Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Night had its charm…

But deep in a certain part of the Unknown Forest, tonight was anything but peaceful.

All through the night, angry death cries of Titan Apes echoed through the trees—short bursts of rage followed by eerie silence. Again and again.

It wasn’t until the sky paled with early morning light that the roars finally died out.

Back in their treetop hideout, the rest of the group looked uneasy.

”It’s been all night. You think something happened to Ethan?” Big Mike muttered, trying to keep his voice low.

”Don’t jinx it, idiot. If anyone’s in danger, it’s definitely not our captain!” Mia shot him a glare.

”Agreed,” Chris nodded. ”Ethan’s got Teleportation… those Apes can’t even touch him. I’ll bet anything he’s out there causing chaos.”

Right then, a shadow popped into existence right next to them—and nearly gave them heart attacks.

”Jesus, Captain!” Big Mike stumbled back, clutching his chest. ”Can you maybe not do that with zero warning?”

”Finally!” Mia exhaled, relief flooding her face.

”Welcome back, Captain.” Chris gave him a hopeful look.

Ethan grinned. ”Brought you guys some souvenirs.”

He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a handful of glowing crystal cores, letting them spill into his palm like candy.

The others all froze.

”…Holy shit,” Big Mike finally blurted. ”Captain, did you go on a murder rampage last night?”

”You tell me.”

Ethan chuckled and waved the cores. ”Go on, eat up. With these, you guys should hit Tier 9, easy.”

He’d specifically hunted Tier 8 and Tier 9 Titan Apes all night long. With his Tier 10 strength, plus night vision and teleportation at his disposal, the battlefield had been his playground. Every strike was a kill. Every move, untouchable.

Dozens of Tier 8s. More than ten Tier 9s. One night’s haul—enough to boost the entire squad.

The others didn’t need more convincing. Faces lit with excitement, they each grabbed a few crystal cores and immediately jumped down from the tree. There, they sat cross-legged on the forest floor and began absorbing their spoils.

They weren’t worried. Ethan had lured the Apes miles away—it was safe here.

And just like that, Fallen Star Squad hit their first real power spike: full team, Tier 9.

Even if the rest of the Void Realm turned out to be a bust, just this stockpile of crystal cores had already made the expedition more than worth it.

After everyone leveled up, Ethan was still left with a few extras.

He handed a Tier 8 core to Miles, and another Tier 9 one to Chris for backup.

Then, with practiced caution, the group got moving again—making their way toward the spot where Nugget was last seen.

Meanwhile, back in the valley—the central den of the Titan Apes—tensions had erupted into full-blown fury.

The Titan Ape chieftain was absolutely livid.

Over a hundred of his warriors had died in a single night. For a tribe with less than a thousand total, that was catastrophic.

Not since the last Great Mutant War had they suffered losses this brutal. And now, this?

The chieftain wasn’t taking it lying down.

He personally led a troop of Tier 10 elites and stormed out of the valley to hunt down the killer.

That left only a few dozen Titan Apes behind—barely enough to watch over the nearly 800 members of the captured Silverfox Squad.

For the first time in days, those prisoners looked at one another—and saw a spark of hope.

Until finally, someone yelled:

”Split up and run!”

Just like that, almost 800 people rose up at once and bolted toward the edge of the valley.

After being trapped and helpless for so long, the chance to escape was all it took. None of them hesitated. Panic turned into adrenaline. Feet hit the ground. Everyone ran like hell.

The few Apes still guarding them were caught off guard. These weak, obedient humans had never once resisted.

Now they were exploding out in every direction.

Chaos broke loose.

The Apes tried to hold them back—but a few dozen guards couldn’t stop a herd of nearly 800 desperate people.

Many were injured. Some, badly. But hundreds still surged through, breaking past the cordon and disappearing into the trees.

And all of it? Triggered unintentionally by Ethan’s little massacre spree the night before.

He had no idea he’d just saved a large chunk of Silverfox Squad’s lives.

Then again… with how massive and untamed the forest was, whether those people would make it out in one piece? That was another matter.

Right now, Ethan and his team had been sneaking and hiding for another half-hour or so when they finally spotted something different.

New mutant beasts.

They were massive. Each one had a long, needle-nosed snout and a weirdly small head perched above a bulky body that looked like a scaled-up rodent. Armor-like plates covered them from shoulders to tail, each one lined with backward-curving spikes. A thin tail dragged behind, ending in a wicked stinger.

Ethan let out a breath.

”Finally. Looks like we’re out of Titan Ape territory.”

Last night had been a bloodbath—but only because the Apes couldn’t see well in the dark.

If it had been daytime, things would’ve gone very differently.

To be honest, Ethan wasn’t confident about taking them head-on in broad daylight. Just during his rampage, he’d counted at least ten Tier 10 Titan Apes—probably more. Maybe even stronger ones hiding in the ranks.

They had power none of them could afford to fight yet.

So yeah… getting out of their turf?

Definitely the smart move.

Ethan crouched low in the tall grass, signaling the others to keep quiet as they watched the mutant beasts ahead.

The creatures were strange-looking—massive, armored, and crawling with menace—but Big Mike squinted and whispered behind him.

”Captain, I dunno... they don’t look that dangerous to me.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. ”You serious?”

He jabbed a finger toward the group. ”There are two Tier 10s in that pack. Over a dozen Tier 9s. You still think they’re harmless?”

”...Damn,” Big Mike blinked. ”That strong?”

”Come on, you think anything weak could survive in this forest?” Ethan said, keeping his voice low as he scanned the movement ahead. ”Jungle rules out here—survival of the fittest. Anything soft got wiped out a long time ago.”

”Fair point. So… we going around them, or maybe pulling off another sneak attack?” Big Mike suggested, eyes gleaming. ”If you manage to take down two more Tier 10s, your power’s gonna spike again, right?”

”Let’s hold off for now,” Ethan murmured, narrowing his eyes. ”Something about these things feels worse than the Titan Apes.”

As they watched, the brush rustled—and a group of Titan Apes suddenly barreled out into the open, looking pissed and very much on the hunt. Probably still tracking Ethan’s trail.

The moment the Ironback Rats saw them, the entire group snapped to attention.

They clustered up fast, forming a tight wall and facing the newcomers head-on. The air filled with rapid, high-pitched ”chee-chee-chee” screeches.

”Raaaghhhh!”

The lead Titan Ape growled back—deep, guttural, and long. It didn’t sound like a challenge. It sounded like… communication.

Ethan frowned. ”They’re talking.”

”Holy crap,” Mia murmured. ”Mutant beasts with diplomacy?”

But despite the back-and-forth, neither group seemed willing to back down. The tension kept rising, and soon it looked like the whole thing could blow any second.

Then suddenly, the Ironback Rats’ spiked tails began stretching out from behind them—long, whip-like—twisting up toward the Apes like scorpion stingers ready to strike.

Ethan’s chest tightened.

”Weapons are in the tails,” he muttered. ”Flexible, fast... and if those things are venomous? We’re screwed if we get caught in a fight.”

Right then, the lead Titan Ape let out another roar—but this one was more frustration than fury.

A pause.

Then, slowly, the Apes backed off.

Ethan exhaled quietly.

”That’s right. Take the L and walk.”

The Ironback Rats didn’t relax until the last Titan Ape faded into the trees. Then their tails curled back under and they started nosing through the underbrush again, completely unfazed.

”Let’s go. We’re not tangling with them,” Ethan said, voice quiet but firm.

He’d seen all he needed. The tails weren’t just quick—they were coordinated. That armor didn’t help either. It was pretty clear that picking a fight with the rats would be a hell of a lot harder than dealing with the Apes.

No point in risking a major brawl right now.

Priority was still Nugget—the Golden Eagle might not have much time left. After so many hours, its condition had to be critical. If they didn’t find it soon… it might be too late.

Under Ethan’s lead, the group carefully slipped out of the grass and began weaving around the Ironback Rats, staying low, moving quiet.

No fights. No screw-ups. Not yet.

They had a bird to save.