Apocalypse: King of Zombies

"Huh???" The Captain in charge of the pickup stared wide-eyed as he listened to Travis and the others recount their bizarre encounter.

"How the hell are you guys still alive?"

One of Travis's teammates added, "Wasn't there also that Bighead Zombie King with the dog?"

"That one wasn't much of a threat," Travis said, shaking his head. "Compared to the others, its combat ability was basically negligible."

"Damn…"

The Captain was even more stunned. If even a Zombie King wasn't worth mentioning, then whatever they'd faced must've been seriously messed up.

By now, they'd arrived at a wide underground entrance leading into the mountain. The place was solidly built, with neatly arranged steps descending into the depths.

A project this massive was obviously the work of an Earth-type Awakener.

In this era of supernatural powers, infrastructure like this wasn't exactly a challenge anymore.

The entrance was bustling with people, many of whom recognized the Captain and greeted him as they passed.

But not far from the entrance, a crowd had gathered, all craning their necks to get a look at something.

Brian glanced over.

In the center of the crowd was a sleek aircraft, its silver shell gleaming under the lights. The streamlined body gave off a high-tech vibe—it looked seriously badass.

Brian hadn't forgotten what Ethan told him.

"Hey, do you guys have some crazy chick named Mia around here?"

"Uh…" The Captain blinked, caught off guard. It took him a second to process. "You mean Mia, the Awakener from Los Angeles Unit 001?"

"Yeah, that's her." Brian's eyes lit up at the mention of L.A.—that pretty much confirmed it.

The Captain nodded. "She's here. I was the one who picked her up when she arrived. Why?"

"I need to talk to her," Brian said.

The Captain raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. What kind of business could he possibly have with her?

"You guys just got here. Don't you wanna rest up first? Get settled in?"

"Nope. I need to see her now."

"…Alright then."

Seeing how insistent he was, the Captain agreed and led the way.

The group headed down into the mountain.

...

Inside a spacious room, Mia was lounging in a chair, taking a break.

Sean was there too, tossing a red wild berry into the air and trying to catch it in his mouth like a kid. He was having the time of his life.

The berries had been foraged from the nearby forest. Mount Elbert was rich in resources and, so far, free of zombies or monsters—an ideal place to survive.

Sean hadn't even needed to come here. He'd tagged along just for the free food and shelter.

"This place is awesome… Living in the mountains is the way to go…"

"Tell the higher-ups back at the L.A. shelter I'm not coming back."

"..."

He muttered to himself while Mia ignored him completely.

A few moments later—

Knock knock.

"Who is it? Come in," Mia called out.

The door opened, and the Captain stepped in first.

"Mia, someone's here to see you."

Mia tilted her head, looking past him. Two unfamiliar figures stepped into view—she didn't recognize either of them.

"You the crazy chick named Mia?" Brian asked bluntly.

"Dude! Brian, could you not be so rude?" Travis said, trying to rein him in.

Brian didn't back down. "No, I gotta say it exactly like that. Those were Ethan's exact words—I'm just quoting him."

"..." Travis was speechless, rubbing his temples. He had no idea how to respond to that.

Mia raised an eyebrow.

That tone? Yeah, no doubt about it—that was Ethan's style.

"He sent you guys to find me?" Mia asked, her voice calm but with a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

"Yeah. As long as you know who I'm talking about," Brian replied honestly. "He said to tell you to give the aircraft back."

"Got it," Mia said without missing a beat.

With the message delivered, Brian let out a long breath, finally able to relax. Mission accomplished.

Since they didn't really know each other, there wasn't much else to say. Brian and his group turned and left.

Once they were gone, the room fell quiet again.

Sean, juice from the berries smeared at the corners of his mouth, glanced over with a curious glint in his eyes. "It's just an aircraft. Ethan actually sent people all the way up here to remind you? When did he get so stingy?"

"This isn't about the aircraft…" Mia murmured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she pieced it together.

"This is classic Ethan. He's not really asking for the aircraft back—he's nudging me to get moving on the stone tablet. The whole thing's hush-hush, so he couldn't say it outright. Had to send someone to drop a hint. Yeah… I get it."

…

By now, most of the personnel from the major shelters had arrived. The vanguard teams were all in place.

But more importantly—

Several research labs had been relocated here, bringing together top-tier scientists and engineers.

One of the main goals of establishing the Mount Elbert shelter was to develop Crystal Core Technology—to create more Crystal Core Armaments and boost humanity's combat capabilities.

In truth, Mount Elbert wasn't just a shelter—it was a massive research facility.

Mia, for her part, had her own little agenda. Borrowing the aircraft from Ethan wasn't just about getting around faster. That aircraft… was also part of a research project.

Maybe it was time to ask about the stone tablet.

Mia mulled it over, then turned to Sean. "I'm heading out for a bit."

"Huh? Where you going?" Sean asked, still chewing.

"Just eat your damn berries," Mia said without looking back, already striding out the door.

The hallway outside was bustling with activity.

With so many new arrivals still getting settled, the place was a hive of motion and noise.

Mia moved with purpose, heading straight for the inner section of the shelter.

This area was restricted—only high-level personnel and elite Awakeners were allowed access.

As the top Awakener from Los Angeles Unit 001, Mia had full clearance.

Up ahead, a heavy alloy door came into view, guarded by several armed soldiers. Security was tight.

"Mia," one of the guards greeted her respectfully.

She gave a small nod and stepped up to the door.

A red scanning beam swept from the top of her head to her feet, then turned green.

[Identity confirmed. Welcome.]

A mechanical voice chimed as the alloy door let out a clunk and slid open with a smooth, rotating motion—sleek and futuristic.

Inside, it felt like stepping into another world.

The floor tiles were polished to a mirror shine, the walls pristine white, and the overhead lights bathed everything in a bright, clinical glow.

Scientists in white lab coats moved briskly through the corridors, focused and efficient.

"Hey! Mia, you're here?"

A young man spotted her from down the hall and hurried over with a bright smile. He wasn't a scientist—he was part of the shelter's leadership. His name was Dylan Bennett, clean-cut and well-dressed, with a boyish charm.

"Mia, you came to see me?"

"No," Mia said flatly, barely glancing at him. "I'm here to see Dr. Morgan."

"Oh, right, of course! I'll take you to him," Dylan said, undeterred, still grinning as he turned to lead the way.

A few seconds later, they stopped in front of a private lab.

Dylan knocked lightly. A voice from inside called, "Come in."

He reached for the handle to open the door, but Mia stopped him.

"Hey, come here for a sec."

"Huh? What is it, Mia?" Dylan turned, puzzled.

Before he could react, Mia stepped ahead, grabbed the door handle, slipped inside, and bam!—slammed the door shut behind her, locking him out.

"…Nothing now," she muttered.

…