Apocalypse: King of Zombies

Bulldozer and Raven sped forward, darting through the wreckage-strewn streets.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A few zombies noticed them, tilting their heads back to let out low growls. Clearly, they had wandered out of their usual territory.

About ten minutes later.

In the distance, Bulldozer spotted a skyscraper with thick black smoke billowing from it, forming a dark cloud in the sky. A helicopter had crashed into the middle floors of the building, its wreckage engulfed in flames.

The building's floor-to-ceiling windows were completely shattered, revealing a chaotic scene inside. On one of the middle floors, a group of humans was locked in combat with zombies.

And that wasn't all.

Around the skyscraper, an unending tide of zombies surged forward like a relentless wave, surrounding the humans and cutting off any escape.

Some zombies had already breached the building, while others climbed the walls like insects, their sheer numbers creating a grotesque and overwhelming spectacle.

"There really are people in there," Bulldozer muttered under his breath.

"Treasure… treasure…" Raven flapped its wings, repeating the word like a mantra.

Squinting, Bulldozer focused on the scene and noticed that one of the humans was clutching a metal case. The case was handcuffed to his wrist, and the others in the group were clearly protecting him.

Enjoy exclusive content from empire

It was obvious—the case was incredibly important to them.

"What's in that thing?" Bulldozer wondered aloud, his curiosity piqued.

The man holding the case was Maxwell Hunt, a high-ranking executive at Genesis Biotech. He had just retrieved something of immense value from the company's headquarters, now locked securely inside the case.

Unfortunately, on his way back via helicopter, disaster struck. A mutated flying beast—a massive black bird—had collided with the aircraft. Its body, as powerful as a cannonball, shattered the helicopter's windshield, and its razor-sharp beak pierced the pilot's eye socket.

The helicopter spiraled out of control and crashed into zombie territory.

Luckily, the passengers were all Awakeners—humans with enhanced abilities. Aside from the pilot, everyone survived the crash. But the swarm of zombies in the area had quickly turned their situation into a life-or-death struggle.

"Hurry! Zombies are climbing up!" Maxwell shouted urgently.

Beside him, an Awakener with ice-based powers stepped forward. A chilling aura radiated from his hands as he conjured countless ice spikes, launching them at the zombies scaling the walls outside the shattered windows.

The ice spikes were razor-sharp, far more lethal than bullets. They tore through the zombies, sending them plummeting from the high-rise.

But there were just too many of them. The horde kept coming, wave after wave, and in the distance, a Zombie King loomed, overseeing the attack.

On the rooftop of a three-story building across the street, a tall, menacing figure stood watching.

Its mouth was filled with jagged fangs, and its glowing red eyes radiated malice. This was its territory, the area it patrolled and controlled.

It hadn't expected such a windfall today—a helicopter literally falling from the sky.

The Zombie King had immediately rallied its minions to attack. While the human Awakeners were strong, even the fiercest tiger couldn't fend off a pack of wolves forever. The Awakeners were burning through their powers, and it was only a matter of time before exhaustion set in. The Zombie King simply had to wait and let its horde wear them down.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Bulldozer and Raven were staring at the scene, wide-eyed.

"Let's go! We'll grab that treasure for ourselves!" Raven squawked, its red eyes gleaming.

As it turned out, Raven was the one who had taken down the helicopter in the first place. Seeing the treasure fall into someone else's hands was something it couldn't accept.

"Fine by me! Who's afraid of a fight?" Bulldozer grinned, unfazed. Even though they were deep in enemy territory, surrounded by countless zombies, he wasn't about to back down.

Without hesitation, they charged toward the battlefield.

Bulldozer moved with incredible agility, barreling through the horde and knocking zombies aside like bowling pins as he made his way to the base of the skyscraper.

With a powerful leap, he launched himself onto the building's wall. Like a real-life Spider-Man, he began scaling the structure with astonishing speed and precision.

"Watch out! There's a mutant zombie!" Maxwell shouted, his voice filled with tension.

Bulldozer's size and speed made him stand out immediately, catching Maxwell's attention.

The ice-wielding Awakener beside him wasted no time, summoning another barrage of ice spikes and hurling them downward at the approaching threat.

"ROAR—!"

Bulldozer let out a furious bellow, raising his right hand to shield his face. The sharp ice spikes slammed into his palm, but his thick, leathery skin absorbed most of the impact. The spikes only managed to pierce the surface, drawing blood but causing no significant damage.

CRACK!

With a savage grip, Bulldozer crushed the ice spikes embedded in his hand into shards. Then, with a powerful push from his legs, he launched himself upward, leaping over 60 feet in one bound. The gap between him and the humans' defensive position was rapidly closing.

"This zombie is strong!" Maxwell muttered, his frown deepening as he watched Bulldozer approach.

On the opposite rooftop, the towering Zombie King, who had been observing the battle, was equally surprised. It didn't recognize Bulldozer as one of its subordinates.

"Whose underling is this? How is he so fierce?"

But seeing Bulldozer attacking the humans, the Zombie King didn't dwell on it. Instead, it signaled its minions to assist him, assuming they were on the same side.

Bulldozer was indeed ferocious. His massive hand gripped the windowsill, and with a single pull, his muscular frame vaulted into the building.

The humans inside instinctively retreated, their faces pale with fear.

With the windowsill breached, the zombies outside began pouring in one after another. Their bloodthirsty eyes gleamed as they snarled and lunged at the humans.

"I'll hold them off!" shouted the ice-wielding Awakener. He stepped forward, both hands outstretched, as an intense chill filled the air. Frost began to spread rapidly, accompanied by the sharp cracking sounds of ice forming.

Before him, an ice wall was beginning to take shape, thick and solid.

But just as the wall was about to fully form, a sudden shadow streaked through the air. It moved with terrifying speed, striking from the side like a dagger. A sharp, black beak pierced straight into the Awakener's temple.

SQUELCH!

Warm blood sprayed everywhere as the ice Awakener collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"What the—?!" Maxwell's eyes widened in shock as he turned to see the attacker. It was the same massive black bird that had brought down their helicopter!

This wasn't a coincidence. It had all been part of a calculated plan.

The red-eyed Raven wasn't just any bird. It was a predator capable of devouring two humans in one sitting, its potential as a threat immeasurable.

With the ice Awakener dead, the zombies surged forward. In groups of two or three, they tackled the remaining humans to the ground, tearing into them with teeth and claws. The scene descended into utter chaos, filled with the sounds of snarling, roaring, and agonized screams.

Bulldozer ignored the carnage around him. His focus was singular and unwavering. With a few powerful strides, he closed the distance to Maxwell, his massive hand reaching out to grab the case.

"Treasure…" Bulldozer growled, his eyes locked on the prize.

"Huh?!" Maxwell's face twisted in desperation as he clung to the case with all his strength. "Get away from me!"

But Bulldozer's strength was overwhelming. With a single yank, he nearly pulled both the case and Maxwell into his grasp.

Maxwell's eyes turned bloodshot as a wave of heat radiated from his body. He was a fire-type Awakener, but the earlier battle had drained him of most of his energy. Now, he was running on fumes, using the last reserves of his strength.

Flames erupted from Maxwell's left arm, engulfing it in a blazing inferno. He grabbed Bulldozer's wrist with his burning hand, trying to force him to let go.

SIZZLE!

The acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air as smoke rose from Bulldozer's arm. The stench was nauseating, like charred pigskin.

"Let go of me!" Maxwell roared, his voice hoarse.

"Treasure…" Bulldozer growled again, his obsession with the case overriding the pain. Even as his flesh burned, he refused to release his grip, his single-minded determination driving him forward.

Sweat poured down Maxwell's face in large beads, his complexion pale and his vision blurring. His body was nearing its limit, completely drained from the relentless fighting and the strain of using his powers.

SQUELCH!

Seizing the moment, Bulldozer yanked the case with all his might. The sickening sound of tearing flesh and snapping bone echoed through the room as Maxwell's right arm was ripped apart at the elbow.

Blood sprayed everywhere...