Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Ethan stepped into his apartment as night fully descended. The crescent moon hung like a silver hook on the horizon, surrounded by a sea of twinkling stars.

It had been three months since the apocalypse began. Without human pollution, the environment had improved significantly. Now, whenever he looked up, he could see the Milky Way stretching across the sky.

At that moment, a few meteors streaked across the night.

The area around Ethan’s high-rise was eerily quiet. Nothing unusual seemed to be happening.

With some time to kill, Ethan pulled out his phone to gather intel and check on recent events.

”Santa Clarita Shelter breached by unidentified organisms. Suspected parasitic creatures capable of laying eggs inside human hosts. These eggs feed on flesh and blood, eventually maturing and bursting out of the body.”

”Wow, starting off with a bang, huh?” Ethan muttered to himself.

The announcement was from an official shelter bulletin. A shelter had been overrun.

Below the announcement were several attached photos.

The images showed researchers in white lab coats, their bodies drenched in blood. Their abdomens had been torn open, leaving gaping holes. They lay sprawled on the ground in grotesque positions, their deaths horrifyingly gruesome.

Around the corpses, there was a mix of slime and blood, pooling together in a nauseating mess.

”Aliens?” Ethan remarked, unfazed. His only thought was how wasteful it was to ruin perfectly good ”food.” If you’re going to eat, at least do it properly...

The comments under the announcement were plentiful, filled with mourning and a shared sense of dread. It was the kind of fear that came from knowing that what happened to others could just as easily happen to you.

As the apocalypse dragged on, new monsters kept appearing. Humanity’s situation grew increasingly dire. No one knew when death might come knocking on their own door.

Ethan scrolled further down.

”Researchers discovered a meteorite in a remote forest. Upon analysis, they found insect eggs inside.”

This post had its own flood of comments.

”Oh my god! Those eggs must be alien lifeforms!”

”What if it’s like Venom...?”

”I’m not spreading rumors, but I’ll wait for the experts to spread them for me.”

”...”

Fortunately, none of these incidents were happening in Los Angeles, so they didn’t concern Ethan for now.

He decided to check the Genesis Biotech website.

But to his disappointment, there were no updates. The same old announcements were still there. Things had been unusually quiet lately.

”Yeah, right. Quiet means they’re up to something shady...” Ethan muttered under his breath.

He couldn’t help but wonder what they were working on.

...

Meanwhile, deep in the forest behind a cemetery, the shadows of trees swayed in the pitch-black night.

At the base of several large trees, clusters of fleshy red growths were sprouting. They were packed tightly together, pulsating faintly.

The red growths began to shift and squirm, slowly merging into a humanoid shape.

Before long, the figure wobbled to its feet. Its features started to take form—its face becoming sharp and defined, strikingly handsome.

Clothing materialized on its body: a crisp white shirt.

The red growths had transformed into an exact replica of Ethan.

At first glance, it was indistinguishable from the real Ethan, though its expression was slightly stiff, lacking the calm, detached air of the original.

The tall figure began walking out of the forest.

But this time, it didn’t head toward Ethan’s territory. Instead, it circled around to another area.

Emerging from the woods, it stepped onto the darkened streets of the city.

In the shadows, a few zombies wandered aimlessly. Among them were two that had evolved to a higher state, retaining a faint trace of intelligence.

”You two, come here,” the fake Ethan said in a low, deliberate voice.

The zombies growled softly, their throats emitting guttural sounds. Obediently, they shuffled over, even displaying a hint of servility.

But with a wave of the fake Ethan’s hand, countless spores were released into the air. The spores drifted toward the zombies, entering their bodies through their mouths, noses, and ears.

A guttural roar erupted from the two zombies.

”Raaagh—”

Their bodies froze mid-motion, then began to convulse violently. Within seconds, they collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

From their corpses, red fleshy growths began to sprout, spreading at an alarming rate. The tumors multiplied rapidly, layer upon layer, until they covered the bodies entirely. Some of the larger growths even sprouted smaller ones, creating a grotesque, pulsating mass that would make anyone’s skin crawl.

”Hmm... this form is proving to be quite effective,” ’Ethan’ remarked, clearly possessing intelligence and appearing satisfied with his handiwork.

It continued walking forward, releasing spores as it went, spreading its influence further.

...

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a distant high-rise, a woman stood, her sharp eyes locked onto the scene below. Her gaze was intense, unwavering.

”He’s here!” she exclaimed.

”Captain, what’s he doing?” a male teammate beside her asked, his voice tinged with unease.

The woman furrowed her brows, deep in thought. ”It looks like... he’s spreading something.”

”Damn... that’s seriously creepy!” the man muttered, his expression one of shock and disgust. They both watched as more zombies approached the fake Ethan, only to collapse in spasms moments later, their deaths as horrifying as the first two.

”Could this be what Nathan referred to as the Absolute Domain?” the woman wondered aloud, her mind racing. The phenomenon matched the descriptions in their intel.

Low-level zombies couldn’t even get close to him before succumbing.

The group’s tension was palpable. They were on high alert, as if facing a deadly predator.

This was Jessica’s team—a squad tasked with assassinating Ethan. They had been monitoring his territory for weeks, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Hundreds of drones had been deployed to surveil the area 24/7, ensuring they wouldn’t miss a single movement.

The moment Ethan—or what they thought was Ethan—appeared, they were ready.

”Captain, what’s the plan?” the male teammate asked, his voice steady but eager.

Jessica didn’t hesitate. ”We attack. Hit him hard and fast before he has a chance to react. Take him out in one strike.”

”Got it!” The others nodded in agreement. It was the best strategy: catch him off-guard and end him swiftly.

The team moved with precision, silently positioning themselves for an ambush. They waited, hidden, as the fake Ethan continued to approach, oblivious to their presence.

”Good. His perception doesn’t seem very sharp,” Jessica observed, analyzing his behavior.

As ’Ethan’ reached the street below, her eyes sharpened with determination.

”Get ready!” she commanded.

The team held their breath, their energy building. One of the male teammates began to channel his power, heat radiating from his hands as a massive fireball started to form. The air around him shimmered with the intensity of the energy he was gathering.

The fireball grew larger and larger, until it was nearly seven feet in diameter—a blazing orb of destruction, like a miniature sun. The man poured two-thirds of his energy into this single attack, determined to make it count.

”Now!” Jessica shouted.

The man raised his hand and hurled the fireball downward with all his might.

The fake Ethan, sensing something, suddenly looked up.

”Huh?” It tilted its head, its expression shifting as it noticed the massive fireball descending from above.

The fiery glow reflected in its eyes, growing brighter and larger as the fireball closed in.

”BOOOOM!”

The fireball struck its target with devastating force, exploding on impact. The blast sent shockwaves rippling through the area, shattering every window in the vicinity. Flames engulfed the fake Ethan, consuming its form entirely.

Jessica narrowed her eyes, watching the scene intently. ”That seemed... too easy,” she muttered, her instincts telling her not to let her guard down.

”This zombie king has a ridiculously strong body. Keep attacking!” she ordered.

”Understood!” her teammates responded without hesitation.

They unleashed a barrage of abilities, each pouring their energy into the assault. Fireballs, lightning strikes, and other elemental attacks rained down on the explosion site, ensuring no chance of survival for their target.

The street below was a chaotic inferno of destruction. Smoke and debris filled the air as the team continued their relentless assault...