Apocalypse: King of Zombies

With a loud, dull thud, the cold storage door slammed shut behind the girl, locking her out without mercy.

She threw herself at the door, pounding on the cold metal with her fists in a frenzy.

”Open the door! Please, open the door!” Her voice was filled with desperation, her cries raw and heart-wrenching.

But inside, there was only silence. No response. Her fists were already going numb, the pain spreading up her arms, but it seemed like the people behind the door had completely abandoned her.

A wave of indescribable pain and anger surged through her.

Just minutes ago, the man who had sworn to protect her had shut the door without hesitation, as if her life meant nothing to him.

”Bastard!” she spat through gritted teeth, her eyes burning with hatred.

At that moment, a cold gust of wind hit her from behind. She whipped around, her pupils contracting in terror as fear gripped her heart.

The female zombie was only about twenty feet away, its empty, crazed eyes locked on her. A twisted smile played on its lips, as if it was savoring the hunt that was about to unfold.

Her heart pounded wildly, threatening to burst out of her chest. In that split second, a thought flashed through her mind—she had to survive, no matter the cost.

Her eyes darted around, and then landed on Nina, who was standing nearby.

Almost instinctively, she reached out and shoved Nina with all her strength, pushing her toward the zombie.

”Ahhh!” Nina screamed as she lost her balance and fell hard to the ground.

The zombie, like a predator pouncing on its prey, lunged at Nina in an instant. It straddled her, its hands clamping down on her wrists like iron, pinning her to the floor.

Nina struggled desperately, trying to break free from the deadly grip, but her strength was nothing compared to the zombie’s.

”Heh heh heh...” The zombie let out a chilling laugh, as if it was relishing the thrill of the hunt.

Its eyes gleamed with a manic excitement, as though the fresh meat it had just caught had put it in a particularly good mood.

Nina was consumed by fear. She had never been this close to death. That twisted face was inches from hers, grinning madly, as if it was about to tear her apart at any moment.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind filled with a single thought: Just make it quick. She had given up fighting, resigned to the inevitable.

But the pain she expected never came.

Instead, the zombie suddenly released her wrists, leaping off her and lunging toward the other girl.

”Ah!” The girl let out a blood-curdling scream as a sharp pain shot through her neck. The zombie’s teeth sank deep into her skin, and blood gushed out in a torrent.

Her body convulsed violently, the agony so intense that she nearly blacked out.

Her eyes were wide open, filled with despair and confusion. She couldn’t understand why the zombie had spared Nina and chosen her instead.

But there was no time to think. Her screams quickly faded, and her body went limp, drained of all life.

Meanwhile, Nina still lay on the ground, her eyes tightly shut, her mind racing with questions.

Why didn’t she feel any pain?

Was she already dead?

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes. Her vision slowly cleared, and she saw a tall figure standing over her.

It was a man, pale-skinned and strikingly handsome, looking down at her.

”B-boss?” Nina’s eyes widened in shock. She recognized him—it was Ethan, her old boss from the supermarket where she used to work.

She never imagined she’d see him again, especially not like this.

Ethan tilted his head slightly, his gaze calm as he studied her.

The reason he hadn’t killed Nina wasn’t because of any lingering affection from their past. It was simply because he found her quick and efficient. And right now, he needed someone to clean, do laundry, and wash dishes.

Killing her for food would’ve been a waste.

Besides, he wasn’t short on food at the moment. Keeping her around for now wouldn’t hurt.

”Get up.” Ethan’s voice was cold and commanding.

It was only then that Nina realized—Ethan had become a zombie too.

And standing obediently by his side was the massive Bulldozer, waiting for his orders like a well-trained dog.

Nina’s legs felt like jelly, she could barely stand.

Leaning against the wall for support, she shakily got to her feet, her heart pounding with fear and confusion.

”Boss, are... are you okay?” she asked cautiously, her voice trembling.

”Hmm.” Ethan nodded, seemingly in a good mood, probably because he had just killed Lola.

He glanced at Nina and suddenly asked, ”Do you want to come back to work?”

Nina froze for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant.

This was her chance to survive—she couldn’t let it slip away.

”I... I do! Of course, I do!” She nodded frantically, like a woodpecker.

Her heart was racing, thudding so hard it felt like it might burst out of her chest.

Ethan’s question left her mind blank, but she knew she had no choice.

Saying no meant death, and she wasn’t ready to die.

”I’ll do it,” she blurted out, her voice shaky but resolute. Her eyes were filled with fear, but even more so with the will to live.

Ethan gave a slight nod, unsurprised by her answer.

Without another glance at her, he walked toward the cold storage door, with Bulldozer following closely behind, like a loyal hunting dog.

Inside the cold storage, three people were pressed against the door, holding their breath, as if that could somehow keep the threat outside at bay.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

The pounding on the door was deafening, each hit like a hammer striking their hearts.

”How is this zombie so strong?” The boy’s voice was filled with fear and unease.

The chef gritted his teeth, trying to stay calm. ”Don’t worry. This door is made of two-inch-thick stainless steel. Not even a truck could break through it, let alone a zombie.”

The boy nodded, looking slightly reassured, though his palms were still slick with cold sweat.

Outside, Bulldozer continued to slam against the door with relentless force. The ground trembled slightly, and bits of ice fell from the walls. But the door didn’t budge, and instead, Bulldozer’s arms began to go numb from the effort.

”Raaagh!” Bulldozer let out a furious roar, his eyes wild with rage. No matter how powerful his fists were, he couldn’t break through the solid door.

Ethan stood by, watching coldly. He knew that while Bulldozer was strong, brute force alone wouldn’t open this door.

Just as he was about to step in, Nina suddenly moved forward, a determined look flashing in her eyes.

”Boss, I have the key to the cold storage.” Her voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable resolve behind it.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, a hint of a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

”Good,” he said, his tone carrying a trace of approval.

Nina quickly went to the adjacent room, grabbed the key hanging on the wall, and handed it to Ethan with both hands.

She knew this might be her only chance—the only way to prove her worth.

Ethan took the key and motioned for Bulldozer to step back. Though confused, Bulldozer obeyed, standing aside with a flicker of frustrated anger in his eyes.

Inside the cold storage, the three people heard the pounding on the door suddenly stop, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

”I told you, there’s no way that zombie could get in,” the chef said smugly, as if the fear from moments ago had never existed.

The boy nodded, his tension easing slightly. ”Just wait a little longer. The zombie should leave soon.”

But just as they thought the danger had passed, a faint click came from the door’s lock.

”W-what’s happening?” The chef’s face turned pale, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror.

The boy’s face drained of color as well, his voice trembling. ”No way... how could a zombie pick a lock?”

The girl had already started crying, her body shaking uncontrollably as tears blurred her vision. ”We’re done for... we’re done for...”

As the lock turned, the sounds outside became clearer.

Their hearts seemed to stop—they knew the door was about to open.

”Quick! Block the door with something!” the chef shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

They scrambled to pile whatever they could find in front of the door, trying to hold off the inevitable. But deep down, they knew it was a futile effort.

Just as the lock clicked open, Bulldozer slammed into the door with all his might. With a thunderous crash, the cold storage door was flung open.

Everything they had stacked in front of the door was sent flying, scattering across the floor.

The cold air from the storage rushed out, and a massive figure loomed in the doorway.

It carried the unmistakable stench of death.