Chapter 426: Ritual Array

Smack!

A sharp crack split the air as Bighead took a brutal hit. His body was launched into the air, spinning like a top before crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.

“What the hell—ow, ow, ow…” he groaned, writhing in pain, unable to hold back the moans.

Daisy’s voice was cold as ice. “Let’s see if you still dare to mouth off to me now!”

“Huh???” Bighead’s face twisted into a look of pure disbelief, like a giant question mark had just landed on his forehead. He felt utterly wronged.

“Queen Daisy, my respect for you is deeper than the ocean, endless and eternal! I wouldn’t dare challenge you!”

“Still trying to talk your way out of it?” Daisy, the Zombie Queen, clearly wasn’t buying it.

Bighead was practically crying inside. If zombies could shed tears, he’d be flooding the Mariana Trench right now.

“I just got back from outside! I was nearly torched by humans! Ask the other zombie bros if you don’t believe me!”

“Wait a sec, I literally saw Bighead in the nest earlier,” one of the elite zombies chimed in. “He even cursed me out.” He secretly smirked, thinking, Serves you right, acting all high and mighty. Let Queen Daisy beat the crap outta you.

Bighead looked completely dumbfounded. What the hell was going on?

“That wasn’t me! I swear! Don’t make stuff up!”

“Oh, still denying it?” Daisy narrowed her eyes, clearly not convinced. She took a step forward, ready to dish out another round of punishment.

“Hold on…” A voice cut in—Deathspeaker Falseword.

“There’s something off about this. Bighead was definitely with us outside the nest, fighting the humans.”

“What?” Daisy’s brows furrowed deeply. She trusted Falseword’s judgment.

“Then who the hell was that inside the nest pretending to be Bighead?”

The mood among the zombies instantly turned grim. Not only had they been attacked outside, but now it looked like someone had infiltrated their home base too.

Falseword paused, thinking it through. “I’d bet it was Lil’ Shroom from the L.A. nest. She’s a shapeshifter—can mimic others perfectly. She’s pulled this stunt before.”

“Oh, right!” Daisy’s eyes lit up with realization. “That little bitch… she actually dared to sneak in and stir up trouble.”

They finally understood—this wasn’t just a misunderstanding. It was a full-on infiltration.

“Hellhound, sniff her out. See if there’s any trace of her scent left,” Falseword ordered quickly.

“On it!” Hellhound dropped to all fours, nostrils flaring as he sniffed along the ground.

Several long moments passed before he stood up again, his face twisted in frustration and discomfort.

The other zombies looked at him, puzzled.

“Well? What did you find?”

“I can’t smell a damn thing,” Hellhound admitted bluntly.

“…” The group fell silent.

Clearly, the Black-Skin Zombies’ blood had overloaded Hellhound’s senses. His super-smell was shot—probably wouldn’t recover for a few days.

…

Meanwhile, Lil’ Shroom had already returned to the L.A. nest with her squad of four zombies, including Big Ears.

The sky was beginning to lighten, a pale glow creeping over the horizon. The long, chaotic night was finally coming to an end.

Zombies stood like sentinels around the skyscraper, their presence radiating menace.

“Well? You get anything useful?” Bulldozer rumbled as he lumbered over.

“Of course! I went myself—how could I come back empty-handed?” Big Ears puffed up proudly, jumping in to answer first.

The other zombies perked up, crowding around with curious looks.

“What’d you find?”

“I went toe-to-toe with their Zombie King—three hundred rounds of pure carnage! The sky went dark, the earth shook, and—”

“Get to the point,” Bulldozer cut him off, clearly not in the mood for theatrics.

“Oh… right. It was Shroom, sis, who got the real intel,” Big Ears quickly corrected himself.

Lil’ Shroom’s eyes narrowed as she stared off into the distance. “Let’s go. We’ll report to the boss first.”

The information they’d uncovered was too important to share casually. She needed to tell Ethan—immediately.

…

Moments later, the entire Zombie Horde had gathered at the base of the skyscraper. Above them, crows circled in the sky, cawing sharply, their cries echoing through the early morning haze.

Ethan’s figure slowly emerged at the front of the horde—tall, composed, his expression unreadable and cold.

The moment the zombies saw him, they all instinctively lowered their heads. In an instant, the entire horde bowed in silence.

Lil’ Shroom stepped forward. “Boss, I infiltrated the San Diego nest using my mimic form. I uncovered quite a few of their secrets.”

“Oh?” Ethan’s interest was piqued. “Let’s hear it.”

Without missing a beat, Lil’ Shroom began recounting everything she’d seen and experienced—every detail, every nuance. Behind her, Big Ears and the other three zombies even acted out parts of the story like a twisted little dance troupe, complete with exaggerated gestures and dramatic flair. It was vivid, theatrical, and left nothing out.

Ethan listened quietly, his eyes narrowing in thought. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Those sneaky bastards even set up a ritual array in their own damn nest.”

“Boss,” Lil’ Shroom asked, curiosity burning in her voice, “those blood markings they carved into the ground—what are they? Some kind of spell?”

Ethan raised a hand and summoned the Star Map tablet. The slab shimmered with a soft, radiant glow as he studied the intricate patterns etched into its surface.

“Based on your description, those blood markings aren’t from Earth. Nightbane and his crew once intercepted a signal from deep space. I’d bet anything those carvings are based on the data from that transmission.”

“Damn, that’s wild…” The surrounding zombies murmured in awe, eyes lighting up. Their respect for Ethan only deepened—his mind was razor-sharp, able to connect dots no one else could even see.

Lil’ Shroom pressed on. “And what about Kong? That guy from the Four War Generals who’s never shown his face—what’s he up to?”

Ethan thought for a moment. “They’re probably missing a key component for the ritual array. Nightbane must’ve sent Kong to find it. Judging by what we know… it’s likely the Radiant Crystal.”

The zombies exchanged glances, nodding. That made a lot of sense.

No wonder Nightbane had scheduled the final battle for two months from now. They were confident they could complete the ritual array by then.

But what exactly the array would do… that was still a mystery. There just wasn’t enough intel yet.

Still, one thing was clear—they couldn’t let that ritual be completed. Whatever it did, it wouldn’t be good for them.

“Boss, why don’t we just hit the San Diego nest now?” Bulldozer rumbled, his voice like gravel. “Or better yet, send a squad to hunt down Kong and take him out before he comes back!”

Ethan shook his head.

Now wasn’t the time to go to war with Nightbane. And as for Kong—no one had a clue where he’d gone.

“Sending people out to track down their Zombie King would be a waste of time—and risky. No matter where he’s gone, he’ll have to come back eventually. All we need to do is keep a close watch on the outskirts of San Diego. When Kong returns… that’s when we strike.”

“We ambush them. Take out Kong, and stop that ritual from ever being completed.”

The zombies were stunned for a moment—then admiration swept through the crowd like wildfire.

Their boss was a genius.

The plan was flawless.

Absolutely airtight.

“Boss, so we just keep watching the San Diego nest for now?” Lil’ Shroom asked.

Ethan nodded.

“Yeah. Keep scouting. Keep reporting.”

…

Here’s a redemption code for everyone: