Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Ethan glanced around cautiously. This wasn’t his territory, and there was always the chance another zombie king might show up. It wasn’t a good idea to linger here. He needed to head back and focus on researching the zombie evolution serum.

”Let’s go. Time to head back and give you guys your shots.”

”Shots?”

At the mention of the word, Bulldozer winced, instinctively rubbing his backside. He’d developed a psychological trauma from all the injections he’d endured.

Back at the tower.

Naturally, the task of administering the injections fell to the PhD zombie.

During the earlier battle, some of the elite zombies had sustained injuries—flesh torn open, black blood oozing out.

Since the X-virus had regenerative properties, Ethan decided to start with them. It was also a way to reward their contributions in battle.

The crate of X-virus contained a total of 500 doses.

The PhD zombie picked up a syringe, drew the serum into the barrel, and then plunged the needle into the neck of one of the injured zombies. Slowly, the pale blue liquid was injected into its body.

Ethan stood by the window on the upper floor, watching the scene unfold below.

The results were promising. As soon as the serum entered the zombie’s system, its wounds began to heal—visibly, and at an impressive speed.

”Grrr...!”

The zombie let out a low growl, its expression tinged with excitement. The X-virus not only healed its injuries but also stimulated its nervous system, enhancing its reflexes.

Ethan recalled the experimental reports: it would take 24 hours for the X-virus to fully integrate with the zombie’s body. By then, the effects would likely be even more pronounced.

His elite zombies were already a cut above the rest. While they hadn’t yet awakened special abilities, their bodies had undergone significant evolution—sharp claws, hardened bones, heightened senses, and so on.

Now, with the X-virus injections, their strength would skyrocket. Each one of them could easily go toe-to-toe with a B-rank human Awakener.

These 500 zombies were the cream of the crop, the elite of the elite—a veritable zombie army. In Ethan’s hands, they were a devastating weapon.

Earlier today, Ethan had led his horde into another zombie king’s territory, wiping out its underlings and leaving no survivors. He figured the other king wouldn’t take this lying down.

Zombies were naturally violent and bloodthirsty. Any zombie king who managed to carve out their own domain wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Ethan was certain retaliation was coming.

...

Meanwhile, at Genesis Biotech, the atmosphere was tense. They’d just received some bad news.

The X-virus they’d retrieved from headquarters had gone missing.

Nathan, the person in charge, sat in his office, his expression dark and stormy.

”Explain. What the hell happened? Where’s the X-virus?”

”Mr. Nathan, according to satellite tracking, the plane crashed in a zombie-controlled area,” one of his assistants reported.

”FUCK!” Nathan couldn’t hold back his frustration. Dropping an evolution serum into zombie territory? That was like throwing a steak to a pack of wolves.

He’d initially hoped they might be able to recover it, but now it seemed like a lost cause.

”Any word from Maxwell and his team?”

”No... nothing yet. Honestly, it’s not looking good,” the assistant replied hesitantly.

Nathan mulled it over. Yeah, they were probably done for. A crash in zombie territory? There was no way they’d make it out alive.

The bigger problem was that without the X-virus to enhance cellular activity, they couldn’t proceed with injecting the Q-virus to modify bone structures. The entire zombie cultivation program was now in shambles.

They’d had a complete plan for creating zombie kings, but now everything was falling apart.

”Which zombie king’s territory did the plane crash in?” Nathan asked.

”Based on the intel we’ve gathered, the zombie king in that area is extremely powerful. Rough estimates suggest it commands around 30,000 zombies. Its strength is likely on par with the zombie king in the tower region. It’s classified as a five-star zombie nest.”

”Damn it!”

The mention of the tower region’s zombie king only made Nathan angrier. The failure of Operation King Hunt had been a massive embarrassment for the company.

One way or another, they’d have to take him down and restore their reputation.

But now, with their zombie king cultivation program on hold, perhaps... they could consider collaborating with another zombie king.

And the one in the crash zone? It might just be the perfect candidate.

It was strong, its territory wasn’t far from the tower, and in this post-apocalyptic world, survival of the fittest was the only rule. If you didn’t compete, you’d be eliminated. Chances were, it also wanted to expand its domain.

With a shared enemy, there was a possibility of becoming temporary allies.

”I think... I should go have a talk with the zombie king in the crash zone,” Nathan said, his expression thoughtful.

His assistant immediately tried to dissuade him. ”Mr. Nathan, zombies are bloodthirsty by nature. If things go south, they’ll kill you without hesitation. Going to negotiate with one... that’s way too dangerous!”

”True.”

Nathan nodded. Who knew what that zombie king was thinking? Did it even like communicating with humans? Negotiating with it would be like bargaining with a tiger—extremely risky.

So... someone else should go first to test the waters. Nathan looked up at his assistant.

”Then you go talk to it.”

”Wha—???” The assistant’s face instantly froze in disbelief.

...

Night fell, and darkness blanketed the land.

The city of the apocalypse was pitch black, so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. A cold night wind swept through, carrying the stench of blood and decay.

The occasional roars of zombies echoed through the air.

They were either fighting each other or hunting mutated beasts. Killing was everywhere, and danger lurked in every corner.

Ethan, however, was holed up at home. One hand held a wine glass, which he occasionally sipped from, the crimson liquid inside glinting faintly. His other hand held a phone, and he was casually replying to messages.

The faint glow of the screen illuminated his sharp, handsome features.

The message was from Mia. It was short and to the point:

”Trade.”

”How much do you need?” Ethan typed back.

Mia was slow at typing. She’d spent ten years in a mental institution and had never gone to school.

”400 pounds of flour. Do you have it?”

”I do.”

Ethan’s spatial storage ring contained supplies worth billions of dollars. A mere 400 pounds of flour was nothing to him.

A moment later, Mia replied:

”Alright. Four crystal cores in exchange.”

”No problem.”

Ethan had told her before that if she ever needed food, she could trade crystal cores with him. That’s how this conversation had come about.

They agreed to meet the next morning at a plaza not far from Ethan’s territory.

...

The next day.

At the shelter, Mia woke up early. She lived in a large, military-green tent—a privilege reserved for her as the first Awakener, 001.

Other survivors weren’t so lucky. Some lived in small, cramped tents, while others had nothing but a few sheets of newspaper to sleep on out in the open.

Mia stepped outside, the bright morning sun casting a warm glow on her pale face, making her look particularly radiant.

Around her, other Awakeners were busy with their tasks—some building houses, others digging tunnels. But when they saw Mia, they all greeted her warmly.

”Mia, is it true what you said last night? That crystal cores can be traded for food?” A short, wiry young man darted in front of her, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Mia glanced at him briefly. ”It’s true. I’m heading out now to make the trade.”

”Oh...”

The young man’s curiosity only grew. Crystal cores were valuable, but without food, people would starve. Who was this person willing to trade food for crystal cores?

Whoever it was must have a massive stockpile of food, right?

The young man’s eyes flickered with a calculating glint. He smiled slyly and said, ”I happen to have a crystal core on me. Can I come with you to make the trade?”

Mia hesitated for a moment before nodding. ”Alright.”

The young man’s lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk.

”Thank you so much...” he said, his tone polite, but his eyes betrayed a hint of malice.