Apocalypse: King of Zombies

"Could it be an intruder?" Shrimpy and the other zombies immediately went on high alert.

At the front of the approaching zombie group stood their leader, a grotesque-looking zombie with a deep gash across his skull, leaving a noticeable dent in his head. His name? Wreckhead.

He hailed from Rancho Cucamonga and was riding high after recently taking down a human refuge. This time, he'd come to Los Angeles on orders from his boss to seek out Ethan for a potential collaboration.

Apparently, many of the humans who had escaped the refuge fled to San Bernardino. Since Ethan had once caused chaos there, Wreckhead's boss figured teaming up with him to attack San Bernardino might be a smart move.

"So, this is Los Angeles, huh? Wonder if that so-called Zombie King will be up for working together," Wreckhead muttered under his breath.

One of his zombie underlings chimed in, "Of course he'll agree! Teaming up with our boss? That's an honor for him."

"Let's head in and take a look around first. I'm curious to see what kind of zombies they've got here," Wreckhead said, his curiosity piqued.

As he glanced ahead, he spotted three zombies—Big Ears, Shrimpy, and Locomotive—staring him down with wary eyes, sizing him up.

Big Ears had already assessed the situation. The zombie in front of him didn't seem particularly strong—probably just B-tier at best. No reason to be scared or run away.

"Hey! Where are you guys from?" Big Ears called out.

"I'm not 'hey.' The name's Wreckhead," the lead zombie replied.

"Oh…" Big Ears muttered to himself, thinking, What a terrible name. Wreckhead? Seriously? Sounds like his brain's as busted as his skull. Probably not the sharpest tool in the shed. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire

Wreckhead, noticing that these zombies seemed to have some strength, decided to probe further. "Are you guys the Zombie Kings around here?"

"Well, well! Someone's got a good eye," Big Ears said, puffing up a little.

Locomotive, standing nearby, struck a mysterious pose, clearly enjoying the attention. Finally, someone who gets it!

"I'm Locomotive, the undisputed ruler of the zombie scene in San Bernardino!" he declared.

"And I'm Shrimpy, the absolute boss of Santa Monica," Shrimpy added smugly, his face full of pride.

"Huh?" Wreckhead blinked in surprise. Two top-tier bosses? In a place as small as the outskirts of Los Angeles? He was genuinely taken aback. "My apologies… didn't realize I was in the presence of such big shots."

Big Ears, basking in the moment, smirked. "Now you know how impressive we are. So, what's your business here?"

"Oh, I'm from Rancho Cucamonga. I'm here to see your boss and talk about a potential partnership," Wreckhead explained.

Big Ears gave him a once-over, his expression turning dismissive. "You? What makes you think you can just waltz in and meet our boss? He's not someone you can just casually request an audience with."

"Ha! And if your boss misses out on something important because of you, can you handle the consequences?" Wreckhead shot back.

Big Ears paused, considering the point. Hmm, he's got a point there. "Fine, follow me."

"Now we're talking," Wreckhead said with a nod.

Big Ears led the way, guiding Wreckhead and his group toward the main building. As they walked, Wreckhead kept glancing around. Aside from discussing the partnership, his boss had also tasked him with assessing the strength of the zombies in Los Angeles.

But so far, he hadn't seen much.

That was because Ethan, aware of the approaching zombies, had already ordered his underlings to hide. No need to reveal their full numbers or strength to outsiders. Only a few low-level zombies were left wandering the streets as a distraction.

"Doesn't seem like there are many zombies here…" Wreckhead thought to himself, feeling a bit underwhelmed.

After a short walk, they arrived at the main building. Towering skyscrapers loomed overhead, and a few red-eyed black crows circled ominously in the sky.

"Not a bad setup," Wreckhead remarked, somewhat impressed.

Before long, they reached the street in front of the building. Ethan had already sensed the presence of the outsiders and slowly emerged from the shadows.

Big Ears scurried up to him eagerly. "Boss, we've got a zombie here who says he wants to talk about a partnership."

"Hmm," Ethan murmured, immediately understanding the situation.

Partnership? Between zombies? Ethan thought to himself. Yeah, right. It's either domination or destruction. Partnerships are just a fancy way of saying 'temporary truce until someone gets stabbed in the back.'

"I'm from Rancho Cucamonga," Wreckhead began, puffing out his chest. "We recently took down the refuge there."

"Impressive," Ethan said, feigning interest.

Wreckhead nodded proudly. "Of course! Our boss, Nightmare—you've heard of him, right?"

"Never heard of him," Ethan replied bluntly.

"Uh…" Wreckhead froze, his confidence taking a hit. "Well, anyway, our boss is the absolute ruler of Rancho Cucamonga now. He wants to team up with you to attack San Bernardino."

"Not interested," Ethan said flatly.

Wreckhead hadn't expected such a blunt rejection. "Why not?" he asked, clearly puzzled.

"Because I'm scared," Ethan replied, his tone serious. "The Genesis Biotech branch in San Bernardino is way too strong. Last time I went there, I barely made it out alive. I'm not going back."

Wreckhead raised an eyebrow, surprised by the Zombie King's apparent cowardice. Afraid of humans? Seriously? "What's there to be scared of? With our boss leading the charge and both of our hordes attacking together, we'd crush the humans there for sure."

"Oh, you've got a point," Ethan said, pretending to mull it over. "Alright, how about this: you guys go in first, and I'll jump in when the time's right."

"Uh… okay, I'll go back and report to the boss," Wreckhead said after a moment of thought.

With that, their brief conversation came to an end. Wreckhead turned and began walking away.

Ethan stood still, watching as Wreckhead's figure disappeared into the distance.

From the shadows of the surrounding streets and alleys, figures began to emerge—Bulldozer, Laura, and the rest of Ethan's Zombie King crew. One by one, the zombies gathered behind Ethan, their presence radiating menace.

"Boss, you're just gonna let him walk away like that? Why not take him out now?" Laura asked, her eyes gleaming with bloodlust, barely able to contain her violent urges.

"He's just a small fry," Ethan said calmly. "Killing him wouldn't accomplish much. Better to let him go back and feed that Nightmare Zombie King some sweet lies."

Ethan's tone was indifferent, but his mind was calculating. He wasn't sure if his little act would fool Nightmare or how effective it might be. Still, even a small advantage was better than nothing. It was worth a shot—there was no harm in trying.

...

Meanwhile, Wreckhead trudged along the crumbling highway, making his way back to Rancho Cucamonga.

Inside a dilapidated building, a group of zombies had gathered. Their grotesque faces and menacing auras filled the space with an oppressive energy. At the center of the hall stood a single figure—a Zombie King.

Unlike most zombies, his skin wasn't decayed. Instead, it was eerily pale, almost ghost-like. But the most striking feature was his eyes—one pitch black, the other stark white. They shimmered with an otherworldly glow, as if staring into them could drain the very essence of your soul.

This was Nightmare, the Zombie King of Rancho Cucamonga. His immense psychic power and awakened ability, Dream Invasion, made him a rare and terrifying force among the undead.

"Boss, I'm back!" Wreckhead said, bowing respectfully.

Nightmare gave a slight nod. "What's the situation in Los Angeles?"

"I checked it out. There aren't many zombies there, and their so-called Zombie King is a coward. He said he's scared of humans. Honestly, the whole 'Los Angeles ruler' thing seems like an empty title. Their overall strength feels pretty weak," Wreckhead reported.

"Pfft!"

Around the room, several zombies who had evolved intelligence couldn't help but snicker. A Zombie King… afraid of humans? The idea was so absurd it was laughable.

...