Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At Ethan’s command, everyone charged the remaining Voltari.

The Voltari had the numbers, but the gap in strength was far too great. The moment the fighting began, they were crushed.

Their Patriarch wanted to buy time for his people to escape, but the Beast Sovereign already had him on the defensive. He couldn’t do a thing to help them.

Regret consumed him.

If he had known what awaited them here, he never would have entered this world. The Voltari would still be the undisputed rulers of Dawnreach.

At the very least, he shouldn’t have sent that subordinate to bring reinforcements. If they hadn’t come, some of the Voltari’s strength would have survived.

He knew exactly what would happen if every Stage SSS Voltari died here. His race would be finished.

The Voltari had ruled Dawnreach for years. They were aggressive and overbearing, and every other race treated them with the utmost deference.

But that respect existed only because the Voltari were powerful. The moment their strength declined, the other races of Dawnreach would seize the opportunity to wipe them out.

Endless regret twisted the Patriarch’s face.

But hindsight changed nothing.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. One person here could turn back the clock.

Unfortunately for him, Ethan had no intention of giving him a second chance.

At first, the Voltari fighters still tried to cover their Patriarch’s retreat. Once they clashed with Ethan’s forces, however, they realized just how badly they had misjudged the situation. Their enemies were far stronger than they were.

Soon, they abandoned any hope of fighting and scattered in every direction. If even one of them escaped, it would be better than nothing.

Instead, Ethan dragged them all into the Deadlock Dimension.

Abyron and the others were pulled in with them, leaving only the Beast Sovereign and the Voltari Patriarch fighting outside.

For the first time, the Deadlock Dimension was packed with people.

Everyone looked around the unfamiliar space with curiosity.

”So this is the Boss’s special dimension?” Abyron sounded surprised. ”It can even suppress my strength?”

”Benefactor, this ability is incredible! You’re invincible!” several Outland Beasts immediately declared.

Theron, however, frowned as he surveyed the surrounding space warily.

If Ethan ever wanted him dead, all he had to do was drag him in here along with a group of Stage SSS fighters. There would be no escape.

For the first time, Theron began to fear for his own safety.

Until now, he had believed that even the Beast Sovereign couldn’t stop him from leaving. With his speed, he could come and go as he pleased.

But Ethan’s spatial-type ability completely ignored the rules. It didn’t matter whether Theron agreed or resisted. Ethan could pull him inside all the same.

The realization made him uneasy.

He’s ruthless. What if he decides to get rid of me now that I’ve served my purpose? I’m not fully human, after all.

Theron glanced at Ethan out of the corner of his eye.

Ethan had no idea what he was thinking. Once everyone was inside, he gave a single command.

”Kill them. Leave no survivors!”

”Got it!”

Everyone charged the remaining Voltari.

The Voltari fighters panicked completely. They fled to the edge of the dimension and bombarded the spatial barrier with everything they had.

It was useless.

Even a peak Tier 47 fighter couldn’t break through the Deadlock Dimension from the inside. Their desperate attacks accomplished nothing except bringing death down on them faster.

These Voltari were all Tier 44 or below. Abyron and the others weren’t the only ones who could fight them. Ethan and the Dread-Eyed Lion joined in as well.

Under their combined assault, the twenty-odd Voltari lasted only a few minutes.

Ethan collected all the corpses. When he saw the Outland Beasts staring hungrily at them, he smiled.

”Feeding these to you would be a waste. I’ll give you some Tier 47 corpses later.”

”Thank you, Benefactor!” The Outland Beasts immediately brightened.

”Stop calling me that. It sounds weird. Just use my name.”

”Sure. Ethan it is,” the Dire Bear said cheerfully.

Ethan nodded. ”Let’s go. Once we help the Beast Sovereign finish that guy, things should finally quiet down for a while.”

He dismissed the Deadlock Dimension.

The moment everyone returned to the battlefield, they charged the Voltari Patriarch.

Theron didn’t join them. Instead, he flew off into the distance.

”Theron, where are you going?” Ethan quickly called after him.

”The crisis is over. It’s time for me to leave.”

”Leave for where? This is your home!” Ethan shouted.

Theron paused, then shook his head.

”We walk different paths. It’s better we part ways.”

He took another step, intending to leave.

Bang!

He flew straight into a spatial barrier, the impact ringing through the air.

As the familiar scenery appeared around him once more, Theron’s face darkened.

”What is the meaning of this?”

”Hold on. What the hell do you mean, ’different paths’? We both want the same thing—to keep humanity alive. So how exactly are we on different sides?”

Theron shook his head.

”I will never raise my hand against humanity. You, on the other hand, have killed tens of millions of humans. We are nothing alike.”

Ethan stared at him.

”Seriously? I thought you were finally coming around. Nope. Still as stubborn as ever.”

He pointed toward the battlefield.

”Let me make this simple. Those people were our enemies, just like these Void Realm races. Do you understand?”

”And you turn humans into thralls!”

”When have you ever seen me turn a human into a thrall?”

”What about the one I saw last—”

Theron stopped.

Something had felt wrong all day, but he hadn’t been able to put his finger on it. Now it finally clicked.

That Tier 47 human was the same thrall he had seen before.

But he was clearly alive and perfectly normal.

Theron looked at Ethan, completely baffled.

”I already told you. Someone else created him as a soulless thrall. I dug him out from thousands of feet underground and went through hell to bring him back to life.”

Ethan patiently continued, ”If I were truly some irredeemable monster, why would I bother reviving him? Wouldn’t a thrall be easier to control?”

He needed a peak Tier 47 fighter like Theron far too badly to let him walk away.

Theron studied Ethan with intense focus, as though seeing him for the first time.

”What’s with that look? I told you, I’m not some irredeemable monster. Everything I’ve done has been for humanity!”

Theron watched him for a long moment before finally nodding.

”Very well. I will trust you for now. I’ll remain here for a time, but if I discover that you’ve slaughtered humans again, I will not spare you.”

”That’s more like it. You’re half human, so you’re one of us. We have an entire human city here. How could we let you sleep out in the wilderness?”

Ethan smiled.

”From now on, treat this place as your home. If you need anything, just ask. We’re on the same side, so don’t be shy.”

”...”