Apocalypse: King of Zombies

"Zombie detectors?"

Chris and the others stared at Ethan with what could only be described as a "brilliant" expression on his face. For some reason, the camera on this so-called detector seemed a little... off-kilter.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Mia leapt down from the rooftop, a rare trace of emotion flickering in her eyes. She hadn't expected to run into Ethan in this brutal, apocalyptic world. The coincidence was almost unbelievable.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just passing through," Ethan replied casually.

Sean, on the other hand, was visibly excited. With a big grin, he said, "This place is a five-star zombie nest! There were a ton of zombies here earlier—it was super dangerous. The fact that you made it out alive is pretty impressive!"

Ethan glanced at Sean, taking in those unique eyes of his. After all these years, Sean really hadn't changed one bit.

"What about you guys? What are you doing here?"

"Someone stole our supplies and holed up in this area. We're here to track them down!" Sean explained.

"Oh?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. He'd heard about the stolen supplies from the shelter, but he hadn't expected the thieves to hide out in his territory.

When did this happen?

And why didn't he know about it?

"I know this area pretty well. Maybe I can help you find them."

"Really? That'd be awesome!"

Sean didn't think twice. To him, running into an old friend and having him join their group was nothing but good news.

But Chris and the others standing behind him? They were frozen in place, too scared to make a move.

In their minds, Ethan was most likely the zombie king—the source of all the danger in this area. And now Sean was inviting him to join their team?!

This world had officially gone insane. It was like a mouse inviting a cat to dinner.

Mia nodded in agreement and added, "Yeah, once we find the supplies, we can take you back to the shelter. It's safe there."

"Pfft!"

Chris and the others nearly choked.

Sean was already ridiculous enough, but Mia? She was on another level. She was actually suggesting they bring Ethan back to the shelter!

At this point, they weren't even sure if the shelter was safe anymore. That probably depended on Ethan's mood.

Ethan thought for a moment but didn't outright refuse. "We'll see."

"Alright," Mia replied, then turned to the four people behind her. "What are you guys doing still hiding on the roof? Come down already!"

"Uh... okay," Chris and the others answered hesitantly. Their voices were shaky, and their expressions were filled with worry, but they still jumped down to the street and cautiously approached.

The closer they got to Ethan, the stronger their unease grew. They couldn't tell if it was just their imagination, but there was an inexplicable sense of danger in the air.

And then they noticed Ethan's eyes. They were cold, devoid of any emotion. When he looked at them, it was as if he were staring at livestock.

The only time his gaze showed any spark of life was when he spoke to Mia or Sean.

"Let me introduce you," Mia said, gesturing to the group. "These four are Awakeners from the shelter—Chris, Nick..." She went through each name.

"Hmm."

Ethan responded with a single, indifferent grunt. He didn't even bother to look at the four of them, his attitude making it clear he didn't consider them worth his attention.

Chris forced a smile, his nerves barely holding together. "Ahaha... hi, nice to meet you!"

The four of them were on edge, but for now, it seemed like Ethan didn't intend to kill them. If he had, the horde of zombies from earlier would've been more than enough to finish them off.

So, they decided to play dumb and pretend Ethan was just a regular human.

Sean, however, wasn't pretending—he was genuinely clueless. And incredibly enthusiastic.

"Ethan, once we find the supplies, you've got to join us for a feast! We'll have fried chicken and beer—it'll be like a reunion party!"

"Sure," Ethan agreed without hesitation.

Just then, Sean's stomach let out a loud, embarrassing growl.

The intense hunger made his head spin, his limbs go weak, and he almost collapsed on the spot.

Ethan took one look at him and immediately understood his condition. You're starving to this extent… and you're still thinking about treating me to a meal?

"How about I treat you first?"

"Huh? You have food on you right now?" Sean's "brilliant" eyes widened in disbelief.

"A little. Not much…"

With a casual wave of his hand, Ethan pulled out some bread, sausages, and a pack of beef jerky from his spatial storage ring.

These were supplies he'd looted from a warehouse not long ago—priceless in this apocalyptic world. His storage ring was still stocked with plenty of them, but to him, they weren't of much use.

Sean stared at the food, completely dumbfounded. It was like Ethan had conjured it out of thin air.

Uncontrollable tears of gratitude welled up in his eyes… or maybe it was just drool. There was beef jerky in there—his favorite snack!

"Thanks! I won't hold back then!"

Sean grabbed the food, tore open the packaging, and started stuffing his face. Enjoy exclusive content from empire

The rich, oily flavor of the beef jerky spread across his tongue, the spicy and savory taste lighting up his senses.

"This is amazing!"

Hunger truly is the best seasoning. In Sean's current state, the beef jerky tasted like the finest delicacy on Earth.

Watching Sean devour the food, Ethan couldn't help but be reminded of their childhood. Back in the orphanage, Sean had always loved beef jerky.

He was so afraid of the other kids stealing it that he'd hide it under his blanket when he slept. Of course, it didn't take long for the jerky to get squished, leaving a greasy mess all over his bed. The headmaster had scolded him so badly that day.

"Gulp."

Mia, watching Sean eat with such relish, couldn't help but swallow hard. Her mouth watered involuntarily, and her stomach let out a faint growl of its own.

Ethan glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Instead, he pulled out more food—bread, sausages, and beef jerky—this time adding a bottle of chocolate-flavored Ensure meal replacement shake. He handed it to her.

"I'm not hungry," Mia said, shaking her head in refusal.

Ethan studied her for a moment. Still the same as when we were kids—soft all over, but stubborn to the core.

"It's fine. Just eat."

"…Okay."

Mia hesitantly took the food, but her mind was still conflicted. In the apocalypse, food was incredibly precious. Ethan had just said he didn't have much, so she felt guilty taking it.

"What's wrong now?" Ethan asked, noticing her hesitation and the strange look on her face.

Mia stared at him blankly, then picked up the bread and said, "It's expired."

"…" Ethan was speechless. "Eat it or don't. Your choice."

The bread's label did show it was past its expiration date, but since it had been stored in his spatial ring, it was perfectly preserved and completely safe to eat.

Mia stopped overthinking it. I'll just repay him later, she thought.

She opened the packaging and began eating.

Meanwhile, Chris and the other three stood in the back, staring intently at the food. Their stomachs churned, growling loudly as they watched, their mouths practically watering.

But none of them dared to ask Ethan for anything.

The way he'd pulled food out of thin air was enough to show how strange and powerful he was.

And if they weren't careful, they might end up becoming the food.

So, the four of them quickly turned their heads away.

Out of sight, out of mind.

It didn't take long for Mia to finish eating. She looked noticeably more energetic afterward.

"I'll pay you back for this food," she said. "Or I can trade Neurocores or Crystal Cores for it."

In the shelter, one Neurocore could be exchanged for a bag of instant noodles, and one Crystal Core could get you an entire box. This kind of value exchange was second nature to them now, so she felt awkward just taking Ethan's food for free.

"Yeah, exactly!" Sean chimed in, his mouth still greasy from the jerky. "We'll trade! I'm not just freeloading!"

…