Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The short young man, named Ryan Brooks, was also an Awakener. He lived in Shelter No. 023 and was considered quite strong.

But his true identity? He was a member of the Black Hand Legion, an underground organization. His role was to infiltrate the shelter, gather intelligence, and act as a spy.

The recent incidents of stolen supplies and kidnapped personnel? Ryan had played no small part in those.

Now, hearing that Mia was heading out to trade supplies, he couldn't help but hatch a sinister plan.

Of course, he wouldn't dare make a move against Mia herself—she was far too dangerous. But the people she was meeting? That was a different story.

Ryan analyzed the situation. He figured the other side was probably just a small group or a minor organization.

Soon after, Mia called Sean to join her.

When Sean heard they'd be meeting Ethan, he was pretty excited. He even slicked back his greasy hair, convinced he looked incredibly handsome.

The three of them left the shelter together, heading toward the designated plaza.

During the walk, Ryan deliberately lagged behind, pulling out his phone to secretly message his organization.

"Guys, looks like we've got a job. And it's a big one!"

"Oh? What kind of big job?"

"What's up? Did the shelter find more supplies?"

"Heh, big job? Or is it a pretty girl?"

"..."

Several members replied, curious.

Ryan continued: "The shelter's heading out to trade with someone. The other side has a lot of food, but I don't know who they are yet."

"Wait, really? If they've got that much food, they must be pretty strong, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too."

"Still... we could scope them out first, see how strong they are, and then decide whether to make a move."

"Sounds good. I'm in!"

"..."

The Black Hand Legion members quickly began organizing themselves. Ryan also sent them the location of the trade.

...

At the Plaza

Mia had chosen the plaza as the meeting spot. It was relatively clear of zombies.

The fountain in the center had long since dried up. Its basin was filled with dark, congealed blood and a few skeletal remains, completely rotted away.

The railings around the fountain had collapsed, and the entire area was in ruins.

Ethan stood at the edge of the fountain, wearing a white shirt. His gaze was fixed on the basin, as if he were admiring the fountain from the past, back when it was still flowing with water.

The plaza wasn't far from Ethan's home.

Before the apocalypse, he used to take evening strolls here. The plaza had been lively back then, with vendors selling balloons and children's toys. The air had been filled with the laughter of kids.

Now, it was nothing but silence and death.

Ethan turned around, scanning his surroundings. The towering buildings nearby were either partially collapsed or riddled with cracks. Broken windows revealed dark, gaping holes.

Occasionally, the guttural growls of zombies echoed from within.

At that moment, three figures appeared on the street between two crumbling buildings—Mia, Sean, and Ryan.

Ryan craned his neck, squinting at the plaza. Sure enough, there was someone standing there.

"No way... just one person?"

In a world without order, anyone trading alone was practically asking to be robbed or killed.

Unless... their companions were hiding nearby?

Ryan glanced around, scanning the area, but he couldn't find any signs of others lying in wait.

"You're here?"

As Mia approached, Ethan was the first to greet her.

"Hmm?"

Mia nodded slightly.

"Did you bring the goods?"

"I did."

With a casual wave of his hand, Ethan summoned four large bags of white flour out of thin air. Each bag weighed 100 pounds, totaling 400 pounds. Enjoy new tales from empire

Mia stepped forward, opened one of the bags, and pinched a small amount of flour between her fingers. She brought it to her nose and sniffed.

"Not bad. Pretty pure."

Sean, standing nearby, rolled his eyes. "What is this, a movie scene? You two rehearsing or something?"

Meanwhile, Ryan was carefully observing Ethan's every move. The way Ethan had summoned the flour out of nowhere had startled him.

"Could he be a spatial-type Awakener?"

Ryan silently analyzed. Spatial abilities were notoriously powerful, but not invincible.

He tilted his head slightly and spotted a few figures hidden in a distant building, watching the scene unfold. The Black Hand Legion members were in position.

"Haha, buddy, are you really here to trade all by yourself?" Ryan asked, feigning casual curiosity to confirm his suspicions.

Ethan turned his gaze toward him. "Yeah, just me."

"Uh..."

For some reason, the moment Ethan's eyes locked onto him, Ryan felt his heart skip a beat. A strange sense of unease crept over him, and he instinctively took half a step back.

What's going on?

Ryan couldn't figure it out, but he forced himself to stay calm and probe further. "Do you... have any more food? I'd like to trade for some too."

"Nope." Ethan's tone was flat.

"What? None left?"

Ryan was surprised but quickly reasoned that Ethan was lying. If he only had 400 pounds of flour, there was no way he'd trade it for crystal cores.

He's being cautious, Ryan thought. He's clearly guarding against me.

But that caution might stem from insecurity. If Ethan were truly strong, he wouldn't need to be so wary.

Ryan, being a skilled spy, was adept at reading people. Through subtle questioning and careful analysis, he concluded that Ethan might be someone they could take down.

What Ryan didn't know was that Ethan's sharp senses had already picked up on the presence of humans hiding in the nearby building. He could smell them. And he could tell that Ryan harbored ill intentions.

Sean, oblivious to the tension, grinned and asked, "Ethan, it's been a while. How've you been?"

"Not great. Pretty boring, honestly," Ethan replied casually.

"Uh..."

Even Sean, as dense as he was, didn't believe that. Boring? With all that food? Man, I'd love to be that bored.

Mia stepped forward and handed Ethan four crystal cores. "If you're free, we could team up to hunt some zombies and gather more crystal cores. You probably know some good targets, right?"

"Not at the moment, but I might have some soon," Ethan said thoughtfully.

Mia nodded. "Alright, let me know when you do."

"Sure. If you find any good targets, feel free to call me too."

"No problem."

The group exchanged a few more words before wrapping up the conversation.

Even though the plaza was free of zombies for now, it was still the apocalypse. Danger could appear at any moment, so it wasn't wise to linger.

They quickly parted ways.

...

On the way back, Mia and Sean each carried two bags of flour. Despite the combined weight of 200 pounds, they carried them effortlessly.

"Haha, we're finally gonna have fresh bread again!" Sean said, practically drooling at the thought.

Ryan, however, grew increasingly quiet. After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped.

"Hey, I didn't manage to trade for any food. I'm gonna check the area and see if I can scavenge some supplies. You two go on ahead."

"Alright, go ahead," Mia said with a nod.

"Don't worry, I'll head back to the shelter soon," Ryan said with a faint smile before turning and disappearing into the ruins of the nearby buildings.

Sean, still daydreaming about bread, wiped the drool from his mouth. But then a thought struck him.

"Wait a second. In the shelter, one crystal core is worth a whole box of instant noodles. But with Ethan, it's worth 100 pounds of flour. Isn't he losing out?"

Mia glanced at him, her expression calm but knowing. "Don't worry. He's not losing out. I even threw in a little bonus for him."

She turned her head slightly, her perfect profile catching the light. Her bright eyes lingered on the direction Ryan had disappeared into, her expression unreadable.

...