Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Henry’s healing ability was like rain after a long drought—absolutely life-saving. Everyone felt like they could finally breathe again.

”Boohoo! Henry, thank god you’re here. If you’d shown up any later, I’d be a cripple by now!” Big Mike blurted out, eyes glossy with relief.

”No way. With me around, even if you were a cripple, I’d still get you back on your feet!” Henry shot back, full of confidence.

”Enough chit-chat. Time to move out!” Ethan cut in, his tone sharp, all business.

The Bloodfang Wolves were still coming hard and fast—they didn’t exactly have the upper hand here.

”Big Mike, Emily, Mia, Chris—you four get on Nugget and Pebble’s backs!” Ethan barked quick orders. ”Sean, Skinny Pete—you two grab onto their talons. You guys are heading out first. Go hide out in that little valley in Ironback Rat territory!”

The two giant birds were about the same size—each could carry two people on their backs. But that didn’t mean they were limited to just that. Their talons were strong enough to suspend people too.

These were Tier 9 mutant beasts, after all. Hauling three grown humans? Barely even warm-up exercise.

Big Mike and the others had taken severe damage. Henry had patched them up in a rush, but healing wounds that deep wasn’t instant. They needed the lift.

Sean was holding up alright. Skinny Pete hadn’t even gotten scratched. So ground support worked fine for them.

When Ethan gave orders, no one questioned it. No debates, no hesitation.

Under cover from the rest of the team, Chris and the others quickly climbed onto the birds.

With a powerful sweep of their wings, Nugget and Pebble launched into the sky.

Sean and Skinny Pete leapt straight up, each grabbing a massive talon midair.

Right then, a horde of Bloodfang Wolves exploded from the surroundings, lunging at them in a frenzy.

Ethan teleported into the sky, poleaxe whirling out in a wide-angle sweep.

A massive swath of wolves were sliced clean through at the waist.

That one move bought just enough time. Freed from the assault, the two giant birds shot upward and vanished into the sky with blinding speed.

Ethan reappeared on the ground a second later.

With six people suddenly gone, their frontline thinned dramatically. The pressure ramped up fast.

The remaining three humans and three beasts tightened formation.

Ethan, Garrick, Goldie the Bengal tiger, and Speckles the black jaguar each took a direction. Henry and Pumpkin, the orange tabby, stayed in the middle. Henry focused on healing; Pumpkin ambushed any wolves that broke through.

Keeping Henry and Garrick back wasn’t random. Henry could keep everyone standing. Garrick could tank hits like a wall. Their survival odds were higher than the rest.

As for the mutant beasts—they just weren’t easy to transport.

Pumpkin and Speckles were sleek enough. Nugget and Pebble could barely carry them if needed.

But Goldie? That tiger was so massive, he’d probably ground the birds before they even flapped.

Ethan had already thought it through. When the time came, he’d punch a hole through the wolves and get Goldie out by force.

But as Chris and the others lifted off, the Bloodfang Wolves lost it completely.

A deafening howl rang out from somewhere close—the Tier 10 Bloodfang Wolf.

The pack went berserk.

They surged forward like a tidal wave, all restraint gone.

Even Ethan felt the pressure now. And that said something.

Chunks of Garrick’s Earthen Armor shattered over and over, only to reform each time, the stone plates constantly reconstructing themselves as he devoured crystal cores to keep his energy from dropping.

Goldie the Bengal tiger and Speckles the black jaguar were both starting to look rough. Wounds crisscrossed their bodies, more piling up by the second. Even with Henry’s nonstop healing, he couldn’t keep up.

Fortunately, mutant beasts were built tougher than humans. Even with barely a patch of unbroken skin left, the two fierce beasts still held the line, refusing to go down.

Finally—after what felt like hours crammed into a handful of brutal minutes—Nugget and Pebble reappeared in the sky.

The moment the two giant birds spotted the chaos below, they dove straight through the Bloodfang Wolves’ blockade. Their massive wings swept out wide, blasting aside a pack of wolves mid-pounce.

They weren’t just glorified taxis. They were Tier 9 mutant beasts, deadly in their own right.

”Don’t get caught up fighting! Pumpkin, Speckles—get on!” Ethan shouted urgently. ”Garrick, Henry—grab the talons and get out of here, now!”

”Ethan, what about you and Goldie?” Henry called out anxiously.

”I’ll break through with Goldie. Go!” Ethan snapped back.

”Break through what?!”

Garrick and Henry both froze for a second, staring at the sheer mass of wolves swarming through the forest. It looked like a living floor of fur and fangs.

”Don’t worry about it! Move!”

”…Okay!”

No time to argue. They had seconds, maybe less.

Speckles and Pumpkin launched themselves onto Nugget and Pebble’s backs. Their bulk took up nearly the entire space.

The birds flapped hard, knocking aside another wave of leaping beasts. Then, with a surge of wind, they lifted off again.

Henry and Garrick jumped, catching hold of their talons in one smooth motion.

Ethan blinked up beside them instantly, swinging his poleaxe to hold off the wolves as the party ascended into the sky.

Once they were out of reach, he dropped back down and landed smoothly on Goldie’s broad back.

”Guess it’s just you and me now, huh, big guy?” Ethan muttered, exhaling slowly.

”Rrrgh…”

Goldie rumbled his agreement. He knew. They both did.

If it weren’t for him, Ethan could’ve teleported out at any time. His power made escape easy. But he’d stayed behind anyway—just to make sure Goldie wasn’t abandoned.

Goldie was no fool. He knew that too.

”Raaahh!”

With a thunderous roar, Goldie flattened his ears and charged forward like a battering ram wrapped in tiger fur.

Ethan crouched low against his back, poleaxe a blur. Together, they smashed through the first wave.

Man and beast moved in perfect sync. Each time Goldie pounced, Ethan struck. Where the tiger slashed or bit, Ethan followed up with a spinning arc of steel.

Bloodfang Wolves fell left and right—crushed under Goldie’s claws or split open by Ethan’s blade.

But it wasn’t enough.

There were too many.

They pushed barely a hundred feet before it started dragging, each lunge harder than the last.

And then the worst happened.

The Tier 10 Bloodfang Wolf finally stepped into the battle.

It must’ve figured out what was happening—maybe saw too many of its prey escaping. Either way, it wasn’t sitting back anymore.

It led a whole pack of Tier 9 Bloodfang Wolves, blocking the last clear path forward.

Ethan’s footsteps halted.

Ahead of him… dozens upon dozens of elite Bloodfang Wolves. Centered among them: that towering Tier 10 alpha. Blood-crimson eyes locked on his.

Even Ethan felt a chill run down his spine—that kind of pressure.

This wasn’t a duel. Not even close.

If it were just the Tier 10? He could take it.

But not like this.

”Sorry, Goldie… I don’t think I can get you out of this.”

Ethan reached out and lightly patted Goldie’s head, his chest tightening.

Aside from Pumpkin, Goldie had been with them the longest. He’d carried them from Starlight City to Redwood County, then from there to Clearford. They owed him—Ethan owed him.

He didn’t want to abandon the big guy. But if he tried to force their way through this…

He’d die here too.

”Rrr…”

Goldie growled low—not defiant. Reassuring.

Like he was saying, I get it.

The Bloodfang pack surged, about to pounce—

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

A deep, earth-shaking rhythm rolled in from the distance—footsteps, each one heavy enough to make the ground tremble.

They were coming fast.

Ethan and the wolves all froze, instinct dragging their eyes in one direction.

Then shapes emerged from the trees.

Massive white-furred apes, tall as houses, thundered into view—charging straight toward the Bloodfang Wolves like they’d been summoned from nowhere.

Ethan’s breath hitched.

His pulse stuttered.

”Tier 12… Stage C?!”

His voice was barely more than a whisper.

”There’s a Stage C mutant beast here?!”