Apocalypse: King of Zombies

The AI-enhanced cyborg processed data at lightning speed. As a third-generation model, it was significantly more advanced and had already scanned Ethan's power level.

[Optimal strategy calculated: Deception through disguise.]

Immediately, the cyborg's liquid-metal body shifted. Its clothes became tattered, its skin turned a sickly gray, and its face twisted into something grotesque.

In the blink of an eye, it had transformed into a zombie.

Having recorded extensive data on countless zombies, it replicated their appearance and movements flawlessly. From the way it staggered to the vacant look in its eyes, it was indistinguishable from the real thing. No ordinary person would be able to tell the difference.

Meanwhile, up ahead, Ethan continued his relentless slaughter.

His terrifying Domain of the Dead swept through everything like a force of nature, obliterating all in its path. Harvesting human crystal cores was as effortless for him as reaching into a bag and grabbing a handful.

No one dared to approach him.

But when they saw the cyborg take on the form of a zombie, their eyes lit up with hope.

"Quick! Go ambush him!"

"Got it."

The cyborg ran a series of calculations and determined that this plan had a reasonable chance of success. So, it proceeded with the execution.

Mimicking the sluggish, erratic movements of a zombie, it slowly crept toward Ethan.

This tactic had worked flawlessly in the past. Zombies couldn't tell the difference, and even Scissorhands, Nightmare's top enforcer, had been injured by this trick before.

The onlookers held their breath, silently praying for success.

The cyborg inched closer and closer. Ethan remained focused on collecting crystal cores, paying no attention to his surroundings.

"Is it going to work?"

"Somebody stop him already!"

"..."

The tension was unbearable. The squad's core members—several high-ranking Awakeners—were on the verge of being wiped out by Ethan.

Now, the cyborg was less than thirty feet away from him.

The crowd's hearts pounded in their chests.

Then—

"Hm?"

Ethan glanced over his shoulder.

At some point, a zombie had wandered unnervingly close to him. But something was off. It had no presence—no aura at all.

His instincts flared.

Narrowing his eyes, he scrutinized the creature more closely.

The cyborg, realizing Ethan was observing it, didn't make any sudden moves. Instead, it ran a quick calculation and transmitted a signal.

It could mimic zombie brainwaves—sending out messages just like the real thing.

"We... are allies. Please don't hurt me."

"Allies?"

Ethan frowned. A zombie claiming to be an ally? Was it from Rancho Cucamonga? He had already killed the Giant Boulder Zombie King, completely severing any possible truce with them.

Might as well just kill them all.

Without hesitation, Ethan swung his Tachi in a clean arc.

The blade, razor-sharp, sliced through the air with a sharp whistle and buried itself deep into the zombie's neck.

But something felt off.

The sensation wasn't the usual resistance of flesh and bone—it was thick, almost sticky.

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he took a closer look.

The Tachi had cut clean through the neck, but the head didn't fall. Instead, the wound rippled like liquid metal and sealed itself in an instant.

"Oh… so you're a cyborg."

Ethan immediately understood.

This squad had both fire and ice Awakeners, a psychic, and even a third-generation cyborg. Clearly, they were an elite team—one of the best.

Too bad they had the misfortune of running into him.

And now, they were about to be wiped out.

The remaining humans, seeing the cyborg's disguise fail, felt their last shred of hope shatter.

"Shit! He saw through it!"

"How?! That shouldn't be possible!"

"No idea… but I doubt we'll live long enough to find out."

"..."

Despair settled over them like a suffocating fog.

The cyborg, now fully exposed, didn't hesitate. Its arms shifted, liquid metal flowing and reshaping into sleek, silver drill-like blades that shot toward Ethan in a sudden ambush.

Ethan barely reacted.

With a single effortless swing of his Tachi, the drill-blades were severed mid-air.

Shing!

The broken metal pieces clattered to the ground, quickly melting back into liquid and attempting to return to the cyborg's body.

"Not happening."

Ethan's Domain of the Dead expanded outward.

A crushing force descended upon the battlefield, freezing everything in place.

The cyborg's body stiffened, but its face remained expressionless. Its liquid-metal form trembled, struggling against the overwhelming pressure.

It was like an ice cream cone melting under the summer sun.

Even its feet stuck to the ground, making every step forward agonizingly slow.

And as the pressure intensified—

The cyborg collapsed.

Its body lost all structure, dissolving into a puddle of silver metal that spread across the ground.

Within the metallic sludge, a few solid components remained—a scanner, a neural processor, and other small internal parts.

Ethan crouched down and stirred the liquid with his Tachi, the sensation oddly reminiscent of… stirring a pile of shit.

A moment later—

He spotted an A+ grade crystal core.

With a flick of his blade, he lifted it into the air and smoothly stored it in his spatial ring—a seamless, practiced motion.

"This…"

The remaining survivors were stunned.

A third-generation cyborg, taken down just like that?

Their last hope had been crushed in an instant.

And now, standing before this monstrous Zombie King, they felt like helpless chicks facing a tiger.

Even the thought of resisting seemed laughable.

Seeing their spirits completely broken, Ethan sighed.

Might as well put them out of their misery.

None of them survived.

After collecting anything useful, Ethan prepared to continue his "shopping trip."

But suddenly—

A chilling aura spread through the air.

Ethan's eyes flicked toward the horizon.

In the distance, countless figures began to emerge, moving like a relentless tide.

He immediately activated stealth mode and observed carefully.

Zombies.

A horde, surging forward like a raging storm.

"Rancho Cucamonga's zombies?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

Judging by their numbers, it looked like they were going all in.

That was… interesting.

Lately, humans had been getting bolder, launching counterattacks. But now, Rancho Cucamonga's zombies were mobilizing en masse as well.

Everyone seemed very motivated lately.

Looked like things were about to get serious.

...

Meanwhile, at Genesis Biotech…

The cyborg's final data transmission had been uploaded to the cloud.

Inside Genesis Biotech, alarms quietly triggered.

A woman in heels rushed into an office.

"Sophia! We lost a cyborg!"

Sophia's brows furrowed. "How?"

The secretary took a deep breath. "According to the uploaded data… it encountered the Los Angeles Zombie King. The entire squad was wiped out."

"What?!"

Sophia's jaw clenched.

Her fingers curled into a tight fist, her nails pressing so hard against her palm that her thumb turned white.

Her rage was palpable.

"That damn Zombie King again… He actually dared to come here and cause trouble?"

"Not just that," the secretary continued. "He brought back Devourer Ants from Japan. Some of them have already infiltrated San Bernardino. If anyone lets their guard down, those things will burrow into their bodies… and the deaths are absolutely gruesome."

"..."

Sophia fell silent.

Just thinking about the Devourer Ants made her skin crawl.

Of course, it was just psychological, but still—

Her hatred for Ethan deepened.

But this time, she wasn't too worried.

After all, they had already hired powerful bounty hunters.

Did he really think she had no way to deal with him?

"Quick! Go get Mr. Elias!"

...