Apocalypse: King of Zombies

"Uh…"

Logan froze for a second, caught off guard by what Ethan was preparing—but damn, he had to admit, the guy was thorough.

Now that the Dirtferret Zombie King had been located and the Star Map tablet's whereabouts uncovered, it was finally time to unleash hell.

"Lil' Shroom, go scout ahead. See what's going on across the border," Ethan ordered.

"On it!" Lil' Shroom stepped out from the Zombie Horde, nodding crisply.

Spores writhed across her body as she began to morph. In seconds, her features twisted into something grotesque—her head bald and veiny, the blood vessels bulging like tangled roots. She had transformed into none other than the Chrome Dome Zombie King.

"That's insane…"

Logan couldn't help but whistle in awe. Ethan's crew really was something else—he had zombies that could shapeshift now?

Disguised as Chrome Dome, Lil' Shroom headed straight for Canada.

The other Zombie Kings watched her go, eyes gleaming with bloodlust. They knew—once she came back, it would be time to start the slaughter.

...

Lil' Shroom trekked across the snowy plains, scaling icy peaks until she crossed the border into Canadian territory—enemy ground.

The landscape hadn't changed much: endless snowfields, jagged mountains. But the zombies? They were different.

These undead clearly came from all walks of life. Some wore tattered ski jackets and unraveling scarves, their beards crusted with frost. Others had cracked ski goggles frozen to their faces. A few female zombies were draped in shredded traditional clothing—one wore a torn sari, rusted gold bangles clinking on her wrist; another had a half-slipped headscarf and moved with the grace of a trained assassin. One even wore a down jacket and cracked sunglasses, her lips curled into a disturbingly polite smile.

"I swear… if they break into a synchronized dance next, I won't even be surprised," Lil' Shroom muttered under her breath.

But the zombies around her didn't attack. Instead, they bowed their heads in deference, showing absolute submission.

Clearly, the real Chrome Dome Zombie King held serious clout in this region.

"Agent Shroom, commencing operation," she whispered to herself, then darted off into the snow, weaving between drifts as she scouted the area.

Though the Canadian Zombie Kings had technically formed an alliance, they were still operating like lone wolves—one group to the east, another to the west. The whole setup was loose and disorganized.

If Ethan brought his horde in for a full-scale assault, they could wipe out one faction easily. But once the others caught wind of it, they'd scatter like roaches. No way to wipe them all out in one go.

"Best case? Lure them all into the U.S.," Lil' Shroom thought. "Get them to gather in one place, then slam the door shut and wipe them out in one sweep."

Up ahead, a group of zombies wandered aimlessly—some standing still, others shuffling around with no clear direction.

Leading them was a tall, wiry Zombie King with freakishly muscular legs. His thighs were thick with bulging veins, coiled like steel cables—clearly a speed-enhanced type.

"Chrome Dome? Weren't you off stirring up trouble in the States? How'd that go?" the Big Thighs Zombie King asked.

"Hmph! Total success, obviously. Scored big," Lil' Shroom shot back without missing a beat.

"For real?" Big Thighs raised an eyebrow.

Lil' Shroom's eyes flicked around, gears turning fast. Ethan had picked her to become a mutant Zombie King for a reason—she was sharp.

"Hell yeah, it's real. Redgaze is all bark and no bite now. I led a squad in, wiped out over ten thousand zombies and a bunch of humans too. Scooped up a ton of Neurocores and fresh meat. You tell me—that sound good or what?"

"Oh?" Big Thighs' eyes lit up, clearly tempted.

Lil' Shroom saw her opening and pushed harder. "I'm putting together an even bigger horde for a second wave. Gonna hit the U.S. hard this time."

"Then let me come with you!" Big Thighs said, practically bouncing with excitement.

Lil' Shroom paused, then shook her head. "Nah, not a good idea. With your power set, it'd be too dangerous. You'd be a target."

"Oh… okay then." Big Thighs looked disappointed but nodded and turned away.

Lil' Shroom didn't bother with him anymore and strolled off casually, disappearing into the snow.

As her figure faded into the distance, Big Thighs turned to his zombie underlings.

"Looks like Chrome Dome really did score big in the U.S. We should get ready and head over there too."

"But boss, didn't he say it was dangerous?" one of the zombies asked, confused.

"Hmph!" Big Thighs snorted, clearly unimpressed.

"You think I'm that dumb? Chrome Dome just doesn't want us cutting in on his loot. That 'danger' talk? Total bullshit. I only pretended to back off. We'll sneak in later and grab what we can."

"Damn, boss! You're a genius!"

His zombie crew stared at him in awe, faces lit with admiration. Their leader had seen right through the deception.

Why hadn't they thought of that?

"..."

At that moment, Lil' Shroom kept moving forward. In the distance, crumbling buildings and collapsed ruins began to emerge from beneath the snow—clearly the remains of a small border town.

But what stood out wasn't the scenery—it was the zombies.

They were packed in tight, more aggressive than usual, their faces twisted with rage. They snarled and growled as she passed, their tone laced with arrogance and challenge.

Lil' Shroom narrowed her eyes. This had to be the Zombie King Alliance's main base. The zombies here were under the direct influence of the strongest Kings, which explained their cocky, hostile behavior.

"Chrome Dome? What the hell are you doing here?"

Two zombies stepped up to block her path. They weren't nobodies—judging by their aura, they were mid-tier lieutenants, the kind who ran things on the fringes.

Lil' Shroom didn't even blink. "You think you've got the right to question me? Get lost."

"You—!" The two Zombie Kings bared their teeth, eyes flashing with fury. Their growls deepened, muscles tensing like they were about to lunge.

But after a moment, they backed off, swallowing their pride.

Chrome Dome was part of the core alliance, a tier above them. Picking a fight would be suicide. So they turned and slunk away, grumbling under their breath.

Lil' Shroom didn't spare them another glance. She kept walking, stepping into the heart of the ruined city.

The deeper she went, the denser the undead became. And not just any zombies—these were elites. Hardened fighters. The kind that served directly in the corpse nests.

Several Zombie Kings loitered nearby, each with their own distinct aura. Most of them were around A-rank in strength.

Not that Lil' Shroom cared. Compared to Ethan's forces, these guys were cannon fodder. She wasn't here to pick a fight—she was here to map out the horde's layout. When the real battle started, she needed to make sure none of them slipped away.

Soon, she reached the core of the corpse nest. The air was thick with the stench of rot and power. Elite zombies surrounded her, and up ahead, she could feel the presence of a powerful Zombie King.

But even this one—clearly the leader—was only S-rank. Still weaker than her.

She looked him over. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his head wrapped in filthy bandages soaked with dried blood. Whatever color they used to be was long gone.

He wore a slouchy beanie over the bandages, and his fangs jutted out like daggers. His eyes gleamed with suspicion and menace.

"Chrome Dome. What are you doing here?" he growled.

"I just got back from the U.S.," Lil' Shroom said smoothly, slipping into her role. "Redgaze is all show now—looks tough on the outside, but he's barely holding it together. If we don't take him out soon, he might slip away."

The beanie-wearing Zombie King narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

Lil' Shroom nodded. "Yeah. It's winter. Redgaze's horde is starving—over a hundred thousand zombies, and most of them are rotting from the inside out. They're weak. Barely hanging on."

"That doesn't make sense," the beanie King said, frowning. "I heard he still has humans in his territory. How could they be short on food?"

Lil' Shroom sighed, then leaned in slightly, lowering her voice like she was about to spill a dirty secret.

"You don't know? Redgaze… he evolved. Fell in love with a human. He won't let his zombies eat them anymore."

"What did you just say?!" the beanie-wearing Zombie King's eyes bulged, his voice rising in disbelief.

...