Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Jason understood what Ethan meant, and his heart sank into utter despair. His most trusted brother… had already been torn apart and devoured by zombies.

What a hopeless, crushing apocalypse this was…

In that moment, tears of grievance, rage, and pain welled up in Jason's eyes and spilled over.

"Stop crying. I'll take you to see your brother right now," Ethan said casually, his tone indifferent. He began walking toward the two of them. With each step, the Domain of the Dead unfurled, its oppressive force sweeping over them like a tidal wave, erasing them almost instantly.

...

Meanwhile.

Shadow returned to his barren territory, carrying a slab of beef.

But on the way back, he couldn't resist taking bites out of it. One bite turned into another, and every time he told himself, This is the last one.

By the time he reached his territory, half the beef was gone, leaving only scraps and edges.

Still, his ragtag group of brothers-in-arms was astonished.

"Beef? Is this real beef? Boss, where'd you get this? Did you hunt down a mutant beast?"
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"No… the Zombie King from the skyscraper gave it to me," Shadow replied honestly.

"Oh?"

Hearing this, his men were even more shocked. The Zombie King had meat but didn't eat it himself—and gave it to their boss instead? Was there really such a generous zombie in this apocalypse?

"Boss, I think that Zombie King's not bad. Should we… I don't know, repay the favor?"

"Hmm…" Shadow nodded thoughtfully, already mulling it over in his mind.

"Maybe it's time we settle the score with Serpent-Eye once and for all!"

"ROAR—"

At the mention of Serpent-Eye, his men let out a collective growl, their hatred palpable.

"Boss! I've been saying forever that we should just go to war with them!"

"Don't rush it. We'll take our time with this," Shadow said, his mind already forming a plan. He figured he could team up with Ethan to take down Serpent-Eye and finally get revenge for being driven out of his old territory.

One of his elite zombie followers spoke up, "I'll follow your lead, Boss. Just tell us what to do."

"Wait for the right moment. When the time comes, just watch for my signal," Shadow said, deep in thought.

"Uh…"

The elite zombie glanced at Shadow's face, which was as black as charcoal, and suddenly remembered how their last battle had ended in disaster—because no one could read Shadow's expressions.

...

Elsewhere.

Inside a museum, Ethan was busy collecting a few corpses. But instead of heading back to his own territory, he decided to make the most of his trip and gather more "supplies."

That's when he remembered the small outpost of the Black Hand Legion.

Killing humans, Ethan thought, was far more entertaining than killing zombies. Humans were brimming with emotions—they could feel fear, sadness, and despair. Zombies, even the evolved ones, had emotions that were far more muted in comparison.

How should he savor this delightful torment?

Leaving the museum, Ethan followed the intel he'd gathered on his phone and soon arrived at a plaza. The area was eerily quiet, with no zombies in sight. Bloodstains and rotting corpses littered the ground, and the surrounding buildings were in ruins, a desolate wasteland as far as the eye could see.

But Ethan could already sense it—there were humans hiding nearby.

They were right beneath his feet.

Instead of using the underground entrance, which was guarded by an Awakener, Ethan activated his Domain of the Dead and slipped through the ground itself, silently infiltrating the underground mall.

The world went dark for a moment before his vision returned.

Ethan found himself in a spacious room. The air was thick with the smell of chemicals. Looking around, he saw wooden shelves lined with rows of transparent glass jars. Inside the jars, floating in formalin, were various preserved specimens.

"What the hell is this?"

Ethan stepped closer to take a look and realized that the jars were filled with… men's severed dicks.

What the…?

He couldn't help but curse inwardly. The Black Hand Legion really lives up to its reputation. What kind of sick hobby is this? These guys are seriously twisted.

Scanning the room, Ethan counted at least a hundred jars, each containing the same grotesque contents.

"Not a single one's big…" he muttered under his breath.

Just then, the sound of clinking chains reached his ears, accompanied by the faint groans of men in pain.

At the far right corner of the room, two men were hanging naked, their arms and legs spread wide and bound to wooden frames with iron chains. On a nearby table lay an assortment of knives and jars. Ethan didn't need to think too hard to figure out what had happened.

The two men had clearly been subjected to castration. Blood dripped from their mutilated groins, and their faces were twisted in agony.

Ethan walked straight toward them.

He didn't bother concealing himself. His figure materialized in full view.

The two men, who had been drifting in and out of consciousness from the pain, suddenly perked up when they saw him. One of them, his voice weak and trembling, called out, "Brother, how did you get in here? Please, help us!"

"Who's your brother?" Ethan replied casually. "Bad news for you—your dick's already gone."

The man froze, speechless. He hadn't expected to be mocked at a time like this.

"Just get me out of here! Please! If that crazy woman sees you, she'll find a way to make your dick stand up, just so she can chop it off. She's not human—she's a monster!"

"Well, I'm not human either," Ethan said flatly, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. He pulled out a dagger and plunged it into the man's neck. Blood spurted out in a violent gush, and the man's body convulsed a few times before going still.

If that crazy woman cuts off what's below, I'll just cut off what's above. Isn't that much kinder?

The other man's eyes widened in terror as he watched. "Ah—help! Somebody help! He's killing people!"

But in this place, screams like that were so common that no one paid them any attention.

"It's the end of the world. What's the big deal about killing someone?" Ethan said nonchalantly. With a flick of his wrist, the second man's cries were silenced.

Afterward, Ethan calmly stored the two corpses in his spatial storage ring.

With that done, he closed his eyes and focused on sensing the lifeforms in the underground mall. There were still over ninety humans alive in the area. Some were survivors who had been tortured to death's door, while others were members of the Black Hand Legion who were currently out on patrol.

But just then, Ethan sensed someone approaching the room—a presence stronger than the others.

Moments later, the door creaked open, and in walked the person the two men had referred to as the "crazy woman." She had long, jet-black hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her figure was curvaceous, with an hourglass shape that was impossible to ignore. She was dressed in a revealing outfit that left little to the imagination.

"Huh?"

The woman's eyes locked onto Ethan, and for a moment, she froze, her expression one of surprise. But that surprise quickly morphed into something else—an infatuated, almost obsessive look.

"Well, aren't you a handsome one…"

Since the apocalypse began, this woman—known as the "crazy woman" or "demoness" by others—had never seen a man as attractive as Ethan. Not only was he strikingly handsome, but he was also clean and well-groomed, a rarity in this hellish world. To her, he was nothing short of a treasure.

Where did he come from? she wondered. Did one of the guys bring him in as a gift? If so, they really know how to please me…

"Don't be scared, handsome," she said in a sweet, seductive voice, her eyes brimming with a dangerous allure. Her tone was soft and enchanting, carrying a hypnotic quality that could easily ensnare the weak-willed.

Ethan immediately recognized her for what she was—a mental-type Awakener. He knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone cold and distant.

The woman didn't answer directly. Instead, she nodded slightly, her gaze growing even more sultry. Her eyes were locked onto Ethan as if she were a predator stalking her prey. She swayed her long legs as she walked toward him, her movements slow and deliberate, like a cat toying with its catch.

"There are places where sunlight doesn't reach," she murmured, her voice dripping with suggestion. "But you… you could light them up…"

...