Apocalypse: King of Zombies

David stood to the side, unable to understand their language, but he had heard rumors before—Ryuji, their leader, was incredibly powerful, supposedly an SS-rank Awakener.

The thought of working alongside someone that strong sent a thrill through him. He was eager to witness the abilities of an SS-rank firsthand.

"Mr. Ryuji, if you don't mind me asking… what's your awakened ability?" David asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Hmph! You'll find out soon enough," Ryuji replied with a cocky smirk.

"Oh, alright then." David nodded and continued leading the way.

A short while later, they left San Bernardino behind and arrived at a vast, desolate plain. The ground was littered with countless bones and corpses.

Ahead, a few zombies, starving and desperate, were crouched on the ground, gnawing on rotting flesh.

The moment they caught the scent of living humans, their heads snapped up.

"Raaagh—!"

With a guttural roar, they instantly turned feral, lunging toward the group like ravenous wolves spotting prey.

Several elite fighters from the Takahashi Family immediately drew their weapons and stepped forward to engage.

These zombies weren't particularly strong.

With a few swift clashes of steel, heads rolled to the ground, and the undead were swiftly cut down—Ryuji didn't even need to lift a finger.

David felt a twinge of disappointment.

He had been hoping to see an SS-rank in action.

But before he could dwell on it, another wave of guttural howls echoed across the plains—this time, much louder and more numerous.

A horde of at least a hundred zombies was approaching.

These were the undead from Rancho Cucamonga.

Nightmare had been relentlessly attacking San Bernardino, constantly sending waves of zombies to wear them down.

And within this horde, there were quite a few elite variants.

"This is getting annoying…" Ryuji muttered, his brows furrowing in irritation. One hand was already gripping the hilt of his katana at his waist.

David's eyes lit up. Is he finally going to make a move?

As the massive horde charged forward, the Takahashi Family's fighters once again stepped up, engaging the zombies in brutal combat.

But Ryuji remained still, his hand on his sword, his presence growing heavier by the second. A faint current of air swirled around him, making his black coat ripple.

"Wind Slash."

With a quiet murmur, his katana flashed from its sheath, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone—moving so fast that he seemed to vanish.

David's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't even seen how Ryuji moved.

It was as if he had disappeared from where he stood.

In the next instant, Ryuji was already deep within the horde, his katana slicing through the air, sending razor-sharp wind blades flying.

Each slash was devastatingly precise. Zombies were cleaved in half at the waist, their bodies collapsing in grotesque sprays of blackened blood.

Limbs flew, torsos split apart—he was cutting through them like a storm tearing through a battlefield.

His movements were fluid, effortless. He cut down the undead as if they were nothing more than livestock.

"Unbelievable…" David whispered in awe.

Is he… a wind-type Awakener?

Just as David was trying to process what he was seeing—

The wind around Ryuji suddenly stopped.

Instead, crackling sounds filled the air. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

Sparks of electricity danced across his body, flickering like silver serpents.

"Thunderclap!"

Lightning energy surged into his blade, and with a sudden, forceful strike, he slammed it into the ground.

Zzzzzzt!

Bolts of electricity erupted outward, spreading across the battlefield in a massive web of crackling energy.

The moment the zombies touched it, their bodies convulsed violently, smoke rising from their charred flesh.

One by one, they collapsed, reduced to blackened husks.

In a single strike, Ryuji had cleared an entire area, leaving a scorched, empty space around him.

"This…"

David stood there, dumbfounded, completely shaken by what he had just witnessed.

Lightning too?

Could it be… that Ryuji was a dual-attribute Awakener?

The realization hit him like a truck. Unbelievable. Absolutely insane. No wonder he was the Patriarch of the Takahashi Family.

No wonder he had the confidence to hunt down the Zombie King of Los Angeles.

With Ryuji in the fight, the battle was over in no time. It wasn't even a contest—more like a complete massacre. Not a single casualty on their side.

"Let's move."

"Of course! This way, please!" David's attitude became even more enthusiastic as he led the way.

They continued cutting through any undead in their path, making steady progress until they reached the forest.

The route from San Bernardino to Los Angeles required them to pass through Angeles National Forest. The dense foliage stretched endlessly around them, but the eerie silence was unsettling—there wasn't a single sound.

Ryuji frowned. "Why aren't there any mutant beasts in this forest?" He had been hoping to hunt some wild game for food.

David quickly explained, "Ah, you wouldn't know, but a while back, we had a parasite outbreak here. Those things wiped out almost all the wildlife in the mountains."

"Oh?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "You guys have parasite creatures here too?"

David nodded repeatedly, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Wait… you know about them?"

"Of course. In Japan, we've seen all kinds of monsters. Those parasites… if they get their hands on a Radiant Crystal, they evolve into their ultimate form. And when that happens, they become terrifying."

Ryuji's expression darkened as he recalled the past. Many of his people had died at the hands of those creatures.

They continued chatting as they moved forward, encountering no further threats.

Before long, they successfully passed through the forest and arrived at the outskirts of Los Angeles.

"There it is… the most terrifying zombie nest in the region."

David crouched in the tall grass, staring at the towering cityscape ahead. Fear flickered in his eyes.

Ryuji gazed at the city in silence.

It was eerily quiet. Only the occasional zombie howl echoed through the streets.

From his experience, that kind of silence meant one thing—high-level evolution.

"As expected… this place is dangerous," Ryuji muttered. He had come to hunt the Zombie King, but even he wasn't reckless enough to charge straight into the heart of the nest.

"Satoshi, scout the area. See what's inside… and check if any of our people are still alive."

"Understood!" A young man nodded.

David watched them, curiosity burning in his mind. What are they planning? How do they intend to deal with this nightmare of a city?

Then, right before his eyes, the young man took a deep breath and… his body rippled, like water disturbed by a breeze.

"Aqua Stealth."

With a quiet whisper, his entire form turned translucent—then fully transparent. His presence vanished completely.

If David hadn't been watching closely, he wouldn't have even realized someone had been standing there.

That's insane…

"Go," Ryuji ordered.

"Understood," the water-like figure responded, his voice seemingly coming from thin air.

And just like that, he slipped into the city alone, disappearing into the shadows.

But none of them noticed…

Scattered around the forest, several pulsating red tumors throbbed like beating hearts.

And in the distance, hidden among the dense foliage, a small figure observed them.

Lil' Shroom.

She narrowed her eyes, watching the group from afar.

"What are these humans scheming about so loudly?"

—

Meanwhile, back at his home, Ethan lounged around, sipping a drink, utterly relaxed.

He had already absorbed most of the high-grade crystal cores from his last hunt.

Outside his window, a black crow with glowing red eyes soared through the sky before landing on the windowsill.

It tapped at the glass with its beak.

Ethan raised an eyebrow and walked over, opening the window without hesitation.

"What's up, Buddy Crow?"

"Takeout… takeout…" the crow cawed in its sharp, eerie voice.

Ethan blinked.

A visitor?

That was rare.

No one had dared step into his territory for a long time.

This was going to be interesting.

...