Apocalypse: King of Zombies

But for Ethan, this was actually great news. Let them fight each other like the snipe and the clam—he’d be the fisherman who reaps the reward. When the dust settles, he’d wipe them all out in one clean sweep.

Then it’d be full steam ahead—marching across Eurasia, Africa, and eventually taking over the entire planet.

But first things first: he needed to make a trip to Mount Elbert.

A few days later, the weather was perfect—clear skies, warm sun, and a gentle breeze. The kind of day that practically begged you to get outside.

Ethan, Mia, and the rest of the crew stepped out of the company building.

All around them, the nearby zombies caught sight of Ethan and immediately bowed their heads. In an instant, the undead horde was kneeling in submission.

Big Ears and Shrimpy, two of the more recognizable zombies, came jogging over.

”Boss! Where you headed? Off to conquer the next place already?” Big Ears asked eagerly.

”I’m going to pick up some scientists,” Ethan replied casually.

”Scientists?” Shrimpy scratched his head, thinking hard. If the boss needed scientists, maybe he could help out somehow. ”Boss, you think I could help with the science stuff?”

”You... better not,” Ethan said, shaking his head with a chuckle.

Without another word, he and Mia boarded a sleek aircraft.

This particular craft had been developed by Mount Elbert’s team—there wasn’t a single Genesis Biotech logo on it.

Mia headed straight for the control panel and hit the ignition. The engines roared to life, blue flames shooting from the rear as the aircraft blasted into the sky like a streak of lightning.

They soared upward, slicing through the clouds until they leveled off, gliding smoothly like a boat drifting across a sea of mist.

Ethan took a moment to admire the aircraft. It was impressive—easily on par with anything Genesis Biotech had built. Clearly, Mount Elbert’s research team was no slouch.

Meanwhile, Mia was absentmindedly twirling the Stellar Fang katana in her hands, thinking it might be worth tracking down a few more scientists to study the weapon. Maybe they could find more meteorite fragments and forge a few more of these rare blades.

About thirty minutes later, the aircraft began to slow and descend, eventually touching down on the helipad at the summit of Mount Elbert.

The moment they landed, Ethan sensed a surge of human presence nearby.

He immediately activated his stealth ability, slipping into the shadows and silently following behind Mia.

Mia glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of empty air. She muttered to herself, ”Man, he’s really got social anxiety or something... doesn’t even wanna be seen?”

The aircraft doors slid open with a hiss, letting in the crisp, cool mountain air. It was sharp and invigorating, enough to jolt anyone awake.

A crowd had gathered around the landing pad to greet them.

Among them was Leah’s younger sister, Lily, along with their parents and a bunch of friends and relatives.

”Leah! You finally made it to Mount Elbert!” Lily cried out, her face lighting up as she rushed forward and threw her arms around her sister.

Leah smiled warmly, patting her on the back. She and Lily had always been close.

”Missed me, huh?”

”Mm-hmm!” Lily nodded enthusiastically, then leaned back and asked, ”So... how’s that Zombie King who saved me doing?”

”Uh...” Leah froze for a second. So she’s still thinking about him, huh? She glanced around, but Ethan had already vanished. ”He’s... doing fine.”

Still cloaked in stealth, Ethan followed Mia deeper into the mountain. The place had undergone serious upgrades—this wasn’t just a hideout anymore. It was a fully operational sanctuary.

The corridors were long and bustling with people. Many of them recognized Mia and greeted her with friendly smiles as they passed.

Eventually, they reached a large alloy door.

Beyond it lay the heart of the facility—the core research labs and administrative center.

A green scanning beam swept over Mia, checking her face, eyes, fingerprints, and more.

[Identity confirmed. Welcome home.]

With a mechanical click, the alloy doors rotated open, revealing a brightly lit interior. The floors were tiled in pristine white, spotless and gleaming.

Mia stepped inside like she was entering another world.

Scientists in white lab coats bustled about, clutching data pads and research files, clearly in the middle of something important.

Not far ahead was a lab, and inside stood an elderly professor with glasses perched on his nose. He was peering into a microscope, occasionally pausing to explain something to the students gathered around him. The guy looked like the real deal.

That was Dr. Morgan—the same scientist who’d given Mia the lead on the stone tablet Ethan had been searching for.

He was Mount Elbert’s top expert on meteorite research.

”Dr. Morgan,” Mia called out as she walked up.

The old professor looked up from his microscope, a warm smile spreading across his face. ”Mia, you’re here. So, did you find what you were looking for in Albuquerque?”

”Yeah, I did,” Mia nodded.

”That’s great to hear.” Dr. Morgan gave a satisfied nod, but then let out a long sigh. ”Ahh… such a shame, though. Mount Elbert’s lab is still short on equipment. If we had better gear, we could’ve pinpointed the location more accurately.”

Most of their top scientists had relocated to the Mount Elbert shelter, but the heavy-duty research equipment hadn’t made the trip. In a post-apocalyptic world, transporting that kind of tech was next to impossible.

Mia glanced at him, a small smirk tugging at her lips. Well, isn’t that convenient…

”Chances are, you’ll have everything you need pretty soon.”

”Hm? What do you mean?” Dr. Morgan looked puzzled.

Mia thought for a second, then said, ”You remember I mentioned a friend of mine? The one who’s really into meteorites—the guy I asked you to help last time?”

”Oh, yes, of course I remember.”

”Well, he wants to meet you,” Mia said plainly.

Dr. Morgan’s eyes lit up, nodding enthusiastically. ”That’s wonderful! I love meeting young people who are passionate about meteorites. The next generation always surprises me. If he’s serious about learning, he’s welcome to join our research team.”

Mia muttered under her breath, ”Yeah… teaching him might be a bit of a challenge.”

Just then, a young man burst into the lab, slightly out of breath.

”Mia! You came to Mount Elbert and didn’t even tell me? I would’ve come to pick you up.”

Mia turned her head and gave him a quick glance. It was Dylan—one of the higher-ups in the shelter’s management.

”What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone flat.

”I came to see you, obviously. Missed me yet? ’Cause I’ve been missing you like crazy,” Dylan said with a grin, clearly trying to be charming.

Mia’s eyes narrowed. ”You might wanna watch your mouth. Could be hazardous to your health.”

”What danger?” Dylan laughed it off, completely unfazed. Her warning only reminded him of something else. ”Oh right, didn’t you promise to take care of that Zombie King in L.A.? You even took a bunch of supplies for it. Now that you’re back… I assume you’re here to make good on that promise?”

”No…” Mia shook her head slowly.

A chill ran down her spine. She had a bad feeling—like someone had just drawn a bullseye on Dylan’s back. If she had to guess, Ethan was probably already here.

Dylan frowned, clearly not satisfied with her answer. ”Mia, don’t tell me you’ve actually caught feelings for that Zombie King? Come on, humans and zombies are two different species. And that L.A. horde already broke through Genesis Biotech’s defenses. They’ll be at Mount Elbert any day now. Everyone here’s in danger.”

”Yeah,” Mia said quietly. ”It’s definitely dangerous.”

Suddenly, a calm, clear male voice echoed right next to Dylan’s ear.

”Right?”

Dylan instinctively responded, ”Exactly,” but then froze mid-thought.

”…Wait a second. Who just said that?”

...