Apocalypse: King of Zombies

On the outskirts of the city, Shrimpy and a few of his lackeys stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at the scene before them. They’d just witnessed that terrifying tsunami and had bolted as far as their legs could carry them.

”Man, that was insane!”

Watching Ethan charge solo into the forbidden zone and cause such a massive commotion, they could only assume one thing: the Azure Scaled must’ve shown up.

”You think the boss is okay?” one of the lackeys asked nervously.

Shrimpy frowned, a flicker of worry crossing his face. From their vantage point on the outskirts, there was no sign of Ethan coming back out.

But what really bothered him was…

The shrimp Ethan promised him still hadn’t been delivered.

...

Meanwhile, Ethan had made his way deep into the mountain forest at the edge of the city. Standing atop a barren hill, he looked down at the city below, now submerged under seawater.

This mission had been a solid win. Two zombie kings taken out, two crystal cores in hand, and a haul of neurocores from elite zombies. Not bad at all.

More importantly, it was a warning to the Azure Scaled: stay out of his territory.

”Time to head back,” Ethan muttered to himself. He turned and disappeared into the dense forest, his figure blending seamlessly with the shadows.

He chose to stick to the forest path on his way back, partly out of habit and partly out of curiosity. There was always the chance he might stumble upon a lucky human survivor. The forest was dangerous, sure—full of hidden threats—but for someone like Ethan, it was hardly a challenge.

The air was damp, the undergrowth thick with weeds and tangled branches. Strange bird calls echoed in the distance, adding to the eerie atmosphere. The ground beneath his feet was soft, a thick layer of fallen leaves muffling his steps.

As he scanned his surroundings, his sharp eyes caught movement ahead. A small group of zombies wandered aimlessly through the trees, their bloodstained bodies swaying with each step. Their vacant stares gave away their lack of intelligence.

One of them had a broken camera hanging around its neck, now home to a swarm of insects crawling in and out of the shattered lens. Judging by their tattered clothes and belongings, they looked like they’d once been tourists.

”There’s a horde nearby,” Ethan concluded immediately. Zombies were a rare sight in the forest, which meant their presence here wasn’t random. This area had likely been overrun.

A thought crossed his mind. If he remembered correctly, there was a place nearby—Canyon Park. It was nestled between Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley.

”Maybe I should check it out,” he mused. It was on his way, after all.

With that, he adjusted his course and headed toward Canyon Park.

...

As he moved through the forest, signs of human construction began to appear—stone steps leading up the hillside, chains lining the path, and faded signs posted at intervals. The remnants of civilization.

Back when the world was still intact, this place must’ve been packed with tourists.

Now, the steps were cracked and stained with dried blood. Scattered bones littered the path, some with skulls lying askew, weeds sprouting from their empty eye sockets. The scene was grim, a stark reminder of how far humanity had fallen.

A few zombies wandered near the base of the steps. These weren’t your average shamblers, though. Their movements were sharper, more deliberate. Elite-level zombies.

Ethan paused, his senses sharpening. He caught a faint whiff of something in the air—something unmistakable..

”Someone’s here,” he muttered under his breath, his curiosity piqued. The scent was coming from just beyond the steps.

But how? This was clearly zombie territory. What kind of human would be here? Unless…

Unless the zombies and humans were coexisting somehow?

Activating his Domain of the Dead, Ethan’s form shimmered and vanished, cloaking him in invisibility. Like a ghost, he moved silently down the steps, his presence undetectable.

At the bottom, a small plaza came into view. Zombies roamed freely, some aimlessly, others in small groups. Among them were a few that had evolved intelligence, their behavior noticeably different. They were gathered in a corner, deep in conversation.

”Our boss is a genius,” one of them said, its voice raspy but filled with pride. ”We’ve caught so much food lately, we can’t even finish it all. Like, seriously, it’s too much!”

”Right? I don’t know how he comes up with this stuff. Keeping humans alive and farming them? That’s next-level thinking!”

”Yeah, and he said once he evolves a bit more, he’s gonna lead us to the city and join up with the Azure Scaled. They’ve got even more food in the ocean—fish for days! We’ll never go hungry again!”

”Man, I can’t wait. No more starving. Ever.”

The group of intelligent zombies chattered on, dreaming of their bright, undead future.

Little did they know, a zombie king was silently passing right behind them.

Ethan ignored their conversation for now, his focus elsewhere. He was heading straight for the source of the human scent. And as he moved, the pieces started to fall into place.

The zombie king ruling this area wasn’t just hunting humans.

He was farming them.

”Not bad… they’ve really got this operation running smoothly,” Ethan muttered to himself, his tone laced with sarcasm. He couldn’t stand seeing humans suffer like this. It was time to put an end to their misery.

As he moved forward, a cluster of buildings came into view. The density of zombies in the area increased dramatically, with a significant number of elites among them. A quick estimate put their numbers at nearly a thousand.

By Genesis Biotech’s classification system, this would barely qualify as a one-star zombie nest. Not exactly a powerhouse.

It was obvious, though—those buildings were where the humans were being held.

Ethan didn’t hesitate. He walked straight toward the structures, his Domain of the Dead ability allowing him to phase through the walls like a ghost.

Inside, the light dimmed, and the air turned cold and damp. The room was a mess, reeking of decay. In one corner, the clinking of chains echoed faintly. Six humans were shackled there, their faces pale and their bodies frail.

Their wrists bore deep, jagged cuts, wounds that had been reopened repeatedly. Fresh blood still seeped from some of them, staining the floor beneath.

In the center of the room stood a small zombie king. Its skin was ashen, its sparse hair dry and brittle, and its eyes burned with a sinister gleam.

On the table beside it were several cups, each stained with blood, the liquid inside glinting a dark crimson under the dim light.

Ethan didn’t need to guess what those were for.

”Living the high life, huh?” he muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with disdain.

At that moment, the zombie king picked up one of the cups, its gaze shifting toward the humans. A glint of bloodlust flashed in its eyes as it began to move toward them.

”No… no, please…” one of the captives, a young woman, whimpered. Her voice trembled with fear, and tears welled up in her eyes. She struggled against her chains, but it was useless. She was completely helpless.

The zombie king stopped in front of her, leaning in close. Its nostrils flared as it inhaled deeply, greedily taking in her scent. A grotesque look of satisfaction spread across its face, and drool began to drip from the corners of its mouth.

Then, without warning, it pulled out a knife.

The girl’s eyes widened in terror as the blade glinted in the dim light. The zombie king grabbed her arm, its bony fingers digging into her skin. With a swift motion, it slashed across an old, scabbed-over wound on her wrist, reopening it.

”Ahhh—!” The girl screamed in pain, tears streaming down her dirty face. The fresh blood flowed freely, dripping down her arm and into the cup the zombie king had prepared.

The zombie king chuckled darkly, its raspy laughter filling the room. It watched the blood pool in the cup, its satisfaction evident.

When the flow finally slowed, the cup was nearly full. The zombie king lifted it to its lips and took a small sip.

”Ahhh…” It exhaled with a shudder of pleasure, as if savoring a fine wine. Its expression was one of pure bliss, like someone who’d just downed a shot of premium vodka.

But it didn’t stop there. The zombie king wasn’t selfish—it picked up the cup and left the room, likely to share its ”treat” with others.

The girl’s quiet sobs filled the silence that followed.

”Ugh, will you shut up already? Your crying’s driving me nuts!” one of the other captives, a man, snapped irritably. His voice was harsh, his patience clearly worn thin.

The girl immediately bit her lip, stifling her sobs. But her shoulders still shook as she tried to hold back her tears.

”Crying, crying, crying. That’s all you ever do,” the man continued, his tone dripping with frustration. ”You think crying’s gonna fix anything?”

Nearby, an older woman smirked, her voice tinged with cruel amusement. ”Well, at least it wasn’t me this time. Lucky me.”

The girl didn’t respond. She clenched her teeth, her anger simmering beneath the surface. Her hands balled into fists, and a spark of defiance flickered in her tear-filled eyes.

And then, out of nowhere, a deep, magnetic voice echoed through the room.

”Do you… crave power?”

...