Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The elite zombies patrolling the outer edge of Heartland had resumed their rounds, and the fringe zone of the nest had returned to a deceptive calm. On the surface, everything looked orderly, like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Ethan, still wearing Boneclaw’s face, walked forward with steady steps, heading toward the core region. He wanted to get a closer look at the heart of Heartland.

But just as he was about to move deeper, a faint ripple of psychic energy swept across the area—subtle, like a tide brushing the shore, but unmistakably probing.

That’s some serious sensory range... Ethan’s brow twitched. He immediately suppressed his aura, blending into the background like a shadow.

Inside Gorthas’s zombie nest, Nightwraith’s expression darkened slightly. He’d picked up on something.

”Hmm? What’s up?” Gorthas asked, noticing the change in his friend’s demeanor.

”Do you have any psychic-type Zombie Kings stationed on your borders?” Nightwraith asked suddenly.

”Nope,” Gorthas replied, confused. ”Psychic-types are super rare, and the ones that do awaken that ability are usually top-tier. No way they’d be stuck out in the fringe.”

Nightwraith’s eyes narrowed. ”I just felt a psychic fluctuation near your outer perimeter.”

”Psychic fluctuation? Seriously?” Gorthas looked genuinely surprised.

”Maybe I was mistaken,” Nightwraith said, though his tone wasn’t entirely convinced.

”Yeah, probably just your senses playing tricks on you,” Gorthas said with a shrug.

Nightwraith didn’t respond. He extended his psychic field again, scanning the area—but the ripple was gone. Nothing.

”Alright then. I’m heading back. Just keep an eye on your territory,” he said, turning to leave.

”No worries. I’ve got this,” Gorthas replied with a grin.

Nightwraith walked a few steps, then vanished like a ghost, his presence dissolving into the shadows.

Gorthas watched the direction he disappeared in, frowning slightly.

What’s there to be careful about? I just had Boneclaw sweep the area. Everything’s fine... right?

…

Meanwhile, Ethan—still in Boneclaw’s form—had returned to the wreckage of the Dreadnought-class Starcruiser. The elite zombies stationed there immediately straightened up when they saw him, their postures stiff with respect. Their eyes gleamed with nervous flattery, practically radiating please-don’t-kill-me energy.

Ethan ignored them.

He walked straight past, his mind elsewhere.

The psychic presence from earlier had vanished.

Whoever it was, they had an insane range. Even most Voidborn Undying couldn’t scan that far. That kind of power could only belong to a Deathless Sovereign.

That had to be Nightwraith... Ethan thought, analyzing the situation.

He’d heard the name before—Nightwraith, a Zombie King known for his terrifying psychic abilities.

And the more he thought about it, the more it reminded him of someone from his past... Nightbane, the former overlord of San Diego.

Nightwraith felt like a leveled-up version of Nightbane—both specialized in psychic power, both terrifyingly strong. Zombie Kings like that were rare. Exceptionally rare.

If Nightbane were still alive... he might’ve reached this level too.

But the world didn’t deal in ”what ifs.” Nightbane was long gone, buried in the past.

Ethan stepped over the twisted metal of the starcruiser wreckage and finally entered the core region.

The terrain opened into a wide plain, and the density of zombies increased dramatically. These weren’t your average shamblers—these were evolved, battle-ready monsters. Their bloodlust hung in the air like a storm cloud, eyes gleaming with the thrill of the coming war.

They were soldiers, waiting for the command of their Deathless Sovereign.

Ethan’s gaze swept past the horde and locked onto the base of The Origin Mountain. A jagged ridge extended from the mountain’s base, forming a steep, natural barrier.

Nestled below it was a massive fortress—stone buildings stacked like a citadel, surrounded by boulders and barricades. It looked like a war bunker built for the apocalypse.

That’s where the strongest auras were coming from.

Zombie Kings—dozens of them. All S-rank and above. Some even radiated the unmistakable pressure of SSS-class Voidborn Undying.

Gorthas is probably in there, Ethan thought, eyes narrowing.

His old enemy. The one he’d been waiting to face for so long.

Their reunion was coming.

But not yet.

The area was crawling with zombies. Too many. And Gorthas had his own Zombie King lieutenants stationed throughout the core. Any sudden move would trigger a full-scale alert.

The odds of a clean assassination? Slim.

I’ll need to wait for the right moment...

Besides, his own forces weren’t in position yet. His zombie lieutenants were still moving into place. Starting a war now would be premature.

After entering the core region, Ethan wandered around for a while, quietly observing the zombie formations and their distribution. Based on the density alone, he estimated that the total number of zombies in this nest exceeded ten million.

And among them, over three million were elite-class.

That meant, across all five zombie nests in the Heartland region, the total zombie population had to be in the hundreds of millions.

And it wasn’t just humanoid zombies.

Scattered throughout the dense hordes were all kinds of zombie beasts—zombie dogs, zombie pigs, zombie rats—each one mutated and vicious, their bodies twisted by corpse toxin.

Above, the skies weren’t any safer. Flocks of corpse birds circled overhead, their shrill cries echoing through the air. Their eyes glowed blood-red, and they dove like predators, ready to tear into anything that moved.

Ethan stood still, his gaze fixed on the distant mountain. He was closer to The Origin Mountain now, and he could feel it—the pressure. It was like the mountain itself was watching him, daring him to come closer.

This battle... it would decide everything.

Either he’d ascend The Origin Mountain—or be swallowed by the abyss.

Victory or oblivion.

”Big Guy, what’re you staring at?”

A raspy female voice broke the silence behind him.

Ethan, still in Boneclaw’s form, had already sensed her approach, so he wasn’t surprised. He turned around slowly—and saw a figure covered in shimmering scales.

She was an Aqua Zombie, clearly fused with some kind of aquatic creature. Her legs were thick and heavy, more like a fish tail split in two, covered in razor-sharp scales that gleamed like blades.

But what really stood out was her upper body—long strands of hair hung down, partially covering her chest, and on either side of her torso were six arms.

She looked eerily similar to Hexarm, Wraithshade’s subordinate—but stronger. Way stronger.

Anyone who dared call Boneclaw ”Big Guy” had to be a Voidborn Undying.

This fusion-type Zombie King was none other than Gorthas’s top enforcer—Hydrissa.

”Nothing,” Ethan replied casually. ”Just wondering what’s inside The Origin Mountain.”

Hydrissa shot him a look, her eyes flashing with a cold, predatory gleam. ”The Origin Mountain’s a Forbidden Zone. Covered in rune arrays. It’s dangerous as hell. Once you go in, you don’t come out.”

”Oh? I heard it’s full of secrets. Mysterious stuff. Don’t you ever get curious?” Ethan asked, keeping his tone light.

”Of course I’m curious,” Hydrissa said bluntly, no hesitation.

”Then... wanna check it out together sometime?” Ethan offered, testing the waters.

But Hydrissa’s expression darkened. Her brows furrowed, and her tone turned sharp. ”Lord Gorthas made it clear—we’re not to set foot in The Origin Mountain. You’d better kill that little idea before it gets you killed. Know your place, Boneclaw.”

”Alright, alright,” Ethan said with a shrug, playing it off.

Damn... Voidborn Undying really are a pain to deal with. Too smart. Not like those fringe-zone zombies you can trick with a few words.

If she’d taken the bait, he could’ve lured her into The Origin Mountain, used the rune arrays to trap her, and buried her there for good.

But no—she didn’t bite.

Just then, a signal pulsed out from the fortress in the distance—a summoning call.

All around them, the core-region Zombie Kings began moving, heading toward the source.

”Let’s go. Lord Gorthas is calling,” Hydrissa said, already turning.

”Yeah, sure,” Ethan replied, falling in step behind her.

Man... this chick’s a real piece of work...

...