”Oh…” Lil’ Shroom nodded on the surface, but inside he was cursing her out. This little bitch… who the hell does she think she is, getting in my way?

From the looks of it, there was no way he was getting in today. The recon mission would have to end here.

”Alright then, Lil’ Daisy. You wanna talk to me like that? Fine. I’ll remember this. We’ll see how things go next time.”

”Huh? Hold it right there!” Daisy snapped, her temper flaring. Was Bighead seriously trying to rebel? She had to put him in his place—show him who was boss.

But Lil’ Shroom didn’t even flinch at her shout. He didn’t look back, didn’t slow down. Instead, he picked up the pace and slipped into a nearby alley in a blink.

”Trying to run?!” Daisy’s figure blurred as she burst forward, reaching the alley entrance in the blink of an eye.

But when she looked inside, what she saw made her freeze.

The alley was pitch black—and completely empty. No sign of Bighead anywhere.

Her brows knit tighter.

”Vanished…?”

...

Out in the wastelands surrounding the San Diego Corpse Nest—

The real Bighead was still lying on the ground, barely alive after being scorched by Chris’s flames. He’d come this close to dying.

The fire was out now, but the pain still racked his body.

”Ughhh… damn it…”

His charred, blackened body groaned with every breath. Today was just not his day. Of all the people to run into, it had to be a brutal human Awakener.

”Someone… help me up… I need to get back to the Nest…” he moaned. But the zombies ahead were still locked in a frenzy, battling the humans like rabid animals. None of them paid him the slightest attention.

The battlefield was chaos.

Up in the sky, the Hellhound Zombie King was still flailing around like a headless chicken, howling in pain. The blood from the Black-Skin Zombies was wreaking havoc on him—it was like acid to his body.

Down below, Mia and the others were tearing through the undead. Since the fight began, they’d already slaughtered over a thousand.

But the real action was happening where Robert was.

He’d activated his Awakening ability—[Night Legend].

His katana crackled with lightning, and his movements were fluid and ghostlike as he weaved through the horde. Wherever he passed, zombies dropped like wheat before a scythe.

But his biggest threat was the Deathspeaker—Falseword, the Zombie King.

Falseword’s psychic energy pulsed outward, whispering death into Robert’s mind, trying to disrupt him.

But Robert wasn’t just any Awakener—he was Santa Clarita’s Number 001. He’d been fighting monsters since day one. Even during the day, his power was nearly S-rank. At night? He went full S+.

So even the Deathspeaker was getting pushed back. A few times, Robert had nearly landed a killing blow—Falseword barely dodged each one by a hair.

He glanced up at the Hellhound still flailing in the sky.

”What the hell is that stuff? It’s tearing him apart…”

Falseword was starting to panic.

With the Hellhound out of commission, they were clearly losing ground. But calling in reinforcements from the zombie horde didn’t seem worth it.

Their main mission wasn’t to fight humans—it was to protect the Corpse Nest and keep an eye out for the Los Angeles Zombie King. Humans were just a side problem. No need to play all their cards now.

Once L.A.’s Corpse Nest was wiped out, they could clean up the humans afterward.

Weighing his options, Falseword made the call.

”Retreat!”

The zombies got the signal and immediately disengaged, pulling back without hesitation. Some of the more cowardly ones had been itching to run anyway—Mia was just too damn terrifying, cutting them down like they were nothing.

So the once-ferocious zombie horde turned tail and fled like a receding tide, vanishing into the dark forest beyond.

”Hey! Wait up, guys!” Bighead scrambled to his feet, limping after the retreating zombie horde.

Back on the battlefield, Mia and the others stood their ground, weapons still in hand, watching the direction the zombies had fled. But none of them gave chase.

Chris was injured, and Jenny and the rest were breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling with exhaustion. Fighting off a horde like that had drained them.

And honestly, if they pushed too hard and triggered a full-blown zombie frenzy, it could backfire on them. No point in risking it now.

Better to leave the cleanup to the ones actually responsible for this mess...

Besides, revenge wasn’t their only goal today—they’d also wanted to knock the zombies down a peg. And judging by the way they ran, mission accomplished.

Chances were, the San Diego zombies wouldn’t be messing with the shelters again anytime soon.

As for the other Zombie Kings? Who knew. But one thing was certain—Hellhound wasn’t coming back.

...

Inside the San Diego Corpse Nest, chaos buzzed in the air.

Hellhound and Falseword returned with the battered remnants of their forces, both seething with frustration.

”Those damn humans! I swear, they’re gonna pay for this!” Hellhound snarled, his voice still laced with pain.

”Yeah… those two were stronger than we expected,” Deathspeaker Falseword muttered, analyzing the fight.

”Hmph! I’ll tear them apart with my own claws, just wait!” Hellhound growled, eyes burning with rage.

But the one he hated most wasn’t Mia or Robert—it was Sean. The guy who’d thrown the Black-Skin Zombie blood.

That smug, calculating look in his eyes… Hellhound couldn’t get it out of his head.

Falseword nodded. ”Don’t worry. We’ll get our shot. Once we wipe out the L.A. Corpse Nest, those humans won’t have anywhere left to run.”

The two Zombie Kings were deep in their post-battle debrief when Daisy stormed into view, her face twisted in fury. Her sharp eyes scanned the area like she was hunting someone.

But then her gaze landed on Hellhound’s injured shoulder.

”What happened to you?”

”Nothing. Just a scratch from one of the humans. I’ll be fine in a few days,” Hellhound grunted, clearly pissed.

”Oh…” Daisy said, brushing it off. Then her tone shifted. ”You guys seen Bighead?”

”Yeah, he should be back there somewhere,” Hellhound replied.

Sure enough, at the rear of the zombie crowd, Bighead limped forward, his body still scorched black from the earlier flames. His mood was in the gutter.

Only after stepping back into the safety of the Corpse Nest did he feel a little relief.

”Phew… finally made it back,” he sighed, feeling a bit more at ease. At least here, he didn’t have to worry about getting jumped by humans or rogue zombies.

He was hobbling along when he spotted Daisy heading straight toward him.

”Queen Daisy…” Bighead’s heart clenched. He felt so wronged. Finally, one of the Four War Generals was here—maybe she’d listen to what he’d been through. Maybe he could vent a little.

But Daisy spoke first.

”You sure ran fast back there.”

”Well, yeah! I had to! If I’d stayed, I’d be toast!” Bighead said, still shaken from the encounter.

And honestly, he felt a little touched. Queen Daisy actually cared enough to check on him...

But before he could say another word, Daisy stepped right up to him, her eyes blazing.

Then, Without warning, she raised her clawed hand, wound up her arm, and swung it straight at his face...