Apocalypse: King of Zombies

"Roar—"

Michelin staggered back two steps, letting out an enraged roar. He was completely provoked now, swinging his fist straight at Bulldozer.

The two of them were evenly matched—both brute-force tanks, like humanoid beasts, trading blow after blow with raw, bone-crushing power.

"Damn, they're intense…"

Serpent-Eye observed the chaos from a distance, quickly realizing that the enemy's evolution level was off the charts. Their strength was overwhelming, and as soon as the fight began, his side was already at a disadvantage.

But Ethan had two powerful allies on his side.

Mia had transformed into a cold, emotionless killing machine. Her face was calm, devoid of any expression, as she wielded her 40-foot-long tachi with deadly precision. The blade cut through the air with a fierce whoosh, and wherever it passed, zombies were shredded into pieces. Black blood and mangled limbs flew everywhere—she was like a walking meat grinder on the battlefield.

Sean, on the other hand, was brimming with excitement. It was his first time experiencing such a massive battle, and he seemed to be feeding off the adrenaline. With a single punch, he sent a zombie flying dozens of feet away.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

With every punch he threw, zombies were launched into the air. Some crashed into storefronts along the street, while others smashed into their undead comrades, scattering them like bowling pins.

Meanwhile, Chris and the others in the rear were fighting seriously as well.

They were all Awakeners who had condensed their Neurocores, making them as strong as elite zombies. Standing back-to-back, they formed a tight battle formation, working together seamlessly. Their coordinated attacks packed a serious punch.

Everyone knew that if they could help Ethan win this fight, they might actually survive. With their lives on the line, no one dared to slack off.

"Where the hell is Genesis Biotech?" Serpent-Eye muttered to himself, growing increasingly uneasy. If this kept up, he knew he'd lose sooner or later.

Screw it!

With a leap, Serpent-Eye jumped straight off the high-rise building, deciding to join the fray himself.

If he didn't step in now, all his underlings would be wiped out.

But the moment he landed, an overwhelming pressure crashed down on him. It felt like a tidal wave of blood, suffocating and inescapable, as if he were sinking into quicksand.

"What's the matter? Couldn't hold back anymore?" Ethan's figure appeared in front of him.

"Hmph!"

Serpent-Eye let out a cold snort, his vicious eyes gleaming with malice. "The only reason you're winning is because you've got humans helping you!"

"Didn't you just say I was hanging out with my food?" Ethan's lips curled into a faint smirk.

For a moment, Serpent-Eye was at a loss for words. The jab hit him hard, and he felt a surge of humiliation and anger.

"Die!"

As an A-rank zombie king, Serpent-Eye's body was incredibly tough. Even under the oppressive force of the Domain of the Dead, he hadn't lost his ability to fight.

With a murderous aura radiating from him, he raised his fist and swung it at Ethan.

Ethan could sense it—whether human or zombie, Serpent-Eye was the strongest opponent he'd faced so far.

But he didn't dodge. Instead, he met the attack head-on, throwing his own punch to clash with Serpent-Eye's.

Boom!

The collision of the two zombie kings was like two mountains crashing into each other. A shockwave erupted from their fists, sending nearby zombies flying into the air.
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Serpent-Eye felt a sharp pain shoot through his arm and couldn't stop himself from stumbling back several steps.

Under the suppression of the Domain of the Dead, he was no match for Ethan.

"You've evolved to this level…" Serpent-Eye was horrified to realize the massive gap between their strength.

Ethan's voice was calm. "Not bad. You're the first opponent to take one of my punches."

"You…"

Serpent-Eye's eyes burned with rage. Ethan's tone was so arrogant, so dismissive—it was infuriating. It felt like a blatant insult, and his anger boiled over.

But before he could react, Ethan closed the distance again. The oppressive force of the Domain of the Dead surged forward, and Ethan's five fingers reached for Serpent-Eye's head.

Serpent-Eye bared his fangs, his yellow pupils narrowing sharply. His mental energy flared wildly as he activated his awakened ability: Phantom Realm.

"Huh?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow as the world around him suddenly fell silent. The roars and howls of zombies vanished, and he found himself standing in a pitch-black void. It was as if he were floating in an endless, silent universe.

The next moment, deep within the darkness ahead, something seemed to writhe and shift. Slowly, an unimaginably massive serpent emerged.

Its body stretched for miles, its raised head as large as a celestial body, and its vicious eyes locked onto Ethan.

Then, one after another, more colossal serpents appeared, each raising their heads high, encircling Ethan completely.

The serpents loomed like gods, gazing down at all life with disdain, their overwhelming presence suffocating the air.

Ethan felt as though he were trapped beneath several towering mountains. Compared to these creatures, he was like a speck of dust in the vast ocean. The oppressive aura pressed down on him relentlessly.

For most people, such a terrifying sight would have been enough to shatter their sanity.

But Ethan's expression remained calm.

He even couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "This illusion is so fake."

He had been warned about this. Little Shadow had already told him that Serpent-Eye's ability was Phantom Realm, so he was mentally prepared.

Faced with the monstrous serpents, Ethan felt no fear. Instead, he simply closed his eyes. If it was all fake, why bother looking at it?

Ethan shifted all his focus to his senses.

Moments later, he pinpointed Serpent-Eye's presence.

"Behind me!"

Without hesitation, Ethan swung his fist backward. It seemed to strike empty air, but a muffled sound echoed, followed by the sharp crack of bones breaking.

"Urgh!"

Serpent-Eye's figure was sent flying, and at the same time, the entire illusion shattered like broken glass. Ethan was back on the battlefield.

Serpent-Eye was hurled 500 feet away, smashing through several walls before finally coming to a stop.

"This is impossible!"

His mind was reeling with shock. Ethan had clearly been trapped in the illusion, yet he still managed to land a direct hit.

Serpent-Eye's Phantom Realm was undeniably powerful. Even a B-rank Awakener caught in it would collapse in terror. But against Ethan… it just seemed laughably ineffective.

As Serpent-Eye struggled to climb out of the rubble, he turned his head and saw Ethan walking toward him again.

The aura around Ethan was like a surging sea of blood, radiating an overwhelming pressure that was about to engulf Serpent-Eye completely.

A chilling sense of doom washed over him. It was as if he could see Death itself approaching.

But just then, the sound of gunfire erupted from the distant street.

Two towering Doom Hunters appeared first, their Gatling guns spitting fire as shell casings rained down. They were clearing a path ahead with relentless firepower.

Behind them, two rows of armored vehicles advanced slowly, providing cover.

In the center of the convoy, a group of human Awakeners emerged, led by none other than Justin. He was at the head of the squad, exuding confidence.

The Awakeners were clad in sleek black nano-combat suits, giving them an imposing and stylish appearance.

"Let's see how the fight's going," Justin said with a smug grin.

In truth, he had deliberately arrived late. He wasn't truly allied with Serpent-Eye and had hoped that the zombie king and Ethan would wear each other down, leaving him to swoop in and reap the rewards.

Just like when Ethan had taken down the Operation King Hunt squad.

His ideal scenario? The battle would end with both Ethan and Serpent-Eye severely weakened—then he could eliminate Serpent-Eye as well.

"Hmph! A mere zombie thinks it can outsmart me? Doesn't it know that humans are masters of strategy?" Justin muttered to himself, his hands steady now as he flicked open a lighter. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled with satisfaction.

He had completely forgotten how terrified he'd been back in Serpent-Eye's lair, trembling like a leaf. Now, he was acting like a petty man drunk on his own success.

From his vantage point, the battlefield was utter chaos.

Everywhere he looked, there was carnage—zombies and humans locked in brutal combat. He couldn't even tell which zombies were on the same side. All he knew was that the fighting was fierce and bloody.

"Hmm? Where's little Serpent-Eye gone?"

...