Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The group was gripped with fear. They frantically swung the hunting knives strapped to their waists, slashing at the rain of snakes. It was like a real-life version of Fruit Ninja—their blades moved so fast they almost sparked, leaving them no time to stop.

Before long, the ground was piled high with snake corpses, layer upon layer. Blood sprayed through the air like a wild, chaotic dance.

But the snakes seemed endless, continuing to fall relentlessly from above.

Everyone's stamina was draining fast.

Especially the young man who had been bitten earlier—his name was Brandon Hunter. His face had grown pale, his breathing labored. If the venom wasn't sucked out soon, he'd be doomed to die under this rain of snakes.

"What do we do now?"

The others weren't faring much better. They had managed to kill hundreds of snakes, but one slip-up could mean certain death.

"This place is insane! No human should ever set foot here!"

Just as despair began to set in, something unexpected happened.

The snakes suddenly froze mid-air, as if paralyzed. Then, one after another, they exploded with loud bangs, sending chunks of flesh flying everywhere. Blood mist filled the air, turning the scene into something straight out of a nightmare.

In just a few seconds, the once-overwhelming swarm of snakes had been almost entirely wiped out. The few that survived slithered away in panic, as if they'd encountered something utterly terrifying.

"What… just happened?"

Chris and the others stopped in their tracks, stunned. They stared blankly at the carnage around them, struggling to process what they had just witnessed.

Then, a tall figure slowly emerged from the blood-soaked haze. Despite the rain of blood, his white shirt remained spotless, as if untouched by the chaos.

It was Ethan.

His Domain of the Dead now covered a massive area, easily suppressing the entire swarm of snakes in an instant.

When Sean saw the figure, his eyes lit up with joy. "Ethan! You came to help us!"

"Yeah." Ethan nodded calmly.

The group finally realized that the newcomer was an ally—and an incredibly powerful one at that. Relief washed over them.

Brandon, in particular, felt like he had just escaped death itself. His face was filled with gratitude. "Thank you for saving me."

"No need to thank me," Ethan replied with a faint smile. His handsome face softened, radiating a warmth that felt like a gentle spring breeze. Your next chapter awaits on empire

He was… too kind.

The group couldn't help but stare at him, momentarily dazed.

But Chris, looking at Ethan's smile, felt a chill run down his spine. His body tensed involuntarily. He had encountered Ethan once before during a mission with Mia and knew exactly who—or rather, what—he was. Ethan wasn't just any ordinary person. He was the absolute ruler of the skyscraper zone, a Phantom Infected, and the terrifying King of the Undead.

"He's… actually here…"

Still, Chris knew Ethan wasn't hostile. In fact, he had just saved their lives. Fear aside, Chris couldn't help but feel deeply grateful.

"Uncle Chris, can you, uh… suck the venom out for me?" Brandon suddenly asked, breaking the tension.

"Uh… sure…"

Chris snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Brandon's neck. The blackened blood was still oozing from the wound. If Brandon weren't an Awakener with a superhuman physique, he'd already be dead.

But the sight of the wound was… unsettling. It made Chris hesitate.

Still, with Brandon's life on the line, Chris gritted his teeth and leaned in, pressing his mouth to the side of Brandon's neck to suck out the venom. The two of them ended up in an awkwardly close position, their posture unintentionally… suggestive.

Meanwhile, Mia's large eyes were fixed on Ethan. She suddenly remembered something.

"That list of Black Hand Legion members you gave me last time—where did you find it?"

"In an underground mall," Ethan replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh…"

Mia nodded, her brows furrowing slightly. She had noticed before that Ryan seemed to have ulterior motives toward Ethan, but she hadn't realized he was connected to the Black Hand Legion.

"This deal was a loss…" she muttered under her breath.

"Don't be so stingy," Ethan said casually, though his gaze had shifted to the tachi sword in Mia's hand. Its sleek, unique design caught his eye.

The rest of the group began searching through the surrounding crates.

Most of them had been destroyed by the pythons, but a few still contained seeds that were surprisingly intact. These seeds looked viable—likely still capable of growing crops.

Finding these supplies filled everyone with joy.

Well, everyone except Chris and Brandon, who were still huddled together as Chris sucked out the venom. Chris spat out several mouthfuls of blackened blood before finally finishing the job. His lips were swollen to the point they looked like two sausages hanging off his face.

"That should do it…" Chris muttered, exhausted.

"Thanks, Uncle Chris," Brandon said gratefully.

The two of them slumped against the wall, sitting down to rest. The ordeal had drained them both, especially Brandon. His face was still pale, and his body trembled slightly. He couldn't help but feel lucky to have survived. Honestly, it was a miracle he was still alive.

With shaky hands, Brandon pulled out his phone to send a message, letting someone know he was okay.

Chris, sitting beside him, glanced over curiously. "Who are you texting?"

"My online girlfriend," Brandon replied, his face lighting up with happiness. "We haven't met in person yet, but I've seen her photos. She's got fair skin, gorgeous looks, and legs for days…"

"Oh…" Chris raised an eyebrow, his expression turning thoughtful.

"Brandon, you'd better be careful," Chris said seriously. "What if she's actually someone from the Black Hand Legion trying to scam you?"

"No way…" Brandon's smile faltered.

"Why not? These days, it's not just humans you have to worry about. Even monsters have evolved intelligence. They can use the internet to trick people too. Who knows if the person you're chatting with is human… or something else entirely?" Chris said, his tone dead serious.

Brandon's face turned pale at the thought. He realized Chris might have a point. The internet was full of all kinds of shady characters—and now, even monsters. It was better to be cautious.

"So… what should I do?" Brandon asked nervously.

"Listen to me, Brandon. The internet is a deep, dark place, and you're not equipped to handle it. Why don't you just give me your phone? I'll chat with her for you," Chris said, his face completely straight.

…

Meanwhile, the commotion they had caused earlier had already drawn the attention of Serpent-Eye and his zombie forces.

"Boss, someone's entered our territory. They're in the farmers' market," a zombie reported.

"Humans?" Serpent-Eye raised an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder. Behind him stood a massive horde of zombies—tens of thousands strong, including elite fighters.

He had been preparing to launch an attack on Ethan, but now, at this critical moment, humans had wandered into his domain.

A cruel smile spread across Serpent-Eye's face. "They've practically delivered themselves to us as 'strategic resources.'"

Zombies were at their strongest right after consuming fresh flesh. Their cells became hyperactive, enhancing their physical strength, speed, and reflexes to peak levels.

"Let's go. We'll deal with those humans first—it's on the way anyway," Serpent-Eye ordered.

With that, the zombie horde began to move. The ground trembled under their sheer numbers, their advance like an unstoppable tidal wave. Among them were grotesque elites, including the massive, bloated Michelin and the arrogant Spider Zombie Woman.

Back on Ethan's side, the group had finished resting and were ready to move out.

Chris and the others, now carrying the seeds they had salvaged, exited the farmers' market. The area was eerily quiet, the silence oppressive. The zombies in the vicinity had already been cleared out, leaving behind a dead, desolate atmosphere.

"Let's keep it up, everyone. We're halfway through the plan. With all these seeds, the shelter will definitely reward us," Chris said, trying to motivate the group.

Brandon nodded, quickening his pace. He couldn't wait to leave this hellhole behind.

"Stop," Ethan's calm voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

"Huh?" Brandon froze, turning around with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"

"There's something in front of you," Ethan said, his tone steady.

Brandon frowned in confusion and looked ahead. At first, he didn't see anything unusual. But as he squinted, he noticed something glinting faintly in the sunlight—a thin thread stretched across his path.

It was a strand of spider silk. Though nearly invisible, it was incredibly tough and razor-sharp, easily as deadly as any weapon. If Brandon had taken another step, he would've been decapitated on the spot.

His heart pounded as he realized just how close he had come to death. The deadly thread was less than two inches from his neck.

…