Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”He’s never killed anyone... Just like I used to be—a kind person.” Lila thought to herself, her gaze softening. After spending so much time with the twisted members of the Black Hand Legion, meeting someone like Ethan felt like a breath of fresh air. He was... different.

It was as if a string deep in her heart had been plucked.

She had been running for her life in this post-apocalyptic world, enduring humiliation and hardship just to survive. Her soul was exhausted, and all she wanted was to find someone she could truly lean on.

Suddenly, a strong determination surged within her—she didn’t want Ethan to die. Maybe she could bring him into the organization for now, and later... find a chance for the two of them to escape together, to leave all of this behind.

”If anything unexpected happens later, you have to listen to me. It might be the only way to keep you alive.”

”What could possibly go wrong?” Ethan asked with a faint smile, his tone implying confidence. After all, hunting them down... was practically a sure thing.

The two of them entered a large, empty hall.

The surroundings were pitch black, and in the center of the room were supplies—several boxes of bottled water, instant noodles in cardboard packaging, and some canned food.

These were all resources the Black Hand Legion had gathered.

”The supplies are here,” Lila said.

”Hmm...” Ethan nodded, barely sparing the items a glance. To him, this was nothing. His real target hadn’t shown up yet.

He silently extended his senses, reinforcing his mental barrier.

It was clear—there were humans lurking nearby.

Indeed, in the surrounding darkness, pairs of eyes were fixed on him.

”Lila actually brought this sucker here!”

”He really came alone... This guy’s got guts, I’ll give him that.”

”Wait a second...”

Suddenly, a young man nearby furrowed his brow. He was a psychic Awakener, highly sensitive to his surroundings, and he had noticed something unusual.

”I can’t sense any life force coming from him.”

”What?” The others looked shocked.

”If he’s not human, then what is he? Are we dealing with a ghost or something?”

”A zombie? But do zombies even act like this?”

”No, I think it’s more likely his Awakening ability. Maybe he can suppress his life force and mess with our senses.”

”That’s insane!” The group whispered among themselves.

The middle-aged man leading them scanned Ethan with a cold, calculating gaze. He couldn’t sense Ethan’s presence either, but seeing that Ethan was alone, he wasn’t too concerned. After all, they had the numbers advantage.

And since they’d gone to the trouble of setting this trap, there was no turning back now.

”Alright, boys—take him down!”

”Got it!”

The others responded in unison, stepping out of the shadows. Their energy began to surge, filling the air with a sharp, oppressive aura.

Two speed-enhanced Awakeners shot forward like arrows, alloy daggers gleaming in their hands as they charged straight at Ethan, aiming to end his life in one swift strike.

”Hmm?” Ethan turned his head slightly, sensing over a dozen hostile presences suddenly surrounding him. It seemed like they had quite the crowd here.

The two attackers were closing in fast, their movements as fierce as tigers. In the blink of an eye, they were almost upon him.

But then, a figure stepped in between them.

”Stop!” Lila spread her arms wide, shielding Ethan with her body. ”Mike, don’t kill him yet!”

The two speed Awakeners skidded to a halt, their expressions dark with frustration.

”Hey! What the hell are you doing, you little bitch?”

”I said don’t kill him yet!” Lila’s voice was tense, her face betraying a hint of nervousness.

From the shadows, Mike emerged with the rest of the group.

”What’s going on?”

”No idea. This little bitch suddenly jumped in and told us not to kill him,” one of the men growled, clearly annoyed.

Mike’s cold, sinister eyes locked onto Lila, his expression demanding an explanation.

”Mike, we talked earlier,” Lila forced herself to sound calm. ”He hates the so-called ’order’ just as much as we do. He wants to join our organization.”

As she spoke, she glanced back at Ethan, subtly signaling him with her eyes—a reminder to follow her lead and do as she said.

”Oh, yeah. I’m not a fan of ’order’ either,” Ethan nodded, his tone casual.

After all, his rules were the only rules that mattered.

The group around them eyed him skeptically, their expressions a mix of doubt and suspicion. In this brutal, post-apocalyptic world, trust was a rare commodity. Still, the Black Hand Legion wasn’t exactly picky about adding new members.

The burly man with the scruffy beard from earlier frowned and asked bluntly, ”Lila, don’t tell me... you’ve fallen for this guy?”

”I...” Lila hesitated, her words trailing off.

Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.

The bearded man sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. ”Ha! Unbelievable. Last night, you were telling me I was the best, and now, by this afternoon, you’re in love with someone else? You little—”

”Enough!” Mike cut him off sharply. His voice carried authority, silencing the group.

Joining the Black Hand Legion wasn’t as simple as just saying you wanted in. You had to prove yourself.

”If you want to join us, you’ll need to kill someone first. Preferably a survivor from one of the official shelters.”

The official shelters were a symbol of order and law—everything the Black Hand Legion despised.

”And after that, you’ll still need to pass our leader’s evaluation. Think you can handle that?” Mike asked, his tone cold and probing.

”Leader?” Ethan muttered under his breath. So, the Black Hand Legion had a strict hierarchy. Interesting.

”Who’s the leader?”

”You’ll find out when the time comes,” Mike replied curtly, clearly unwilling to divulge more. He still didn’t trust Ethan, and his guarded demeanor made that obvious.

”Oh, by the way,” Mike added, narrowing his eyes. ”What’s your Awakening ability?”

”My ability?” Ethan replied smoothly. ”It’s the power to hide my presence. I can also help others conceal theirs.”

”I knew it!”

The group exchanged astonished glances, their earlier doubts melting into awe. No wonder his presence had felt so off earlier.

For the Black Hand Legion, constantly on the move and engaging in shady activities, an ability like this was a godsend. With it, they could avoid detection wherever they went.

Still, Mike wasn’t entirely convinced. ”You can help others hide their presence too? Prove it.”

”Of course.”

Ethan’s lips curled into a faint smile as his gaze shifted to the bearded man. He took a step toward him, his movements deliberate.

”I’ll use you as a demonstration. You don’t mind, do you?”

The bearded man stiffened, a flicker of unease crossing his face. ”You... fine! Go ahead! Who’s afraid of you? But if you’re lying, I’ll tear you apart!” Despite his bravado, there was a hint of nervousness in his voice. Still, with so many people around, he figured Ethan wouldn’t dare try anything reckless.

”You’ve got this...” Lila whispered under her breath, clenching her fists tightly. Her nerves were on edge, but things were going according to plan so far. If Ethan could prove his worth and then complete the initiation task, he’d be one step closer to joining the Black Hand Legion.

She silently prayed for him, hoping his ability was real. The last time she’d been this anxious was during a job interview...

Ethan now stood directly in front of the bearded man, his smile widening ever so slightly.

Under the watchful eyes of the group, he slowly raised his hand. His long fingers moved with an eerie grace as he activated his Domain of the Dead ability. Without hesitation, his hand passed directly into the man’s forehead.

”Ugh...”

The bearded man’s eyes widened in shock, his gaze locking onto Ethan’s. For a brief moment, his body froze as an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him. Death’s cold grip enveloped him, and his instincts screamed that something was horribly wrong.

He tried to resist, to fight back—but it was too late.

In the next instant, his vision went black, and his body crumpled to the ground.

The room fell silent as everyone stared at the lifeless body. In Ethan’s hand, a small crystal core gleamed faintly.

”See? He’s not breathing anymore, is he?”

...