Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Right after that, Ethan played the third audio clip.

”LORN has already obtained part of the Spatial Key. Next, he’ll complete the Ritual Array and bring his true form into this world. You won’t stand a chance against him… So take my advice—get someone to extract me to Earth early. Don’t be stupid.”

Hearing that, Ethan immediately thought of Nightbane. The runes he’d carved into the corpse nest back then—those must’ve been part of the Ritual Array.

That kind of array could tear open the fabric of space, allowing alien entities to descend.

A moment later, Dr. Morgan messaged him again:

”So? You wanna reply to him?”

”I’m busy. Not wasting my time on that clown,” Ethan said flatly, not giving a damn.

”Alright, I’ll tell him exactly that,” Dr. Morgan replied, and true to form, he sent Ethan’s words back word-for-word.

Ethan had more pressing matters—he was gearing up for a fight. Time to see what a fifth-gen Cyborg with alien consciousness was really capable of.

In a blink, he vanished from where he stood.

…

Deep within a chasm that looked like a bottomless abyss, Lil’ Shroom and The Snowy Owl crawled out from the shadows.

Outside, Darius of the Vampire Race was still locked in combat with the Awakeners from Genesis Biotech, cursing under his breath as he fought.

He was undeniably powerful, taking down several of the modified humans. But their cybernetic enhancements had a nasty surprise—self-destruction protocols.

Boom! Boom!

Explosions rocked the battlefield nonstop, plunging everything into utter chaos.

”Damn freaks! Just die already!”

Darius was covered in soot and blood, his fury mounting. Even worse, the mutant virus he was so proud of—completely useless now.

”We’re leaving,” Lil’ Shroom said, scanning the battlefield. She wanted to get out before the mechanical army arrived.

But just then, a massive cloud of dust kicked up in the distance, a sandstorm rolling in like a tidal wave, blotting out the sun.

From within the storm, sleek metallic figures emerged—tall, lean, gleaming with a cold, silver sheen. They moved with inhuman speed and precision, closing in fast.

Leading them was a strikingly handsome young man, moving so fast he blurred through space, shrinking the distance between them to just a few hundred feet in seconds.

”Spatial-type?” Lil’ Shroom narrowed her eyes, sensing the immense power radiating from him.

Genesis Biotech had codenamed their fifth-gen Cyborgs ”Alkaid”—a name symbolizing peak combat capability.

In mere seconds, the Cyborg stood before them. His face was sharp and intense, but there was a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

”Hand over the stone tablet, and I might let you live.”

”Keep dreaming,” Lil’ Shroom snapped coldly.

That tablet was something her boss needed—she’d die before giving it up.

The young man’s expression darkened, his eyes turning deadly.

”Then die it is.”

With a flick of his hand, a wave of searing heat burst forth. Flames roared to life, swirling in his palm, growing hotter and brighter by the second.

In moments, a massive fireball formed—like a miniature sun blazing in his grasp.

The heat was so intense it cracked the ground beneath them. Even the swirling sand began to melt. Everything around them lost its color, swallowed by the blinding light.

The fifth-gen Cyborg’s power was terrifying—right at the edge of SS+ class, just a hair away from breaking through to something even more monstrous.

With a sharp motion, he hurled the fireball.

As it tore through the air, the ground caved in beneath it, the sky screamed, and the sheer force threatened to erase everything in its path.

”So strong…”

Lil’ Shroom couldn’t even move. The attack was overwhelming—and fire was her absolute weakness.

All she could do was watch as the fireball closed in, engulfing her and The Snowy Owl in a blaze of destruction.

BOOOOM!

The explosion was volcanic, a violent eruption of energy that scorched everything in a thousand-foot radius. The earth was left with a massive crater.

And Lil’ Shroom—was gone. Obliterated.

”Huh?”

The fifth-gen Cyborg’s expression twisted in confusion. Something felt off. Just as Lil’ Shroom was swallowed by the fireball, he caught a glimpse of delicate white filaments drifting through the air—mycelium.

And then, not even a second later, another Lil’ Shroom climbed out from the pitch-black crevice, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

”What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you thought that was the real me? For a so-called advanced AI, you’re not much more than a glorified toaster with a bad attitude.”

”You—!” The young man clenched his jaw, seething with rage.

If he were still a pure Cyborg, maybe he would’ve detected the mimic. But now that LORN’s alien consciousness had taken over, he was burdened with emotions—human-like thoughts that clouded his judgment.

”Die!” he snarled, vanishing in a blur. His hand turned blade-sharp as he slashed straight for her neck.

Lil’ Shroom didn’t even flinch. Still smiling, she let him slice clean through her throat. Her head dropped, but again—no blood, no flesh. Just a puff of white mycelium dispersing into the air.

LORN had expected this. He didn’t even look surprised. He just turned toward the edge of the crevice, peering down, determined to find the real one.

But what he saw made his eyes narrow in shock.

Dozens of figures were climbing up the dirt walls of the chasm—each one a perfect replica of Lil’ Shroom. And not just her. There were Snowy Owls too, all eerily lifelike, indistinguishable from the originals.

”Clever little zombie…”

The young man muttered under his breath. Even if he scanned each one individually, it would take time—and time wasn’t something he had in abundance. So he made the call.

”Kill them all!”

At his command, the mechanical army surged forward, leaping into the crevice. They opened fire, tearing through the mimics with brutal efficiency.

Their eyes glowed green, scanning every target, searching for the real Lil’ Shroom.

Meanwhile, deep inside a shadowy cave, two figures huddled in the farthest corner—two Zombie Kings.

”Don’t worry,” Lil’ Shroom whispered. ”They won’t find us that easily.”

The Snowy Owl was trembling, feathers puffed up in fear. ”But they will eventually. It’s just a matter of time.”

”It’s fine. My boss is coming to get me.”

”Your boss?” The Snowy Owl looked at her, stunned. He knew how powerful Genesis Biotech’s Awakeners were—especially the Cyborgs. Could anyone really stand up to them?

Outside, the mechanical soldiers were dropping into the chasm one after another, wiping out the mimic army with ruthless precision. The search was tightening. The Cyborgs were getting closer.

The Snowy Owl clamped his wings over his beak, not daring to make a sound.

But just then, a squad of machines approached the mouth of the cave. Their eyes glowed, scanning every inch of the darkness.

”Oh no… they’re almost here!” The Snowy Owl’s heart pounded in his chest. If they were found, it was over.

But then—at the very back of the cave—came a faint rustling sound. Like something digging through the earth.

”Huh?”

The Snowy Owl’s eyes widened. Something was moving. Something… was coming.

The soil began to shift, crumbling away in chunks.

And then, a head popped out of the dirt—dark-skinned, beady-eyed, with a few scraggly whiskers on his cheeks.

”The Mole’s here—digging you outta trouble!”

…