Apocalypse: King of Zombies

After leaving the supermarket, Ethan, Chris, and Henry set out again with the orange tabby, Pumpkin, on the hunt for another Tier 3 zombie.

Because of his size, Pumpkin tended to draw stares—he was a little too conspicuous for comfort. So Ethan had told him to steer clear of people when they were around, to go off on his own and grow at his own pace.

And grow he had. Pumpkin was now Tier 3 himself—not from devouring Tier 3 crystal cores like the others, but through his own evolution.

It seemed that mutant beasts and zombies each had their own unique ways of advancing. Humans, on the other hand, still hadn't cracked the code. For now, the only path forward was to consume crystal cores.

Still, Ethan had a hunch. Maybe all that nightly stargazing, soaking in that strange, ambient energy—maybe if they did it long enough, it could lead to a breakthrough too.

After days of clearing out the infected, the number of zombies on campus had dropped significantly. It wasn't like before, when stepping outside meant being swarmed immediately.

But the ones that remained were getting harder to kill. Most of them clustered around Tier 3 zombies now. Lone stragglers were rare.

At this point, there were at least a few dozen Tier 3s scattered across the school. If you saw a horde, odds were good there was a Tier 3 in the middle of it.

So finding Tier 3 zombies wasn't the problem anymore. Killing them was.

With their current strength, the trio could take on a group of one or two hundred zombies head-on without flinching. But anything more than that, and they'd be overwhelmed. Tier 2 zombies now made up nearly half the population—they weren't pushovers anymore.

Fortunately, with Ethan leading the charge, it didn't take long to find a viable target.

A horde of just over two hundred zombies, with a single Tier 3 among them—right in their strike zone.

They were just about to move in when a sudden, guttural roar echoed from somewhere nearby. The entire horde in front of them turned and bolted toward the sound.

"???"

"What the hell?" Chris blinked, confused.

"Think someone's calling them?" he added, uncertain.

"But we've never seen a zombie summon others before," Henry said, frowning. "The ones around Tier 3s just gather on their own. It's not like they're being commanded."

Ethan's eyes lit up. "Unless…"

He didn't finish the thought. "Come on. Let's check it out."

The three of them—and one very curious cat—took off after the stampede, following the direction of the roar.

It didn't take long to reach the stadium.

And there, inside, was a sight they hadn't seen in ages: over a thousand zombies packed together in one place.

Ever since the survivors had evacuated the main dining hall, the massive horde that used to surround it had gradually dispersed. They hadn't seen a gathering this size since then.

But this time, it wasn't because of humans.

At the center of the stadium stood a single, unremarkable-looking zombie.

And every other zombie was staring at it—waiting, it seemed, for orders.

Ethan activated his True Sight and focused on the figure in the middle. Sure enough, the crystal core inside its skull was larger than any Tier 3 they'd seen—about the size of a peanut.

No doubt about it.

This was a Tier 4 zombie.

Ethan's eyes lit up with excitement. A Tier 4 zombie. If he could take it down, he'd break through to Tier 4 himself.

But then he looked at the sea of undead—over a thousand strong—and his stomach sank.

Killing a Tier 4 in the middle of that? Not exactly a walk in the park.

And to make things worse, there were four Tier 3s mixed in with the horde. That bumped the difficulty up another notch.

Still, it was hard to walk away. Tier 4 zombies weren't exactly growing on trees. If he could level up before they left campus, their odds of surviving out there would skyrocket.

"Ethan, that's a Tier 4, right?" Chris asked in a low voice.

"Yeah," Ethan nodded.

Chris and Henry both perked up, eyes gleaming—until they took another look at the massive horde and winced.

"So… we doing this?" Chris asked.

Ethan activated True Sight again, scanning the area. It looked like the Tier 4's roar had pulled in every zombie nearby. The surrounding streets were eerily clear.

He hesitated for a second, then gave a sharp nod. "We're doing it."

"Pumpkin," he turned to the cat, "go see if you can lure some of them away."

Pumpkin stared at him, wide-eyed, as if to say, You want me to die, don't you?

"Come on, you're fast. They can't catch you. Just lead them toward the woods. Once you're there, climb a tree and you're golden."

"Meow," Pumpkin grumbled, but took off anyway.

Sure enough, a chunk of the horde spotted him and immediately gave chase.

Pumpkin bolted, legs a blur, tail streaming behind him like a banner. Hundreds of zombies thundered after him.

Ethan grinned. Perfect.

But just as he was starting to think the plan might actually work, the Tier 4 zombie let out another roar—louder, sharper.

And the zombies that had been chasing Pumpkin suddenly stopped, turned around, and sprinted back.

"What the hell? It's that smart?" Chris gaped.

"Looks like Tier 4s have some real intelligence," Ethan said grimly.

A moment later, Pumpkin trotted back, flicking his tail and shooting Ethan a look that clearly said, Don't blame me. I tried. They just wouldn't take the bait.

"So now what?" Henry asked.

"We wait," Ethan said. "It gathered all these zombies for a reason. Let's see what it's planning."

"Yeah."

The three of them—and one slightly offended cat—hunkered down at a distance, watching.

Sure enough, it didn't take long. Under the Tier 4's command, the horde began to move, spreading out across the campus like a dark tide.

The group quickly followed, keeping to the shadows.

...

Meanwhile, outside a supermarket across campus, two groups were locked in a tense standoff.

"This spot was ours first. Find somewhere else," Sean said, his tone calm but firm as he stared down the newcomers.

Matt Miller, captain of the Boxing Club, sneered. "In this world, power makes the rules. We want this place. So get lost."

"You're not that much stronger than us," Sean shot back. "Even if you win, you'll lose half your people in the fight."

Matt chuckled coldly. "Is that so?"

He turned his gaze to the people behind Sean. "I'll give you all a choice. Join us now, and each of you gets a Tier 2 crystal core. Stay with him, and don't blame me when you die."

The moment the words left his mouth, Sean's group started shifting uneasily. Eyes darted. Feet shuffled.

They were opportunists, most of them. They'd only stuck with Sean because he and his two teammates were strong. But now, faced with a bigger, meaner crew—and the promise of a Tier 2 core—they were wavering.

"I'm sorry, Sean," someone muttered, stepping forward toward Matt's side. "I don't wanna die."

That was all it took. One defection, and the dam broke. More and more peeled away, crossing the invisible line between the two groups.

In minutes, only Big Mike and Skinny Pete were left standing beside Sean.

Matt laughed, loud and smug. "What now, Sean? Still think you can take me?"

Sean's face darkened, jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack. Finally, he spat, "Fine. The supermarket's yours. Big Mike, Skinny Pete—let's go."

He turned to leave, the other two falling in behind him.

"I don't recall saying you could leave," Matt said coldly.

...