Apocalypse: King of Zombies

After Ethan defeated Serpent-Eye, his territory expanded once again. With the land now connected to Little Shadow's domain, the three regions were fully unified.

The total area of the territory now spanned a massive 20 square miles, covering nearly the entire downtown area. Ethan had become an undisputed ruler of the region.

Under his command, the Zombie Horde had more than doubled in size. What was once a force of 10,000 zombies had grown to 25,000, including 5,000 elite fighters and 500 top-tier warriors. These zombies had evolved through relentless battles, devouring Neurocores and flesh, becoming even more powerful.

The leadership structure of the territory also shifted. With Little Shadow joining the ranks, there were now four zombie lords overseeing different regions. Little Shadow took charge of the northern sector, a familiar area that had once been his domain. The PhD zombie guarded the south, while Bulldozer and Laura managed the eastern and western zones, respectively.

The four lords were given titles based on their regions: Northern Shade, Southern Scholar, Eastern Titan, and Western Banshee.

Ethan, however, remained stationed at the central skyscraper.

Surrounding him were the 500 top-tier warriors, positioned strategically nearby. Beyond them, thousands of elite zombies formed concentric defensive layers, spreading outward.

As for the skies above the territory, they were patrolled by the Red-Eyed Crows, which maintained absolute air superiority.

This entire area had become a fortress, especially the central zone, which was now impenetrable. It had effectively turned into a no-go zone for humans.

Well, except for one person.

That person was Nina, the "employee."

At this moment, she was kneeling on the floor, meticulously scrubbing it with both hands. The entire space around her was spotless, so clean and orderly that even someone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies would find it satisfying.

Ethan sat on a sofa in front of her, one hand holding a glass filled with "beverage," the other casually scrolling through his phone.

The aftermath of the recent battle had already gone viral online, sparking heated discussions.

"Breaking News! Genesis Biotech's top executives killed in action, their Awakener forces completely wiped out. Was this a strategic failure or just a lack of strength?"

"Revealed: The mystery behind Justin's death. Sources claim he once ventured into a five-star zombie nest..."

"Analysis: What are the biggest threats lurking in Los Angeles today?"

Justin's death had sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many terrified. It was undeniable proof of just how dangerous the outside world had become.

The comment sections were flooded with speculation:

"Does anyone know what really happened? If not, I'm just gonna start making stuff up!"

"I heard Justin tried negotiating with the Zombie King, but it didn't work out, so he got killed."

"Wow, you're already spreading rumors, huh?"

"Then what's your version of the story?"

"Apparently, Genesis Biotech wanted to team up with the Zombie King to take out another faction, but they lost the fight in the end."

"No way! That's so weak!"

The comments were all over the place, with no clear consensus.

As Chris had once said, "The internet is full of lies. Who knows what kind of monsters are lurking behind the screen?"

Many of the commenters weren't even survivors from the shelters. Some could have been members of the Black Hand Legion, other factions, or even intelligent monsters—or zombies—that had evolved enough to manipulate human communication.

Some of these creatures even actively posted online, using lust or greed to lure human Awakeners into traps.

For example:

"Looking for a partner? Message me. You're the one I've been waiting for!"

"Let's meet up. What happens next is up to you."

"Hey, handsome! If you love me, send me a DM. Let's chat, mwah!"

"Searching for a strong, brave man to protect me and survive together."

"I found a stash of supplies but can't carry it all. Need someone to help me move it..."

These posts were often accompanied by pictures of impossibly perfect women—flawless skin, long legs, seductive black stockings, and curves that seemed too good to be true. It was obvious bait, designed to reel in victims.

Falling for these traps almost always ended in disaster.

Over time, however, people had grown wiser and rarely fell for such blatant schemes anymore. In fact, some even left sarcastic comments to mock the scammers, just for fun.

"Nice try. Do you really think we're still falling for the D-cup and long-legs routine? Try harder next time."

"Hey, sweetheart, how about throwing in some extra perks? Maybe a video clip?"

And so on.

Ethan often came across these kinds of posts.

It wasn't because he was bored or interested in the pictures of beautiful women.

The real reason was… he had a persistent thought in the back of his mind:

Could he turn the tables and bait the baiters?

If these people—or creatures—were trying to lure others into traps, why couldn't he play along and see what kind of monsters were behind the curtain? After all, with Serpent-Eye out of the picture, there weren't any immediate threats to his territory. His next big move—raiding Genesis Biotech for the Y-virus—was still seven days away. Until then, he had time to kill.

So, Ethan kept scrolling through the posts, planning to randomly pick one "lucky" poster. Ideally, he wanted someone close to his territory. There was no point in taking unnecessary risks for something so trivial.

It didn't take long before one post caught his eye.

"I've found a huge stash of supplies, but I'm trapped! There are zombies everywhere. Please, I need a strong man to come save me! UwU~~~"

The post was accompanied by a picture of a sweet-looking blonde girl with big, innocent eyes, wearing a spaghetti-strap tank top. She looked adorable—exactly the kind of image designed to trigger a man's protective instincts.

Ethan casually replied: "Where are you?"

The response came quickly: Read exclusive adventures at empire

"Handsome, how many of you are there? It's really dangerous here, so please be careful!"

Clearly, whoever was behind this was cautious. They weren't revealing their location right away and were trying to gather information first.

Ethan replied: "Just me."

"Just one person???"

...

Meanwhile, in a dark basement, the faint glow of a phone screen illuminated the face of a burly man with a scruffy beard. On the back of his hand was a tattoo of a skeletal head gripped by a black hand.

"Mike, we've got a live one! He says he's coming alone," the bearded man said in a gruff voice, turning to address someone nearby.

Around him were more than a dozen men, all with hardened faces and cruel eyes. The leader of the group, a gaunt middle-aged man with sharp cheekbones and cold, sinister eyes, frowned as he considered the situation.

"Alone…? Nobody's that stupid anymore, are they?" the leader muttered, his tone skeptical.

"Not necessarily," the bearded man replied, scratching his chin. "The world's a big place. There are all kinds of idiots out there. Maybe he's just into my good looks—or, well, the good looks in the picture I posted."

The leader remained cautious. There was always the possibility that this was a trap—a group of Awakeners from a nearby shelter could be using this as a pretext to hunt them down. But then again, this was always a gamble. If it didn't work out… they could always fall back on Plan B.

"Alright," the leader finally said. "Give him the location."

"Got it!" The bearded man grinned, a cruel glint in his eyes. He picked up the phone and typed out a reply:

"UwU~~~ I'm in the underground warehouse at Citadel Outlets. I'm so scared right now. Please hurry and save me!"

...