Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At this point, only five Awakeners remained in the group. Three of them had already formed crystal cores, making them formidable opponents, while the other two were still at the Neurocore stage. Though they hadn't reached their peak, their physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary humans.

Even so, for Ethan, taking them head-on wouldn't be much of a challenge.

Down on the first floor, Marcus and the towering Kevin had just arrived in the lobby. A few survivors immediately rushed over to them, their faces filled with anxiety and unease.

"Marcus, we've searched the entire mall, but there's still no sign of that monster!" one of the survivors complained, frustration evident in his voice.

Marcus glanced at them, his tone laced with irritation. "Of course, you couldn't find it. That thing's way too cunning." He couldn't help but feel annoyed. The monster seemed to target only Awakeners, leaving the ordinary survivors completely unharmed—not even brushing close to danger.

"Huh?" The survivors exchanged confused looks, clearly not understanding what Marcus meant.

"Don't worry. We'll deal with it soon enough," Marcus said firmly, trying to reassure them.

Meanwhile, on the third floor, Billy stood by the railing with two other Awakeners—a man and a woman. Their eyes were locked on the lobby below, scanning for any sign of movement, afraid to miss even the smallest clue.

"Stay sharp. If Marcus and Kevin get attacked, we need to move in immediately," Billy said in a low voice.

"Got it," the other two replied in unison, their expressions tense.

What they didn't realize was that Ethan had already emerged from the shadows of the corridor, silently approaching them from behind.

The female Awakener, with her sharp instincts, suddenly felt a strange unease, as if something—or someone—was watching her. She spun around abruptly, her gaze locking onto a tall, slender figure.

Standing there was a young man, impeccably dressed. His face was strikingly handsome, with sharp, chiseled features that seemed almost too perfect to be real. There was an undeniable allure about him, one that was impossible to ignore.

The girl froze for a moment, then let out a long breath and patted her chest. "Phew—you scared me! I thought you were the monster."

"Monster?" Ethan chuckled softly, a faint trace of mockery in his tone. "What monster?"

Hearing the commotion, Billy and the other man turned around as well. They instinctively assumed Ethan was just another survivor.

"Not bad, kid. You actually made it all the way up to the third floor," Billy said, frowning slightly, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.

"Had nothing better to do, so I figured I'd take a look around," Ethan replied casually, stepping forward to stand beside them at the railing. His gaze drifted lazily down to the lobby below.

Standing this close, the female Awakener caught a faint scent of laundry detergent coming from him. She couldn't help but glance at Ethan again, her eyes lingering on his sharp profile.

That face—it was perfect, like it had stepped straight out of a Hollywood movie.

Her heartbeat quickened, skipping a beat before she could stop herself. If it weren't for the tense situation they were in, she might have found herself completely lost in the moment.

"There really is a monster in this mall," she said instinctively. "You should stick with us. The first floor might be dangerous."

"What's so dangerous about the first floor?" Ethan asked, his tone light and teasing.

Billy, already short-tempered, grew more irritated at the question. "Why are you asking so many damn questions? Stop distracting us and let us do our job!"

Ethan's lips curled into a faint smirk, his voice tinged with amusement. "Then why don't you think the third floor is more dangerous?"

Billy froze, his brow furrowing. Something about Ethan's words felt off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The female Awakener, however, suddenly remembered something. She replayed the moment Ethan had approached them in her mind. In the dimly lit mall, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary survivor to navigate without a flashlight or phone for light. Yet Ethan hadn't used anything—he'd moved with ease, as if the darkness didn't bother him at all. He'd even found the railing without hesitation.

And then there was his movement. His footsteps had been so light, so silent, that she hadn't even noticed him until he was right behind her. It was as if he didn't weigh anything at all.

A chill ran down her spine, the cold dread creeping up from her back to the top of her head. Sweat beaded on her forehead and slid down her face.

She finally realized the horrifying truth: the person standing next to her wasn't human.

"It's him! Attack now!" she screamed, her voice sharp with panic.

Billy reacted instantly, lunging at Ethan with the speed and force of a predator. His hand shot out like a steel claw, aiming to grab Ethan and pin him down.

But Ethan moved like a phantom, effortlessly stepping back and dodging Billy's attack.

"Think you can run? Die, you bastard!" Billy roared, charging after him. His muscles bulged grotesquely, swelling to the size of boulders as his uniform stretched to its limit. With a thunderous roar, he threw a punch, putting every ounce of his strength into the blow. He was determined to crush Ethan completely.

Ethan stood his ground, a flicker of interest flashing in his eyes. He'd been meaning to test his physical limits. The last time he'd fought someone—Alex—he'd killed him with a single punch. This time, he decided to hold back, using only half his strength.

Ethan raised his fist, meeting Billy's attack head-on.

"Boom!"

The moment their fists collided, a deafening explosion echoed through the mall. The sheer force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling outward like a hurricane, shaking the third-floor railing violently. The metal groaned under the strain, screeching with a sharp, grating sound.

"Crack!"

A sickening snap followed. Billy's eyes widened as a searing pain shot through his arm. He looked down in horror to see his entire arm shattered, the bone pulverized into fragments. It hung limply at his side, twisted into an unnatural angle.

"What the hell… How is he this strong?!"

Billy gritted his teeth, cold sweat pouring down his face like rain. Staggering backward, he clutched his mangled arm with his remaining hand, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

It finally dawned on him—this man's strength was far beyond anything they had anticipated. He wasn't anything like the scientists had described: "A zombie with Absolute Domain but a frail body."

That punch… Billy had thrown everything he had into it. It was a blow powerful enough to crush an armored vehicle into scrap metal. Yet Ethan had brushed it off effortlessly, countering with enough force to obliterate his arm.

A wave of despair crashed over Billy, drowning him in its suffocating depths. It was like staring into the maw of an unstoppable predator.

"Damn it! Which idiot scientist created this freak? If I get another life, I swear I'll hunt them down and kill them myself!"

That was Billy's final coherent thought.

But he didn't even have time to dwell on it. As he staggered in pain, Ethan moved. His figure blurred, a streak of black lightning slicing through the air as he closed the distance to Billy's two teammates.

"Slash!"

Two arcs of crimson light flashed in the darkness. The sound of flesh being pierced echoed, sharp and chilling. The two Awakeners, still stuck in the Neurocore stage, didn't even have time to react. Ethan's strikes were precise, clean, and merciless—both of their throats were pierced in an instant.

Their bodies froze, collapsing to the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Their lifeless eyes remained wide open, frozen in an expression of pure terror.

The entire encounter lasted mere seconds. In that brief span of time, Billy and his teammates were utterly annihilated.

...

Meanwhile, on the first floor…

Marcus was speaking with a group of survivors, trying to calm their nerves.

But then, a muffled thud echoed from the third floor. The sound was followed by the violent rattling of the railings above, accompanied by the sharp screech of twisting metal.

"Something's wrong!" Marcus's expression darkened instantly. He snapped his head upward, trying to spot Billy and the others.

But all he saw was darkness. The third floor was pitch black, shrouded in an eerie silence.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, a sinking feeling settling in his chest.

The tall man standing beside him, Kevin, also sensed that something was off. His voice was urgent. "Marcus, Billy and the others must've been attacked! We need to get up there now!"

"Wait!" Marcus raised a hand, stopping him. His brows furrowed, his expression a mix of hesitation and caution.

A thought raced through his mind—They might've completely underestimated the monster's strength.

Billy was the second strongest in their group, a powerhouse Awakener with immense physical strength. There was no way he could've been taken down so easily. And with two teammates by his side, even if they couldn't win, they should've been able to hold their ground for a while.

But after that loud crash, there had been nothing. No sounds of fighting, no cries for help. Just silence. It was as if the three of them had vanished from existence.

"This isn't right…" Marcus's pupils contracted slightly, a deep sense of unease creeping over him. His instincts screamed that something was watching them, lurking in the shadows like a predator waiting to strike.

"Marcus! What are you waiting for? Are you seriously not going to help Billy?!" Kevin's voice was filled with frustration and disbelief.

Marcus took a deep breath, his tone low and steady. "It's already… too late."

"What?!" Kevin froze, his face a mix of shock and anger. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

But Marcus's gut told him the truth. The fight on the third floor was over—and it had ended swiftly and brutally. If they rushed up now, they'd only meet the same fate.

Around them, the survivors began to sense the shift in atmosphere. They exchanged uneasy glances, fear creeping into their expressions.

"What's going on? Why is it so quiet up there?" one of the survivors whispered nervously.

"I don't know… but I've got a really bad feeling about this," another muttered.

The mall was plunged into darkness, the power long since cut. The only light came from the survivors' flashlights, their beams flickering as they swept across the shadows. The oppressive blackness seemed to press in from all sides, hiding dangers that felt all too close.

Suddenly, one of the survivors—a burly man—felt something cold and wet drip onto the back of his neck.

"Huh? What the hell?" He instinctively reached up, touching the spot. His fingers came away sticky and damp, with a faint metallic smell clinging to them.

Frowning, he raised his flashlight to examine his hand. The moment the beam illuminated his palm, his face turned ghostly pale.

"B-blood… It's blood!"

...