Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The pitch-black night sky was suddenly set ablaze, glowing blood-red under the surge of firelight.

"Ugh—!"

Something in the flower field stirred, letting out a piercing, bone-chilling shriek. Then, from beneath the scorched earth, rotting hands clawed their way up—one after another, zombies began to emerge.

The flickering flames cast eerie shadows across their grotesque faces, making them look even more deranged and savage.

Travis and the others froze in horror.

"There's that many of them?!"

"They were hiding under the flower field this whole time..."

"We're screwed. We're seriously screwed this time."

"..."

The zombies came in droves—like demons crawling straight out of hell. In the blink of an eye, the field was swarming with them, easily numbering in the thousands.

The moment they caught the scent of human flesh, they charged like a pack of starving wolves. Some were still on fire, their bodies engulfed in flames, but they didn't even flinch—completely fearless, utterly insane.

No one had ever seen anything like this. The sheer terror made their scalps tingle and their skin crawl.

"Is there even a way out of this?" Travis and the others were gripped by a crushing sense of despair.

Ethan glanced at them sideways. "If it weren't for me, you'd have walked straight into that flower field and become zombie chow. You're still breathing thanks to me. So... try not to suck."

"..." Everyone was speechless, dark lines practically forming over their heads. Facing this nightmare, all they could think was: Wow, thanks so much, man...

"Keep fighting!"

As the zombies closed in, Travis shouted, rallying himself. Better to go down swinging than just stand there and wait to die. If he was going to die, he'd take as many of those bastards with him as he could.

He unleashed his psychic energy again, sending out a storm of invisible needles that pierced into the zombies' minds, tearing through their consciousness like shrapnel.

Behind him, Brian and the brawny power-type guy charged forward, unleashing their abilities and diving into the fray.

They'd had a bit of time to recover during the trek here—enough to get back about seventy percent of their strength. It wasn't much, but it was enough to fight.

But still...

They were completely surrounded, trapped in the middle of a zombie horde. It was like watching wild animals cornered and desperate. The air was filled with the guttural snarls of the undead and the panicked screams of the living.

Everything was unfolding exactly as Ethan had predicted.

A few zombies lunged at him too, but they were instantly shredded by the power of his Domain of the Dead.

He drew his blade and charged forward, heading straight into the heart of the flower field. He wanted to see what kind of "harvest" this place had—how many crystal cores had been gathered.

With Ethan joining the fight, the pressure on Travis and the others eased up a bit. For now, they could hold their ground.

"Maybe this isn't as hopeless as we thought!" someone shouted.

"Yeah, but it's still a long way from good," Brian muttered grimly.

Just then, the flower field stirred again. Petals began to rise into the air, swirling upward like a pink storm. They clustered together, forming a long, flowing ribbon of color.

Before the apocalypse, it might've looked beautiful—romantic, even. But now, it was nothing but terrifying.

Because those petals began to merge, slowly taking on a human shape.

"Is that... the Zombie King?" the power-type guy asked, frowning. "Something feels off."

"No, that's not the real body," Travis said quickly. "It's just a vessel."

Ethan stood still, eyes locked on the petal-formed figure.

"We meet again."

"..." Daisy was seething inside. Her heart burned with hatred, and her voice dripped with venom.

"Of course it's you again. But this time... I won't let you win!"

"You don't get a say in that." Ethan's Domain of the Dead pulsed outward, and he launched himself forward, blade ready. Just like last time, he was going to end this—cut her down before she could do anything.

"RAAAHHH—!" But Daisy didn't dodge. Instead, she threw her head back and let out a blood-curdling scream.

The sound was deafening, echoing across the night sky like a banshee's wail, lingering long after it left her lips.

Ethan could read her intent loud and clear. Beneath the fury in her scream, there was something else—a cry for help.

His blade, Tachi, ignited in flames and slashed toward her without hesitation.

"Enough screaming…"

Just like last time, the flaming Tachi sank into her body. Fire erupted instantly, engulfing her completely in a blazing inferno.

This kind of vessel was nothing to Ethan—one strike was all it took to wipe it out.

As the flames devoured her, Daisy's body began to crack and crumble, turning to ash and drifting away on the wind. But even as she disintegrated, her voice remained venomous.

"You'll all pay for this tonight!"

"Oh?" Ethan's eyes narrowed. That didn't sound like a desperate curse—it sounded confident. Too confident.

He thought back to her earlier scream, the hidden plea for help. A chill ran down his spine.

Was there... another Zombie King?

As Daisy's body burned away completely, a dozen or so crystal cores dropped to the ground—trophies from the flower field's recent kills.

With a flick of his hand, Ethan collected them, then swept his gaze across the battlefield.

Zombies were still crawling out of the ground, wave after wave, charging forward without fear or hesitation. Something felt off. Deeply off.

His sixth sense was screaming at him—something else was coming.

"Time to go. If whatever's coming is worse than this, we don't want to be here when it shows up…"

The Zombie Cultivation Ground was destroyed. Mission complete. Without wasting another second, Ethan turned and retreated at high speed.

Travis and the others had been watching him closely. After all, Ethan had taken out most of the zombies—his actions directly affected their chances of survival.

"He's leaving? Guys, move! Now!"

"Got it!" the power-type brute shouted, taking the lead and charging toward the exit.

Their job as bait was done. If they could just break through… and if Ethan kept his word… they might actually live through this.

But this was also the most dangerous moment.

Travis didn't hold back. He unleashed his full psychic power, forming a mental barrier that pushed back the surrounding zombies, creating a brief vacuum of space.

In that fleeting moment, the brute and Brian surged forward, cutting down anything in their path. They were giving it everything they had—victory was finally in sight.

A way out was right there.

But then—

A wave of overwhelming psychic energy swept across the battlefield, blanketing everything in its reach. Everyone froze for a second, a deep, primal dread settling in their chests.

"Stay," a raspy voice echoed from the darkness beyond.

Everyone looked around, confused.

"What the hell was that?"

"Who's talking?"

"Who cares? Screw that voice. We're getting out of here!"

"..."

But as they spoke, the power-type brute at the front suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He didn't move. Just stood there, frozen. His eyes went blank.

"Hey! Big guy, what the hell are you doing?" Brian snapped, frowning.

Then the voice came again, low and twisted, like nails on a chalkboard.

"That's better… Stay and play with us…"

Confusion turned to unease. They were about to yell at the brute again—maybe even drag him back.

But then something happened that made their blood run cold.

The brute turned around slowly, a vacant smile spreading across his face. Without a word, he walked straight toward the zombie horde.

"What the—"

"You've lost your damn mind! Get back here!" Travis shouted, panic rising.

But the brute didn't even flinch. He didn't hear them—or didn't care. His arms opened wide, like he was welcoming old friends.

And then, with that same eerie smile, he walked straight into the swarm of bloodthirsty zombies… and embraced them.

...