Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Once the mimics fully formed, their faces were blank, their movements stiff and mechanical—but they charged straight at the Heartland zombies without hesitation.

Thornessa’s eyes narrowed. In an instant, the thorny vines on her body lashed out like a storm of steel whips, slicing through the mimics with brutal precision.

The barbed thorns, jagged like saw blades, tore the mimics apart, reducing them to drifting clouds of white mycelium.

It didn’t take long for Thornessa to realize—these things looked creepy, sure, but they weren’t exactly packing a punch.

”Hmph! This is the backup you brought? Pathetic. Let’s see how you like getting torn to shreds!” she snarled, her vines whipping through the air with a shrill, slicing sound.

The mimics were shredded one after another, their fungal remains floating like snow-white willow fluff.

Then, from the haze of spores, Lil’ Shroom emerged.

With a flick of her claws, she unleashed a wave of fungal spores that twisted into two long serpents, hissing as they shot toward Thornessa.

But Thornessa didn’t flinch. Her vines wove together into a dense wall, blocking the spores with ease.

Lil’ Shroom used the opening to dart toward the Overlord Squad, slashing through the thorny bindings and yanking them free.

”Ahh! Damn, that hurts!” the four zombies groaned in pain.

Several thorn spikes had broken off inside their bodies—every movement sent a jolt of agony through them.

But Lil’ Shroom didn’t have time to check on them. A sharp whoosh overhead warned her—more vines were dropping from above, fast and deadly.

BOOM!

The vines slammed into the ground like thunder, cracking the earth and sending jagged black fissures racing outward.

Lil’ Shroom rolled to the side, barely dodging the impact.

”Damn… this bitch hits hard!”

”You’re dead meat!” Thornessa roared, her voice laced with fury.

All the vines on her body surged into the air, then came crashing down like a rain of whips.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Lil’ Shroom twisted and flipped, dodging each strike by a hair’s breadth, her movements agile and unpredictable.

”Shroom, sis!!” Big Ears and the rest of the Overlord Squad leaned on each other, watching with anxious eyes.

It was clear now—The Violet Thorn Queen wasn’t just for show. Her power was easily SS-rank or higher.

Lil’ Shroom, on the other hand, was more of a scout—specializing in stealth, mimicry, and area control. When it came to high-level one-on-one combat, she lacked the raw firepower.

From a distance, Pickle and the other Heartland zombies started to relax.

”Pfft, I thought she was supposed to be some big deal.”

”Yeah, turns out she’s not that tough.”

”Guess she’s just another fringe-zone fluke…”

Pickle especially felt vindicated. A fringe-zone Zombie Leader was still just that—even if a Zombie King came to save them, how strong could they really be?

But then—everything changed.

Thornessa went all in.

Her vines exploded outward in a frenzy, multiplying like mad, turning into a forest of writhing tentacles that shot toward Lil’ Shroom from every direction, sealing off every possible escape route.

Lil’ Shroom’s eyes sharpened. She didn’t move—just stared straight ahead.

Then, behind her, a surge of green burst forth.

Massive vines erupted from the ground, thick and powerful, crashing down like a tidal wave.

They tore through Thornessa’s thorns like paper, shredding them into splinters.

A calm, steady voice echoed through the chaos:

”…Let me handle this.”

All the zombies froze, heads snapping toward the source of the green surge.

From the heart of the verdant explosion, a figure stepped forward—tall, composed, and unmistakably powerful.

His features were smooth and striking, with a high-bridged nose and a calm, almost serene expression. Two slender grass leaves hung from his ears like earrings, swaying gently with each step. The whole look? Effortlessly cool.

”Sprout!”

The Overlord Squad—Big Ears, Shrimpy, and the others—gasped in unison.

They hadn’t just been saved by Shroom, sis… Sprout had come too.

And that hit different.

Especially since, not long ago, their relationship with Sprout had been… let’s say, less than friendly.

So seeing him now, standing tall and walking into the fight for them, was a shock. A gut punch of gratitude. If zombies could cry, they’d be sobbing oceans.

Pickle and the Heartland zombies, meanwhile, felt a chill crawl up their spines.

Something about this guy… was bad news.

Really bad.

Sprout wasn’t just any Zombie King—he was Ethan’s top-tier fusion-type, the first of his kind. And he’d awakened the Absolute Domain. His combat power? Off the charts.

Whether it was one-on-one or full-scale war, Sprout was elite.

Maybe, once upon a time, he wouldn’t have bothered saving someone like Big Ears. But lately, something had changed. His emotions had deepened, grown more complex.

It was a sign.

He was evolving—into a Voidborn Undying.

Thornessa tilted her head, sizing him up. Her battle spirit still burned hot. Strong or not, she’d find out the truth the only way she knew how.

”Let’s see what you’ve got!” she snarled.

Her body erupted in a storm of purple thorns, weaving together into a massive, serpentine wave that surged toward Sprout.

Sprout’s pale green eyes glinted.

”Undying Vine Domain.”

With a single thought, the ground beneath him trembled.

RUMBLE.

A tidal wave of green exploded upward—vines thicker than tree trunks shot into the sky, twisting and writhing, covering the entire battlefield in a living, breathing jungle.

The world turned green.

Compared to this, Thornessa’s purple thorns looked like party streamers—flickering candlelight against a wildfire.

In an instant, her attack was shredded.

And Sprout’s aura? Still climbing.

He broke through the SS threshold—then kept going.

SSS.

Thornessa’s eyes went wide, pupils shrinking.

”The Voidborn Undying…?” she whispered, voice trembling.

Now she understood.

What she was up against wasn’t just a strong opponent.

It was a monster.

The Overlord Squad stared, slack-jawed.

”Sprout evolved?”

”When did that happen?”

”No idea…”

”So he’s the third Voidborn Undying in the hive?”

”Holy shit…”

On the battlefield, Thornessa—once so fierce—didn’t even get a chance to counter.

In seconds, she was swallowed by the green tide.

Her presence vanished.

”Damn, he’s strong!”

”That’s a Voidborn Undying for you…”

Pickle and the Heartland zombies were shaking now.

Time to run.

They turned to bolt, hoping to slip away while Thornessa was buried.

But they didn’t get far.

A shadow streaked past them, cutting off their escape.

From the darkness, a figure rose—his body flickering like firelight, shifting and fluid.

Little Shadow.

He tilted his head, scanning the area. ”Heard someone called for backup? Figured I’d drop in and see what’s up.”

”Uh…” Pickle and the others froze, staring at the Zombie King in horror.

And then—WHOOOM—a deep rumble echoed from above.

A sleek, silver Recon Corvette hovered in the sky, engines humming.

The hatch opened.

A massive figure leapt out.

BOOM!

The ground cracked beneath the impact.

”Big Ears! Where are you? I’m here to back you up!”

The voice was deep, warm, and full of strength.

Bulldozer.

His towering frame radiated raw power, and just seeing him made you feel safer.

”Bulldozer! I’m over here!” Big Ears called out, his voice hoarse but excited.

Of all the Zombie Kings, Bulldozer was the one he was closest to.

Bulldozer turned, eyes narrowing when he saw Big Ears covered in blood.

”Who did this to you?” he growled. ”Point ’em out. I’ll smash their skull in.”

”Bulldozer…” Big Ears bit his lip, voice trembling.

But before he could say more, a soft, feminine voice drifted in from nearby.

”It’s been a while since I came back… and this is what our hive’s turned into?”

Laura.

Her long black hair flowed in the wind, her expression gentle—but her eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.

”Queen Laura!”

Big Ears’ voice cracked.

He couldn’t believe it.

Even she had come.

That meant… his distress signal had reached everyone.

They all cared.

They all came.

His heart swelled.

He wanted to cry.

See? I’m not forgotten after all…

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