Chapter 462: Hey! Did you get the message or not?

After Ethan took out Nightbane, the power of the Domain of the Dead surged like a mountain crashing down—crushing, suffocating, and heavy with unstoppable force.

Clint and the others froze, their breath caught in their throats. Their bodies crackled under the pressure, and a few of the weaker ones collapsed like sacks of wet cement, completely limp.

“What… what the hell is this?” Panic gripped their hearts.

Up ahead, Ethan’s figure slowly materialized. He wasn’t hiding anymore—he was done playing games. He was here to wipe them all out.

He stepped forward in his signature white outfit, now fully visible.

The group stared in shock, jaws practically hitting the floor. They recognized him instantly.

The infamous Zombie King of Los Angeles.

“Him?! What the hell is he doing here?!”

“Clint, didn’t you say there weren’t any powerful Zombie Kings left in the city?!”

One of them blurted out, voice trembling. Honestly, there probably wasn’t a single Zombie King in the entire U.S. more terrifying than the one standing in front of them right now.

“…” Clint was speechless.

“How the hell should I know?”

But deep down, he remembered hearing rumors a few months back—stories about the LA Zombie King showing up in Texas. And now, it was clear.

He was back.

…

“Look at ’em now—scared shitless!” Big Ears shouted, grinning wide. “Alright boys, let’s tear ’em apart!”

He charged forward without hesitation, leading the pack. Behind him, the horde of zombies let out guttural roars and surged ahead, closing in from all directions.

Clint and his crew were drowning in despair. Under the crushing weight of the Domain of the Dead, they couldn’t even lift a finger to fight back.

At first, they thought these low-level zombies were just being reckless, attacking them like they had a death wish. But now they realized—these weren’t just any zombies. They had an SS-class Zombie King leading them.

The moment the horde reached them, it was over.

People were tackled to the ground, torn apart, their screams echoing through the air—raw, desperate, and agonizing.

With Ethan on the field, the battle wasn’t even a contest. It was a massacre. A one-sided slaughter that ended almost as quickly as it began.

The zombies feasted on the fallen, the sounds of chewing and ripping flesh filling the air. The stench of blood hung thick, painting a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Ethan barely lifted a finger.

He only stepped forward to personally rip Clint’s crystal core from his chest—and popped it into his mouth like a snack. It melted instantly, sweet like a ripe cherry.

But the energy it gave off? Pathetic.

“Ugh. Garbage quality…”

At this point, A-class cores barely did anything for him. What he needed were S-class, even SS-class cores. Which meant it was time to hunt stronger Awakeners.

He picked up Clint’s phone. The screen was still open to the last message—a mission from HQ, instructing Clint to rendezvous with a group of Awakeners from the Corpus Christi branch of Genesis Biotech.

Apparently, they’d been waiting too long for a reply. A follow-up message had just come in:

“Hey! Did you get the message or not?”

Ethan thought for a second. Leaving the boss hanging like that? Kinda rude. So, being the helpful guy he was, he typed back:

“Got it.”

Right now, Genesis Biotech was mobilizing forces from all over, sending them to their headquarters in Austin, Texas, trying to build what they called the “ultimate defense line.”

Ethan figured—why not help them out a little more?

If they come, they die.

“Hold down the fort. I’m heading out,” Ethan told his crew.

“Boss, where you going?” Big Ears asked, curious.

“Picking up takeout,” Ethan replied casually.

Big Ears immediately got the hint. His eyes lit up. A feast was on the way.

“Got it, boss! Don’t worry, we’ll hold down San Antonio for you.”

Ethan nodded. He wasn’t worried about them. Sure, they weren’t the strongest, but when it came to running away? They were pros.

Besides, San Antonio was Mist’s turf. They knew the terrain like the back of their hand. Even if more human Awakeners showed up, catching them would be damn near impossible.

With that, Ethan vanished on the spot, heading out to “greet” the incoming Genesis Biotech Awakeners—guided by the location on Clint’s phone.

…

After leaving San Antonio, Ethan crossed a stretch of barren wilderness. Along the way, he noticed clear signs of human activity. With Genesis Biotech’s headquarters and Blackhand City both located in Texas, the region didn’t have any dominant zombie factions. But with the collapse of civilization, humans had turned on each other—fighting, killing, and scrambling for whatever resources were left.

As he passed near the outskirts of Blackhand City, Ethan picked up the scent of humans in the air.

His eyes swept across the cracked, sun-scorched earth. In the distance, he spotted a shirtless brute of a man dragging a corpse behind him, step by step, toward a small town.

The body scraped along the ground, leaving a long, bloody trail that quickly dried and darkened under the blazing sun.

Scenes like this had become all too common in the apocalypse.

Ethan figured the guy was probably part of the Black Hand Legion—likely ambushed some survivors from a nearby shelter. But he didn’t bother getting involved. He had bigger prey to catch.

Genesis Biotech was the real prize.

After some time, Ethan reached a forested area nestled between low hills. This was the designated rendezvous point. He closed his eyes and focused, sensing the chaotic presence of multiple humans nearby—more than just a few.

Moments later, the dry underbrush rustled, and figures began emerging from the trees.

One after another, they stepped into view—each one clad in Genesis Biotech combat gear. They moved with precision, their posture sharp and alert. Many of them carried sleek, silver-toned weapons on their backs, glowing faintly with the light of embedded crystal cores.

These were Genesis Biotech’s signature weapons—Crystal Core Armaments.

Clearly, this squad was well-equipped.

“Damn…” Ethan muttered from the shadows, watching them closely.

There were over a hundred of them, and most were Awakeners with fully-formed crystal cores. Not bad.

Leading the group was a burly middle-aged man—an A+ class strength-type Awakener. For a regional branch, that made him top-tier.

But to Ethan? Still mediocre.

He extended his mental energy and conjured a perfect illusion—an exact replica of Clint, down to his build, face, and even his expressions.

Then, he sent the illusion walking toward the group.

The leader, who had been scanning the area impatiently, perked up.

“Where the hell is he?”

“What’s taking so long?”

But then, a figure emerged from the trees ahead. The man’s eyes lit up as he recognized the familiar face.

“Clint! About damn time you showed up!”

“Ran into a little trouble on the way. Took longer than I thought,” the fake Clint replied with a friendly smile.

The man nodded. His name was Wade Garrett, and he’d known Clint for a while. As he gave the illusion a once-over, something clicked in his mind.

“Wait a sec—Clint, how come you’re the only one here? Didn’t a group from Corpus Christi already arrive ahead of us? Where are they?”

He was referring to the team that had been with Clint at the villa—the ones who’d already been torn apart and devoured by Big Ears and the others.

“They said the long trip wore them out,” Clint replied casually. “They’re resting up.”

“Those lazy bastards,” Wade chuckled, shaking his head. “Yesterday they were all hyped to come meet me, and now they’re bailing? No damn loyalty.”

The illusion of Clint grinned wider, his voice calm and smooth.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be seeing them real soon…”

…