Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Thousands of zombies swarmed in, their grotesque faces packed tightly together, completely encircling the human Awakener team.

The group stood back-to-back, weapons swinging relentlessly as they hacked down the undead, fighting with everything they had to hold their ground.

But the sheer number of zombies was overwhelming. For every one they killed, another immediately lunged forward, as if the horde was endless.

”Damn it! The zombies at the train station are completely out of control. What do we do now?” one team member shouted, panic written all over his face.

They had come here expecting to complete their mission, but now everything was spiraling into chaos.

”What else can we do? Call for backup and try to break through!” Alexander barked, his voice steady despite the dire situation. He crouched down, his hands pressing firmly against the ground as a faint, misty yellow light radiated from him, the energy of his wood-based abilities gathering around him.

”Roots of the Earth!” he roared.

The yellow energy spread out across the ground, and wherever it passed, thick, gnarled tree roots erupted from the earth. Sharp, spike-like barbs sprouted from the roots, piercing through the zombies and pinning them to the ground like skewers.

In an instant, the area around Alexander became a zombie-free zone.

The others’ eyes lit up with hope.

”Captain’s still got it! He’s as strong as ever.”

”Yeah, even if we can’t finish the mission, at least we’ve got a shot at surviving.”

”Let’s move! Follow the roots and break through!”

The group of Awakeners immediately began retreating in the direction the roots extended, carving a path through the horde.

But then, it happened.

A suffocating wave of pressure swept over them. The tree roots and their barbs shattered into splinters, as if crushed by an invisible storm. The force was unstoppable, obliterating everything in its path.

Dozens of humans were caught in the wave. Their bodies cracked and crumpled under the immense pressure, bones shattering as they collapsed to the ground like broken dolls.

”What the hell is that?” someone gasped, their voice trembling with fear.

All eyes turned toward the source of the pressure. A figure in white slowly approached, walking with an eerie calm. With every step he took, the oppressive Domain of the Dead expanded outward, suffocating everything in its reach.

The crushing force felt like a natural disaster, like the heavens themselves had turned against them.

”This guy… something’s not right!” Alexander’s expression darkened, his brows furrowing deeply. He had fought countless battles and faced all kinds of zombies, but never had he encountered anything like this. ”This must be a Zombie King… and not just any Zombie King. He’s on a whole other level.”

”Everyone, be careful! I think his power’s already at S-rank!” he warned, his voice grim.

”What?!” The others froze, their faces pale with terror.

An S-rank Zombie King. They’d only ever heard of such creatures in records—monsters so powerful they were practically legends. And now, one stood before them.

Tessa frowned, her voice steady but tinged with defiance. ”Captain, you’re A+ rank. The three of us are A-rank. Are you saying we can’t even hold our own against one S-rank? Even if we can’t beat him, we should at least be able to survive, right?”

”Don’t underestimate the gap between ranks,” a young man beside her said, his tone calm but serious. ”Even a single rank difference can feel like an unbridgeable chasm. We’re in serious danger.”

Tessa shot him a glare. ”Hmph! Big talk for someone so spineless. You’re a grown man, and you’re more scared than I am. Honestly, I think men these days are just… disappointing. Women are way tougher.”

As she spoke, flames began to swirl around her, the heat radiating off her body as she prepared to launch an attack.

But before she could act, Ethan’s gaze shifted toward her. His expression was cold, almost indifferent, as if he were watching a stray dog barking at him from the side of the road.

He took a step forward, and then another. His movements were slow at first, but in an instant, his figure blurred, accelerating toward them with terrifying speed. The Domain of the Dead surged forward with him, like a tidal wave crashing down.

Ethan closed the distance in the blink of an eye, the oppressive force of his domain spreading out like a storm.

”Everyone, get back!” Alexander shouted, his voice raw with urgency. His skin began to harden, taking on the texture of bark as he activated his wood-based defensive ability. The transformation made him more resistant to the crushing pressure, but even so, he was forced to retreat rapidly.

The young man beside him extended his mental energy outward, forming a psychic barrier around himself. The barrier trembled under the weight of the Domain of the Dead, and his head throbbed with pain, but it held just long enough for him to stagger backward, retreating alongside Alexander.

Another Awakener, one with lightning-based abilities, pushed their speed to the absolute limit. In a flash, they became a streak of light, retreating over 600 feet in the blink of an eye.

Left behind in the chaos was Tessa. She had been preparing her attack and didn’t have time to dodge. The overwhelming Domain of the Dead engulfed her completely.

Her body began to crack audibly under the pressure. The once-raging flames surrounding her flickered like a candle in the wind, unsteady and on the verge of extinguishing.

Pain twisted her face, and the arrogance she had displayed earlier vanished, replaced by a growing sense of despair. She turned her head stiffly, only to see her teammates had already fled far away.

”Captain! Help me…” she cried out, her voice trembling with desperation.

But Alexander stood frozen, his face tense, unwilling to move closer. He could only watch helplessly as she was consumed by the encroaching horde. The other two teammates, equally paralyzed by fear, didn’t dare make a move either.

Seeing this, Tessa’s despair deepened.

”I went in to attack the Zombie King, and not a single one of them backed me up. Useless! Absolutely useless!” she thought bitterly.

Ethan didn’t give her a chance to dwell on her regret. With a casual wave of his hand, a sleek tachi appeared in his grip. In one fluid motion, he swung the blade, slicing cleanly through her head.

Blood sprayed across the ground as Tessa’s body crumpled. A glowing crystal core shot out from her skull, spinning through the air before landing with a faint clink.

Her lifeless body hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Ethan reached out, catching the crystal core mid-air. He examined it briefly before tucking it away, as if killing an A-rank Awakener was no more significant than swatting a fly.

Alexander watched the scene unfold, his heart pounding in his chest. His mind raced with disbelief and fear. Tessa, for all her arrogance, had been one of the stronger A-rank Awakeners. And yet, she had been taken down in a single strike.

A chilling thought crept into his mind, making his stomach drop.

”Could he… could he be beyond S-rank?”

”What? No way!” one of the remaining teammates gasped, their voice shaking. ”Captain… what do we do now?”

Alexander’s face was grim. ”We have no choice. Stall for time and wait for backup from the company,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

But even as he said it, doubt gnawed at him. Genesis Biotech didn’t have anyone stronger than S-rank. Their only advantage was numbers. Maybe, just maybe, they could overwhelm him with sheer force.

The problem was, the situation was deteriorating fast. The zombies were closing in, and the armed personnel who had been holding the line were being wiped out one by one. The dead piled up, leaving the survivors with fewer and fewer options.

From a nearby high-rise, the eerie sound of a guitar echoed through the air. A zombie perched on the rooftop strummed the instrument, as if playing a macabre death march.

Alexander clenched his fists. ”Can we… even hold out much longer?” he wondered, his confidence wavering.

Ethan’s cold gaze locked onto Alexander. His eyes were sharp, almost predatory, as if he were sizing up a piece of fruit—something small and insignificant, like a kiwi.

This fight had dragged on long enough. The longer it lasted, the more it risked becoming a nuisance. It was time to end it.

In a blur, Ethan vanished from where he stood, reappearing in an instant as he charged toward his next target.

Alexander’s heart pounded in his chest, the oppressive pressure bearing down on him like a tidal wave. This time, there was no escape. He could feel it in his bones.

With no other choice, he gathered every ounce of energy he had left and unleashed it in a desperate burst.

Massive wooden tendrils erupted from his body, spreading out like a forest come to life. The roots surged forward, attempting to meet the crushing force of the Domain of the Dead head-on.

The other two teammates, seeing no other option, activated their abilities as well. One conjured a shimmering barrier of psychic energy, while the other unleashed a torrent of ice, both trying to hold back the overwhelming pressure.

...

Meanwhile, at the San Bernardino branch of Genesis Biotech, Sophia sat in her office, her brow furrowed as she reviewed the incoming distress reports.

”What? Alexander can’t handle it?” she asked sharply, her voice laced with disbelief.

Her secretary, a young woman with a nervous expression, nodded quickly. ”Yes. According to the report, the zombies at the train station have gone completely out of control. The explosive implants in their heads were somehow removed, and they’ve fallen under the command of the Zombie King who overran the lab.”

Sophia’s eyes widened. ”Removed the implants? That’s… impossible. How could zombies have the capability to do that?” Her mind raced, trying to piece together the implications. Something about this didn’t add up.

”Bring me all the recent incident reports. Now!” she ordered.

”Yes, ma’am!” The secretary scrambled to gather a stack of documents, placing them on Sophia’s desk with trembling hands.

Sophia flipped through the reports, her frown deepening with each page. First, there was the attack on the small suburban town near Los Angeles. Then, the massacre at the shopping mall in the city. And finally, the catastrophic breach at the lab.

”Wait…” she muttered, her eyes narrowing as she noticed a pattern.

The incidents formed a clear trail, all originating from the direction of Los Angeles.

A chill ran down her spine as the pieces began to fall into place.

”Could it be…?”

...