Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Adrian's head tilted to the side—then dropped clean off. His headless body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Leah and the others stood frozen, mouths agape in perfect O-shapes.

"Mia's that strong?!"

"That's power beyond S-Class!"

"...Holy shit."

The Awakener squad from Genesis Biotech was completely stunned. Not only had the Zombie King proven unstoppable, but now even their own elite fighters were getting wiped out. They were backed into a corner—with nowhere left to run.

Mia's figure flickered through the chaos, a blur of motion and death. The remaining grunts didn't stand a chance. Every swing of her blade claimed another head, clean and precise.

Just like Chris had said.

With Ethan's arrival and Mia going full berserk mode, this battle was all but over.

Meanwhile—

Samuel was in deep trouble.

What they'd called "resistance" was really just Ethan's one-sided slaughter. Wherever the Domain of the Dead spread, bodies dropped like flies. It was like a massive boulder rolling through them—merciless, unstoppable.

The Black Hand Legion's numbers were plummeting fast.

"We're screwed…"

Samuel glanced around—and spotted Adrian's corpse. The Genesis Biotech Awakeners were scattering like roaches. A wave of despair crashed over him.

"Seriously? That useless?"

Things had been going relatively smoothly before Adrian showed up. But then the Zombie King appeared, and Mia lost it. Now everything was falling apart—and it all seemed to trace back to Adrian.

Samuel was starting to wonder if Adrian had been a double agent all along…

Up ahead, Ethan moved with calm precision, his face unreadable. With each swing of his Tachi, he carved out crystal cores like he was harvesting fruit—every strike clean, every motion efficient.

"Feels like harvest season…"

He cut down Black Hand soldiers one after another, closing in fast on Samuel.

Panic surged in Samuel's chest.

And then Mia came tearing in from behind—her blade just as deadly, her speed just as terrifying. One slash, one head. Over and over.

The two of them—Ethan in front, Mia behind—were closing in, trapping Samuel and his remaining men in a deadly pincer.

There was nowhere left to run.

Ethan's eyes swept the battlefield. Through the chaos, he caught a glimpse of Mia on the other side, still cutting down enemies with ruthless grace. The sight stirred something deep inside him—memories from long ago.

Back at the orphanage, they used to pick cherries together. Those were the simplest, happiest days of his life.

"Let's go for the big one…" Ethan's gaze sharpened, locking onto Samuel. He sheathed his Tachi and pulled out the Star Map tablet.

The slab shimmered with a dreamlike glow, casting soft, shifting light.

"He's coming!" Samuel's eyes widened, heart pounding. He could feel death closing in.

The Zombie King was charging straight at him.

The Domain of the Dead pressed down like a mountain. Samuel's limbs felt heavy, his breath caught in his throat. The pressure was unbearable.

Desperate, he activated his ultimate survival skill—Barkskin.

His body crackled and shrank, skin hardening into something like tree bark—dry, gnarled, and tough as hell.

He crossed his arms in front of him, bracing for impact.

"Trying to tank it? Cute. Real genius move…" Ethan muttered, clearly amused. Samuel had no idea what kind of power that stone tablet held.

Ethan wound up his arm and brought it down hard. The air screamed as it tore apart under the force of the blow.

BOOOOM!

The impact shattered Samuel's bark-covered body. He was launched like a missile, smashing through wall after wall before finally crashing to a stop.

He hit the ground like a broken doll—limbs twisted, bones shattered, blood pouring from his mangled arms, which had been completely obliterated.

Samuel was barely clinging to life—only breathing out, not in. He was on death's doorstep, and the door was wide open.

"Boss!" Samuel's men cried out in horror. They couldn't believe it—Ethan had wrecked him with a single blow.

The Black Hand Legion soldiers froze. Their leader, their backbone, had just been shattered like glass. Panic set in instantly.

There was no beating this Zombie King.

Staying meant dying.

"Run! Get the hell out of here!"

No one knew who shouted it first, but the idea spread like wildfire—panic infecting every heart like a virus.

The Black Hand Legion broke ranks and scattered in all directions.

But there was a problem.

Samuel's own move—Wooden Prison—was still active, sealing off the exits. He'd trapped them in here himself. Now, it was coming back to bite them hard.

Poetic justice.

"After them! Kill every last one!" Chris shouted, eyes lighting up. He grabbed his weapon and charged forward, rallying the remaining human survivors to chase down the fleeing Black Hand soldiers.

"Hah! So much for the mighty Black Hand Legion!"

"They were hunting us before—now look at them! Running like rats!"

"Serves them right!"

…

A few minutes later, Ethan and Mia met up in the center of the battlefield. The ground behind them was littered with corpses.

Any stragglers who tried to escape had already been taken care of by Chris and the others.

"You okay?" Mia asked, her voice calm but with a hint of concern.

"Not really," Ethan replied, his tone serious.

"Oh?" Mia blinked, surprised. She'd only asked out of politeness—didn't expect an actual issue.

Ethan continued, "This fight drained me more than I expected. I'm down about 30% energy."

"..." Mia stared at him, speechless. Was he seriously calling that a problem?

Thirty percent? That's it?

What a drama queen…

…

A little while later, the massive wooden stakes surrounding the mall began to dim and crumble. The wood-element energy faded completely.

It was over.

The battle had ended.

Genesis Biotech and the Black Hand Legion—both wiped out. Not a single survivor.

Chris and the others were panting hard, drenched in sweat and blood. Taking down these elite Awakeners had been way tougher than clearing out the Blackhand City zones.

But in the end, they'd won.

Just then, Brandon was still busy—kneeling on the ground, hands glowing red, manipulating blood.

"Huh?" Chris and the others turned to look, confused.

"What's he doing?"

"Wait… is he healing someone?"

"Seriously?"

"..."

Brandon's blood manipulation wasn't just for offense—it had healing properties too. Especially effective for injuries involving massive blood loss.

And the guy who'd had his balls kicked in by the Black Hand Legion? Yeah, he was exactly that kind of case.

Brandon raised his hand.

The blood pooled on the ground began to stir—then slithered toward the injured young man like it had a mind of its own. It crawled up his body and seeped into the gaping wound.

Everyone watched, wide-eyed.

"Brandon's a combat medic now?"

"Is this actually gonna work?"

"Worth a shot, I guess…"

Leah and a few others were especially tense—they were closest to the guy. His ex-girlfriend stood nearby, stunned. She hadn't expected there was even a chance he could survive.

They all held their breath.

The blood flowed into the wound, and slowly, color returned to the young man's face. His pale skin flushed with life. His heartbeat, once faint and erratic, grew stronger.

"Cough! Cough cough!" His chest heaved, and he let out a raspy cough. Then, slowly, his eyes fluttered open.

His vision was blurry at first, but it cleared. His pupils focused.

"Is this… hell?" he croaked.

"No," Brandon said dryly. "But it's not far off."

"Huh?" The young man blinked, confused. He looked around.

Chris and the others were staring at him like they'd seen a ghost.

"You're alive, man! You made it!"

"Damn, kid, you've got some serious luck."

"Didn't think you'd pull through, but here you are."

"...Unreal."

The young man finally processed what was happening. His eyes widened in disbelief. He quickly ran his hands over his body.

Pain flared at the wound site—sharp and real.

But that pain meant one thing.

He was alive.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for saving me!" Griffin choked out, tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't even know how to repay you!"

…