Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The moment Ethan and the others landed, they saw Maxwell coming toward them with Atlas City’s senior officials.

Riftwalk let Ethan travel anywhere as long as he had a clear destination in mind.

Maxwell had told him before where they were staying, so Ethan simply tore open a rift and arrived directly.

”Ethan—you’re finally here.” Maxwell was so excited he pulled Ethan into a hard hug.

”Been a while, General Kane.” Ethan smiled, returning it.

”Ethan!” The others greeted him too. Even Charles—usually stiff as a board—forced a thin smile onto his face.

Ethan nodded once, eyes sweeping over them. ”Good. You’re all still alive.”

Then his expression sharpened.

”What’s the situation in Atlas City right now?”

”You came at the perfect time,” Maxwell said quickly. ”Those Verdants must’ve heard something. They’re packing up and getting ready to run.”

”…Run?” Ethan’s brows lifted.

He let out a quiet laugh, the kind that didn’t carry warmth.

”They’re thinking a little too much.”

He turned, already moving.

”Come on. Let’s go meet them.”

”Alright.”

A large group immediately headed toward the compound’s central plaza.

By the time they arrived, the Verdants had already finished gathering. Their people were assembled in a tight mass, gear packed, formation set.

Viren raised a hand.

With a single gesture, the Verdants began moving as a group toward the compound exit.

And then—

Figures appeared.

Dense rows of humans emerged from every street and alley, pouring in from all sides until the Verdants were trapped inside a living wall.

The Verdants slowed, frowning.

”What is the meaning of this?” Elder Viren’s voice was cold enough to frost steel.

In front, a young man in military fatigues stepped forward, posture respectful but firm.

”Elder Viren, may I ask where you’re heading?”

”Where we go is something we need to report to you?” Viren sneered. ”You’re slaves. Move.”

His eyes narrowed.

”Or don’t. If you insist on blocking us, I’ll kill every last one of you.”

Something felt wrong.

Normally, these humans would scatter the moment they saw Verdants coming—heads down, bodies pressed to the walls, praying not to get noticed.

Today they were stepping forward on purpose.

It didn’t add up.

”Elder Viren, please don’t be angry,” the young man said, still trying to keep his tone smooth. ”We’re only concerned. Did we fail to host you properly? Is that why you’re leaving in such a hurry?”

Viren’s face turned ugly.

”And who the hell are you to ’host’ us?” he snapped. ”The Verdants don’t need your concern.”

His voice rose, heavy with murderous intent.

”Since you won’t move—fine. Today we’ll have a proper slaughter.”

”Viren,” a voice cut in from behind, calm and sharp at the same time. ”You’re pretty arrogant for someone eating our food and living on our land.”

The surrounding human crowd parted like a curtain.

A path opened straight down the middle.

A group walked through slowly, unhurried—like they owned the place.

The Verdants’ high ranks all felt their eyelids twitch.

Not only because these were unfamiliar faces…

But because of the aura coming off them.

Hundreds of Stage A.

And one Tier 32.

Under normal circumstances, the Verdants would’ve laughed at that.

But at a moment like this—when the Verdants were already uneasy, already half-convinced something had changed—seeing a group of humans with strength far beyond the ”normal” humans of this compound forced real caution onto their faces.

”Who are you?” Viren asked warily, eyes narrowing at Ethan. ”You don’t look like you’re from this city.”

”Sure.” Ethan smiled and gave a neat, almost courteous little nod. ”We’re from Fallen Star City. I’m Ethan.”

”Never heard of it.” Viren’s expression stayed cold. ”I didn’t expect humans to have a Stage S fighter.”

His gaze swept over Ethan’s side with open contempt.

”But with this little bit of strength, you think you can stand in front of the Verdants?”

”This little bit of strength?” Ethan’s smile didn’t change. ”Funny.”

He tipped his head slightly, voice light.

”Because someone here hadn’t even heard of us… yet the moment you caught a rumor, you started packing and running.”

”—!”

The Verdants’ expressions all snapped.

”It was you!?”

”No way! Didn’t they say the Luminari had a Tier 35 elder? With your strength, how could you possibly beat them!?”

Ethan blinked, then nodded like it finally clicked.

”Oh. So you got the news from those Luminari losers.”

He almost sounded amused.

”No wonder you suddenly decided to run.”

Viren’s eyes flickered. Then his posture straightened, like he’d found a thread to pull.

”Hmph.” His voice hardened with renewed confidence. ”Then those Luminari were exaggerating.”

”A Tier 32 human beat them? That just means they’re trash.”

He looked at Ethan like Ethan was the one being ridiculous.

”Human—if this is all you’ve got, then you’re the naive one.”

”Since you’ve come, don’t go back. Just like them, you can become slaves of the Verdants.”

”That is a lot of confidence from someone who was packing to run,” Ethan said, shaking his head.

Then his eyes cooled.

”Fine. Let me show you what this ’little bit of strength’ can do.”

Ethan vanished.

In the next instant, he reappeared right beside Viren, poleaxe flaring with dense black light as it swung straight for the elder’s head.

”Spatial-type ability?” Viren’s brows drew together.

Then he snorted, contempt returning.

”So that’s where your confidence comes from. But the gap in strength is right there—having spatial abilities won’t save you!”

Viren’s aura surged.

In an instant, countless vines erupted and wrapped around his body like armor. At the same time, vines burst up from every direction, lashing toward Ethan like a living net.

”Nature-type ability… not bad,” Ethan muttered.

Then—

Absolute Stasis.

Everything froze.

The vines halted mid-whip, suspended in the air.

Ethan’s poleaxe completed its swing.

BOOM!

The vine armor around Viren’s head and shoulders shattered into splinters, and the impact blasted Viren off his feet.

THUD!

He crashed into the ground hard.

And the world snapped back into motion.

For a heartbeat, everyone just stared, blank.

Then they saw it clearly—Ethan standing calmly with the poleaxe in his hand… and Viren on the ground, blood spilling from his head, struggling and failing to rise.

Shock rippled through the plaza like a physical wave.

”Elder!” The Verdants elites’ faces went pale as they rushed toward Viren.

The humans surrounding them froze for half a second—

Then the entire crowd detonated.

”Ethan is unreal!”

”He crushed the Verdant elder!”

”Did you see that!? One hit!”

”Kill them! Make them pay for what they did to us!”

The Verdants had been more restrained after the Glacial Bear showed up, but no one in Atlas City had forgotten what they’d done before.

The insults.

The beatings.

The casual killings—just to remind humans who was supposed to kneel.

So the moment the people saw Viren bleeding on the ground, unable to get up, the satisfaction in their chests was almost indescribable.

Fear cracked.

And in its place, something hotter surged up—faith. Worship. The kind that made people reckless.

Ethan had visited Atlas City compound more than once. He’d stayed here long enough that almost everyone recognized him.

Back when he’d killed the Winged Clan here, Atlas City had already started treating him like an idol.

Now?

Now it went beyond that. It was closer to reverence.

And it wasn’t just Atlas City.

Over this stretch of time, Ethan had saved multiple compounds. Across the entire Atlas Federation, his reputation had already hit the peak.

At this point, if Ethan lifted his hand and called for them, tens of millions of Atlas Federation citizens would stand behind him without hesitation.

That was why Ethan had never needed to station his own people inside every compound to ”control” it.

If he truly wanted control…

He only had to say the word.