Apocalypse: King of Zombies

An A-rank Awakener was definitely considered a powerhouse at this stage.

Under the announcement on the Genesis Biotech website, the comment section was buzzing with activity.

"Wow! An A-rank Awakener? That's gotta put them in the top ten in our shelter, right?"

"Most zombie kings are only at B+ rank right now. A-rank is seriously strong!"

"Genesis Biotech is amazing—food, strong fighters... Makes me wanna head over there for shelter."

"Careful, though. They might use you for experiments or feed you to the zombies."

"Do you think an A-rank Awakener could change the balance of power in Los Angeles? Let's wait and see."

"..."

Ethan closed his phone, no longer interested in reading the comments. It wouldn't be long before he crossed paths with that A-rank Awakener.

At the same time, he was already preparing himself to consume an A-rank crystal core.

The light rain had been falling for days, leaving the apocalyptic city damp and gloomy. But today, the rain finally stopped. The air, freshly washed by the rain, smelled cleaner, and insects were crawling happily through the muddy ground.

At the edge of the ruined city, the sound of helicopter blades broke through the silence. A chopper slowly descended from the sky.

A Genesis Biotech Awakener squad, accompanied by a few armed personnel, was waiting below to receive it.

This time, they'd learned their lesson. Instead of flying directly over the city—where humans were vulnerable to attacks—they landed on the outskirts.

The helicopter touched down smoothly, and the roar of the blades gradually faded.

A tall young man stepped out of the helicopter, dressed in a sleek nano-combat suit. He had blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a sharp nose—clearly a foreigner.

This was Donovan Reed, an A-rank Awakener sent from Genesis Biotech's headquarters. He was tasked with escorting the Y-virus.

In his left hand, he carried a sleek, silver alloy case.

"Welcome, Mr. Donovan," said the captain of the welcoming squad as he stepped forward to shake Donovan's hand.

Donovan gave a curt nod. "Let's go."

"Of course. I've mapped out the safest route into the city—minimal zombie activity," the captain, Kai Morgan, replied. Kai was a speed-enhanced Awakener.

But Donovan didn't seem concerned. "Doesn't matter if there are zombies. We'll just kill them."

"Uh… sure," Kai muttered, feeling that this guy was a bit full of himself. Experience new stories on empire

"Mr. Donovan, you might not be familiar with the situation in Los Angeles. It's better to stay cautious," Kai advised.

"There's nothing I don't understand," Donovan replied confidently. "The city I used to live in had a population of twenty million. It was densely packed, and there were plenty of powerful zombie kings. No one knows zombies better than I do."

"Damn, that's impressive!" Several squad members couldn't help but admire him. This guy had clearly seen some serious action.

"Have you ever faced a Phantom Infected?" a curious girl in the group asked.

"Of course. I've taken down more than one. I've got plenty of experience dealing with them," Donovan said casually.

Kai and the others nodded, feeling that this guy was definitely something else. Maybe it was because he came from headquarters, but his personality was bold, confident, and a little overbearing.

As they chatted, the group made their way into the city, stepping onto the cracked streets.

Following the planned route, they would need to pass near the former territory of Serpent-Eye. Of course, that area had already been taken over by Ethan.

Genesis Biotech wasn't looking to provoke Ethan, so they planned to take a detour, skirting the edges of another zombie king's territory.

Even so, a few stray zombies still wandered the streets.

The moment the zombies spotted the humans, they charged at them like rabid dogs.

But these low-level zombies posed no real threat. The armed personnel accompanying the group quickly dispatched them with titanium-alloy machetes, slicing through the undead with ease.

Donovan also stepped in. His Awakener ability, Spectral Grip, allowed him to enhance his physical attacks with a ghostly energy.

Black mist swirled around his right hand, flickering like flames. With a swift motion, he grabbed a zombie by the neck.

The once-ferocious zombie instantly froze in his grip, its body paralyzed as if it had been stunned.

Spectral Grip had a paralyzing effect—anything Donovan touched would lose its ability to move.

With a sharp squeeze of his fingers, there was a sickening crack as Donovan ripped the zombie's head clean off.

"Damn, he's strong…" Kai and the others watched quietly, their admiration growing.

A few zombies were easily dealt with by the group.

"Not bad, as long as we don't run into the zombie king from the skyscraper district," one of the female team members muttered, clearly still haunted by past encounters.

Kai tried to reassure her. "That's not gonna happen this time. We've gone so far out of our way—what are the odds we'd run into him?"

"Exactly. Unless he's deliberately waiting to ambush us," another male team member joked.

What they didn't realize was that Ethan had already gotten wind of the Y-virus operation.

Above them, unnoticed by anyone, a pitch-black crow streaked through the sky. Its crimson eyes gleamed as it scanned the streets below, taking in every detail of their movements.

After finishing off the zombies, the group continued forward. Along the way, someone decided to ask Donovan a question, hoping his experience might shed some light on a troubling thought.

"Mr. Donovan, do you think there's a limit to how much zombies can evolve? Like, is there a point where they just stop getting stronger?"

"I think there is," Donovan replied after a moment of thought. "Every species has its limits."

"Oh, that's a relief..." Kai exhaled, feeling slightly reassured. If zombies could evolve endlessly, the thought was too horrifying to bear.

But Donovan wasn't done. He added, "That said, if zombies ever reach their peak, they'd likely dominate the entire world. They'd become gods of this planet. With your current strength, though, you don't need to worry about that."

"Uh... okay..." Kai nodded awkwardly, though Donovan's words left him feeling uneasy. The situation for humanity still seemed incredibly dire.

Donovan continued, his tone serious. "And for those zombie kings who've evolved to possess extraordinary intelligence, calling them 'zombies' doesn't really do them justice anymore. I prefer to call them... the Undying."

A collective shiver ran through the group.

"The Undying..." The name alone sent chills down their spines. It sounded ominous, like something far beyond their ability to handle.

Just then, Kai noticed something strange. The area around them had grown eerily quiet.

The street ahead was empty—no zombies, just piles of trash and abandoned vehicles. The crumbling buildings on either side were overgrown with vibrant green vines, which stretched across the streetlights and even climbed over the wrecked cars.

"This is weird. It's way too quiet here," Kai muttered, a sense of unease creeping into his chest.

One of the team members shrugged. "No zombies? That's a good thing. Less trouble for us."

With that, they continued forward.

Donovan didn't seem concerned either. As a physical-enhancement Awakener, his abilities were formidable, but his sensory perception was limited. He didn't notice anything unusual.

The group soon found themselves surrounded by the vines.

A gentle breeze swept through the area, causing the dense foliage to sway in unison. But beneath the surface, the vines began to stir, moving ever so slightly.

Unnoticed, they slithered toward the two armed personnel at the back of the group. Silent and deliberate, the vines coiled around their ankles.

Within moments, they were trapped.

...