Apocalypse: King of Zombies

On the other side, Bloodveil was piloting a bulky freighter, the ship swaying slightly as it cut through the sky on its way back to Eastreach.

His zombie underlings had already pulled out of Xenorift and were now regrouping at the edge of Razorback Ridge, gearing up to reclaim their lost territory in Eastreach.

”Where the hell did those guys go? Don’t tell me something happened to them…” Bloodveil muttered under his breath, scanning the terrain below for any sign of his undead crew.

Jagged mountains stretched endlessly beneath him, the landscape blurring past as the freighter tore through the air. Razorback Ridge was massive—too massive. Bloodveil couldn’t sense any of his minions nearby and started to wonder if they’d gotten lost.

He quickly activated the freighter’s scanning system, sweeping the area.

This new freighter was way better equipped than the junk he’d been flying before.

Didn’t take long before the scanner pinged—zombie signatures detected.

”Damn, this high-end tech really delivers…” Bloodveil muttered, steering the ship toward the signal.

Down in a narrow mountain ravine, a few zombies were wandering around. After the battle at Xenorift, they’d come out stronger, so they weren’t exactly starving—but they were itching to get back to their homeland, Eastreach.

Moments later, a deep roar echoed overhead. A massive freighter sliced through the clouds, descending fast in their direction.

The zombies looked up, eyes locking onto the familiar silhouette.

”Look! It’s the boss! He’s back!”

”Wait, wasn’t the freighter trashed back in Xenorift?”

”Yeah! Where’d he dig up another piece of junk like that?”

”…”

They were hyped, sure—but that didn’t stop them from grumbling. After all, once you’ve seen a Dreadnought-class Starcruiser, everything else just looks like scrap metal.

With a thunderous boom, the freighter touched down, kicking up a storm of dust and debris. Through the haze, Bloodveil stepped out, his presence unmistakable.

”Boss!”

The zombies swarmed around him instantly.

Bloodveil gave a curt nod. ”You guys all good?”

”All good, boss. Everything went smooth. We’ve just been waiting on you. When do we take back our land?”

Their eyes gleamed with anticipation, hungry for action.

Bloodveil’s crimson eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing through them. ”Today. We’re taking it back right now.”

”For real?!”

The horde erupted, bloodlust rising in their throats.

Zombies had a strong sense of territory. Being away from their nest made them restless, like weeds torn from the soil—drifting, unstable, never at peace.

Bloodveil nodded firmly. ”And we’re not just taking back Eastreach. We’re going straight into Heartland. They’ll pay for what they did—in blood.”

”RAAAHHH—!”

The zombies roared, their chests burning with fury.

For Ethan, the trip to Xenorift had been about unlocking the secrets of the runes. But for Bloodveil’s crew, it was personal. They’d been driven out by Heartland’s zombie horde—slaughtered, scattered, exiled.

Now, a few remnants of that Heartland force still squatted in their old nest, desecrating what once belonged to them.

Bloodveil’s zombies weren’t just eager for revenge—they were desperate for it.

They couldn’t wait another second.

From deep within Razorback Ridge, a thunderous roar erupted, shaking the mountains and sending flocks of birds screaming into the sky. The sound echoed for miles.

Bloodveil’s main force had arrived—millions strong. Elite zombies surged forward, agile and relentless, scaling cliffs, leaping across boulders, a tidal wave of undead fury spilling across the mountainside.

”Brothers! With me—take it all back!” Bloodveil’s voice boomed as he unleashed a wave of killing intent, the aura of a true Zombie King radiating from him.

The horde’s roar intensified, shaking the heavens.

”The Eastreach Horde still stands—ready to rise again for our Overlord!”

...

And just like that, following Ethan’s grand plan, the Zombie Hordes from every region of Necroterra began converging on Heartland, each one preparing for the final war to come.

In the icy wastes of Frostmere, the twin-headed Wraithshade—ruler of the region—received the signal. Without hesitation, he returned from the Endless Sea, flanked by his two loyal brothers-in-arms: Hexarm and Bloodleech.

Frostmere had been hit especially hard. After all, Nyssara had fallen here, and her death hadn’t gone unnoticed. The entire region was a wreck—scorched, shattered, and crawling with remnants of the enemy.

Wraithshade had his work cut out for him. He wasn’t just rallying the local Zombie Horde—he was also cleaning up the mess, purging the leftover ”trash” Heartland had left behind.

Compared to that, Meteorfall over in Westmarch had it easy. No cleanup duty for him.

Then again, he lived in a trash heap to begin with…

Meanwhile, in the Southvale region, PhD was piloting his Dreadnought-class Starcruiser back toward the front. But he wasn’t about to charge in blind. First, he dispatched a vanguard to scout the area—led by the best recon specialists he had.

At the top of that list? Lil’ Shroom.

She zipped across the skies in a sleek Recon Corvette, streaking over Southvale’s barren landscape. Fungal spores trailed behind her like a cloud of seeds, drifting down and embedding themselves in the ground. Wherever they landed, they sprouted into pulsing red tumors—each one a living surveillance node, planting ”eyes” across the battlefield.

But it wasn’t just zombies in the vanguard. The White Robe Order had sent their own—led by Ricky, with Aria at his side.

Both of them were prodigies—once-in-a-generation talents among humans. And now, they were part of the tip of the spear.

In another Recon Corvette, the Overlord Squad had just returned from Xenorift. Big Ears, Shrimpy, and the rest of the crew were back in action.

”When it comes to recon, who the hell’s better than me?” Big Ears bragged, his face pressed against the window as he scanned the ground below.

”Wait, aren’t we supposed to be elite troops?” Shrimpy asked, raising an eyebrow. ”How’d we end up as the vanguard?”

”Uh…” Big Ears blinked, then grinned. ”We’re the elite vanguard. Best of the best.”

”Yeah, that checks out,” the others nodded, totally buying it.

The Corvette sliced through the air, and below them, the desolate terrain of Southvale stretched out like a graveyard. Here and there, zombie figures moved across the land—but they weren’t allies. These were Heartland’s leftovers.

”Those bastards,” Big Ears growled, glaring out the window. ”They’ve got the nerve to squat on our turf? I’ll wipe every last one of ’em out!”

This was the outer edge of Southvale, so the zombies here weren’t Heartland’s main force—just fringe units. Rogue Zombie Kings, minor leaders, and scattered remnants.

Big Ears and his crew weren’t worried.

They’d been through hell with Ethan. Battle-hardened and sharp, they knew how to handle these kinds of enemies.

”Let’s see… who’s the unlucky bastard that gets to meet me today?” Big Ears scanned the horizon.

Then he spotted them—tiny black dots at the base of a distant hill. A small group of zombies, sitting in a circle like they were having a damn tea party.

”Huh?” Big Ears squinted. Something about the scene felt… familiar. ”Slow down. Drop altitude. We might’ve found something interesting.”

”I see ’em,” Shrimpy said, nodding. ”They’ve got that ’we’re not to be messed with’ vibe.”

The Corvette dipped low, gliding behind a massive boulder. They were still a good distance away—far enough not to be noticed.

”Alright, boys—gear up!” Big Ears barked.

The squad moved fast, strapping on Crystal Core Firearms, loading up ammo, and even stuffing weapons into their pants until they looked like they were smuggling bricks.

”Locked and loaded, Big Ears.”

”Good. This war’s gonna be brutal, and we’re kicking it off right. Let’s draw first blood—Overlord Squad style.” Big Ears gave a fierce nod, his tone dead serious.

”Move out!”

...