Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The group pressed forward, the corridor growing wider as they advanced. Up ahead, a staircase leading downward came into view.

That staircase led to the second level of the shelter—the core area where critical supplies were once stored.

But now, the air below was thick with a menacing aura, and faint, guttural roars of monsters echoed from the darkness.

"The final showdown's about to begin," Robert murmured.

There were no shortcuts left. The only option was to fight their way down, locate the leader of the monsters, and take it out.

Zane's eyes narrowed as he spoke. "We need to move fast. The barricades at the entrances aren't exactly solid. If the monsters outside manage to break through, we'll be in even deeper trouble."

"Got it," Robert replied with a firm nod.

They were halfway down the staircase when shadowy figures began to emerge from the darkness ahead. Humanoid shapes, their bodies writhing with grotesque tentacles, faces twisted into horrifying grimaces. It was clear—they'd been waiting.

"Get ready for battle!" Mia called out, unsheathing her tachi with a sharp shing. Behind her, the other Awakeners followed suit, drawing their weapons with grim determination.

The tension was palpable. Everyone's expressions hardened, bracing themselves as if facing a nightmare made real.

"ROAR—"

A monstrous bellow erupted from the shadows, and the parasitic creatures launched their attack. One after another, they charged forward, intent on blocking the humans' path.

"Kill them!" someone shouted.

Weapons flashed as the group surged ahead to meet the onslaught.

Mia, Robert, Zane, and Sean—four of the strongest Awakeners—took the lead, holding the front line.

Behind them, the elemental Awakeners began channeling their powers, energy swirling around them as they prepared to unleash their abilities.

The battle descended into chaos in an instant.

Among the fray, Robert moved with an almost ethereal grace, weaving through the monsters like a dancer on a stage. His headphones still rested snugly over his ears, as if the carnage around him was just background noise.

Zane, on the other hand, fought with raw intensity, his blade slicing through the creatures with such speed that afterimages trailed behind him.

Mia's face was a mask of calm focus, her tachi cutting through the air with relentless precision. She was a whirlwind of destruction, a living meat grinder on the battlefield.

Not far from her, Sean fought like a human wrecking ball, sending monsters flying with every swing of his fists.

With the four of them holding the line, the pressure on the others eased significantly. The elemental Awakeners unleashed their powers—ice spikes, fireballs, and other attacks tore through the monsters, thinning their ranks.

The corridor was filled with the cacophony of battle—shouts, roars, the clash of steel, and the screeches of dying monsters. The fight grew fiercer with every passing moment.

Amid the chaos, Mia glanced back and caught sight of Ethan.

He was holding his tachi lazily, almost as if he were bored. With casual, almost indifferent swings, he dispatched any monster that came too close. But if none approached him, he didn't bother moving forward to engage.

"This guy… he's really something else," Mia muttered under her breath, her tone a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

Sean sidled up beside her, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Hey, you think that Isaac guy… he's the one Ethan ate, right?"

"Oh? Even a fool could figure that out," Mia replied, raising an eyebrow.

Sean smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "Well, I've got another big revelation."

"What is it?"

"Ethan was lying earlier," Sean said with absolute certainty.

"…" Mia's face darkened. She'd expected something more profound. "Yeah, no kidding. These days, Ethan lies without even blinking."

Sean tilted his head, a curious look on his face. "But if he doesn't blink… wouldn't his eyes get dry?"

…

The group continued their relentless push downward, carving a path through the monsters. Robert was the first to reach the bottom of the staircase, stepping into a large hall.

But the monsters kept coming, pouring in from all sides.

"Robert, you're finally back! I missed you so much!" A soft, trembling voice suddenly rang out from within the horde.

Robert froze, turning toward the source of the voice. There, amidst the monsters, stood a girl of about fifteen or sixteen. Her skin was pale, her face sweet and innocent, and her large, watery eyes seemed to speak volumes, brimming with childlike purity.

"Damn it…" Robert's brow furrowed. He recognized her instantly. She had been his neighbor for years, someone he'd practically watched grow up.

But now, she was one of them. A host to the parasite.

Looking at her face—so familiar, so unchanged—memories came flooding back. Her laughter, her smiles, the little moments they'd shared over the years.

Mornings filled with birdsong, warm afternoons under the sun… all of it came rushing back, bittersweet and painful.

But those days were gone.

And they weren't coming back.

"Robert, why didn't you save me back then? Do you know how horrible my death was? My flesh… it was eaten, bit by bit, by those monsters…"

The girl's voice trembled, filled with pain and accusation.

Robert didn't respond. Instead, he reached up and tapped the Bluetooth headphones resting on his ears, cranking the volume to its maximum. The music drowned out the chaos around him, muffling the sounds he didn't want to hear.

He hadn't always been a fan of music.@@novelbin@@

But now, it was the only thing that could silence the voices from his memories.

With a flash of light, Robert's Lightning Blade pierced through the girl's chest in one swift motion. Her once-innocent face twisted into something grotesque, her features contorting as a guttural, hysterical scream erupted from her mouth.

"Goodbye," Robert said coldly.

With a sharp tug, he withdrew his blade, and in the same motion, flicked out a glowing crystal core from her body. The girl's corpse crumpled to the ground, her skin shriveling rapidly until she became an unrecognizable husk, a horrifying shell of what she once was.

These monsters… they had a cruel way of using the memories and relationships of their hosts to mess with human minds.

But Robert was used to it by now.

He had already killed countless "friends" and "family" with his own hands.

Even so, it never got easier. It was a torment that gnawed at the soul.

The pounding music in his ears grew louder, drowning out the voices he didn't want to hear. His eyes scanned the hall, taking in the swarm of monsters. Among them, he still recognized some familiar faces.

"Kill them all!"

Moments later, Mia and the others burst into the hall, joining the fight. The four of them were undeniably powerful, each at least A+ rank.

But the sheer number of monsters was overwhelming, and the prolonged battle was taking its toll.

The elemental Awakeners in the back were especially drained, their breathing growing heavier with every attack.

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"Sophie, don't worry. I'll protect you," Chris said, gripping his titanium-alloy machete tightly.

Sophie gave a small, timid nod. "Thank you, Chris. You're so kind."

"Uh…" Chris froze for a moment, her words catching him off guard. His heart swelled with pride, and he couldn't help but grin. Seeing Zane already charging ahead, Chris thought to himself, This is it. Time to shine. No more playing defense—it's time to score.

Determined to impress, Chris threw himself into the fight with renewed vigor, hacking away at the monsters with exaggerated effort.

Nearby, Brandon couldn't help but call out, "Uncle Chris, take it easy! We're just here to haul supplies, not play hero!"

"It's fine! Watch this!" Chris shouted back, his machete flashing as he took down a juvenile monster in just a few strikes.

While Mia and the others held the front line, some monsters managed to slip through the cracks, circling around to attack the rear.

And then, from the shadows at the back of the hall, two figures emerged quietly.

It was the scar-faced man and the freckled girl—both of whom had been missing for some time.

"Looks like the fight's heating up," the scar-faced man said with a smirk.

Chris turned his head at the sound of the voice, and his eyes widened in shock. He had seen it with his own eyes—both of them had been dragged away by monster tentacles. There was no doubt they had been parasitized.

But what horrified him even more was that the two of them were now standing right next to Sophie and another ice-element Awakener.

And neither of them seemed to notice the danger.

Panic surged through Chris as he raised his machete and charged toward them, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Sophie, get away from them! I'll protect you!"

...