Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Just as Jacob had feared, the creature standing before him really was one of San Diego's infamous Four War Generals—known as "Hellhound."

This wasn't just any Zombie King. Hellhound had fused with a mutated warhound, making him a hybrid King-class zombie. His body was a fortress of muscle and bone, enhanced by his terrifying ability: Bone Manipulation. Add in his Super Smell, and you had the ultimate predator—deadly, relentless, and impossible to shake once he locked onto you.

Once Hellhound picked up your scent, you were as good as dead.

"Mmm… the scent of an S-class crystal core… absolutely divine."

Hellhound closed his eyes, nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply, a look of pure ecstasy spreading across his face.

Jacob's brow furrowed. The way Hellhound was staring at him—it felt like being hunted by a monster straight out of a nightmare. A wave of dread surged through him.

Another S-class Zombie King.

And not just any S-class. The Four War Generals of San Diego were the elite of the elite—each one a walking apocalypse.

This was bad. Really bad. Jacob could already tell they were completely outmatched. If it were up to him, they'd be looking for a way out. Fast.

The others were just as shaken. The pressure from two S-class Zombie Kings was suffocating.

Daisy shot Hellhound a glare, her eyes flashing with irritation. "What the hell are you doing here? I found this prey first."

"Don't talk to me," Hellhound snapped, turning his head away in disgust. "You reek. That stench of yours is unbearable."

He said it like he'd just caught a whiff of cheap perfume—sharp, offensive, and lingering.

Not far off, Bighead spotted Hellhound and rushed over, whining like a kicked puppy. The two had always been on good terms. In fact, the zombie beasts under Bighead's command had originally come from Hellhound's pack.

"Hellhound, bro! You're finally here! These humans were bullying me—you've gotta help me get payback!"

Hellhound tilted his head, eyeing him. "Who the hell are you?"

Bighead froze, stunned. "Bro, it's me! Bighead! You seriously don't recognize me?"

"Oh…" Hellhound squinted, taking a closer look. If it weren't for that oversized, misshapen head, he wouldn't have recognized him either.

Bighead had been torched so badly his skin was charred black, like a lump of coal. Smoke still curled off him in wisps.

"You stink too. Get away from me," Hellhound said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Bighead: "..."

Hellhound's eyes locked onto Jacob again, glowing with a savage gleam. Like a starving wolf spotting its next meal. Without warning, bone wings burst from his back, and he launched himself forward.

An S-class Zombie King in motion was a blur of death. He moved so fast he left afterimages in his wake.

"He's coming!" someone shouted, voices tight with panic.

Everyone sprang into action, activating their powers. A kaleidoscope of energy flared to life as their abilities surged to the max.

The ground trembled. Frost crystallized in the air. Walls of earth erupted from the ground, dozens—maybe hundreds—of ice and stone barriers rising to block Hellhound's path.

But he didn't slow down for a second.

With his mutated bone armor, he plowed through the defenses like a wrecking ball, smashing through everything in his way.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Ice and stone exploded in every direction, debris flying like shrapnel.

Jacob's eyes widened. "This guy's a goddamn rabid dog…"

Everywhere Hellhound went, destruction followed. Bone spikes jutted from his elbows and knees, sharp as steel drills.

As he tore through the human Awakeners, he didn't even pause—just rammed straight through them, the spikes punching clean through skulls.

Blood sprayed. Bodies dropped.

"Kehehehehe…"

Hellhound laughed, a twisted grin spreading across his face. He was getting more and more hyped with every kill—but even as he slaughtered the others, his eyes never left Jacob.

Jacob sucked in a sharp breath. He'd seen his fair share of Zombie Kings, but this one? This one was pure madness.

"Fall back! Now!" he shouted.

Panic erupted. The humans broke ranks, fear overwhelming any thought of resistance. They dropped their weapons, turned tail, and ran for their lives.

Inside the company's main office, Nathan was pacing in front of the massive screen, clearly losing his cool. He couldn't sit still anymore, his anxiety practically radiating off him.

"This zombie's insane! It's killing people like they're baby chicks!"

"Zombies… that's kind of what they do," Sophia replied flatly, not even looking up. "Nathan, your people are useless. They've been sitting on their asses too long. The moment they saw an S-class Zombie King, they lost their nerve. They were already defeated the second they panicked."

"So what the hell are we supposed to do now?" Nathan snapped, realizing just how out of touch he was with the current state of things.

Sophia thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Relax. Once that Zombie King's had its fill, it'll probably just leave."

"What?" Nathan's face twisted in disbelief. "That's your plan? Are you even hearing yourself?"

Sophia elaborated, calm as ever. "You've still got, what, twenty thousand people under your command? Even if they're just cannon fodder, they'll wear the thing down eventually. It's not like it has infinite stamina. Once it's tired, it'll retreat."

"..." Nathan was speechless. If that was the plan, they might as well declare the company dead. That wasn't a strategy—that was a slow-motion collapse.

...

Outside the Genesis Biotech base in Los Angeles, the slaughter raged on.

The ground was soaked in blood, littered with mangled corpses. Zombies swarmed over the fallen, tearing into flesh with wet, crunching sounds. Blood sprayed, bones cracked, and the air was thick with the stench of death. It was a grotesque, nightmarish scene.

Up ahead, Daisy and Hellhound were still on the hunt, chasing down the last of the fleeing humans.

Turning your back on a zombie was a death sentence.

Jacob's heart pounded in his chest. He was more than just worried—he was terrified.

Both of those S-class Zombie Kings had locked onto him as their target. And if he kept running, kept retreating, eventually he'd run out of road.

"How far can I even run?" he muttered under his breath.

But just as despair began to settle in, something caught his eye—tiny glimmers in the sky, growing larger by the second. Aircraft. Several of them, speeding toward the battlefield.

Reinforcements.

Onboard were operatives sent by Richard from Genesis Biotech's headquarters, along with support teams from nearby city branches. Help was finally arriving.

"Richard told us to do a surprise inspection while we're here," said the young man leading the squad. "See if Nathan's been slacking off."

He was strikingly handsome, with sharp, symmetrical features—almost too perfect. But the most eye-catching thing about him was his shaved head, and the bold alphanumeric tattoo at the back of his skull: T-09.

That wasn't just a number. It was his codename. His identity.

Beside him stood a female Awakener with a sleek bob haircut and a skin-tight combat suit that hugged her athletic frame.

"I never trusted that guy," she said, arms crossed. "Always looked shifty when he talked. Bet he's been up to no good."

"Looks like you were wrong this time, Xiaoya," a burly man nearby chuckled, standing by the window. "Mr. Nathan's working real hard right now."

"Oh?" Xiaoya raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? Let me see."

The group moved to the aircraft's viewing window, peering down at the scene below.

The Genesis Biotech base loomed in the distance, its massive "GB" logo still visible. But the area surrounding it was a warzone—utter chaos.

Bodies were strewn everywhere, most of them human. Zombies clustered together, feasting on the dead. Blood painted the ground in thick, dark streaks.

Farther out, a few survivors were still fighting, desperately trying to hold the line.

"Can Richard really think Mr. Nathan is slacking off?" Xiaoya muttered, her expression darkening. "Well, I guess the reports were right. L.A. really is a hellhole right now."

"Yeah, no kidding," the big guy said, cracking his knuckles. "Good thing they sent us. Looks like we've got some work to do."

With that, the lead aircraft banked hard, the others following in formation. Engines roared as they dove toward the Genesis Biotech base, ready to enter the fray.

...