Apocalypse: King of Zombies

"Tastes good?" Ethan's tone was calm, like he was just making small talk with friends.

But Laura and Bulldozer immediately jumped up from where they had been crouching against the wall, standing ramrod straight.

In the process, Bulldozer quickly moved his hand behind his back and quietly tossed the bug he was holding onto the ground.

Then, with a goofy grin, he said, "Heh heh heh, boss, it was all Laura's idea! I didn't want to eat it at all…"

"Huh???" Laura turned to glare at him, speechless and a little annoyed. Her sharp nails dug into Bulldozer's side with a soft "pfft" sound.

In her mind, she cursed him: Why are you lying?!

But Bulldozer's thick skin made him practically immune to pain. He didn't even flinch. After all, he'd long since stopped caring about things like boiling water burns. Laura's little scratch didn't bother him in the slightest, and he just kept grinning like a fool.

Ethan didn't seem too bothered by their antics.

"I'm heading out for a bit. You two stay here and keep an eye on the place."

"Oh, okay, sure!" Bulldozer and Laura nodded quickly, though they couldn't help but feel a little curious.

Where's the boss going?

If he's going hunting, could we tag along?

But since they'd already messed up earlier, neither of them dared to ask.

Ethan shot the two zombies a sidelong glance.

"Don't you two love eating bugs? While I'm gone, clean up all the bugs around the building. I don't want to see a single one when I get back."

"Got it, got it!"

The two nodded like woodpeckers, their heads bobbing up and down.

...

Ethan left the building.

He had already absorbed all five of his crystal cores, so he figured it was time to head out and see if he could find another "lucky one" to hunt for more.

On top of that, he wanted to investigate the recent rat swarm attacks and zombie disturbances.

Since the situation was still unclear, Ethan decided not to bring along his thousands of zombie underlings. It was easier for him to move stealthily on his own. If he ran into danger, he could activate his Domain of the Dead to either fight or retreat as needed. He could come and go as he pleased.

But his underlings weren't so lucky. If they ran into a pack of mutant beasts or a larger, hostile zombie horde, they'd be in serious trouble.

And if that happened, Ethan would be left all alone, a king without an army.

As for the rat swarm attacks and zombie disturbances, Ethan wasn't entirely clueless. He suspected the source was nearby—most likely tied to the zombie faction he'd encountered in the park the other day.

So, he started heading in that direction.

...

It had been a month since the apocalypse began, and the streets were now littered with rusting, abandoned cars. Once-bustling roads were overgrown with weeds.

The entire city felt desolate and ruined.

The only things still moving were the zombies. Some stood motionless, others wandered aimlessly. They had no purpose, but the slightest sound or movement would "activate" them, sending them sprinting toward the source.

Their terrifying faces, the low growls in their throats, and their bloodthirsty eyes all screamed of their insatiable hunger for flesh.

When these wild zombies encountered Ethan, however, they didn't attack. In fact, they instinctively shrank back, parting to clear a path for him.

But as Ethan continued forward, the number of wild zombies began to dwindle.

The streets started to show signs of carnage. Scattered corpses of zombies lay everywhere, their bodies mangled and crushed as if they'd been run over by heavy machinery. They were nothing more than grotesque "meat pancakes."

This wasn't the work of humans. It was the result of a massive zombie horde trampling over its own kind.

Low-level zombies lacked intelligence. When they charged forward in a frenzy, they didn't care about anything in their way. Inevitably, some unlucky ones got trampled to death.

The larger the horde, the more casualties from friendly fire.

Countless flies buzzed around the rotting corpses, their bloated green bodies much larger than before the apocalypse—each one about the size of a thumb. Their incessant buzzing was enough to drive anyone mad.

By now, Ethan had entered the territory of another zombie king.

The streets were littered with clumps of fur and black, pellet-like rat droppings, making the scene even more disgusting.

Ethan could already picture it.

Beneath his feet, in the sewers, there were undoubtedly thousands upon thousands of rats. They still retained their old habits, only coming out at night to scavenge for food.

Not far off, a flock of pitch-black crows circled noisily in the sky, their harsh caws echoing as they spiraled around a tall building.

Crows—symbols of death and misfortune.

It was as if something inside that building had drawn them in, and they couldn't wait to get closer.

"Are there survivors?" Ethan wondered, making a quick judgment before heading toward the high-rise.

As he got closer, his suspicions were confirmed.

The metallic tang of blood hit his nose—there were indeed living humans inside. But what puzzled him was the presence of zombies alongside the humans. Strangely, they seemed to be occupying the same space.

"What's going on?"

Without hesitation, Ethan activated his Domain of the Dead ability, slipping into stealth mode. His body became intangible, allowing him to phase through walls as he made his way toward the upper floors of the building.

In this perilous post-apocalyptic world, invisibility was an invaluable skill. However, Ethan's stealth mode had one major drawback: he couldn't attack while hidden. The moment he struck, his physical form would be exposed.

He stopped on the 18th floor.

Ethan could sense it—this was the room. Inside were four humans and one zombie.

Curiosity piqued, he phased through the wall and entered.

The first room he stepped into was a cramped, dingy bedroom. The sight inside was horrifying. Blood was splattered everywhere—on the walls, the floor, every surface. The stench of iron and decay was overwhelming.

The faint clinking of chains echoed in the room.

Ethan turned his head toward the sound and saw a female zombie. Her hands were bound with chains, tied to the headboard of a bed. She thrashed and growled, her mouth snapping as she tried to break free.

Across from her stood a man—a human. He had small, beady eyes and thick lips, and his gaze was fixed on the zombie with an unsettling intensity.

"Isla, my goddess," the man murmured, his voice trembling with emotion. "Even though you've turned into a zombie, I'll still keep my promise to take care of you for the rest of your life."

"Do you remember? I once told you, no matter what you become, my love for you will never change."

The female zombie snarled at him, her feral growls filled with rage. Drool dripped from her mouth, forming long, sticky strands.

But the thick-lipped man didn't seem to mind. He smiled, his eyes narrowing with a strange affection.

"You're still the same, always so fierce with me. I chased after you for ten years, you know? Every morning, I brought you breakfast. Even when you were living with your boyfriend, I brought two portions. But you never once looked at me. You always yelled at me like this…"

"Wow." Ethan couldn't help but think to himself, This guy's the ultimate simp. Even the most desperate fanboys would bow down to him.

If Sheep Rambler were here, he'd probably hand this guy a cigarette in respect.

But the man didn't seem to care about how pathetic he sounded. Instead, his face was filled with a twisted kind of happiness.

"But now, things are different. You're finally with me. I can protect you forever. So what if it's the end of the world? Isla, my love, are you hungry? I'll go make you something to eat."

With that, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Ethan immediately followed, still in stealth mode. The man had no idea he was being watched.

Ethan could sense it now—this thick-lipped man wasn't ordinary. His blood energy was unusually strong, far beyond that of a normal human. He was an Awakener.

The man walked into another room.

When he opened the door, Ethan saw five other men inside. Their hands and feet were bound, and their mouths were sealed with duct tape. They could only let out muffled groans.

The moment they saw the thick-lipped man, three of them began thrashing violently, their eyes wide with terror.

But their bindings were tight, and their struggles were futile.

The man narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a smile as he slowly scanned the room.

"Let's see… who's the lucky one today? Who gets the honor of becoming food for my darling Isla?"

...