Apocalypse: King of Zombies

In the days that followed, foreign zombies kept pouring into the U.S., launching wave after wave of harassment attacks.

Sure, the Wormrot Zombie King had been taken out, but that didn’t mean the threat was over. According to Logan, the enemy wasn’t just one faction—it was an alliance, a coalition of multiple Zombie Kings working together.

Right now, just across the border in a Canadian frontier city, several Zombie Kings had gathered.

Each one radiated a menacing aura, their presence alone enough to make the air feel heavier. Some of them were grotesque fusion monsters—twisted, unnatural, and downright terrifying.

The leader stood tall above the rest, a hulking figure with a slouchy beanie pulled low over his head. The hat was so soaked in dried, blackened blood that its original color was impossible to tell.

His expression was cold, eyes sharp with murderous intent.

”Wormrot’s dead.”

”Hmph. That’s ’cause he was weak,” one of the other Zombie Kings scoffed, clearly unimpressed. ”He was good for stirring up trouble, but when it came to real combat? Useless.”

Another one chimed in with a sneer, ”Exactly. Just like they say—play with fire, you’re gonna get burned. He was always creeping around inside the U.S., poking the hornet’s nest. Honestly, it was just a matter of time.”

”Mm.”

The beanie-wearing Zombie King nodded. ”But according to one of the grunts who made it back, Wormrot didn’t die in a fair fight. He got taken out by some kind of mutated crow. No idea where Redgaze dug that thing up.”

”Oh? So he got countered. Makes his death even less surprising.”

”Crows, huh? Whatever. They don’t work on us. Not a real threat.”

”Let’s just keep the pressure on. If we keep hitting them in waves, Redgaze won’t be able to hold out much longer.”

”...”

The Zombie Kings around him all voiced their opinions, full of confidence and bloodlust.

The one in the slouchy beanie raised his voice again. ”Alright then, let’s keep it up. There are still plenty of humans left in Redgaze’s territory. Once we break into the U.S., they’re all yours.”

”Hell yeah!”

The mention of humans sent a jolt of excitement through the group. Their eyes gleamed with hunger and anticipation. They were fired up, ready to crush the American zombies and feast on whatever was left.

The meeting wrapped up with a quick analysis of Wormrot’s death and a round of morale-boosting talk. One by one, the Zombie Kings dispersed.

But the one in the slouchy beanie didn’t move.

Because behind him, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows—a tall, robed figure cloaked in black. A wide-brimmed hood covered most of his face, but what little was visible was deathly pale, with bulging veins and two sharp fangs peeking from his lips.

This wasn’t just any zombie.

This was a vampire. A mutated undead.

”The Crimson Count hasn’t been in the best of moods lately,” the vampire rasped, his voice like dry leaves scraping across stone. ”He expects results. You’d better break into the U.S. soon and bring him some good news.”

”Don’t worry. We’ll get it done,” the beanie-wearing Zombie King replied, his tone firm.

The vampire gave a slow nod. ”If necessary, we’ll assist you. But don’t try anything stupid. If you go against the Crimson Count’s will… you know what happens.”

”I understand,” the Zombie King said quickly.

It was clear he’d already bent the knee to the Crimson Count’s power. With a force that massive, refusal wasn’t an option. Disobedience meant annihilation.

So this alliance of Zombie Kings wasn’t just about shared goals—it was also about fear. Fear of the Crimson Count.

And that fear kept them in line. For now.

...

Back in town, Ethan hadn’t made any big moves lately. Instead, he was keeping a close eye on the zombie activity across the border.

He was also still hunting for that one particular Zombie King—the one who supposedly knew where the stone tablet had ended up.

Unfortunately, that bastard had vanished without a trace, like he’d dropped off the face of the earth. No sightings, no leads. Nothing. So progress had been... frustratingly slow.

Ethan was thinking about summoning his crew and sending them to scout the border. They’d been holed up in Mirevale with nothing to do anyway—might as well put them to work.

But aside from all that, there was one other thing worth mentioning.

Awan had finally finished the fur coat.

It was a masterpiece—crafted by hand using techniques passed down for generations, made from rare materials. Even before the apocalypse, it would’ve been considered a luxury item of the highest tier.

And now? It was pristine. Spotless. No blood, no rot, no weird smells—just clean, elegant craftsmanship.

Ethan didn’t really feel the cold, but walking around the snowy northern frontier in just a white dress shirt was starting to look a little ridiculous. So, to match the setting, he switched into his ”winter skin”—the fur coat.

The moment he put it on, it was like something clicked. His tall, lean frame, wrapped in that sleek white fur, paired with his sharp, handsome features—it gave him a whole new kind of presence.

”Damn... that’s hot,” Awan muttered more than once, not even sure if she was complimenting her own handiwork or just admiring Ethan himself.

”Stop staring,” Logan would cut in every time, rolling his eyes.

Though, deep down, even he had to admit... the guy looked good.

Right now, Ethan was standing in the courtyard, blending into the snowy landscape like he belonged there.

He looked up at the sky. A few crows were circling overhead.

He was sending out a command—Buddy Crow was to fly back to Mirevale, gather the crew, and start searching for the Zombie King that matched Logan’s description.

Buddy Crow gave a few flaps of his wings in acknowledgment, then shot off into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

...

Meanwhile, in Mirevale, the zombie crew was... well, partying.

Every day was a rave. No responsibilities, no orders, just undead chaos. Even Jerky and Slick had been infected—literally and figuratively—and were now part of the dance floor madness, swaying and grooving with the rest.

”Where’s the boss? He’s been gone forever,” Big Ears asked, sitting cross-legged with the rest of the Overlord Squad. Behind them, their own little zombie posses milled around, equally bored.

”Didn’t he say he was heading to Redgaze’s territory to check things out?” Shrimpy said, blinking slowly like he was still buffering.

Mist furrowed his brow. ”You think something happened to him?”

”Then let’s go rescue him!” Big Ears jumped to his feet, fists clenched.

”Whoa, whoa, hold up—” Shrimpy waved his arms. ”This doesn’t sound like a ’Big Ears’ level emergency.”

”True.” Big Ears nodded, surprisingly easy to convince, and sat back down.

Just then, a sharp caw echoed through the sky, growing louder by the second.

Buddy Crow was back.

The zombies all looked up, eyes lighting up with curiosity.

”Buddy Crow! What’s the word? Why hasn’t the boss come back yet?” Big Ears called out.

”Forget that for a sec—I’ve got something way juicier to tell you guys,” Buddy Crow said, practically vibrating with excitement.

”Oh?”

The zombies perked up, their gossip senses tingling. One by one, they shuffled closer, eager for the tea.

Even the other Zombie Kings—Bulldozer, Laura, Little Shadow, Sprout—drifted over, drawn in by the promise of drama.

Once the crowd had gathered, Buddy Crow cleared his throat and announced in a loud, dramatic voice:

”The boss met Redgaze. And guess what happened next?”

”What? What? Spill it already!” Big Ears shouted, practically bouncing.

Buddy Crow paused for effect, then dropped the bomb: ”Redgaze said he fell in love with a human. And then—get this—he surrendered!”

”WHAT?!”

Every single Zombie King’s jaw hit the floor. You could practically hear the collective thud.

Three seconds of stunned silence.

Then the place exploded.

”No way! That actually happened?!”

”Redgaze’s into humans?!”

”HAHAHA! You serious? How’s that even work? Wouldn’t a kiss infect them?”

”Just don’t let the jizz get in, duh.”

”Dude, gross. Chill.”

”...”

The zombies were losing it—laughing, shouting, cracking jokes. It was chaos.

”Ahahahaha! Redgaze in love with a human? I’m dead! Again!” Big Ears howled, clutching his sides.

But then he paused, frowning slightly. ”Wait... the boss sent you all the way back just to tell us that?”

”Oh—uh, no!” Buddy Crow shook his head quickly, realizing he’d gotten a little too caught up in the gossip. ”That’s not the main reason. The boss also said... he needs you guys to find a certain zombie...”

...