Apocalypse: King of Zombies

If he took even one more step forward, he'd be dead—no question about it.

As their eyes scanned further down the street, they realized the spider silk wasn't just in one place. It crisscrossed the entire area, like a web of laser beams cutting through the air, stretched across the street in every direction.

"What the hell is this?"

The group was shaken to their core. The Five-Star Corpse Nest was far more dangerous than they'd imagined. One wrong move, and they'd be dead. This wasn't a place humans were meant to tread. Read new chapters at empire

"This wasn't here when we came through earlier. When did this happen?" Brandon asked, frowning. He was sure they'd walked this exact path before.

Ethan's calm gaze fixed on the distance. "Because when you came through, they hadn't shown up yet."

"Who?" Chris and the others tensed up, a deep sense of unease creeping over them.

"Well, well, I didn't expect you to be so sharp." Suddenly, a sharp, mocking female voice echoed from above.

Everyone instinctively looked up. Hanging upside down in midair was a woman. Her lower body wasn't human—it had eight spider legs, and strands of spider silk stretched from her body to the tops of nearby buildings.

In broad daylight, this woman dangled upside down in the middle of the street. Her long hair swayed back and forth, and her pale face bore a chilling, bloodthirsty smile.

The scene was nothing short of horrifying.

The group froze, their breath catching in their throats. They instinctively took a few steps back.

"It's the Spider Empress!" Chris stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

The Spider Empress was infamous—a former overlord in her own right, known for her brutality. She'd been subdued by the Serpent-Eye Zombie King and brought under his control. Everyone in the shelter had heard of her.

And now, here she was.

But it wasn't over yet. From all directions, low, guttural growls began to echo. The sound of zombies—dozens, then hundreds, then thousands—rose like a tidal wave, growing louder and louder.

A massive horde of zombies began pouring into the street, a dense, endless swarm. Among them, one figure stood out: a grotesquely obese zombie nicknamed "Michelin." His bloated body jiggled with every step, and the ground seemed to quake beneath his weight.

"A zombie horde!"

Chris and the others turned pale as death. Their faces were drained of all hope.

The horde was massive—easily tens of thousands strong. Among them were elite zombies, leaping onto nearby rooftops with terrifying agility. They crouched on all fours, their predatory eyes locked on the group, surrounding them completely.

"They're all here," someone muttered.

Even Mia, who had seen her fair share of horrors, had never witnessed anything like this. No matter how strong an individual was, there was no way to take on a horde of this size.

Even ants, when there are enough of them, can take down an elephant. And these weren't ants—they were zombies. If nothing else, they'd wear you down until you dropped.

As the horde surged forward, a towering figure appeared on a high-rise in the distance. It was the Serpent-Eye Zombie King. His massive frame loomed over the battlefield, his piercing yellow eyes scanning the group below. His presence radiated dominance, as if he ruled this entire region.

When his gaze fell on them, it felt like a dagger stabbing into their hearts.

Even the Serpent-Eye Zombie King had shown up. He was the undisputed ruler of this area, the apex predator.

"Is this really necessary?" Chris muttered bitterly, his face twisted in despair. What had he done to deserve this? Did he ruin the guy's favorite show? Sleep with his girlfriend?

All they'd done was come out here to scavenge for seeds.

And now, the entire zombie army had mobilized to trap them here. It was absurd.

Chris sighed in resignation. "Guess I can't say I didn't deserve this…"

The group was utterly hopeless. They didn't even have the will to fight back anymore. Some of them were even considering ending their own lives to avoid the agony of being torn apart by zombies.

Under the crushing weight of despair, Brandon's trembling hands pulled out his phone. He'd just sent a message to let his family know he was safe. Now, he was rewriting it as a final goodbye.

What a cruel, hopeless world this was…

Mia, however, remained calm. She rested her long blade on her shoulder, her sharp eyes fixed on the scene ahead. Her expression didn't waver. "So, this is the target?"

"Yeah, more or less," Ethan replied, tilting his head slightly as he assessed the situation.

"Got it." Mia nodded, shifting her grip to hold her blade with both hands. She raised it in front of her, ready for battle. "Let's do this."

"Wait, WHAT?!" Chris and the others stared at her in disbelief. She wanted to fight this?

The Serpent-Eye Zombie King's gaze locked onto Ethan. Though he'd never seen him before, he could sense the aura of a fellow apex predator. "I didn't expect to see you reduced to running with prey."

"There's a lot you didn't expect," Ethan replied casually, completely unfazed.

Serpent-Eye's grin stretched unnaturally wide, reaching all the way to his cheekbones. His piercing yellow eyes narrowed slightly, and a sinister smile crept across his face.

Seeing Ethan walk into his territory alone, Serpent-Eye felt victory was already in his grasp. "Looks like I overestimated you. You're actually dumb enough to walk in here and throw your life away. Fine, I'll grant your wish!"

"What exactly do you have to be so smug about?" Ethan's calm voice cut through the tension.

The moment he finished speaking, the sky behind him darkened. A massive black cloud surged over the horizon, dense and ominous, blotting out the sun.

"Caw—caw—caw—! Hey, buddy, I'm back!"

The sharp cries of crows filled the air as they swooped in like fighter jets, their sleek forms cutting through the sky. In an instant, they blanketed the heavens, their sheer numbers creating an overwhelming, oppressive presence.

"What the hell?!" Chris and the others gasped, their jaws dropping. "What's going on now?!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

But before they could process the scene above, the ground beneath them began to tremble. Shards of broken glass on the street rattled violently, and the earth shook harder and harder, as if an army was charging toward them.

"ROAR—!"

A thunderous bellow echoed from the distance. Bulldozer's massive frame emerged, his hulking body leading a pack of ferocious zombies. Among them were familiar faces: Laura, the Doctor Zombie, and countless others, all charging forward with terrifying speed and ferocity.

The zombie horde was here in full force.

The sight was nothing short of breathtaking.

Chris suddenly realized what was happening. This wasn't just a fight—it was a battle for dominance between zombie kings. He was nothing more than a bystander, a minor character caught in the crossfire.

How did he, of all people, end up in the middle of something like this?

But as he watched Ethan's forces arrive, a flicker of hope reignited in his heart. If Ethan could defeat Serpent-Eye, they might actually survive this. Maybe it was the atmosphere, or maybe it was sheer desperation, but Chris felt a surge of determination. He gripped his alloy blade tightly, his eyes shining with newfound resolve.

"So, you came prepared…" Serpent-Eye muttered from his perch on the rooftop, his sharp gaze scanning the battlefield. He quickly realized what was happening, but it didn't faze him. He was ready for a fight to the death.

"Three thousand against one thousand," he sneered. "The advantage is mine."

"Kill them all!" Serpent-Eye roared.

At his command, his zombie horde erupted into a frenzy, surging forward like a tidal wave.

The two zombie armies collided with the force of a raging storm. It was chaos—zombies clawed, bit, and tore into each other with reckless abandon. Blood sprayed through the air, and the stench of death and gore filled the battlefield. The zombies fought like rabid animals, driven by an insatiable hunger to rip flesh from their enemies.

Amid the chaos, a group of zombies stood out. Ethan's elite force of 500 was like a spearhead, cutting through the enemy ranks with brutal efficiency.

These elite zombies were terrifying. Even when bitten, they didn't flinch. Instead, they'd grab their attacker's head, rip it clean off, and toss it aside like garbage. Their wounds healed almost instantly, the torn flesh knitting itself back together before anyone could react.

The enemy zombies fell one after another, but Ethan's elite soldiers were unstoppable, charging forward like invincible war machines, leaving destruction in their wake.

"What the hell are these monsters?" Serpent-Eye muttered, narrowing his eyes as he watched the carnage unfold. For the first time, a sense of unease crept into his mind. These weren't ordinary zombies—they were something far worse.

And then there was Laura. Her lithe figure darted through the battlefield like a shadow, her face twisted into a chilling smile. Wherever she went, bodies piled up in her wake. She was a one-woman slaughterhouse, cutting down everything in her path.

"Stop her!" Serpent-Eye barked.

Michelin, the grotesquely obese zombie, lumbered forward like a wrecking ball. His massive body barreled through the battlefield, sending zombies flying in every direction as he charged toward Laura.

But before he could reach her, a massive fist slammed into his face. His flabby body rippled like a wave from the impact.

Bulldozer stepped into view, towering over Michelin.

"Hey, fatso," Bulldozer growled, cracking his knuckles. "Your fight's with me."