Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Damn it!”

At the far end of the bridge stood an old woman with a cat-like face. Her sharp teeth were clenched, and her eyes burned with hatred.

No one expected the enemy to awaken psychic abilities. Zombies typically had weaker mental strength compared to humans, so it was incredibly rare for a zombie to develop psychic powers—something that could directly counter her.

Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield, the towering figure of the Crimson Titan stood out like a mountain. His skin was a reddish-brown hue, as hard and unyielding as stone.

He was the embodiment of absolute defense.

Even when elite zombies managed to bite him, their teeth shattered on impact. With a single swing of his massive arm, he could crush their skulls into dust.

Wherever he passed, corpses piled up in heaps. His brutality was unmatched.

But just as he was reveling in the carnage, a sudden, overwhelming pressure swept across the battlefield from the distance. It was like a tidal wave of blood crashing down, suffocating and inescapable. There was no doubt—a true king had entered the fray.

Ethan, dressed in a pristine white shirt, walked calmly through the blood-soaked battlefield, his expression indifferent. He moved as if he were strolling through a quiet garden.

Any zombie that dared approach him exploded into a mist of blood before they could even get close, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness.

”The real fight begins now,” Crimson Titan muttered, his expression growing cautious.

With a single thought, Ethan unleashed the terrifying Domain of the Dead, expanding it to its full range. The abandoned vehicles scattered across the battlefield began to hum and vibrate, twisting and contorting as if alive, before breaking apart into fragments.

The scene before them was nothing short of apocalyptic.

Crimson Titan’s massive body was enveloped by the domain, and he immediately felt an immense weight pressing down on him, as if he were carrying a mountain. But with his A+ rank strength and his unparalleled physical endurance, he managed to remain standing, though his movements were noticeably slower.

The same couldn’t be said for the elite zombies around him. Their bones cracked and popped under the invisible pressure, as if being crushed by an enormous, unseen hand. Their faces twisted in agony.

”ROAR—!” They let out pained howls before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

”This guy’s power is insane! We have to stop him!” Crimson Titan, the Zombie King, stared at Ethan with a mix of fear and determination. To him, Ethan was nothing less than a walking meat grinder, tearing through the battlefield with ease.

Gritting his teeth, Crimson Titan pushed through the crushing pressure and leapt forward with surprising agility, throwing a powerful punch straight at Ethan.

Ethan didn’t even flinch. He raised his hand, and in an instant, a tachi appeared in his grasp. With a swift motion, he swung the blade.

”Clang—!” A sharp metallic screech echoed as the blade struck Crimson Titan’s rock-like skin. Sparks flew, and even the blade itself chipped in several places.

”Is that all you’ve got?” Crimson Titan smirked, realizing Ethan’s weapon couldn’t penetrate his defense.

”I see,” Ethan murmured, almost to himself. Then, without hesitation, he extended his long, slender fingers, reaching directly for Crimson Titan’s head.

A sense of dread washed over Crimson Titan. His instincts screamed danger, and he quickly tilted his head to avoid the attack.

Ethan’s fingers grazed past his forehead, missing by mere inches.

”That was close!” Crimson Titan thought, his heart pounding. Taking advantage of the moment, he swung another punch, aiming straight for Ethan’s face.

”Die!” he roared.

But this time, Ethan had already dismissed his tachi. He clenched his hand into a fist and met Crimson Titan’s punch head-on.

BOOM—!

The collision was like two stars colliding. The shockwave from their fists rippled outward, cracking the ground beneath them. The entire bridge trembled violently, sending several zombies tumbling into the river below.

”Crack!” A sharp sound echoed as fractures spread across Crimson Titan’s arm. His stone-like skin shattered in places, revealing deep fissures. The force of Ethan’s punch sent him flying backward like a ragdoll.

He crashed into several zombies along the way, killing them instantly, before rolling across the ground for over ten meters. When he finally came to a stop, he looked utterly battered and humiliated.

”What the hell?!” Crimson Titan’s mind reeled in shock. ”How is he this strong?!”

It was the first time he had encountered a zombie with a physical body stronger than his own.

”Could it be... he’s already reached S-rank?”

...

High above the battlefield, Genesis Biotech’s aircraft hovered silently, its cameras capturing every moment of the fight and broadcasting it live.

Inside the control room, Nathan and a group of executives stared intently at the massive screen.

”This Crimson Titan Zombie King is useless!” Nathan slammed his hand on the table in frustration.

At first, he had high hopes for Crimson Titan. Maybe, just maybe, he could push Ethan into a stalemate, or at least injure him. But now? He couldn’t even withstand a single punch.

Not only that, but Crimson Titan’s zombie horde, despite their numbers, lacked the strength to make a difference. They were being slaughtered like cattle, completely outmatched.

What Nathan had envisioned as an epic showdown between two titans had turned into a one-sided massacre.

”Useless! Absolutely useless!” Nathan shouted furiously, slamming his fist on the table.

It seemed the Zombie King of the skyscraper district was far stronger. The real problem, though, was... Nathan had already made plenty of enemies with him in the past.

What if, after taking over Crimson Titan’s territory, that Zombie King led his horde straight to attack Nathan’s company?

Given the current situation, there was nothing he could do but wait for Sophia’s reinforcements...

Crimson Titan, covered in dust and debris, slowly got back to his feet. His regeneration ability was remarkable—his fractured arm was already healing at a visible rate.

He turned his gaze forward and saw Ethan walking toward him, step by steady step, calm and unhurried as ever.

”I’m done playing with you!” Crimson Titan muttered. He had already decided to retreat. He’d come back to settle the score after breaking through to S-rank.

With that, he secretly issued a command. The elite zombies around him began retreating, their once-dense formation scattering like a receding tide, quickly abandoning the bridge.

Crimson Titan then raised his fist and slammed it into the ground.

”BOOM!” The sheer force of the blow cracked the bridge’s surface, sending chunks of stone flying and creating deep fissures that spread outward. Even the bridge’s support pillars began to show signs of strain.

But one punch wasn’t enough to bring the entire bridge down.

He raised his fist again and struck.

This time, the bridge’s support pillars shattered completely. The bridge deck began to collapse, chunks of concrete and steel falling into the river below, creating massive splashes.

Above, the steel cables groaned under the strain, vibrating violently before snapping one by one with a series of sharp ”ping-ping-ping” sounds.

Finally, the entire bridge gave way, collapsing in a cascade of rubble that stretched for hundreds of feet. Dust and debris filled the air, leaving a massive gap between the two sides.

The two zombie factions were now completely separated, staring at each other across the chasm.

”ROAR—!” Bulldozer, one of the other zombie kings, was visibly frustrated. He had been enjoying the fight, and just as the battle between the zombie kings was about to reach its peak, Crimson Titan had destroyed the bridge.

”Coward! You spineless corpse! What a pathetic move!” Bulldozer bellowed, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

”Hmph!” Crimson Titan snorted dismissively, clearly unbothered by the insults. In this situation, only the opposing zombie king had the ability to cross the river. But without the terrifying Zombie Horde backing them up, even a few zombie kings crossing over would be walking straight into their deaths.

This gave Crimson Titan a sense of confidence.

”What’s the matter? Don’t like it? Then come over here if you dare!” he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

”You’re pissing me off!” Bulldozer roared, stomping his feet in frustration. His anger was palpable as he shouted and raged.

But just as Crimson Titan was basking in his smugness, a sudden chill swept through the air. The temperature around them plummeted, and the surface of the river began to freeze over with a sharp ”crack-crack” sound as frost rapidly spread.

”What the...?” Crimson Titan’s expression shifted to one of shock. He quickly turned toward the source of the cold and saw several human ice Awakeners standing on the far side of the river, pouring their energy into their abilities.

Under the relentless assault of their freezing powers, the river was sealed in ice within moments. A wide, solid ice bridge now stretched across the gap, connecting the two sides.

”ROAR—!” A horde of zombies charged across the ice bridge, their movements swift and agile. These weren’t ordinary zombies—they were Ethan’s elite force of 500 warriors, his most trusted and deadly fighters.

”The real battle begins now,” Ethan said softly, his cold gaze fixed on Crimson Titan.

Crimson Titan’s eyes widened in disbelief. He never imagined that Ethan would ally with human Awakeners.

”That sneaky bastard!”

...