Apocalypse: King of Zombies

From that point on, things got a lot simpler—mainly because someone was leading Ethan.

He trailed behind a group of Awakeners, walking for about twenty minutes before a massive structure loomed ahead.

The building was pristine white, its core made of alloy. Drones circled the exterior, and surveillance cameras covered every angle, leaving no blind spots.

At the entrance, two cybernetic guards stood watch, their eyes glowing green as they scanned the surroundings with mechanical precision.

And that wasn't all. The security measures were intense.

Facial recognition, retinal scans, even blood tests—every precaution was taken to ensure no unidentified entities slipped through. After all, many zombies and parasitic creatures had evolved to mimic humans, infiltrating wherever they could.

But against this level of security? They'd be out of luck.

Ethan, however, was a different story.

He could bypass it all by simply using his Domain of the Dead to phase through.

The group of Awakeners ahead of him went through the rigorous checks, their expressions growing increasingly impatient as they muttered complaints under their breath.

"Seriously? I just left twenty minutes ago, went through all this, and now I have to do it again? Such a pain," one of them grumbled.

"Rules are rules," a security officer replied with a shrug. "Sophia's orders. Even if you step out for just a second, there's a chance you could turn into one of those creatures. So yeah, we have to check."

The man rolled his eyes. "Come on, isn't that a bit over the top?"

"Not really. The monsters these days are freaky as hell. If we don't stick to the protocol, we're asking for trouble. Anyway, you're clear. Go on in," the officer said, finally waving him through.

The man, carrying a teenage girl over his shoulder, walked straight inside.

Ethan, on the other hand, slipped in silently, phasing through the wall like a ghost.

The first thing he saw was a long corridor. The walls were made entirely of alloy, solid and impenetrable.

Above the entrance, a green light scanned the area, sweeping back and forth.

It was another layer of regional surveillance.

Ethan wasn't sure if this scan could detect him, but he wasn't about to take any chances. Better to play it safe and avoid it altogether.

The corridor was lined with numerous rooms on either side.

Scientists in white lab coats bustled back and forth, clutching stacks of documents. Their hurried movements made it clear they were swamped with work.

"Did they bring the girl?" a young woman, who looked like an assistant, asked as she approached.

"Yeah, yeah, she's here," the man replied, his face lighting up with a sycophantic grin. "Hey, Lily, how about grabbing dinner with me after you're done?"

"Not happening," Lily shot back without hesitation. "I've told you before—I'm not interested. Unless… you manage to evolve into an Awakener with a crystal core."

The man nodded eagerly, as if clinging to hope. "No problem! I can feel myself getting stronger every day. I'll definitely form a crystal core soon!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Stop wasting time and follow me. The professor's waiting to start the experiment," Lily said, brushing him off as she led him deeper into the facility.

Ethan followed at a distance, his eyes scanning his surroundings. One particular room caught his attention—a wall of reinforced glass embedded into the front.

Inside, a zombie was restrained, its limbs bound with alloy chains. It thrashed and snarled, its frustration palpable as it let out guttural growls.

A group of scientists stood outside the glass, unfazed by the creature's aggression. They pointed and gestured, discussing something, while a nearby intern scribbled notes into a small notebook.

Ethan could feel the zombie's emotions. It was consumed by an overwhelming hunger for flesh, desperate to break free and tear those smug humans apart.

And this wasn't the only room like that.

There were several others, almost like a grotesque exhibit.

Ethan quickly noticed a pattern. The zombies were arranged by grade, from D-class to B-class, each one more dangerous than the last.

It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on. The humans were studying zombies of various levels, analyzing their behavior and weaknesses. They were preparing for war, arming themselves with knowledge to ensure victory.

Some of the rooms even held elite zombies.

These were on a whole different level. Guarded by Awakeners with crystal cores, the elite zombies had evolved intelligence. They didn't thrash or scream like the others. Instead, they stood still, eerily calm, as if resigned to their fate.

They knew escape was impossible. Struggling would only be a waste of energy.

"Don't worry… I'll let you out soon enough," Ethan thought to himself, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

As he continued observing, something else caught his eye—a promising lead.

One of the zombies had been injected with the X-virus.

That could only mean one thing: the lab had a supply of the virus somewhere inside.

Sophia controlled all of San Bernardino, a region rich in resources. Her influence and wealth had earned her the favor of headquarters, allowing her to live a life of luxury.

"Let's see if I can get some X-virus from that woman… and maybe test her strength while I'm at it," Ethan thought, his mood light as he continued deeper into the facility.

After wandering through several corridors, he finally reached the core of the lab.

The room he entered was spacious, filled with an array of advanced experimental equipment. In the center, a young girl lay on a pristine white bed, her body connected to a tangle of tubes. Around her, scientists bustled about, engrossed in their work.
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But Ethan's attention wasn't on the girl or the scientists.

His eyes were drawn to the massive vault embedded in the wall. It was clear that whatever was inside was of great importance.

The vault was surrounded by a green light, a security measure that made accessing it a challenge. To open it, one would need to pass facial recognition, blood tests, and other biometric scans.

"Such a hassle…" Ethan muttered under his breath. If he tried to use his Domain of the Dead to phase into the vault, the green light would likely detect him, triggering an alarm. And while he wasn't particularly worried about being exposed, there was a bigger risk.

High-security vaults like this often came with self-destruct mechanisms. Given Genesis Biotech's reputation and the lab's tight security, it was almost certain this one did too.

Ethan wasn't about to take unnecessary risks.

To play it safe, he decided to "borrow" a face. If he could use someone else's identity, he could open the vault through official channels without raising suspicion.

His gaze shifted to the scientists working nearby.

"Professor, what's so special about this girl?" a young female intern asked, her curiosity evident.

The older man, clearly the lead scientist, replied, "Her blood is unique. It's highly compatible with our modifications. We'll be transporting her to headquarters soon. She's critical to the development of the third-generation liquid metal cyborgs."

"Oh…" The intern nodded, her interest piqued. "Are we really that close to completing the third generation?"

"Of course," the professor said with a hint of pride. "Genesis Biotech has been gathering resources globally. Our research is advancing rapidly. The emergence of crystal cores has also significantly accelerated technological progress."

"That's incredible!" The intern's eyes lit up with admiration.

The professor chuckled, clearly enjoying the praise. "This is just the beginning. Our true game-changer is the development of nanorobots. These robots are only one nanometer in size, completely invisible to the naked eye. They can float in the air, and once they enter a zombie's body, they'll dismantle it from the inside."

The intern's eyes widened in amazement. "Wait… does that mean if we release them from the air, we could wipe out an entire city of zombies?"

The professor nodded enthusiastically, his pride unmistakable. "Exactly. These robots are so small that zombies wouldn't even realize they're there. I've already been invited to join the team working on this project."

Ethan, who had been silently listening from the shadows, couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise. He hadn't expected humans to develop something so advanced. It was a terrifyingly effective weapon, one that left no room for defense.

"Impressive," he thought to himself. "But maybe… you shouldn't be working on that anymore."

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