Apocalypse: King of Zombies

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A relentless barrage of attacks shattered the ground, leaving it cracked and caving in. Energy surged wildly in all directions. After what felt like an eternity, the team finally stopped.

The squad members were drenched in sweat, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

”Captain, no movement…” one of them said, his voice uncertain.

Jessica’s sharp eyes scanned the scene. The street was a mess of craters, and as for the so-called ”Ethan”? Not even a trace of ash remained.

”Looks like we got him. Let’s go check it out,” she said, motioning for the team to move. One by one, they leapt down from the rooftop.

They spread out, searching the area. Nothing. Not even the faintest hint of life.

”That’s it? It’s over?” one of the team members scoffed, clearly unimpressed. He’d been bracing for something far worse, but now it seemed like they’d overestimated the so-called Zombie King.

The fact that none of them had even been attacked was proof enough.

Jessica nodded. ”Yeah, it’s done.”

”But, Captain, where’s the crystal core?” a female team member asked, frowning.

Jessica’s gaze swept the area again. She didn’t see it either.

”Maybe it got blown to bits? Or launched somewhere in the blast.”

Just then, a low, guttural growl echoed from the shadows in the distance. The commotion they’d caused had drawn a horde of zombies, and they were now converging on the area.

”Forget it. Let’s get out of here and report back to Nathan. Let him figure it out,” Jessica said, a smug smile tugging at her lips.

Nathan hadn’t believed her before. This was her chance to prove him wrong.

The team wasn’t worried about the low-level zombies—they were no real threat. But there was no point in sticking around and making things harder for themselves. They’d completed their mission. The Zombie King was dead. Time to leave.

...

The Next Morning

The sun rose slowly, casting its warm light over the city. At Genesis Biotech, the atmosphere was unusually lively.

Nathan had just stepped into his office when he noticed a crowd of people inside. It was a gathering of the company’s top brass, and among them were Jessica and her squad. They were lounging on the sofas, some with their legs crossed, looking smug as hell.

”Mr. Nathan,” Jessica began, her tone dripping with satisfaction, ”our mission last night was a success. We took down the Zombie King.”

”Wait, what???” Nathan froze, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.

”Captain Reed, are you sleep-deprived? Or maybe you’re still dreaming? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

Jessica smirked. ”Oh, it’s not nonsense. We’ve got the whole thing recorded. If you don’t believe me, you can see for yourself.”

”Impossible! Absolutely impossible!” Nathan shot back, shaking his head. ”Where’s the footage? Show me.”

”No problem.” Jessica had been waiting for this moment. She pulled out a remote and pressed a button. The projector in the room flickered to life, and the recording began to play.

Everyone in the room, including Nathan and the other executives, turned their attention to the screen.

The footage was crystal clear.

In the dim light of the street, a tall figure emerged from the distance. His face was strikingly handsome, and he wore a pristine white shirt—the signature look of the Zombie King.

”You actually ran into him?” Nathan muttered, his expression shifting to one of shock.

But what came next left him utterly stunned. In the video, a massive fireball hurtled toward the figure, signaling the start of the battle. What followed was an all-out assault—explosions, energy blasts, and chaos that shook the very ground. The energy waves were so intense that even the recording equipment trembled slightly.

Despite the shaky footage, it was clear as day: by the end of the fight, ”Ethan” had been obliterated. Not even a speck of him remained. The team had even gone down to confirm it.

”This… this…” Nathan was at a loss for words. He stared at the screen, his mind reeling. The Zombie King, the one who’d been such a massive headache for him, was gone. Just like that.

Jessica’s lips curled into a triumphant smile. ”So, Mr. Nathan, got anything else to say?”

”This is… this is great news!” Nathan finally snapped out of it, his face lighting up with joy. The Zombie King was dead, and with him, a major threat had been eliminated. He no longer had to live under that shadow.

And better yet, without the Zombie King, his minions would be easy pickings. Those crystal cores were invaluable, and with them, Nathan could solidify his control over Los Angeles.

It was only a matter of time.

”Captain Reed, you and your team are incredible! Taking down the Zombie King in one go? That’s just… so badass!” one of the executives exclaimed, practically glowing with admiration.

”Hmph, no need to flatter me. It was nothing, really,” Jessica replied, though the smug look on her face betrayed how much she was enjoying the praise. She tilted her head slightly, her tone playful as she added, ”But, I have to admit, I kind of liked your rebellious attitude from before.”

Nathan: ”......”

...

Meanwhile, Ethan was lounging comfortably in his pristine home, sipping on a drink while absorbing the energy from a crystal core. Life was good—peaceful, even.

That peace was interrupted when his phone, resting on the coffee table, buzzed with a new message. Picking it up, Ethan saw it was from Mia. The message was short and to the point:

”Dead?”

”Huh?” Ethan frowned, confused. What was this about? Was she cursing him out of nowhere? Had her mental breakdown flared up again?

He typed back a quick reply:

”Nope. Why are you asking?”

Mia’s response came almost immediately:

”Oh, then never mind. Just check the Genesis Biotech website.”

And with that, she went radio silent.

Ethan’s confusion only deepened. What could possibly be on Genesis Biotech’s website? He’d checked it just last night, and there hadn’t been anything noteworthy. Still, curiosity got the better of him, and he opened the site on his phone.

What he saw made him freeze. For a solid three seconds, he just stared at the screen, utterly dumbfounded.

The homepage was buzzing with activity, dominated by a bold, bright-red announcement:

”Breaking News: Last night, our company’s Awakeners successfully hunted and killed the Zombie King in the Tower District! As previously stated, Genesis Biotech vowed to track him down and eliminate him—and we’ve delivered on that promise.”

”?????” Ethan blinked, his mind racing.

Wait… I’m dead?

Since when?

How come I didn’t get the memo???

It was obvious what Genesis Biotech was doing. This announcement wasn’t just about the Zombie King—it was a PR move, a way to restore their reputation and reclaim the face they’d lost in the past.

Beneath the announcement, the comments section was blowing up, with more activity than any of their previous posts:

”Holy crap! Isn’t the Tower District a five-star zombie nest?”

”Yeah, I heard the Zombie King there was insanely powerful and freaky. That place was basically a no-go zone for humans!”

”Oh my god, they actually managed to kill him?”

”Genesis Biotech is amazing…”

”This is great news! Now we can scavenge for supplies in that area!”

”…”

To add credibility to their claim, Genesis Biotech had even uploaded a high-definition recording of the fight. The footage showed the Awakeners unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks on ”Ethan,” reducing him to nothing.

And, of course, as everyone knows, videos don’t lie.

The survivors who watched the video were convinced. The comments were filled with awe and excitement, and Genesis Biotech’s reputation was skyrocketing.

Ethan stared at the video, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he was lost in thought. Then, slowly, the pieces started to fall into place.

Ah, so that’s what happened. It must’ve been those mimic fungi from the mountains. They’d taken on his appearance, gotten themselves obliterated by Genesis Biotech, and now the company had mistaken the fungi for him.

Honestly? This wasn’t a bad outcome.

With this announcement, humans would undoubtedly start making moves. Survivors, Black Hand Legion members, and all sorts of other ”monsters” would flock to the Tower District, thinking it was safe now.

And when they did? They’d be bringing him a steady supply of ”little fruits” to harvest.

”Hmm… yeah, let’s just go with that. I’m dead,” Ethan muttered to himself, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

...