Apocalypse: King of Zombies

”What do you mean?” Briggs and the others frowned.

Before they could say anything else, a dimensional rift opened above them. More than a dozen figures emerged, some human and others Outland Beasts.

An unimaginable pressure swept across the area.

Everyone felt it in their souls. Countless people collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand it, their eyes filled with terror.

Briggs and the others had been acting invincible moments ago. Now they stared up at the figures in horror.

”What Tier are they? How can they be this terrifying?!”

”Could you guys rein it in a little?” Ethan looked helplessly at the Outland Beasts. ”Can’t you see you’re scaring everyone?”

”Uh... we already are holding back,” the Beast Sovereign said awkwardly. ”How were we supposed to know the other races in your world were this weak?”

Still, he and the other beasts obediently withdrew their pressure completely.

Everyone finally breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Then a deafening roar rang out.

”Welcome home, Commander!”

All twenty thousand Fallen Star Guards dropped to one knee, their faces filled with fervor.

”Welcome home, Commander!”

Everyone from Fallen Star City shouted from within New Atlas.

”Welcome home, Commander!”

Soon, voices rose from every corner of New Atlas.

Now that every compound in the Atlas Federation had merged into New Atlas, Ethan might have started out as Fallen Star’s Commander, but at this point, wasn’t he everyone’s Commander? They might as well join in.

The thunderous welcome made Briggs and his companions stumble back two steps. Their faces changed drastically as they stared at the figures in the sky.

”He’s the Atlas Federation’s Commander?!”

”That’s impossible!”

”How could the Atlas Federation have such a powerful Commander?!”

The last of their hope vanished when they saw what happened next.

The figures descended to the ground, smiling as they approached the people of the Atlas Federation.

”Captain, welcome back.” Miles smiled, though his eyes were damp.

Ethan walked up and pulled him into a tight hug.

”Miles. You’ve done one hell of a job holding things together.”

Miles shook his head. ”Compared to what you guys went through, I had it easy.”

And he meant it. Whatever pressure he had faced here was nothing compared to the dangers Ethan and the others had endured.

”Ethan! Welcome home!”

General Kane and the others came forward, unable to hide their excitement.

Ethan smiled. ”General Kane. Everyone. Thanks for keeping things running while we were gone.”

Maxwell waved him off. ”Come on. We barely did anything worth thanking us for.”

”That’s not true,” Miles said sincerely. ”Without all of you, New Atlas would’ve fallen apart a long time ago.”

Maxwell laughed. ”See? This is why I like Miles. He knows exactly what to say.”

”Miles! Man, I missed you!”

Big Mike strode over with the others, and one after another, they pulled Miles into hugs.

Calvin, Vivian, and the others also came forward, looking at Ethan’s group with excitement.

In the distance, Briggs and his companions watched the joyful reunion in silence. They couldn’t laugh. If anything, they felt like crying.

These people really did belong to the Atlas Federation.

They were screwed.

They desperately wanted to run, but the terrifying beasts kept glancing their way, leaving them too frightened to move.

”What’s their deal?” Ethan asked, pointing at Briggs’s group.

”They’re from the Cathay Republic.” Miles quickly explained what had happened.

Amusement spread across the faces of Ethan and the others.

”Interesting. A few Stage SS weaklings actually dared to come to my Atlas Federation and throw their weight around.”

Vivian suddenly walked over to Henry and pointed at Briggs.

”That guy said he was going to kill me. Are you going to do something about it?”

Everyone around them gave the pair knowing looks, while sharing the same thought.

This woman really knew how to hold a grudge.

The usually mild-mannered Henry’s face darkened. He fixed Briggs with a cold stare, then walked toward him one measured step at a time.

Maxwell opened his mouth, intending to warn Henry that his opponent was Stage SS. But when he saw the amused expressions on Ethan and the others, he wisely kept quiet.

As Henry approached, everyone from the Cathay Republic drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

Henry ignored them and walked straight up to Briggs.

”You wanted to kill her?”

”I...” Briggs opened his mouth but couldn’t come up with an excuse.

Too many people had heard him. There was no point trying to deny it, so he stopped trying.

”Yeah, I did! So what? If you dare touch—”

Smack!

The slap rang out across the area.

A bright red handprint appeared on Briggs’s face. Blood ran from his mouth and nose, showing just how hard Henry had hit him.

The entire area fell silent.

Everyone stared, wide-eyed.

Briggs was a Stage SS fighter, yet someone had slapped him in front of thousands of people.

How could he not lose his mind?

”I’ll kill you!” Briggs roared.

Flames erupted around his fist as he swung it at Henry with all his strength.

Henry stood with his hands clasped behind his back and calmly watched the burning fist approach. He neither dodged nor defended himself, as though Briggs’s attack wasn’t worth acknowledging.

”What the...?”

Everyone from the Atlas Federation tensed.

That was an attack from a Stage SS fighter. Wasn’t Henry being far too careless?

”Henry, what are you doing?!” Vivian stared at him nervously.

The people from the Cathay Republic, however, watched with cold smiles.

They could now tell that Henry was Tier 37, which did make him stronger than Briggs.

But even a Tier 37 fighter couldn’t simply ignore an attack from someone at Tier 36.

He was obviously trying to show off in front of a woman.

Perfect.

He was about to learn what showing off would cost him.

Boom!

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Briggs’s blazing fist slammed into Henry, unleashing an eruption of flames.

”Gah!”

Blood sprayed from someone’s mouth as a figure was hurled backward and crashed heavily to the ground.

Everyone’s eyes went wide.

The one sent flying wasn’t Henry.

It was Briggs.

Henry remained exactly where he had been, calm and untouched, as though he hadn’t been attacked at all.

”How is that possible?”

The Cathay Republic delegation was dumbfounded. Even the people from the Atlas Federation couldn’t understand what had happened.

Only Ethan and the others watched with knowing smiles.

Henry’s Pain Link transferred any damage he suffered to the person he had linked. It was easily one of the nastiest abilities in the entire Fallen Star Squad.

Briggs had pissed Henry off.

Now he was going to suffer for it.