Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”What kind of zombie are we looking for?”

The crowd of zombies immediately stopped laughing and leaned in, listening intently.

Buddy Crow carefully repeated Ethan’s instructions, describing the zombie they needed to find: dark skin, short, bearded, with razor-sharp Big Chompers—and fast. Really fast.

The moment Big Ears heard ”Big Chompers,” his eyes lit up. He didn’t catch much else, but that part stuck.

”Big Chompers? That’s not just teeth—that’s a damn badge of honor!”

He puffed up proudly and turned to the others.

”Alright, boys! As rulers of our own turf, it’s time to make history again. Let’s go earn ourselves some glory!”

”Don’t worry,” Mist said confidently. ”No zombie knows how to run better than me. I’ll catch him for sure.”

”Same here,” Shrimpy chimed in.

Big Ears waved his hand.

”Move out!”

With that, the Overlord Squad, each with their own crew in tow, marched out of Mirevale in a grand procession, heading toward the snowy plains.

Other Zombie Kings like Bulldozer, Laura, and Shroom joined the mission too.

Besides hunting down the rogue zombie, they were all curious about Redgaze.

”What kind of Zombie King falls for a human, anyway?”

”Who knows, man.”

”C’mon, let’s go see for ourselves!”

”...”

It wasn’t long before they reached the outskirts of a quiet little town, where Ethan stood waiting in his new ”skin.”

”Boss!”

Bulldozer, Big Ears, and the rest greeted him with respect.

Ethan gave a small nod. ”Mm.”

Behind him stood Logan, eyes wide with awe, his red irises practically glowing with amazement.

Because Ethan’s crew? They were terrifying.

There was Bulldozer, built like a mini Hulk, muscles coiled like steel cables, radiating raw power.

Then there was Little Shadow, pitch black from head to toe, moving like a living shadow—silent, eerie, and dangerous.

Logan also spotted Sprout, Shroom, and Petal—fusion-type Zombie Kings merged with plant life, each one exuding a fierce, primal energy.

Most of them were S-rank or higher. Their combat power was off the charts.

And then there was Laura—slim and graceful, but with a mechanical arm that gleamed with a deadly edge under the sunlight.

”Holy shit…”

Logan couldn’t help but mutter, ”These are all your Zombie Kings?”

Ethan shrugged. ”Just a few of them.”

Logan’s jaw nearly dropped. Just a few? If this was only part of the squad, he couldn’t even imagine what the full force looked like.

But then he noticed something else—while he was sizing up the Zombie Kings, they were sizing him up too.

Big Ears and his crew were whispering among themselves.

”Hey, hey, look! That’s the Redgaze Zombie King—the one who’s into humans!”

”Hahaha! He looks pretty normal, though.”

”Still weird as hell.”

”...”

Ethan waved a hand, cutting them off.

”Alright, enough. Go find that zombie.”

”Got it, got it!”

The underlings all responded in unison and started heading out.

But a few of Big Ears’ crew kept staring at Logan, like they couldn’t get enough of him.

Logan frowned. ”Aren’t you guys supposed to be looking for a zombie? Why are you all staring at me?”

”No reason, no reason,” Big Ears said with a sheepish grin.

Then he finally turned away, crouched low, pressed one of his oversized ears to the ground, tensed his hind legs, and took off—his massive ears flapping as he moved, carving deep grooves into the snow behind him.

”Is he... plowing snow?” Logan couldn’t help but snark as he watched Big Ears dragging his massive lobes across the ground. ”You really think he’s gonna find that Zombie King like this?”

”He might suck at most things,” Ethan replied with a smirk, ”but when it comes to tracking and recon, he’s the best I’ve got.”

One by one, Ethan’s zombie underlings disappeared into the vast, snowy wilderness.

Just then, Ethan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen—it was a message from Mia.

Thanks to their control over Genesis Biotech’s North American HQ, which was now staffed with top-tier scientists and had a fully restored network, they could stay in contact no matter how far apart they were.

The message was short and to the point, just one sentence:

”The weapon’s ready.”

”Nice,” Ethan muttered, clearly pleased. That was fast—he’d only just sent the meteorite back, and they’d already finished crafting the weapon.

This wasn’t just any weapon either. It was made from rare materials, incredibly durable, and powerful enough to be used in S-rank battles and above. Definitely worth the effort.

Ethan thought for a moment, then typed back a reply:

”Bring it to me.”

Mia: ”...”

...

Los Angeles Shelter

Mia and her team had just returned from the Genesis Biotech HQ. Strapped to her back were three sleek katanas—identical in shape, but each with a different color scheme.

The moment they arrived, a group of survivors rushed out to greet them, visibly relieved and excited.

Leading the group was a young man with sharp eyebrows and striking features—Robert, the classic ”edgy teenager.”

”You’re finally back,” he said, eyes lighting up.

”How’s the safe zone holding up?” Mia asked.

”Not bad,” Robert replied, then hesitated. ”But... the Black Hand Legion’s been showing up again. Looks like they’re regrouping. They’ve been lurking around the outskirts of L.A., and no one knows what they’re planning.”

”Oh?” Mia raised an eyebrow.

Last time they’d seen the Black Hand Legion was during the battle in Texas, when Ethan had crushed Blackhand City. After that, the whole organization scattered like rats from a sinking ship.

And now they were back? Gathering again? Testing the waters around L.A.?

Why?

Could it be... another Zombie King?

Mia frowned, deep in thought. But no matter how she turned it over in her mind, she couldn’t figure it out. Eventually, she just gave up.

”Whatever.”

She reached over her shoulder, grabbed one of the katanas, and tossed it to Robert.

”Here. Custom-made, just for you.”

”Oh hell yeah.” Robert’s eyes sparkled. The moment he felt the weight and balance of the blade, he knew it was something special. This wasn’t just a weapon—it was a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

Then he noticed something else. Just below the blade, etched into the metal, was a single word: Justice.

Embedded in the hilt was a pale blue crystal core, pulsing with lightning energy. It was unmistakably S-rank.

”This is... amazing,” Robert breathed, awestruck. Then he pulled out his old weapon.

He stared at it for a moment, a little nostalgic. The crystal core in that blade had come from his father.

”Dad... you can rest now,” he murmured. ”I’ll keep fighting—with this new blade. For justice.”

He gave the new katana a name right then and there: Thunderfang.

Mia and the others raised their eyebrows, mildly impressed.

”Not bad,” someone said. ”Guy’s got a knack for naming stuff.”

Robert, meanwhile, was already swinging Thunderfang through the air, testing its weight and feel.

”Witness my Thunderfang—nothing can stand against it!” he declared dramatically, slicing through the air with exaggerated flair.

”...”

Mia and the others just stared, deadpan.

Edgy teenager.

...