Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The next second, a red-eyed crow swooped down at him, and the man completely lost consciousness.

The crow's sharp beak pierced through his heart, and then it began feasting on him with gusto.

After devouring the man, the crow seemed satisfied. It flapped its wings a few times and flew out the window.

"Bye-bye, bye-bye, I'll repay you someday…"

Its distinct birdcall echoed in the sky, growing fainter as it disappeared into the distance.

...

"Well, now this is interesting," Ethan muttered, intrigued.

He had obtained a crystal core, so this trip wasn't a total waste.

Suddenly, he remembered there were two survivors in the room across the hall.

The two were still trembling, their faces pale with fear. Although they had narrowly escaped death earlier, they knew it was only a matter of time before they ended up as zombie food.

The agonizing wait for death was almost worse than dying outright. At least that would've been quicker.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached the room.

"He's coming back?"

"Did the female zombie not get enough to eat?"

Their hearts leapt into their throats as the footsteps grew closer.

But when the door opened, it wasn't the thick-lipped man from before. Instead, it was a tall, lean young man with strikingly handsome features.

"Huh?"

The two froze for a moment, then their expressions shifted to one of cautious hope. Could it be… someone from a rescue team?

Ethan scanned them with a calm gaze, already thinking about what to do with them.

Killing them outright seemed pointless. They were just ordinary people, and their only real use was as bait.

Because Ethan had a hunch.

There weren't many zombies in the area around this high-rise. Instead, there were rat droppings and fur everywhere. Something was definitely lurking in the shadows.

He could use these two to draw it out.

"You two, get out of here," Ethan said, pulling out a knife and cutting the ropes binding them.

The two survivors were overjoyed. They had been resigned to their deaths, but now, miraculously, someone had come to save them.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! Oh my god, thank you!" The man broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

The other survivor, more composed, asked cautiously, "Are you with the rescue team? Can you take us to a shelter?"

"No," Ethan replied, shaking his head. "I've got other things to do. You're on your own."

"Ah… but…"

The two hesitated. The outside world was dangerous, and without an Awakener to protect them, their chances of survival were slim.

But after weighing their options, they decided to leave. Staying in this hellhole wasn't an option either.

Before leaving, they raided the kitchen for supplies, grabbing some food, a few kitchen knives, and even a boning knife. They were surprisingly well-prepared.

Still, Ethan knew their odds of surviving in this area were less than one percent.

Whether they made it out alive would depend entirely on their luck.

To be fair, this part of the city wasn't the most dangerous for ordinary people. If they'd been in Ethan's territory, they wouldn't have lasted a second.

Once they were ready, the two quietly opened the door and tiptoed down the stairs.

The faint growls of zombies echoed through the stairwell. If they made too much noise, they'd be torn apart in an instant.

Ethan stood on the balcony above, watching the situation unfold below. He was deep in thought.

"Wouldn't it be boring if the bait I just let loose died before even leaving the building?"

Fortunately, about ten minutes later, he saw two figures emerge from the building's entrance and step onto the street.

They moved cautiously, sticking close to the walls of the building as they crept forward.

Every step was deliberate, every movement careful. They were being as cautious as humanly possible.

Ethan watched with keen interest, curious to see if the two would survive—or, more likely, how they would meet their end.

On the street below, one of the men grumbled as they walked.

"Oscar, that so-called rescue guy was so irresponsible! He just let us go on our own. If we make it to a shelter, I'm definitely reporting him."

"What are you even talking about? Be grateful he let us out at all. Besides, have you thought about it… was he really part of a rescue team? Don't forget how we ended up getting caught in the first place," the older man, Oscar, replied.

"Ugh…" The younger man shuddered, goosebumps rising as he recalled their earlier ordeal.

That thick-lipped man had posted on the official shelter website, claiming to be part of a rescue team. He invited anyone in need of help to contact him. Overjoyed, they had reached out—only to be captured and tied up in that room, meant to be fed to zombies.

"Then… if he wasn't with the rescue team, why did he let us go?" the younger man asked nervously.

"How should I know? Just focus on staying alive," Oscar said firmly, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

He noticed that there weren't many zombies in the area. As long as they stayed cautious and avoided drawing attention, they might just make it out. If they could get out of the city and into the sparsely populated outskirts, their chances of reaching a shelter would improve significantly.

"If only we had a heavy-duty truck…" Oscar muttered under his breath.

But just as he spoke, his foot landed with a squelch.

"Ugh, gross! What the hell? That's a huge pile of rat crap! Disgusting!"

Before he could complain further, a strange black mist began to creep across the desolate street, spreading like a living shadow and enveloping everything around them.

It wasn't just mist—it felt like a psychic field, something that could invade the mind.

"It's here…" Ethan murmured from the balcony above.

He could feel the presence now. The energy was strong, capable of influencing thoughts and emotions. If it continued to evolve, it might even develop the power of an Absolute Domain—a terrifying ability that could dominate an entire area.

So, there was something lurking in this part of the city. And it wasn't weak.

Ethan's curiosity was piqued. He wanted to see what it was.

Down on the street, Oscar and the younger man, Liam, were completely unaware of the danger. They continued walking, their bodies now shrouded in the black mist.

"Man, I'm starving. Let's eat something," Liam suddenly said.

Oscar frowned. "Are you out of your mind? Eating out here? Do you have a death wish?"

"But… isn't this a restaurant?" Liam said, his voice distant and strange.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Oscar snapped, turning to glare at him.

But then he noticed something was off. Liam's eyes had a vacant, glassy look, and a strange smile was spreading across his face, as if he were in a trance.

"Liam, what's wrong with you? Snap out of it!" Oscar shouted, shaking him.

"Hehehe… so much food… so delicious…" Liam giggled, his voice eerie and childlike.

Oscar's heart sank. Something was definitely wrong. In the apocalypse, there were plenty of monsters with bizarre abilities. Could this be the work of a Phantom Infected?

As the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly saw a figure up ahead—a little old lady, her face warm and familiar. She was holding a steaming plate of apple pie and calling out to him.

"Son, come eat. I made your favorite."

"Mom?" Oscar whispered, his voice trembling.

His eyes glazed over, and a wave of longing washed over him. It had been over a decade since his mother passed, but the sight of her now, so kind and loving, was irresistible.

"Come on, have some apple pie. It's delicious," she said, smiling warmly.

Oscar's face lit up with childlike joy. He took the plate from her hands, the overwhelming hunger in his stomach driving him to devour it greedily.

Meanwhile, Liam was having his own hallucination. He saw a grand restaurant, its tables overflowing with gourmet dishes. He was seated inside, holding a massive tomahawk steak, tearing into it with wild abandon.

But from Ethan's vantage point on the balcony, the reality was far more horrifying.

What he saw wasn't a man eating apple pie or steak. Instead, the two men were standing in the middle of the street, their arms wrapped around each other, savagely biting and tearing into each other's flesh.

Blood dripped down their bodies as they clawed and gnawed at one another, their faces twisted in grotesque ecstasy.

Ethan's expression remained calm, but his eyes gleamed with intrigue.

"Interesting…"