Apocalypse: King of Zombies

However, Laura quickly "showed them some love," putting an end to their suffering. One by one, the bodies dropped to the ground. This was the price of invasion.

In just a couple of minutes, over a hundred humans were wiped out, devoured by the zombies.

With the humans in the middle taken care of, the Red-Faced Zombie King and his crew finally came face-to-face with Ethan.

"ROAR—!"

The Red-Faced Zombie King was absolutely furious. The losses today had been catastrophic, and now, at last, Ethan was standing right in front of him. As the saying goes, "When enemies meet, their eyes burn with rage."

The remaining zombies under the Red-Faced King followed his lead, letting out deafening roars.

For a moment, the air was filled with the thunderous cries of the undead. The scene was overwhelming, a clash of titanic forces about to erupt.

The battle was on the verge of exploding!

Of course, Bulldozer, Laura, and the rest of Ethan's elite zombies weren't the type to get angry at a challenge. If anything, they were thrilled. They lived for this kind of fight.

"Go have some fun," Ethan said with a smirk.

At his command, his crew charged forward without hesitation.

The two zombie hordes sprinted at full speed, colliding like two tidal waves crashing into each other. But Ethan's crew was far too powerful—like professional football players plowing through a group of amateurs.

The moment they clashed, the opposing zombies were sent flying, their bodies scattering like bowling pins.

Bulldozer, in particular, was in his element. He loved this kind of chaos. Charging through the enemy ranks, he smashed through them like a wrecking ball, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

Meanwhile, perched on top of a nearby high-rise, the Red-Faced Zombie King's "scarf"—a grotesque creature called the Human-Faced Rat—let out a series of high-pitched screeches. It had spotted the one who killed its mate, and its heart burned with hatred.

The Human-Faced Rat unleashed its eerie ability: mind control.

A faint black mist began to spread, drifting toward Bulldozer, Laura, and the other zombies.

But in a nearby alley, the PhD zombie was watching everything unfold. His sharp, calculating eyes were locked onto the Human-Faced Rat. Unlike Bulldozer, who relied on brute strength, the PhD was cunning and methodical.

The PhD had recently awakened a new ability: Mind Spike.

He hadn't had a chance to use it yet in this battle, but now he saw his opportunity. As the Human-Faced Rat's mental energy spread out, trying to control others, the PhD focused his own power.

With a sudden burst of concentration, he struck.

CRACK!

His mental energy transformed into a sharp spike, stabbing directly into the Human-Faced Rat's mind.

"SCREEEEECH!"

The Human-Faced Rat let out a blood-curdling scream as its brain was wracked with searing pain. It collapsed onto its back, its limbs twitching uncontrollably, foam bubbling from its mouth. Whether it was dead or alive was anyone's guess.

"My scarf!" the Red-Faced Zombie King roared in fury. He was starting to realize that his side was no match for Ethan's crew. Their level of evolution was simply too high.

One of his top lieutenants, a nimble zombie nicknamed Monkey, leapt onto Bulldozer's back, baring its sharp teeth as it tried to bite into his skull.

But Bulldozer wasn't having any of it. He reached back with one massive hand, grabbed Monkey by the upper jaw, and yanked its mouth open. Then, with a roar, he slammed Monkey into the ground with a brutal over-the-shoulder throw.

"You think you can bite my head?!" Bulldozer growled, his voice dripping with disdain. To make his point, he stomped on Monkey's body a couple more times for good measure.

Ethan's crew tore through the opposing horde like a wrecking ball, leaving almost no casualties on their side. The Red-Faced Zombie King was losing control, his frustration boiling over.

"YOU'RE ALL DEAD!" he bellowed.

He thrust his arms forward, and his muscles swelled grotesquely. Veins burst from his skin, writhing like countless tentacles, spreading across the street in a horrifying display.

Several zombies were immediately impaled by the blood-soaked tendrils.

But Ethan's crew didn't flinch. They charged forward, fearless, their jaws snapping down on the veins. Some of them were even more ferocious, ignoring the fact that they'd been impaled, continuing to fight with reckless abandon. They were like savage wolf pups—if they were going to die, they'd make sure to take a chunk out of their enemy first.

"ROAR!"

Bulldozer let out a thunderous roar. Seeing his comrades skewered like kebabs was too much for him to bear. With a mighty leap, he closed the distance to the Red-Faced Zombie King, raising his fist to strike.

But despite his raw power, Bulldozer wasn't strong enough to take on the Red-Faced Zombie King alone.

Suddenly, the Red-Faced Zombie's chest split open, and countless blood vessels surged out, wrapping tightly around Bulldozer. The tendrils pierced into his body, beginning to drain his flesh and blood.

Bulldozer roared in pain, thrashing violently, but the blood vessels lifted him into the air, his feet dangling helplessly. He couldn't muster any strength to fight back.

"ALL OF YOU, DIE!" the Red-Faced Zombie bellowed.

As it absorbed more of Bulldozer's blood, its skin turned an even deeper shade of crimson. Veins bulged grotesquely across its face, making it look even more terrifying.

But just as it was reveling in its dominance, something unexpected happened.

Out of nowhere, a dark cloud appeared in the sky. It wasn't a storm—it was a massive flock of crows. Their eerie cries echoed as their glowing red eyes glinted with malice.

The crows dove down like missiles, their sharp beaks tearing into the blood vessels. Their beaks were like scissors, slicing through the tendrils with ease.

Blood sprayed everywhere, filling the air with a nauseating stench.

"Damn crows!" the Red-Faced Zombie roared in frustration.

Unable to withstand the relentless assault, it was forced to retract its blood vessels. The pain was unbearable, and its body trembled as the crows continued to peck at it.

Freed from the blood vessels, Bulldozer dropped to the ground. He looked up and saw a familiar red-eyed crow among the flock—it was the same little black bird he'd tried to catch earlier.

Bulldozer couldn't believe it. The bird had come to help him.

The little black bird had repaid cruelty with kindness. Instead of holding a grudge for being chased, it had come to save his life. Bulldozer felt a wave of emotion swell in his chest.

"Little black bird, you're amazing! I swear… I'll never try to catch you again!" he said, his voice full of gratitude.

"Big idiot… big idiot…" the crow squawked, flapping its wings as it flew away, just like it had the last time.

Bulldozer stood there, speechless.

With the help of the crows, the Red-Faced Zombie had lost its trump card. It was furious but helpless. When it looked up, it realized it was completely surrounded.

Ethan's elite zombies had closed in, their eyes gleaming with deadly intent. Each one was a powerhouse in its own right.

"It's over…" the Red-Faced Zombie muttered, a sinking feeling of doom washing over it.

...

Meanwhile, Ethan's figure flickered as he used his Domain of the Dead ability to phase through walls, entering the building where Michael and his group were hiding.

The building had once been a hotel, but now it was a scene of utter devastation. Bloodstains marred the marble floors, a grim reminder of the chaos that had unfolded here.

When the apocalypse hit, the hotel had been packed with people, making it one of the hardest-hit areas.

Now, the walls of the hotel had been sealed off by Michael and his team using their abilities. The barriers were a staggering 30 feet thick.

"Man, with powers like that, you should've gone into construction," Ethan thought to himself, amused.

The space inside was completely sealed off, shrouded in darkness. Not a single ray of sunlight penetrated the thick walls. The only light came from a few tactical flashlights held by armed survivors, their beams flickering in the distance.

Michael and his group were sitting on the ground, trying to catch their breath.

"We need to recover some strength while we can," Michael said, his voice calm but firm. "We burned through too much energy earlier."

"Yeah," Evan agreed, nodding. "Hiding in here was the right call."

"At least the zombies can't get in. We've got time," Evan added. "But man, blocking that Human-Faced Rat's mind control earlier… I feel like it drained my soul."

"Evan, just stop talking…" one of the women in the group said, her voice trembling with worry.

She was an Awakener, but her face was pale, her expression filled with dread. She couldn't shake the memory of what had happened earlier.

The Zombie King's abilities were beyond anything they'd ever encountered. In just a single moment, it had killed Xander effortlessly, as if it were taking a casual stroll.

She had read reports about Phantom Infected before. The data was clear: even Awakeners had an 80% mortality rate when facing one.

"Who the hell collected the intel on this place?!" she snapped, her voice breaking. "How could they classify this as a one-star zombie nest?!"

Her emotions were spiraling out of control, the fear and despair overwhelming her.