Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Huh?” Isaiah noticed something off. His brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of unease crept into his chest. He had never seen a Zombie King dressed so cleanly and neatly before.

Where did this guy come from?

He didn’t look like a local Zombie King.

”Everyone, stay sharp. This guy seems... different.”

”Got it. I’ll go test him out first, see what he’s capable of.”

A speed-type Awakener stepped forward, his expression serious. In a flash, his figure blurred, moving at top speed and leaving behind afterimages as he charged straight at Ethan.

The rest of the group narrowed their eyes, watching intently.

In the blink of an eye, the speed Awakener was right in front of Ethan. His face twisted into a feral snarl as he drew his blade, ready to strike.

”Bold move...” Ethan muttered under his breath. His eyes glinted with a sudden crimson light, and in an instant, the terrifying Domain of the Dead unfolded around him.

The speed Awakener froze mid-motion, as if someone had hit the pause button on him. His face contorted in agony, and then, with a sickening series of cracks, his bones shattered all at once. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

He was killed in an instant. Before anyone could react, a swarm of zombies surged forward, tearing into his body and devouring him.

”What the—?!” Isaiah and the others stared in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. Their teammate had barely gotten close before dropping dead in such a bizarre and horrifying way.

This Zombie King... was a rare Phantom Infected.

Behind Ethan, the horde of zombies let out bloodthirsty howls, their frenzy reaching a fever pitch as they charged toward the humans like a pack of ravenous wolves, wild and unstoppable.

The human Awakeners immediately engaged, their powers flaring to life. Energy surged around them as they unleashed their abilities, each one more desperate than the last.

In an instant, ice spikes shot through the air, water prisons formed, and towering walls of earth erupted from the ground.

Zombies fell one after another, their foul blood spraying everywhere as their bodies hit the ground. These particular zombies were freshly infected and hadn’t evolved much yet, so their strength was relatively low.

But Ethan’s Domain of the Dead continued to expand, spreading out over 2,000 feet. The oppressive force it carried was overwhelming.

Within the Absolute Domain, the ice spikes and earth walls shattered instantly.

The humans caught within the domain’s reach mostly collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand the crushing pressure. Even those with stronger physiques who managed to resist for a moment were quickly overwhelmed by the surrounding zombies and dragged down.

Ethan’s Domain of the Dead swept through the area, turning it into a no-man’s-land for humans.

”This... this is insane!” Isaiah’s face was pale with shock.

Among the zombie horde, there were also elite zombies—agile, swift, and terrifyingly fierce.

Their cellular activity was off the charts, giving them incredible regenerative abilities.

The ones injected with the Y-virus were even more formidable. Their bones were unnaturally dense, and their skulls were as tough as steel, making them incredibly hard to kill.

One of these elite zombies broke through a Flame Barrier, its body engulfed in flames that crackled and hissed. Yet it kept regenerating, its movements relentless as it lunged toward the humans.

”Captain! What do we do?!” The human Awakeners were being pushed back, their desperation mounting.

Isaiah’s eyes darted around until they landed on the zombie’s head. He noticed a triangular opening in its skull and suddenly remembered something.

”Don’t panic. I’ve got this.” He pulled a remote control out of his pocket, his expression hardening with resolve.

”You dare rebel against us? Let’s see how you like this!”

The remote was designed to detonate bombs implanted in the zombies’ heads—a precautionary measure to prevent exactly this kind of situation. Finally, it was time to put it to use.

”Die!” Isaiah didn’t hesitate, pressing one of the buttons on the remote.

But after a moment...

Nothing happened.

The others exchanged confused glances.

”Uh, boss? Nothing’s happening.”

”What the...?” Isaiah’s face flushed with embarrassment. Why wasn’t it working? Could it be... the remote was broken?

”Let me try again.” Gritting his teeth, he pressed the button repeatedly, muttering under his breath about how useless the device was.

But just then, Ethan’s gaze shifted toward him.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Ethan tossed something—a tiny bomb he had extracted from a zombie’s skull. It flew through the air like a bullet, landing squarely in the middle of the human Awakeners’ formation.

At that exact moment, Isaiah pressed the button again.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep...!

A rapid beeping sound suddenly erupted from the crowd.

”Wait, what’s that sound—?”

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the area. Flames roared to life, engulfing several Awakeners in an instant.

The explosion sent shockwaves through the area, and even the Awakeners who had formed Neurocores to shield themselves couldn’t withstand the blast. They were thrown to the ground, groaning in pain.

Ethan watched silently, his mind drifting back to his childhood at the orphanage. During the holidays, the thing he and the other kids looked forward to the most was Christmas and Independence Day. Beyond exchanging gifts and feasting on holiday meals, they’d always set off fireworks.

Back then, resources were limited, so there weren’t many fireworks. But even so, they always managed to have a blast—he, Mia, and the rest of their little gang.

”These fireworks are kind of fun,” Ethan mused to himself.

The bomb wasn’t huge, but its power was undeniable. A true masterpiece from Genesis Biotech—cutting-edge technology at its finest.

Isaiah stared at the scene, completely dumbfounded.

”How is this even possible?”

”Captain! The remote’s working now!” one of the team members called out beside him.

Isaiah was fuming. ”Shut up! The safe zone’s about to fall completely. We need to retreat, now!”

He had already made up his mind to abandon the area. The zombies were just too strong—there was no holding them back.

The group of Awakeners fought as they retreated, making their way out of the safe zone.

Ethan’s gaze followed them, but he didn’t rush to give chase.

They weren’t going to get far anyway.

Isaiah’s group moved quickly, cutting through the regular zombies behind them with ease. They couldn’t slow them down.

Before long, they reached the gates of the safe zone.

They were battered and bruised. What had once been a force of hundreds of Awakeners was now reduced to just a few dozen, each one drained of energy and visibly exhausted.

”Well, at least we made it out,” Isaiah muttered, glancing back. He didn’t see any sign of Ethan, which gave him a small sense of relief.

But just then, a melody began to drift through the air. It was soft, haunting, and achingly beautiful—a tune that tugged at the soul. It was unmistakably Tears in Heaven.

The mournful notes felt like a death knell for humanity.

”Huh? Who’s playing the guitar?” Isaiah frowned.

And then, something even stranger happened. His team members, one by one, began to move. Their bodies jerked unnaturally, as if puppets on strings, and they started to dance—stiff, awkward movements in time with the music.

”Captain! We can’t control our arms and legs!” one of them shouted, panic etched across his face.

”What the…?”

Isaiah’s brow furrowed deeply. As an A-rank Awakener, his strength was formidable, and he wasn’t affected by whatever was happening.

”Could there be another Zombie King?”

The realization hit him, and he quickly scanned the area. His eyes locked onto a figure standing atop a crumbling high-rise in the distance.

It was a zombie—a slender figure clutching a guitar. Her bony fingers plucked at the strings, and the melody poured out, eerie and mesmerizing.

And then, from the streets below her, more zombies began to emerge.

Their eyes glinted with malice, their faces twisted with bloodlust. They surged forward, surrounding the remaining humans in no time.

At that moment, the zombie guitarist—Elegy—suddenly sped up her playing. Her fingers danced across the strings, shifting into a rock anthem. The music swelled, fierce and electrifying, like a battle cry.

”Do you feel like dancing too?”

…