Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The dark-skinned zombie knew the layout of the nearby towns like the back of his hand. After all, he and his horde had been running guerrilla raids for a long time, surviving by looting flesh and blood from settlements all over the region.

His biggest dream? To grow strong enough to one day take over an entire town and claim it as his own undead stronghold.

But with only about a thousand zombies under his command, he clearly wasn’t a match for someone like Lucien and his crew.

”Humans on the run? That’s a rare resource—we can’t let them get away. We need to take them down!”

”Yes, sir!” his elite zombie underlings growled in unison.

In the next instant, the entire horde began to mobilize. One by one, vicious figures darted through the shadows of the trees, sprinting toward their target with terrifying speed.

Meanwhile, Ethan and his group were making their way along a narrow, winding path. Their eyes scanned the surroundings, alert. Dry leaves rustled underfoot, and a thin mist still clung to the forest like a veil, giving everything a hazy, dreamlike feel.

”When’s it gonna clear up? I just wanna feel the sun again,” Chris grumbled.

”What, you? A fire-type Awakener afraid of a little fog?” Brandon teased.

Chris nodded emphatically. ”Exactly! I’m a fire-type, which means I hate damp weather. I feel like I’m about to start dripping. This whole environment’s just bad for me.”

”You say that about every environment,” Brandon shot back with a smirk.

The two of them bickered like this all the time.

Griffin glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, his lips twitching into a slight pout. There was a flicker of jealousy in his gaze.

Just then, a series of savage roars echoed from deep within the forest ahead. The sound shook the ground and sent a cascade of dead leaves fluttering down like snow.

”Something’s coming!” Chris said, instantly gripping the hilt of his blade. The others followed suit, eyes sharp and ready to draw steel at a moment’s notice.

”They’re here…” Ethan muttered under his breath. He’d already guessed this might happen. Zombies that preyed on towns for supplies would definitely be patrolling this route. It was only a matter of time before they crossed paths.

But Ethan wasn’t just here to fight—he wanted to see what these zombies were made of. He was new to this strange island, a lone wolf with no allies. If he could take control of this horde, it’d be a huge win.

The ground trembled as the undead approached, their footsteps chaotic and fast. Soon, through the mist, pale faces began to emerge.

Their eyes were a lifeless gray, veins bulging across their faces. Their mouths hung open, revealing jagged fangs stained black with dried blood.

Many of them were in rough shape—rotting flesh, exposed bone, shredded muscle. The lack of fresh meat had clearly taken its toll, making them look even more grotesque.

”Wild zombies always look more savage…” Mia tilted her head, studying them.

These weren’t your average shamblers. They moved with speed and agility—some sprinting through the underbrush, others leaping from tree to tree like apes.

Still, the horde wasn’t that dense. A thousand zombies might sound like a lot, but to Ethan’s group, this was small-time.

”Could be a scouting party,” Ethan thought to himself. ”Looks like this Zombie King isn’t just a brute—he’s got some tactical sense. Sending a vanguard to test our strength first…”

The zombies closed in fast, snarling like starving beasts. Ethan could feel it—their hunger, their bloodlust.

But instead of attacking right away, they surrounded the group and held their ground, watching, waiting for the right moment.

”Humans,” a deep, guttural voice called out. A tall figure stepped forward from the mist—the dark-skinned Zombie King. His glowing eyes gleamed with intelligence and menace. ”Don’t resist. Join us, and you won’t have to suffer.”

He wasn’t bluffing. Times were tough, and every resource had to be used wisely. Sure, they could raid for meat, but if he wanted to grow his horde, he needed more soldiers. Infecting new zombies was the most efficient way.

That’s why he hadn’t ordered an immediate attack. If he could take them without casualties, all the better. Losing even one of his elite would sting.

Mia and the others didn’t understand what he was saying, but they could tell he was trying to communicate. Their eyes flicked around, calmly observing the so-called ”wild” zombies.

The Zombie King frowned. Something felt off.

These humans were surrounded by a thousand of his undead, and yet… they weren’t scared. Not even a little. They looked more curious than anything.

”What the hell are you all staring at?”

”Not bad,” Ethan said, glancing around. ”Go ahead and call in your main force. Let’s see what you’ve really got.”

”Huh???” The Zombie King froze, confused. Main force? What main force? This was it—his entire army.

Ethan caught the look on his face and sighed, disappointed. ”Wait… this is all of them? Seriously? That’s it?”

”You—!” The Zombie King’s fury exploded. Surrounded and still talking shit? The arrogance was unbearable. His killing intent surged as he prepared to strike.

He was a Bone Manipulation-type Zombie King, strength-based, with A+ level power. A cracking sound echoed from his arm as a long, razor-sharp bone blade extended from his forearm.

With a roar, he lunged at Ethan, slashing down with deadly force.

”ROOOAAARR—!”

The surrounding zombies let out a thunderous howl in unison, their rage igniting like wildfire. In an instant, they went feral, charging forward behind their Zombie King, ready to tear the humans apart.

The battle was about to explode.

But then—Ethan’s eyes narrowed. With a flicker of thought, the power of the Domain of the Dead surged outward.

A crushing, otherworldly pressure blanketed the forest like a tidal wave, slamming down on the horde with terrifying force.

The chaos froze in an instant. It was like time itself had stopped. Even the air felt thick, heavy—like it had turned to stone.

The zombies stiffened mid-charge, their bodies locking up as if they were suddenly carrying mountains on their backs. The bloodlust in their eyes flickered, then vanished, replaced by something else entirely—panic.

”Boss... I-I can’t move!”

”What the hell is this power?!”

”He’s not human! There’s no way he’s human!”

”...”

The sudden shift sent a ripple of terror through the horde.

One by one, the zombies began to groan in agony, their bodies trembling under the weight of Ethan’s aura. Then, like dominoes, they started collapsing—dropping to the ground with sickening thuds.

The dark-skinned Zombie King gritted his teeth, barely managing to stay on his feet. His enhanced strength and reinforced bone structure gave him a bit more resistance, but even he was struggling. His mind was reeling.

That pressure—he could feel it deep in his soul.

This wasn’t just some powerful human.

This was a superior Zombie King.

He turned his head, eyes darting to his underlings. The weaker ones—those at the bottom of the pecking order—were already crumbling. Their bones cracked audibly as they slumped into twitching heaps, like piles of rotting sludge.

Every one of them lost was a blow to his heart. His horde was already small—he couldn’t afford this.

”You… you’re not the humans who escaped from the town, are you?” he asked, voice trembling.

”Escaped?” Oliver looked around, confused. ”What are you talking about?”

”There’s nothing to escape from. My master wiped out the entire Lucien vampire clan.”

”What?!” The Zombie King’s eyes went wide with horror.

Taking over a town had always been his dream—but the vampires inside had been an insurmountable wall. He’d never dared to challenge them.

And now this guy—this monster—had killed them all?

Just how powerful was he?

”What the hell did I just try to pick a fight with…?”

The Zombie King’s confidence shattered. He looked around at his crumbling army, the ones still standing barely holding on.

If this continued, Ethan could wipe out his entire horde without breaking a sweat.

”Stop! Please—stop! I surrender! I submit to you! I’ll serve you, just don’t kill us!”

...