Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Mia and Ethan finished eating, recharged their energy, and continued their search for members of the "Black Hand Legion."

Thanks to Ethan, the journey was surprisingly smooth. The ferocious zombies that usually roamed the streets seemed to have vanished without a trace.

It was almost surreal—Mia felt like she was just taking a casual afternoon stroll through the city.

Ethan chatted with the two of them as they walked, reminiscing about things like picking cherries and making dumplings. His demeanor was so relaxed, it was as if the apocalypse didn't exist.

Chris and the others exchanged uneasy glances.

They didn't dare ask questions, nor did they dare say anything. They simply followed behind in silence, doing their best to act invisible.

But they couldn't help noticing something unusual—Mia, who was usually quiet and reserved, was talking a lot more than usual today.

Far behind them, on the rooftop of a tall building, three figures stood watching: Bulldozer, Laura, and the PhD zombie. Their piercing, predatory eyes locked onto the group below.

"Why is the boss hanging out with humans?" Laura asked, her tone tinged with jealousy.

"Don't underestimate that human woman," the PhD said calmly. "I doubt even you could take her on."

"Tch." Laura scoffed, unconvinced. "If it weren't for the boss's orders, I'd have already cracked her skull open and eaten her brain!"

The PhD didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Bulldozer.

"The boss is tracking some humans who snuck into the territory. They're heading toward the area you were supposed to patrol, right?"

"Yeah, but they've got it wrong," Bulldozer said confidently. "I've been through that area a bunch of times. There's no way any humans could've gotten in."

The three subordinates stood there, flanked by thousands of elite zombies below, all ready to act. For now, though, they were content to watch the drama unfold.

...

By this time, Ethan and the group had reached the edge of his territory. Since the expansion, this was his first time patrolling this far out.

From a distance, he caught the faint scent of blood in the air—there were definitely humans nearby.

The street ahead used to be lined with karaoke bars, once a bustling nightlife hub filled with music, lights, and laughter. Now, it was a wasteland. The buildings were cracked and crumbling, signs had fallen, shattered glass littered the ground, and bloodstains were everywhere, mingling with the mangled remains of corpses.

Abandoned cars sat rusting on the roadside, their surfaces covered in thick webs.

One building stood out. Its first-floor glass doors were shattered, weeds sprouted from the steps, and the interior was eerily quiet—just like the other ruins. But on the second floor, the windows had been boarded up.

It was clear someone had been there. The modifications were unmistakable.

"Found it," Mia said, her sharp eyes fixed on the building. She had clearly sensed something too.

Behind them, Chris frowned. The Black Hand Legion had a reputation for being ruthless and cruel, and he couldn't help but voice his concern: "According to the intel, there are over ten Awakeners in there. They've also taken three hostages. The higher-ups want us to recover the supplies and rescue the hostages."

"Hostages?" Ethan muttered under his breath. For some reason, the word felt foreign to him, like it didn't belong in his vocabulary.

"Uh…" Chris hesitated, unsure how to respond, and decided to stay quiet.

Sean glanced at Ethan. "I've heard the Black Hand Legion is brutal. Maybe you should stay back and let us handle this."

"Brutal?" Ethan repeated, the word rolling off his tongue with a strange familiarity.

"It's fine," he said casually. "I'll go in with you."

"Alright, but stick close to me," Sean said, nodding. He was confident in his abilities—after all, he was an Awakener from Refuge 002.

With that, the group headed straight for the karaoke bar.

...

Inside the building, thirteen members of the Black Hand Legion were gathered. Among them, six had developed crystal cores and awakened abilities, making them exceptionally powerful.

One of the six stood out—a woman with short hair and a tattoo on the right side of her face. The tattoo depicted a black hand gripping a skull, giving her an unsettling, almost deranged appearance.

She was a psychic Awakener, with an extraordinary sense of perception.

Suddenly, the woman stood up from the sofa.

"Gideon, someone's approaching us!"

"Oh?"

The bald man leading the group narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in them. Even hiding out in a place like this, they'd still been found?

"How many?"

"Six. Only two of them have crystal cores," the woman replied.

Despite her heightened abilities, she couldn't sense Ethan's presence at all.

The bald man let out a cold snort. "Just two Awakeners with crystal cores, and they think they can come after us? Overconfident fools. Let's go meet them."

"Yeah, heh heh heh," a man beside him chuckled sinisterly, clearly not taking the situation seriously.

They left three people behind to guard the hostages, while the remaining ten headed downstairs.

...

By now, Ethan's group had entered the building. The crunch of shattered glass under their feet echoed through the first-floor lobby.

It wasn't long before faint footsteps could be heard coming from upstairs.

"They're coming down," Mia said calmly, stepping forward on her own.

Chris and the others were too weak in combat for her to rely on. She figured it would be faster to handle this herself.

At the top of the staircase, a group of people appeared.

Leading them was the bald man, his triangular eyes gleaming with malice. His eyebrows were completely shaved off, giving him an even more menacing look. This was Gideon Voss, a mid-level leader of the Black Hand Legion, known by his nickname, "The Bald One."

Behind him stood a motley crew of individuals, each with their own unique and intimidating appearance—nose rings, lip piercings, tattoos covering their faces. Their expressions were hostile as they sized up Mia.

"Well, well, it really is her," one of them said with a sly grin.

A young man in a leather jacket, his eyes gleaming with excitement, stepped forward.

"Wait, you know her?" someone beside him asked, curious.

"Yeah, I've seen her profile on the Refuge Network," the leather-jacketed man replied, his expression turning lecherous.

He had come across Mia's photo on the network before. The moment he saw her, he was struck by her beauty—she was stunning, almost unreal. Ever since then, he'd fantasized about meeting her in person.

And now, here she was, standing right in front of him. It felt like he'd hit the jackpot.

What's more, he vividly remembered the short bio beneath her photo on the network:

"I'm a gentle girl, afraid of pain."

"I love gentle girls," the man said, licking his lips. "Gideon, let me handle her."

"You've got good taste," Gideon said with a wicked grin. "Go ahead, she's all yours."

It wasn't that they were stupid or overly cocky. Mia's aura, when she wasn't actively fighting, was subdued. To them, she seemed like nothing more than an ordinary B-rank Awakener. Most people wouldn't be able to sense her true strength.

The leather-jacketed man's excitement was palpable. He crouched slightly, pulling a gleaming alloy dagger from a sheath strapped to his leg. The blade shimmered coldly, razor-sharp.

"Hey, beautiful, let's have some fun!" he sneered.

In a flash, he lunged forward, the dagger aimed straight at Mia. His speed was impressive—he was a speed-enhanced Awakener, and his movements were almost too fast to track.

But Mia didn't move. She stood perfectly still, her large eyes fixed on him, unblinking. She didn't even flinch, let alone try to dodge.

The glint of the dagger grew larger and larger in her pupils as it closed in, the blade mere inches from her face.

Then, in an instant, Mia raised her hand and caught the blade mid-strike.

Shhhk!

Blood spurted from her palm, crimson streaks running down her wrist and staining her pale, porcelain skin. The vivid red stood out starkly against her white hand, creating a striking, almost surreal image.

...