Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Yes, sir!” the zombie underling barked, then turned and sprinted off to relay the order.

Dreadpaw stood there, pacing back and forth, his brow furrowed deep in thought. The whole thing was just too bizarre. He’d only met Hank once—how the hell did that guy pull this off?

Losing that much fresh meat was a serious blow. Zombies that went too long without feeding... they didn’t just starve. They turned into Black-Skin Zombies—feral, mindless, and uncontrollable.

Luckily, the pig farm wasn’t his only food source.

Dreadpaw still had a decent herd of cattle.

For now, at least... they could hold out.

. . .

The entire corpse nest stirred to life the moment Dreadpaw’s command went out.

Like a kicked anthill, the zombies poured out in droves, flooding the desolate wasteland. Their howls echoed across the sky, a chorus of rage and hunger.

Among them were several Zombie Kings, each one monstrous in their own way—hulking, twisted, radiating raw power and barely-contained fury.

”They stole the pigs?! Are you kidding me?!”

”Yeah! What the hell are we supposed to eat now?!”

”If we don’t get them back, we’re screwed!”

”Screw that—burn the whole damn continent if we have to! We’re finding that bastard!”

The horde roared with fury, their bloodlust boiling over. This wasn’t just about food anymore—it was personal.

The zombie tide split into multiple waves, each led by a different Zombie King, spreading out in all directions like a plague on legs.

They swore they’d find the pigs—or die trying.

The swarm rumbled across the land, a living flood of death and decay, until it finally disappeared over the horizon.

But not long after they left...

A lone figure appeared atop the wall of Solaris Citadel.

Ethan stood there, calm and composed, his eyes scanning the distance.

”Gone already?”

The entire city was eerily quiet now. The usual stench of rot and decay had thinned out. The oppressive presence of the undead was barely there.

Were they trying to lure him in?

Ethan narrowed his eyes. It almost felt like a trap. But hey—he was already here. Might as well take a look around.

With a smooth leap, he vaulted over the wall and dropped into Solaris Citadel.

And to his surprise... it was even easier than last time.

”Well, this is awkward,” he muttered, glancing around.

With the zombies all out on the hunt, the place was practically deserted. No guards. No resistance. Just empty streets and silence.

He strolled through the city at a casual pace, taking his time.

Thanks to his heightened senses, it didn’t take long to pick up on something—there was still a trace of fresh meat nearby.

He followed the scent, moving quietly through the ruins, until he reached a large structure. It was about the same size as the pig farm, but nearby, piles of fresh, green fodder were stacked high.

The air was thick with the smell of grass.

”Moo~~~”

Low, rumbling bellows echoed from inside the building.

Ethan smirked. No doubt about it—this was the cattle barn.

He started walking toward it.

”Woof! Woof woof woof! WOOF WOOF!”

The moment he got close, a vicious barking exploded from the entrance.

Chained to a stone pillar was a massive dog—easily over three feet tall at the shoulder, its body packed with muscle. Its black-and-brown fur gleamed like polished obsidian, and it looked more like a panther than a dog.

The beast had clearly caught his scent and was going berserk, snarling and straining against its alloy chain.

”Well, would you look at that... a guard dog.”

Ethan muttered under his breath, eyeing the beast.

Still, fresh meat was fresh meat.

And there was no way in hell he was leaving it for Dreadpaw.

”Quiet down, will you?”

The words had barely left Ethan’s mouth when the barking stopped—dead silent. The massive black dog didn’t even have time to yelp before it collapsed in a heap, lifeless.

It had been erased in an instant by the power of the Domain of the Dead.

With a casual wave, Ethan stored the dog’s corpse in his spatial ring. All that remained was the bare metal chain, swaying gently in the breeze.

The barking might’ve drawn attention, so he didn’t linger. Without missing a beat, Ethan slipped into the cattle barn.

Just as he expected, the place was packed with livestock—but not like anything from Earth. These beasts were massive, towering nearly ten feet tall, built like tanks. They looked more like mutated minotaurs than cows.

Ethan didn’t hesitate. As he walked through the barn, he swept them all into his storage ring, one after another.

. . .

In less than ten seconds, the entire cattle barn was stripped clean.

With the job done, Ethan turned and left without a trace.

Now that he’d cut off the corpse nest’s last food supply, it was only a matter of time before hunger drove them into chaos.

Just to be thorough, Ethan scouted the surrounding area near the corpse nest, making sure there were no other sources of fresh meat left behind.

Wherever he went, not a single animal was spared.

There were other corpse nests scattered along the edge of The Exile Zone, though none as large as Dreadpaw’s. Ethan made a point to swing by a few of them on his way back—helping himself to whatever meat he could find. He never left empty-handed.

Only after clearing out everything did he return to the rocky wasteland where Hank and the others were waiting.

Time to examine the new ”groceries.”

”Brutox… This is Brutox!” Hank’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. ”This is the wild bison only Zombie Kings get to eat in Solaris Citadel! I never thought I’d see one up close, let alone get to eat it!”

He was practically drooling.

Ethan pulled out a dagger, sliced into the thick hide, and carved off a chunk of meat. He took a bite, chewing slowly.

”Mmm…”

He nodded in approval. The meat was tender, juicy—richer than anything Earth had to offer. It was surprisingly delicious.

”Alright. You guys stick to the pork. This beef’s not for you,” Ethan said, glancing up at Hank and the others.

”Uh…” Hank froze, his excitement deflating instantly. His face stiffened.

Wait… was I just excited for nothing?

Aside from the Brutox, there were a bunch of other strange species Ethan had never seen before—mutant livestock from who-knows-where. Hank couldn’t even name half of them.

They tried each one, sampling the alien meats like a gourmet buffet. Everyone ate their fill.

After stuffing himself, Hank suddenly felt a strange urge to cry.

Ever since he’d evolved intelligence, he’d never lived like this. Back then, they were lucky to find scraps—most days, they starved. Now? They were full. Stuffed. And even picky about what they ate.

It felt like luxury.

. . .

Back in Solaris Citadel, however, the mood was anything but joyful.

Dreadpaw stood in the middle of the cattle barn, staring at the empty space where his herd used to be. All that remained was a single, bare chain swinging from a stone pillar.

The cows were gone.

Even the damn guard dog was missing.

”Where are the cows?! WHERE THE HELL ARE MY COWS?!” Dreadpaw’s roar shook the walls, his fury erupting like a volcano. The sheer pressure of his Zombie King aura made the air feel like it was crushing down on everyone nearby.

His underlings trembled, barely able to stand.

”I-I don’t know… maybe… they got lost?” one of them stammered.

”Lost?” Dreadpaw’s jaw clenched, his fangs grinding together. ”You say that like it’s no big deal. Where the hell are the zombies who were supposed to be guarding this place?!”

”Boss, uh… you told them to go look for the missing pigs, remember?” the underling mumbled, eyes glued to the floor.

”…”

Dreadpaw’s eye twitched. His rage was boiling over, his mind on the verge of snapping.

This was it. This was a disaster.

Not only had he lost the pigs—now the cows were gone too.

”All that livestock… it’d be a damn mountain if you piled it up. Where the hell could someone hide that much meat?” Dreadpaw muttered, pacing furiously.

Whoever did this wasn’t just some petty thief. They had to have some kind of special ability—something that let them bypass his entire defense system.

And now, his entire corpse nest was on the brink of collapse.

”This wasn’t just a livestock heist…” Dreadpaw growled, eyes narrowing. ”This bastard came here to wipe us out.”

...