Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Nova City…

Ethan and the others found four more red-skinned monsters that had gotten separated from the main group. Working together, they brought all four down and got four Tier 16 crystal cores.

Ethan immediately consumed one Tier 16 core and pushed his strength to the very peak of Tier 16. Then he didn’t hesitate—he used the Tier 17 crystal core too.

His aura surged.

Tier 17.

But before anyone could even celebrate, Skinny Pete, who’d been standing off to the side, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face went sharp and ugly in an instant.

”What’s wrong?” everyone shouted at once, spinning toward him.

Skinny Pete wiped his mouth, eyes dark. ”Blizzard… is dead.”

”What?!”

Every face changed.

”How is that possible?” Big Mike blurted. ”Blizzard’s already Tier 13! Who the hell could kill it?”

”I don’t know,” Skinny Pete said, voice low and strained. ”But its soul mark was erased from my head just now. That only happens one way—if it’s been killed.”

Ethan’s expression sank. ”Something happened in Fallen Star City.”

He didn’t waste another second.

”We’re going back.”

”Yeah.”

Fallen Star City…

”Marek, sir, you’re insane!”

”Marek, sir, you’re insane!”

A wave of sucking-up rolled through Garrett’s people. They stared at the black-robed figure with naked awe, like he’d just swatted a god.

”ROAR!!!”

Blizzard’s death hit the other white-furred apes like a switch flipping.

They threw their heads back and bellowed, then charged Marek in a blind fury.

”Get back!” Miles shouted, voice ripping.

Too late.

They weren’t listening anymore.

Marek gave a small, contemptuous smile. He lifted a hand and casually slapped forward.

A giant hand of dark energy appeared and came down on the apes like a collapsing building.

BOOM—!

The first two white-furred apes were smashed apart on the spot. The shockwave rolled through the rest, sending them tumbling backward. They hit the ground hard and lay there twitching, barely holding on.

”…”

That single strike sucked all the warmth out of the air.

Fallen Star City’s people stood frozen, limbs cold, faces drained of color.

”How… how can he be that strong?” someone whispered, voice shaking.

Garrett threw his head back and laughed, drunk on it. ”Haha! Weren’t you guys so badass? Come on—keep going!”

Miles forced himself to breathe, then looked straight at Garrett. ”You came to Fallen Star City because you have a grudge with our Commander, right? Ethan isn’t in the city. And most of the people here already relocated elsewhere. Attacking this place doesn’t mean much.”

Garrett’s eyes narrowed. ”Hmph. As long as I kill you all, I don’t believe he won’t show his face.”

”You’re wrong,” Miles said flatly. ”Ethan isn’t an idiot. If you kill us, he won’t come out. He’ll do the opposite—he’ll disappear.”

Garrett frowned, studying him.

Then a cold smile crept onto his face. ”But he’d care about you, wouldn’t he? If I kill you, he’ll come back for revenge.”

Miles shook his head. ”Our biggest trump card was those white-furred apes. They were stronger than the rest of Fallen Star Squad. If even they couldn’t protect me, what makes you think the others would come back just to die?”

Garrett’s brow furrowed again—because if it were him, he’d hide too. He’d live first.

He clicked his tongue. ”Fine. Even if he hides, as long as I slaughter you and raze Fallen Star City, I’ll be satisfied.”

Miles watched him for a beat. ”Doesn’t sound like it. I think just slaughtering Fallen Star City won’t be enough for you.”

Then he tilted his head slightly, like he was making an offer at a market stall.

”How about this—if you promise not to kill me, I’ll call them and trick them into coming back.”

Miles had Garrett pegged. The man’s real target was Ethan and the others, not some empty city.

Sure enough, Garrett’s eyes lit up.

”For real?”

”Of course.”

Garrett’s excitement sharpened into suspicion almost immediately. ”You’re not planning to warn him, are you?”

”Relax.” Miles spread his hands. ”I’ll call right in front of you. And honestly, whether I warn him or not doesn’t change much for you, does it? Worst case, they don’t come back. But if you trust me once… I might actually be able to lure them here.”

He paused, then added, voice mild but pointed.

”Unless you’re scared that if they come back, you can’t handle it.”

Garrett barked a laugh. ”Scared? With Marek here? You think I’m afraid of him?”

”Good,” Miles said. ”Then I’ll call now. If I really bring them back, you don’t kill me. You’ll even give me a management position in Silverlake City.”

Garrett waved like it was already a done deal. ”Fine.”

”Then thanks.” Miles smiled faintly, pulled out a satellite phone, and dialed Ethan’s number.

Ethan was riding Peregrine Falcon Flint flat-out toward Fallen Star City when Miles’s call finally came in. He snatched it up immediately.

He’d been calling Miles nonstop. No answer. That alone told him Fallen Star City had to be in deep trouble.

The line connected, and Miles’s voice came through.

”Commander, something came up in the city. Can you come back for a moment?”

Ethan’s stomach tightened.

Miles always called him captain. He’d never once called him Commander.

That meant the situation had gone past ”bad” and straight into ”critical.”

”I’m already on my way back,” Ethan said, voice tight. ”A little over an hour.”

”Good.” Miles didn’t say anything else. He hung up.

An hour… Miles thought, staring at the dead screen. Just hold for one more hour.

He turned to Garrett. ”Alright. I told him to come back.”

Garrett threw his head back and laughed. ”Perfect. I’ll wait for him to get here, then I’ll stomp them into the dirt.”

His grin sharpened. ”But before that… I’m collecting interest.”

With that, he started toward the white-furred apes sprawled on the ground.

Miles’s heart sank. He spoke again, careful. ”You’re going to kill them?”

”Of course.” Garrett’s tone was casual, like he was talking about putting down a dog. ”They beat me half to death. If I don’t kill them, what’s the point?”

”These white-furred apes have strong bloodlines,” Miles said evenly. ”Killing them is a waste. It’d be better to control them and use them.”

Garrett paused, thrown off. ”Control them?”

Miles gave a small, dry laugh. ”If they couldn’t be controlled, do you think they’d listen to us so obediently?”

Garrett’s eyes lit up instantly. ”Right. Then tell me—how do you control them?”

”Fallen Star Squad has someone whose ability is Beast Control,” Miles said. ”Once Ethan gets back, you just need to seize that person. After that, controlling these apes is easy.”

”Good.” Garrett looked genuinely pleased. Like he’d just stumbled into a bonus prize.

Then he looked back at Miles, gaze sharpening with curiosity and something like disbelief.

”I’m honestly impressed,” Garrett said. ”Ethan hands you all of Fallen Star City—that means he trusts you, right? And you sell them out this clean, this completely… that easily?”

Miles’s expression didn’t change.

”I don’t fight battles I can’t win.”

Garrett nodded, satisfied. ”Smart.”

He clapped Miles on the shoulder like they were allies. ”Don’t worry. You’ll have a future with me. Way better than sticking with Ethan and his little crew.”

Miles nodded. ”Yeah. I believe you.”

Inside, he sneered.

Follow you? I’m not sure you’ll even live long enough to see tomorrow’s sun.

Right then, Garrett waved at the troops behind him. ”Move. We’re going in. Strip Fallen Star City clean. I want to see what makes this place so special!”

He led the mass of people straight into Fallen Star City.

Miles didn’t stop them.

Instead, he gave the others a look, signaling them to clear the way—then he slammed the alarm.

From outside, you wouldn’t hear it.

But inside the compound, anyone still left would.

Once that alarm went off, they were to abandon everything and retreat out the back immediately, heading for the Void Realm entrance up in the mountains.

It was Miles’s emergency plan—what to do when something showed up that simply couldn’t be fought.

Right now, his priority wasn’t pride. It wasn’t buildings.

It was keeping Fallen Star City’s people alive.

All the truly important things had already been stored in his subspace. The rest?

Let them steal it.

Let them smash it.

When Ethan got back… they’d make them vomit it all up.

Garrett’s people poured in like locusts.

They ransacked everything they could carry, and whatever they couldn’t carry, they destroyed. Whole blocks collapsed into rubble. Walls came down. Roofs caved in.

The remaining people of Fallen Star City watched with fists clenched and teeth grinding so hard it looked like their jaws might crack.

Miles’s face gave nothing away. He just stood there and watched them rampage.

Fallen Star City was his work. Every building, every layout choice—he’d set it up with care.

Watching it get turned into ruins hurt. Of course it did.

But he didn’t have a choice.

As long as the people live… we can rebuild.

After more than an hour of smashing and looting, Fallen Star City was almost entirely reduced to wreckage.

Then—

A few massive bird cries tore across the sky.

Several huge shadows appeared overhead, slicing toward the city at terrifying speed.

Miles’s eyes flicked up. His pulse jumped.

They’re back.

Garrett stopped mid-motion and looked up too. A cruel smile spread across his face.

”Finally.”

In the blink of an eye, the flying mounts dropped onto the city wall.

Ethan and the others jumped down—and the moment Ethan saw Fallen Star City’s ruins, his face went completely cold.

Miles walked up beside him, guilt written all over him. ”Captain…”

”It’s fine,” Ethan said, voice low. ”This isn’t on you. If it weren’t for you, these people might already be dead.”

Garrett burst out laughing, loud enough to echo off the broken stone. ”Not on him? You don’t even know, do you? He’s the one who lured you back!”

He pointed at Miles like he’d uncovered the funniest joke in the world.

”Ethan, Ethan… I thought you were something special. Turns out you got played in circles by your own man.”

Miles glanced at him once, calm to the point of bored.

Then he said, flat and simple, ”Idiot.”