Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Gravestone picked up on that strange aura too. His fierce eyes narrowed as he stared in its direction, a slight frown tugging at his brow.

This Umbradrake… doesn’t seem weak at all.

He immediately grew more cautious.

But if anyone was panicking, it was definitely Umbradrake. After all, he was only faking the aura of a Voidborn Undying—he didn’t actually have the power to back it up.

Caught in this kind of standoff, he had no choice but to fake composure. On the outside, he looked calm and collected, like an old pro. On the inside? Full-blown panic mode.

”Gravestone,” he said, trying to sound cool, ”I had no intention of fighting you. But you storming into my zombie nest like this? Bit much, don’t you think?”

”Cut the crap,” Gravestone snapped. ”I heard you’ve been extorting livestock all over the place. You’re clearly up to no good.”

”I…” Umbradrake opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words.

What evil intentions could I possibly have?

He cursed silently. This was all because of that damn powerful Voidborn Undying who forced him into this mess…

Gravestone let out a cold snort. ”Hmph! What’s the matter? Got nothing to say now? If we’re gonna fight eventually, might as well get it over with today.”

”Fine! You said it, not me. Don’t blame me if I don’t hold back!” Umbradrake said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.

Out of the corner of his eye, he scanned the area, heart pounding.

Where the hell is that Voidborn Undying from Solaris Citadel? Why isn’t he here yet?

Gravestone’s eyes narrowed further, his killing intent flaring.

The aura around him surged, growing even more intense.

The two Zombie Kings squared off, their power levels rising steadily. Neither made a move, both sizing each other up with extreme caution.

What’s this guy playing at?

Gravestone was starting to get suspicious. Umbradrake didn’t seem like he was planning to attack.

And that made Gravestone hesitate too. He wasn’t about to make the first move without knowing what he was up against.

Which suited Umbradrake just fine. He thought to himself, If you’re not moving… then I’m not moving either.

The two of them stood locked in a silent standoff, their Voidborn Undying auras clashing in the air like invisible blades.

All around them, the other Zombie Kings exchanged confused glances.

They’d been expecting an epic showdown between two Voidborn Undying. But now? Nothing was happening.

Finally, Gravestone’s patience wore thin. He decided to make the first move—just a test, to see what kind of power he was really dealing with.

”Die!”

With a thunderous roar, he launched himself forward. As an SSS-class Zombie King, his speed was insane.

He vanished from sight in an instant, moving faster than the eye could follow.

Umbradrake’s heart dropped. Shit. He’s actually attacking!

A violent gust of wind slammed into him as Gravestone closed the distance in a blink.

Before he could react, Gravestone was already in front of him, fist clenched, claws curled, aiming straight for his face.

There was no way to dodge at that speed.

Panicking, Umbradrake crossed his arms in front of him to block.

BOOM!

The impact was brutal. Pain exploded through his arms—felt like his bones had shattered. His body was sent flying like a baseball hit out of the park.

He crashed through the air, tumbling backward over 300 feet before slamming into a massive boulder, shattering it on impact.

”...Huh???”

Gravestone blinked, confused. He looked down at his own hands.

Since when was I this strong?

The surrounding Zombie Kings were just as stunned.

”Did… did Umbradrake just get launched?”

”He looked so weak just now…”

”Yeah, and that was just a probing attack from Gravestone.”

”...”

In the rubble, Umbradrake slowly climbed to his feet, covered in dust and looking like a total wreck.

His arms cracked and popped as the bones began to knit themselves back together.

His eyes were dark with dread.

The truth he’d been hiding for years… might not stay hidden much longer.

Gravestone stared at Umbradrake, a flicker of realization crossing his face.

”Let me hit him one more time, just to be sure…” he muttered to himself.

Without hesitation, he lunged forward again, repeating the same move as before—another heavy punch aimed straight at Umbradrake.

Caught off guard, Umbradrake barely had time to raise his arms in defense.

BOOM!

The blow landed hard. His body was sent flying once more, tumbling across the ground and carving a deep trench in the dirt before coming to a stop. He looked even more wrecked than before.

That was all the confirmation Gravestone needed.

”This guy’s nowhere near SSS-level,” he said coldly. ”He’s not a Voidborn Undying at all.”

”What?!”

The surrounding Zombie Kings gasped in shock.

”Umbradrake’s not a Voidborn Undying?”

”Then what was that terrifying aura earlier?”

”I don’t get it…”

Gravestone stepped forward, voice loud and clear. ”He’s been faking it. That aura? It’s just a special ability he evolved—some kind of illusion or disguise. A bluff.”

”Ahh… so that’s what it was!”

The other Zombie Kings all nodded, expressions shifting from confusion to realization.

But then, something else dawned on them.

Wait a second…

All those pigs we gave him… did we just hand them over for nothing?

Their faces twisted with rage.

”That bastard! He’s been pretending to be a Voidborn Undying just to scare us!”

”Yeah! And he kept showing up demanding livestock—I’ve been losing sleep over this!”

”He was faking it the whole time? Hell, I could’ve done that too!”

”Let’s tear him apart!”

”Yeah! Get him!”

The Zombie Kings surged forward, furious and ready to rip Umbradrake to shreds.

Just like he feared—once the truth came out, he was screwed.

”I’m so dead… I’m actually dead this time…”

The angry mob closed in, bloodlust in their eyes.

But then—suddenly—a crushing pressure exploded out from beside Umbradrake. A real SSS-class aura, unmistakable and overwhelming.

”Still pretending? Who do you think you’re fooling?”

”You’re about to die and you’re still pulling this act?”

The Zombie Kings didn’t buy it. Not anymore.

But Umbradrake blinked in confusion.

Wait… I’m not faking anything right now.

Then it hit him.

No way…

A moment later, the power of the Domain of the Dead began to spread—an oppressive force like a mountain crashing down. The air grew thick, heavy, suffocating.

A few of the faster, more agile Zombie Kings who had rushed in first were instantly caught in it.

Their bodies froze mid-step.

And then, a wave of pure, primal fear surged through them, rooting itself deep in their minds.

”Wait… something’s not right…”

They could feel it now. This wasn’t a bluff.

And then—he appeared.

A figure in a crisp white shirt materialized out of thin air. Handsome, calm, and cold-eyed. His presence was like a blade drawn in silence.

With a flick of his wrist, a pitch-black katana appeared in his hand. In one smooth motion, he slashed toward the nearest Zombie King.

The blade gleamed—razor-sharp, deadly.

It sliced clean through the zombie’s neck like it was nothing but a watermelon. A sickening shhk echoed as steel met bone, and a head went flying.

The severed head hit the ground with a dull thud, eyes wide in terror, mouth frozen mid-scream.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

The remaining Zombie Kings stumbled back, panic rising in their throats.

Umbradrake, on the other hand, lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

”Boss!” he shouted, eyes wide with relief. ”You really came! You didn’t lie to me!”

Ethan gave a small nod. ”Nice work luring in an SSS-class crystal core.”

”?????”

Gravestone, still standing off to the side, raised an eyebrow, his face twisting in confusion.

SSS-class crystal core…

…Wait. Are they trying to harvest me?!

He stared at Ethan, stunned. Where the hell did this guy come from?

And more importantly—he was strong. Just as strong as Gravestone himself. No doubt about it—this guy was a real Voidborn Undying.

How have I never heard of him before?

Gravestone’s mind raced, but he quickly shook it off. It didn’t matter. He’d always been prepared to hunt other Voidborn Undying. And as far as he was concerned, none of the nearby zombie nests could match his power.

”Fine,” he growled, eyes locking onto Ethan. ”If Umbradrake’s not the real deal… then I’ll just kill you instead.”

...