Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Ethan was no stranger to the power of the Absolute Domain. The moment he felt it, he knew exactly what he was dealing with. Very few Zombie Kings possessed that kind of terrifying aura—and that meant only one thing: the undisputed ruler of San Diego had arrived.

"Well, things just got a whole lot more interesting," Ethan muttered under his breath.

Travis and the others stood frozen, too scared to move a muscle. The unease in their chests hadn't gone away—in fact, it was getting worse. One wrong move, and they could end up dead without even knowing how it happened, victims of some twisted Zombie King ability.

"What the hell is going on now?"

"Why aren't we leaving?!"

"Wait… don't tell me… there's another Zombie King?"

"…"

The thought alone made them all suck in a sharp breath. Tonight had already been a nightmare—and now this? No one would believe them even if they lived to tell the tale.

Then, without warning, the surrounding Zombie Horde—who had been snarling and shrieking moments ago—suddenly fell silent. They stopped attacking, standing eerily still, all turning to face the darkness in the distance. Slowly, they bowed their heads in unison.

It was the unmistakable sign: a Zombie King was about to appear.

The air turned deathly still. Travis and the others held their breath, not daring to make a sound, eyes locked on the shadows ahead.

Moments later, figures emerged from the darkness.

Leading them was a Zombie King with a strikingly handsome face—so human-looking, he could've passed for one of the living. He wore a white dress shirt, streaked with red patterns that looked like blood stains soaked into the fabric.

Flanking him on either side were two of his top lieutenants: Falseword and Daisy.

Daisy, in her true form, looked like a gentle woman crowned with pink blossoms, as if she were wearing a flower wreath. She gave off a serene, almost peaceful vibe—until you looked at her face. Her eyes burned with hatred, locked onto Ethan like she wanted to tear him apart right then and there.

All three of them were S-class or higher—monsters in every sense of the word. Their presence alone was enough to make a human's soul tremble.

And then… there was one more.

Trailing behind them was another Zombie King, though he didn't exactly fit the fearsome image. His head was comically oversized, with dents and scars that looked like he'd been brained with a rock. Ugly didn't even begin to cover it—he looked like a walking punchline.

"Boss! That's him! He's the one who wiped out a bunch of my guys!" the Bighead Zombie King whined, pointing at Ethan like a tattling kid.

The lead Zombie King stopped in his tracks. His eyes were deep, dark, and unreadable—like they held the night itself. He stared straight at Ethan.

Ethan didn't flinch. His expression stayed calm, cool. He stared right back.

For a moment, the two locked eyes.

Two of the most terrifying Zombie Kings on record—finally face to face.

It was a rare sight. One for the books.

Travis and the others could barely breathe.

"That's… that's the ruler of San Diego?" someone whispered.

"Who else would it be?" Brian said, eyes narrowed.

These two weren't just any Zombie Kings—they were endgame bosses, walking apocalypses. And now they were standing on the same battlefield.

"We're screwed. We're so screwed," Travis muttered, panic rising in his voice. "There's no way we're getting out of this alive. Look at how many Zombie Kings are over there! And the horde! We're toast!"

Despite everything, his instincts still leaned toward Ethan. Sure, Ethan treated him like a disposable tool, but at least they were on the same side—for now. If they got captured by the other side, they were dead meat. No question.

"I don't know, man… our Zombie King doesn't exactly look like the safe bet either," one of the teammates said, his voice full of dread.

Out on the desolate battlefield, Ethan stood alone—facing down the San Diego overlord, his two elite generals, and a horde of thousands.

But he didn't look the least bit rattled. Surrounded by enemies, he still looked like he was in control.

"If you're all gonna show up, do it at once next time," Ethan said casually. "Don't waste my time… then again, maybe there won't be a next time."

"You… you arrogant bastard!" Daisy snapped, her voice shaking with fury. This guy in the white shirt was acting like he was the one doing the surrounding. Like he was the predator here.

Her Zombie Cultivation Ground had been destroyed by Ethan. She hadn't forgotten. She wasn't going to forgive.

"You're gonna pay for that tonight!"

"Daisy. Enough," the lead Zombie King said, raising a hand to silence her.

According to Genesis Biotech's Zombie King files, his name was Nightbane—an SS-class Zombie King with the awakened ability [Phantom Domain]. Some called him Phantom Nightbane.

The Falseword Ethan had just killed?

That had only been one of Nightbane's phantom projections.

"You came all the way here just to wreck my subordinate's Zombie Cultivation Ground—don't you think that's a bit much?" Nightbane's voice was low and steady, but there was a sharp edge to it.

Ethan shrugged, his tone casual. "Didn't your boy Butcher wander into my territory first?"

"I've got no interest in picking a fight with you," Nightbane replied calmly. "All I wanted was to kill that human named Elias. And even after you killed Butcher, I didn't retaliate."

Ethan paused, thinking it over. That was true. After he'd taken out the bloated Butcher, San Diego had stayed eerily quiet.

Nightbane continued, "I know you and I are destined to clash. That's inevitable. But… not today."

"Oh?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Then when do you think it should be?"

"Two months from now," Nightbane said firmly. "You came here alone tonight. I don't want to take advantage of that. So let's make it official—two months from now, right here, we settle this. Fair and square."

It was a challenge. A declaration of war—with a timer.

Ethan did a quick mental calculation. He was standing in the outer perimeter of San Diego's corpse nest, facing its supreme ruler, two elite generals, and who knew what else lurking in the shadows. He didn't have the upper hand here—not yet.

"Fine. Two months from now, I'll be here."

Nightbane nodded. "Until then, I won't touch Los Angeles. You're free to leave."

"Boss! You can't just—" Daisy's voice cracked with disbelief.

"Silence."

Nightbane cut her off with a single word, his tone absolute.

The situation had taken a sharp turn no one expected. Ethan had agreed to a full-scale showdown between the two corpse nests—two months from now.

Travis and the others were completely stunned, their bodies trembling. This wasn't the kind of scene people like them were supposed to witness.

But… maybe this was good news?

The two Zombie Kings hadn't started fighting. That had to mean they were safe, right?

Maybe they could leave with Ethan…

But then Daisy bared her fangs, her voice laced with fury. "Fine. He can go. But those humans stay."

"Wait, what?!" Travis and the others had just started to relax, and now their nerves snapped tight again.

Was she serious?

Getting handed over to a pissed-off Zombie King? They'd be better off just ending it themselves.

Daisy wasn't asking out of strategy—this was about pride. She figured Ethan wouldn't care about a few weak humans. After all, he'd already taken plenty of crystal cores from her cultivation ground. Leaving them behind would be a symbolic win for her side.

But Ethan turned his gaze toward her, calm and cold. "They came with me. They leave with me. Who the hell do you think you are, trying to make demands of me?"

"You—!"

Daisy's fists clenched so tight her knuckles cracked. The energy around her flared, wild and unstable. If Nightbane hadn't been standing right there, she would've already launched herself at Ethan.

Meanwhile, Travis and the others heard Ethan's words—and damn near teared up.

...