Apocalypse: King of Zombies

In the apocalypse, it wasn't just order that collapsed—beliefs and morals took a nosedive too. In a world where human life was as cheap as dirt, nothing else seemed to matter much anymore.

Zane, as Rancho Cucamonga's Number 002 Awakener, was practically a living legend. All he had to do was crook a finger, and women would throw themselves at him without hesitation.

Chris, on the other hand, was fuming. He clenched his teeth, slapped his thigh in frustration, and muttered under his breath.

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"Life's not fair, is it? Why's the gap between people so damn huge?"

Still, he thought, maybe this wasn't all bad news. If Zane could pull that off, maybe he had a shot with Sophie. When she got back, he'd try to strike up a conversation—just casually, nothing too serious.

Isaac broke his train of thought. "How's it going in L.A.? I heard you guys got hit by those parasite monsters a while back."

Chris shuddered at the memory. "Yeah, no kidding. It was brutal. The fighting was intense, and we took heavy losses. Even I got seriously injured."

Brandon, who was standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Chris, uh… your 'serious injury' didn't really have much to do with the fighting, though, did it?"

"Hey, watch it! That injury was from a parasite monster too, okay?" Chris shot back, clearly offended.

Isaac looked puzzled. "That's odd. Logically, Rancho Cucamonga should've been an easier target. We've got open terrain, fewer tall buildings, weaker defenses—it's practically an invitation. Why'd the monsters skip us and head straight for L.A.?"

Chris froze for a second, then glanced at Ethan before shaking his head vigorously. "I don't know. Don't ask me. I don't know anything!"

...

The darkness stretched on, and time ticked away. It was getting closer to 9:00, the deadline to seal the entrance.

Out in the corridor, monsters roamed back and forth in droves—easily over a thousand of them.

Reaching the entrance would mean being spotted. A fight was inevitable.

Isaac spoke up, his tone calm but firm. "In a bit, I'll use my earth abilities. I'll need you all to cover me and buy me some time."

Chris and the others nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah, sure. We'll do our best."

"Good. Before we start, I'll assign positions," Isaac continued, his gaze briefly flicking toward Ethan. Zane had left specific instructions before he left: if things got dangerous, Ethan was expendable. Put him in the riskiest spot if necessary.

Isaac had no problem following orders. He didn't know Ethan, and they weren't from the same shelter. No guilt, no hesitation.

In the apocalypse, people died all the time. It was just another Tuesday.

The clock hit 8:57.

"Alright, let's move," Isaac said, standing up.

"Got it!" The group took a deep breath, steeling themselves. Sealing the entrance would mark the start of the battle.

They adjusted their mindsets and followed Isaac out of the room. The cold wind bit through the darkness, and monsters prowled nearby, their movements eerily silent.

Isaac glanced toward the corridor leading to the entrance. From the ground to the ceiling, it stretched nearly a thousand feet. Sealing it completely would be a massive undertaking, draining a lot of energy.

And during that time, the monsters would attack.

Isaac began assigning positions, ensuring everyone was placed strategically to cover each other and give him the time he needed to use his powers.

Finally, his gaze landed on Ethan. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "You'll stay right next to me."

"Oh, sure," Ethan replied with a grin of his own. An A-rank Awakener asking for someone to stick close? That was unexpected.

Isaac noticed the smile and couldn't help but smirk. Does he seriously think being next to me is a good thing?

When he started using his abilities, he'd become the monsters' primary target. The closer someone was to him, the more danger they'd be in.

"There's still three minutes left. If there's anything you want to eat, now's the time," Isaac said, his tone carrying a hint of something unspoken.

Ethan just shook his head. "Nah, I'll eat later."

"Suit yourself." Isaac's smirk turned into a sneer. Clearly, Ethan hadn't caught the subtext.

How someone like him had managed to survive this long in the apocalypse was beyond Isaac. It was nothing short of a miracle.

...

Isaac glanced at his watch.

8:59.

It was almost time to seal the entrance. He had no idea how the other two teams were doing or if they'd reached their designated positions, but the plan had to move forward regardless.

Right now, all he could do was trust his teammates.

His eyes sharpened with determination. "We're starting."

"Got it!" The others responded, their faces tense to the extreme.

Nearby, the parasite monsters seemed to sense something. They let out guttural screeches and began converging on their location.

Isaac stopped holding back. Energy surged around him, radiating a dark brown glow as his earth-based abilities activated.

At the same time, the unmistakable aura of a human Awakener flared into the air.

From the pitch-black darkness behind them came a chorus of shrill, bloodcurdling cries. The parasite monsters began to emerge.

Though they still looked vaguely human, their pale, lifeless faces betrayed a bloodthirsty hunger. They swarmed out of the shadows, rushing toward the group like a tidal wave.

"Hold them off!" Isaac barked. The entrance was long, and sealing it would take time. He needed every second they could buy him.

The other Awakeners drew their weapons without hesitation. The sound of blades unsheathing echoed through the corridor, mingling with the crackling of elemental energy as it began to gather.

The once-dark hallway was now illuminated by flashes of light—fire, ice, and electricity. In the dim glow, the monsters' cold, twisted faces became horrifyingly clear. Tentacles shot out from their bodies, whipping through the air toward the group.@@novelbin@@

"Kill them!" someone shouted, and the battle erupted. Ice shards and fireballs flew through the air, while the clash of blades against flesh and bone filled the space.

Chaos descended in an instant.

But the ferocity of the fight only drew more monsters. The sound of countless footsteps echoed from the darkness as wave after wave of parasites poured in.

This was their nest, after all.

The most terrifying part wasn't just the humanoid monsters. The ground was teeming with smaller creatures—rats, cats, rabbits, and even swarms of birds. They flooded the corridor, a screeching, writhing mass that seemed unstoppable.

They surged forward like a living tidal wave, their cries deafening, their momentum overwhelming.

The ice walls the Awakeners had conjured shattered under the pressure. They couldn't hold the line and were forced to retreat step by step.

Meanwhile, Ethan stood quietly in place, completely unfazed. From the start of the battle, he hadn't lifted a finger.

After all, if no humans died, how was he supposed to collect crystal cores?

Isaac caught sight of Ethan's nonchalant demeanor and felt his frustration boil over. His brow furrowed deeply.

"The monsters are breaking through! Do something and hold them back!" he shouted.

"Oh…" Ethan replied lazily, glancing around. Sure enough, the monsters were everywhere, pouring in from all directions. The area outside the entrance was especially packed, a dense, writhing mass of bodies.

And their target? Isaac, who was channeling his abilities.

Ethan took a step back, as if to get a better view. Then, without warning, he activated his Domain of the Dead. His figure seemed to melt into the shadows, blending seamlessly with the darkness until he vanished entirely.

"Wait, what???" Isaac's eyes widened in disbelief.

What the hell just happened?

...