Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”Mr. Nathan’s a nice guy,” Selene said honestly, ”but… it’s like he’s never really done anything.”

”Right?” Sophia replied, her tone laced with subtle sarcasm. ”I’m guessing you joined Genesis Biotech to survive the apocalypse a little better, huh?”

”Yeah.” Selene didn’t deny it. The company gave her resources, helped her grow stronger, and in return, she worked for them, generating value. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement—purely transactional.

Sophia leaned in slightly. ”You’ve seen what’s happening. The Zombie King is evolving—getting stronger by the day. Meanwhile, our company’s stuck in place. If this keeps up, we’re screwed. Everyone’s gonna end up hunted down by those things. You don’t want that, do you?”

”Of course not,” Selene said firmly.

But the truth was, that’s exactly where things were headed. Genesis Biotech was surrounded—trapped between two massive zombie hordes from Los Angeles and San Diego. The situation was dire. Collapse could come at any moment.

Sophia gave a faint smile. ”You’re strong, Selene. That means when the SS-class Zombie Kings come, you’ll be one of their top targets.”

”I…” Selene’s expression shifted. Just thinking about the terrifying power of an SS-class Zombie King sent a chill down her spine.

Sophia saw the hesitation and knew it was time to push. ”So tell me—do you trust me, or do you trust Nathan?”

”To be honest… I trust you more,” Selene admitted. ”When I first joined, I even looked up to you. You were kind of my idol.”

She remembered it clearly. Back when she first came on board, Sophia was at her peak—hunting down Zombie Kings left and right, dominating all of San Bernardino. She was like a legend. A queen.

Richard used to broadcast her victories across all the major companies, praising her achievements. Everyone was envious.

Sophia’s eyes narrowed, her voice turning cold and resolute. ”Then I need you to promise me—don’t try to stop what I’m about to do.”

”Uh…” Selene froze, caught off guard.

Sophia stepped forward without hesitation, pulled a USB drive from her pocket, and plugged it into the computer. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing rapidly.

Selene watched, her face tense, eyes filled with conflict.

But in the end… she didn’t move.

She stayed right where she was.

…

A massive shift was happening inside Genesis Biotech—but it was silent, invisible. No one noticed. Not yet.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.

The apocalypse was boiling beneath the surface. One crisis after another. And now, a war of historic proportions was about to erupt—something that would be remembered for generations.

It was noon. The sun blazed overhead.

Ten miles outside the zombie nest in San Diego, a desolate mountain stood under the scorching heat. A sinister aura hung in the air as a group of zombies climbed the slope.

They were covered in dust, but their faces were lit with excitement.

”Finally… we’re back.”

Leading the group was a massive Zombie King—broad, thick, and towering at nearly ten feet tall. He looked like a walking tank, not unlike Ethan’s enforcer, Bulldozer.

But there was a difference.

Bulldozer’s muscles were sharp and defined, like a sculpture. This guy, though—he was built like a giant ape. Heavy, hulking, with a chest like a steel drum. His muscles weren’t for show—they were buried under layers of raw, primal power. He radiated brute force and savage dominance.

No doubt about it—these two were the poster boys for raw strength in the current apocalypse.

This beast of a Zombie King was none other than Kong—the last of San Diego’s infamous Four War Generals. An S-class powerhouse with strength-enhancement abilities.

No crew is complete without a muscle type.

”Yeah,” another Zombie King chimed in. ”Finally get to report back to the boss.”

This one had a face you wouldn’t forget—gaunt, with high cheekbones and mutated teeth that jutted out like two white bricks stuck to his mouth. They stuck out so far, he looked almost cartoonish.

Nightbane had given him a fitting nickname: Chompers.

Chompers wasn’t particularly strong—about on par with Bighead. Maybe a little stronger, but not by much.

He was mostly tagging along with Kong for the ride.

”Woof! Woof woof woof!”

Of course, no zombie squad was complete without a zombie dog. A pit bull, muscles bulging like a baby bull, eyes glowing red, barked furiously in the direction of San Diego—clearly hyped to be back.

Chompers turned to it and grinned. ”Hey, boy—our turf still top dog?”

”Woof woof woof!” the zombie dog barked back, tail wagging like crazy.

Chompers bared his oversized teeth and let out a raspy laugh.

”Let’s move,” Kong said, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder, eyes locked ahead with a grim intensity.

Behind him trailed several hundred elite zombies—battle-worn and bloodied. Some were missing limbs, others covered in gashes and dried gore. It was clear they’d been through hell.

Kong had originally set out with over a thousand top-tier undead. After countless brutal battles, this was all that remained.

But even so, the ones who survived were still fierce, still dangerous. They were heading back to their nest—back to San Diego.

None of them noticed the strange growths scattered across the forest floor and hidden in the tall grass. Red, fleshy tumors pulsed like beating hearts, as if alive, as if watching.

”Man, it’s been a while,” Chompers muttered, his jagged teeth clicking as he spoke. ”I wonder how Queen Daisy, Hellhound, and Bighead are doing.”

”They’re probably fine,” one of the elite zombies beside him replied. ”Our nest is strong as hell. Who’d be dumb enough to mess with us?”

”Yeah, true,” Chompers nodded. ”Didn’t the boss say once we got back, we’d finally get revenge for that fat bastard Butcher?”

He grinned, already imagining their territory expanding again, their dominance growing.

But just as they were marching forward, Kong—the towering, gorilla-like juggernaut—suddenly stopped in his tracks.

”Huh? Kong, what’s up?” Chompers asked, puzzled.

Kong didn’t answer. He just stared straight ahead, unmoving.

From the direction of San Diego, a figure was approaching. Calm, confident, with a faint smile on his face—like he was welcoming them home.

It was Nightbane, the strongest Zombie King in San Diego.

”Holy shit! It’s the boss!” Chompers lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. ”You guys see that? The boss came out to greet us himself!”

The rest of the zombies immediately straightened up, expressions turning respectful.

Chompers practically skipped ahead, his grotesque teeth flashing as he ran up to Nightbane, grinning like a sycophant.

”Boss! Man, I missed you like crazy!”

Nightbane didn’t waste time. ”So? How’d it go? Did you find it?”

Chompers nodded so fast it looked like his head might fall off. ”Found it! Of course we found it! You gave the order—how could we not? That place was crawling with parasite freaks. Their leader was S-class strong. We fought like hell, but in the end, our badass Kong took him down!”

”Good work,” Nightbane said coolly, extending a hand. ”Now give me the Radiant Crystal.”

Chompers turned and waved frantically at Kong. ”Boss wants the Radiant Crystal! Come on, hand it over!”

”Oh…” Kong grunted, sticking a thick finger into his ear like he was digging something out. When he pulled his hand back, a radiant glow shimmered in his palm.

No doubt about it—that was the Radiant Crystal.

Kong lumbered forward with the rest of the undead, but something gnawed at the back of his mind.

How did the boss know they were back?

And why come out to meet them personally?

Could this be… a fake?

But if it was a fake, how would he know about the Radiant Crystal mission?

Kong shook his massive head. Strength-type zombies weren’t exactly known for overthinking. He didn’t want to dwell on it. With a grunt, he extended his hand, offering up the crystal.

In Kong’s enormous palm, the Radiant Crystal—normally the size of a thumb—looked like a grain of sand.

Nightbane’s lips curled into a faint smile as he reached for it.

But just as his fingers brushed the crystal—

”GRAWR! GRAWR GRAWR GRAWR!”

The zombie pit bull behind them suddenly went berserk, barking like mad, its voice sharp and violent, echoing through the mountains like a war horn.

It lunged forward, hackles raised, eyes blazing red, teeth bared in a snarl.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

…