Apocalypse: King of Zombies

A long, jagged tear split across the left side of Ethan’s white dress shirt, and crimson blood began to seep through, blooming like a fiery red rose unfurling slowly across the fabric.

Ethan’s eyes locked onto the spreading stain, pupils narrowing to pinpricks. Time itself seemed to slow, each second stretching out like an eternity.

”…My shirt’s ruined.”

The next instant, a wave of raw, feral energy exploded from his body, crashing over the battlefield like a tidal wave.

Everyone froze. Breaths caught in throats. A suffocating fear gripped the air.

”W-What the hell is going on?”

”That guy—the Zombie King from L.A.—he’s still alive?!”

”He took that hit and didn’t die?”

”Then that means…”

”…”

Only now did the Awakener squad from Genesis Biotech realize the truth: the fight wasn’t over. The real bloodbath was just beginning.

Even Sable, their top-tier SS-class Awakener, was drenched in cold sweat, his clothes clinging to him, face twisted in disbelief.

”This… this can’t be happening.”

He’d thrown everything at Ethan—his entire squad’s combined strength—and still couldn’t bring him down. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if Ethan had been hurt at all.

Maybe Bloodrose’s blade had sliced into his body… or maybe it had only torn the shirt.

Sable didn’t want to imagine the answer.

This Zombie King was a monster—something beyond terrifying.

And now, the aura pouring off him was even more intense than before. It was overwhelming, like standing at the base of a mountain so massive, so immovable, it crushed any hope of climbing it.

Ethan slowly reached up, grabbed the torn fabric of his shirt, and yanked it off in one swift motion.

His upper body was revealed—lean, powerful, every muscle perfectly sculpted like a work of art. Not bulky, but precise. Deadly. Beautiful.

Everyone stared, stunned into silence. No one dared to breathe.

Except for Chris and his crew, who were grinning ear to ear.

”Looks like Ethan’s done playing around,” Chris said, eyes gleaming. ”Genesis Biotech and the Black Hand Legion are screwed.”

Nora, meanwhile, was practically drooling, her eyes sparkling like cartoon stars.

”He’s so hot… I just wanna wrap my legs around his waist and never let go.”

”…” The rest of the group stared at her, expressions blank.

”Nora! Can you not be horny for five minutes?” Brandon groaned.

Chris nodded furiously. ”Seriously. If you’ve got needs, take it out on me instead!”

…

The mood couldn’t have been more different on the Genesis Biotech side. The tension was suffocating. Everyone’s face was dark, like a storm was about to break.

”Richard… I think your ’Perfect Team’ just failed the hunt,” his assistant whispered, voice trembling.

Richard’s eyes were locked on Ethan, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

”Don’t panic. He’s just bluffing. That Zombie King’s running on fumes. He’s about to drop any second now.”

”…You sure about that?” Doubt flickered in every face around him.

But Ethan stood tall in the center of the field, his cold gaze sweeping across them. The killing intent in his eyes was so thick it felt like a physical force. His presence grew darker, heavier—more violent by the second.

”If that’s how it is…” Ethan said, voice low and calm, ”then let’s make this world as dirty as my shirt.”

”Cut the theatrics!” Bloodrose snarled, teeth clenched. She forced herself to her feet, lifting her Stellar Fang blade once more and charging at him.

She was burning the last of her life force, her blood igniting like fuel. Her speed surged, faster and faster, until she was a blur.

The blade screamed through the air, sonic booms trailing behind it like a requiem.

But Ethan didn’t even flinch.

He raised his hand—and caught the blade mid-swing.

CLANG!

The Stellar Fang stopped dead, like it had slammed into a wall of solid steel. It didn’t budge an inch.

”…What the hell…” Chris and the others stared, expressions twisted with disbelief. Something about this didn’t sit right.

”He… he caught the blade. With his bare hand.”

”Yeah. That’s not how he usually fights.”

”Didn’t he used to freak out about getting dirty?”

”…”

Mia said nothing, her bright eyes fixed on Ethan. Only she knew the truth—his so-called ”clean freak” thing wasn’t that serious. He just liked being cleaner than most people.

Back at the orphanage, they used to pick cherries together, make beef pot pie in the tiny kitchen…

Bloodrose was using every ounce of strength she had left, desperately trying to yank her katana free. But Ethan’s grip was like a steel vice—no matter how hard she struggled, the blade didn’t budge.

Then, without warning, Ethan swung the Star Map slab in a wide arc—straight at her head.

In her current state, Bloodrose couldn’t even raise a defense.

THUD!

The impact landed with a sickening crunch. Her skull exploded like a melon, bursting into a fine red mist.

A blood-red crystal core shot from the wreckage, spinning through the air.

Ethan calmly stowed the slab away, then reached out and caught the core like it was nothing.

Bloodrose’s headless body crumpled at his feet, collapsing into a heap of lifeless flesh.

”One down,” Ethan muttered.

He stood there, shirtless, holding the Stellar Fang katana in one hand and the crimson crystal core in the other. Then, without hesitation, he popped the core into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

An SS-grade crystal core—human origin, straight from the Awakened Files. Rare. Powerful. Priceless.

A rush of thick, metallic blood scent hit his nose. To a zombie, it was intoxicating—like chugging a thousand gallons of fresh blood in one go.

The pure energy surged through him, flooding his veins. His pale skin flushed with a faint red hue, a soft mist of blood aura rising from his body.

Ethan could feel it—his body was changing. High-level crystal cores could influence the path of his evolution.

What kind of power would Bloodrose’s core unlock?

He didn’t know yet.

But he was eager to find out.

Then his gaze shifted—cold, focused—locking onto Sable and the remaining Genesis Biotech forces.

”Alright,” Ethan said, voice low and calm. ”You’re next.”

Hissss…

Sable sucked in a sharp breath. Watching the Zombie King devour Bloodrose’s core like it was candy… it was terrifying.

It felt like they’d opened Pandora’s box—and unleashed something far worse than they could’ve imagined.

”Attack!” he barked.

There was no turning back now. He had no choice but to commit.

The three remaining Cyborgs surged forward, weapons primed, systems locked in.

Sable’s Absolute Domain flared to life again, summoning a storm of golden sand that roared across the battlefield like a desert tsunami.

But Ethan didn’t dodge.

He charged straight into the storm.

At the same time, his own Domain of the Dead unfurled—an oppressive, suffocating force that blanketed the area like a death shroud.

In an instant, the swirling sand froze mid-air, suspended like time itself had stopped.

Ethan moved through the sandstorm like a ghost, unstoppable, tearing through it like it wasn’t even there.

”He’s coming!” one of the Cyborgs shouted, panic in his voice.

Sable’s eyes widened in horror. Death was coming for him—and fast.

The three Cyborgs didn’t hesitate. Even with the odds stacked against them, they followed their final orders to the letter.

Their minds locked onto Ethan—Hunter’s Mark activated, Spatial Lockdown engaged, and psychic pressure bearing down from all sides.

Three forces converged on him at once.

But the air around Ethan rippled violently, his sheer physical power distorting the space around him. The pressure was immense, crushing—but he didn’t stop.

He pushed forward, step by brutal step, tearing through every barrier with nothing but raw strength.

And then—he was in front of Sable.

This was the moment Ethan had been waiting for.

A real fight. No tricks. No running.

Just power against power.

His muscles tensed, veins bulging. He pulled out the Star Map slab again, leapt into the air like a meteor breaking through the sky—

And came crashing down.

The end of elegance… was pure, unrelenting violence.

…