Apocalypse: King of Zombies

To prove he was in good health, Oliver hopped in place twice. Still, a chill ran down his spine—if he had let that guy treat him, he might’ve just disappeared from this world entirely…

And this Zombie King—he was like a ghost, appearing and vanishing at will.

The fact that he was here meant one thing: the sanctuary had already fallen. Under that stone slab now… it was probably nothing but a pit of corpses. Just thinking about it sent shivers down Oliver’s spine.

Ethan spoke again. ”Let’s go.”

”Where are we going, Master?”

”To my territory,” Ethan said bluntly.

Oliver was even more shocked.

In such a short time, not only had Ethan taken down the sanctuary, but he had already established his own domain?

No wonder he was rated S+ in the Zombie King files—the strongest Zombie King in all of Los Angeles…

Oliver didn’t dare voice any objections. He had no choice but to follow Ethan forward.

Before long, they arrived at a small town. The zombies had just finished their feast—some still had fresh blood dripping from their jaws as they wandered aimlessly.

After devouring flesh and blood, many of them had undergone varying degrees of evolution.

But unlike before, now they all showed Ethan the utmost respect.

Oliver felt a lingering fear in his heart. Thankfully, the zombies weren’t attacking him.

A moment later, Samara and Mad Dog approached.

”Boss, is this human one of your pets?” Mad Dog’s fierce eyes scrutinized Oliver as he leaned in and sniffed him.

Oliver nearly jumped out of his skin, instinctively shrinking back.

Ethan explained, ”He’s here to translate some research documents. Might be useful to you guys too.”

”Oh…”

Hearing that the human had value, Mad Dog’s interest piqued. If he wanted to dominate Japan, he’d better start learning now…

Without further delay, Ethan pulled out the documents and handed them to Oliver.

Oliver flipped through them himself first.

The more he read, the more unsettled he became. His brows furrowed slightly.

”Master… these documents contain data on Japan’s special mutated creatures.”

”What kind of creatures?” Ethan was intrigued.

”Look at this!” Oliver pointed to an image in the files.

It looked like a zombie, but something was off. This one was nothing but skin and bones—literally. Its flesh had withered away, leaving only a thin layer of dried, blackened skin stretched tightly over its skeletal frame.

”According to the records, these are called Black-Skin Zombies. They’re the result of extreme starvation—when zombies run out of food and start devouring the rotting flesh of their own kind, they undergo a second mutation. They lose all remaining intelligence and become mindless, ravenous monsters.”

”They’re known as zombies among zombies—they’ll devour both humans and other zombies alike.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

So zombies that ate zombie flesh could mutate into something even worse?

This hadn’t happened near his American territory—after all, the U.S. was vast, with plenty of rats and bugs to scavenge.

But Japan? A harsh environment, scarce resources… when zombies got desperate, they turned on each other.

Still…

As the apocalypse dragged on, if zombies truly took over the planet, they’d eventually consume every other species. When that happened, they’d have no choice but to eat each other, creating even more Black-Skin Zombies.

Not that Ethan was worried.

His spatial storage ring was stocked with plenty of fresh meat.

And if push came to shove…

He could always start a farm.

Maybe even branch out into a new business venture…

Oliver turned to the next page.

Another creature. oid, just like the last one.

But this one had an unnaturally long neck—sprouting from it, like the branches of a twisted tree, were six zombie heads.

”What the hell is that?” Ethan’s curiosity deepened.

Oliver studied the image carefully. ”The Awakeners in Japan call this thing an Aberrant Zombie, or sometimes a Freaker. It happens when zombies consume each other and somehow fuse together, resulting in all sorts of bizarre mutations. Basically, it’s a fusion-type creature.”

”Oh…” Ethan mused. ”Well, today’s been an education.”

He had seen zombies merge with plants and animals before, taking on their traits. But zombies fusing with other zombies? That was new. And now they had a name for it—Aberrant Zombie.

”This little guy’s got quite the unique look,” Ethan remarked, eyeing the grotesque six-headed creature in the picture.

Oliver finished explaining that page and flipped to the next.

This time, the image was something Ethan recognized immediately. oid, but covered in writhing tentacles.

A parasitic creature from the meteorite.

”Boss, you should know this one,” Oliver said. ”It can infect humans and animals, spreads like wildfire… a terrifying invasive species.”

”Yeah,” Ethan nodded. Then his gaze shifted. ”Is that a Radiant Crystal next to it?”

”Exactly.” Oliver confirmed.

”The Japanese Awakeners once got their hands on a Radiant Crystal and discovered that its radiation could enhance cellular activity and accelerate evolution.”

”But later, the parasitic creatures overran their sanctuary and stole the crystal. The surviving humans had to retreat and build a new underground refuge.”

Ethan processed the information.

So the sanctuary he had just destroyed wasn’t the original one—it was a rebuilt version. And at some point, the people there had possessed a Radiant Crystal…

The research notes contained numerous theories about the crystal.

Some believed its power went beyond mere evolution—it was mysterious, possibly holding other hidden functions.

Others speculated that the Radiant Crystal was a key—perhaps to unlocking something greater.

And then there were the wildest theories—some called it an invitation from higher beings, claiming it contained the secrets of biological evolution.

One thing was certain: the parasitic creatures had come to Earth because of the Radiant Crystal.

But whether the parasites arrived first or the crystal did… that was still a mystery. No one could determine which had appeared on Earth first.

Beyond that, the documents also detailed deadly insect species—Devourer Ants, Bloodsucking Wasps, and more.

The data had been gathered at great cost—many lives lost in the process.

And yet, the creatures recorded in these files were only a fraction of Japan’s horrors. The sheer number of mutations was staggering. And as for the surrounding oceans? Who knew what nightmares lurked beneath the waves…

”Looks like I’ve got plenty of competition on my road to ruling Japan,” Mad Dog muttered, clenching his fists.

Samara, the Zombie King, was more intrigued by the Radiant Crystal itself.

”So it’s really that powerful? If I could just get a taste of its energy, I wonder what would happen…”

”I already know,” Ethan said casually.

”Huh???”

The surrounding zombies all turned to him, eyes filled with shock and curiosity.

Then, with a simple flick of his wrist, Ethan produced two shimmering objects.

They glowed with an ethereal radiance, their light shifting like a dream.

The moment the glow spread, every zombie present felt a surge of excitement.

Their cells buzzed with newfound energy.

”This… this is a Radiant Crystal?” Samara’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Mad Dog, standing beside him, was even more stunned. ”And you’ve got two of them?!”

Ethan smirked. ”Won’t be long before I have a third.”

”Huh?” Mad Dog was confused. ”Wait… these things can multiply? What, are they male and female? Do they lay eggs or something?”

...

At the exact moment Ethan revealed the Radiant Crystals—

Deep within a distant city, a sudden, agitated roar echoed from the parasitic creatures.

In a pitch-black underground chamber, a middle-aged man stood motionless, his brows furrowed in confusion.

”…Strange. I think I just sensed the energy of a Radiant Crystal.”

”Leader, could it be a false reading?” A nearby parasitic creature hissed, equally baffled. ”Why would a Radiant Crystal suddenly appear?”

The leader shook his head. ”I don’t know… but perhaps… we should go take a look.”

...