Chapter 470: Time to kick things off

The thick black fog that had blanketed everything was finally starting to thin. Bit by bit, visibility returned—and just ahead, a few zombie figures came into view.

It was Big Ears, Shrimpy, and the rest of the so-called “Overlord Squad.” The four of them stood at the center of a massive horde, hundreds of zombies swarming around them like a tide.

But then, in front of the undead crowd, a lone figure slowly emerged.

He wore a white shirt, crisp and clean like fresh snow, his expression calm and unreadable.

The moment Leah saw him, her already tense emotions exploded into a storm. Memories she’d buried deep came rushing back, crashing over her like a tidal wave.

“It’s really him…”

That white shirt—she’d never forget it. That image had been burned into her mind, impossible to erase.

The one who slaughtered thousands of Awakeners, the one who stood alone and undefeated—the Zombie King.

And now, he was back.

Leah had heard the rumors. The zombie army in L.A. had stirred again. She knew his return meant only one thing: Genesis Biotech and the Black Hand Legion were about to get wrecked.

Ethan’s gaze was steady as he looked them over. The scene in front of him felt oddly familiar. Even the part where someone got their balls busted—yep, that never changed.

Someone always ended up with busted balls. Like clockwork.

He raised an eyebrow. “You guys again?”

“We were captured by Genesis Biotech,” Leah explained quickly. “They sent us in to scout the area.”

“Oh…” Ethan wasn’t surprised. He’d already figured Genesis Biotech was sniffing around for someone. Their appearance was expected.

Still, Leah’s luck was impressively bad—first captured by the Black Hand Legion, now by Genesis Biotech? Girl couldn’t catch a break.

History really did love to repeat itself.

Leah went on, “Genesis Biotech’s people are just outside the city. They’ve got a few elite Awakeners with them. And there’s this bald guy—super weird, and insanely strong. At least S-rank.”

“Bald guy?” Ethan’s brow lifted slightly.

He had a pretty good idea who that might be—probably Genesis Biotech’s new toy, one of their fourth-gen Cyborgs.

Last time, a bald bastard had injured Laura. Ethan hadn’t seen it himself—he’d been busy fighting Nightbane—but he remembered the report.

Now that he had the chance, he was definitely going to “study” this one up close.

“Go bring them in.”

“Oh! Okay!” Leah nodded like a woodpecker, eager to please.

…

Outside the city, Frank sat in an armored vehicle, eyes glued to the surveillance feed. The screen showed nothing but swirling black fog—visibility was completely shot.

Leah had disappeared into the mist a while ago, and there hadn’t been a peep since.

“Dead already?” Frank muttered, a chill creeping down his spine. Four half-decent humans, and now it was like they’d vanished into thin air. Not even a splash.

His second-in-command leaned in, nervous. “Frank, looks like it’s seriously dangerous in there. Maybe we shouldn’t go in.”

“Yeah, no shit. We’re not throwing ourselves into that mess. Let’s get the hell out of here!” Frank was already reaching for the controls, ready to spin the vehicle around and bail.

But just as he gave the order, he froze.

On the monitor, the black fog was fading. And there—Leah’s figure slowly emerged, walking out of the mist like nothing had happened.

“Wait… hold up…” Frank squinted at the screen. All five of them were back. No injuries, no panic. They looked exactly the same as when they went in.

“They’re fine? Looks pretty safe to me.”

“Uh…” His second-in-command was just as confused. This was not the outcome he’d expected.

Frank immediately turned on him. “Look at you! One little scare and you’re ready to run? With guts like that, how the hell are you supposed to be my second?”

“…” The guy was speechless, a dark cloud hanging over his head. He wanted to say, Weren’t you the one who said we should run? But he wisely kept his mouth shut.

Not long after, Leah and the others walked out of the city and approached the group of Genesis Biotech Awakeners waiting outside.

“I’ve scouted the place,” Leah reported casually. “It’s just some old zombies that got driven out before—they’ve come back, but they’re not strong. Nothing dangerous.”

Frank narrowed his eyes, scanning them up and down, suspicion written all over his face. He wasn’t buying it just yet. Could be some weird trick—fake bodies, illusions, who knew? In the apocalypse, you couldn’t afford to trust anything at face value.

“Eight-ball,” he called out, “you getting a read on them? Are they real?”

T-08, the Cyborg standing nearby, turned his glowing green eyes toward the group. His pupils flickered rapidly as he began scanning.

“…Carbon-based lifeforms. Solid. They’re real.”

“Good! Good!” Frank nodded quickly, finally relaxing a bit.

His second-in-command chimed in, “Looks like there’s no powerful Zombie King in there. If there was, no way these guys would’ve made it out alive.”

Frank shot him a glare. “No shit? You think I didn’t figure that out already? What, you trying to show off now?” He waved the guy off with a scoff, then turned to the rest of the team.

“Let’s move! We’re going in!”

Richard had sent him out here to find someone, and Frank wasn’t about to go back empty-handed. He figured he’d clear out a few zombies, rack up some brownie points, maybe dig up a lead on Clint’s whereabouts, and then call it a day.

Whether they actually found the guy? That was a problem for future Frank.

The squad rolled out, marching into the ruined city in full force.

An armored vehicle led the way, plowing through wrecked cars and debris. Behind it, Genesis Biotech’s Awakeners followed in formation, weapons at the ready—sleek Crystal Core Firearms gleaming in their hands. Their eyes scanned every shadow, every alley, alert and tense.

Leah and the others walked silently among them, faces blank, barely moving a muscle—for fear they’d burst out laughing.

Just imagining Frank’s face when he ran into the Zombie King… it was almost too good. That moment was going to be chef’s kiss.

Soon, the roles would be reversed. And when that happened, they’d make damn sure these bastards learned what real cruelty looked like.

Frank, meanwhile, was still riding high. Now that they were in the city, he’d gotten out of the vehicle and was walking on foot, swaggering a little as he eyed Leah and her group with a sleazy grin.

“You guys did good. When we get back, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded.”

“Oh…” Leah just nodded, expression flat.

Buddy, you’re not going back.

Just then, T-08 suddenly stopped in his tracks. His head turned sharply, scanning the area. The green glow in his eyes flared wildly as he began a rapid, intense sweep of the surroundings.

Frank frowned. “Eight-ball? What is it?”

“There’s a psychic energy field in the air,” T-08 said, voice mechanical and calm. “It’s covering the area. Something is watching us.”

“What?” Frank’s eyes darted around, but he saw nothing. Just crumbling buildings and empty streets.

“You sure you’re not picking up static or something?”

“No mistake. Probability of nearby zombies: 99%. Prepare for combat,” T-08 replied with robotic certainty.

Frank blinked, completely thrown. What the hell? We’re already fighting? He felt like the situation had just sprinted ahead without him.

Meanwhile, Ethan stood silently atop a nearby high-rise, cloaked in stealth mode, watching the Genesis Biotech squad enter the city.

“Huh. This fourth-gen Cyborg’s senses are pretty sharp,” he muttered. “No wonder Genesis Biotech’s so proud of him.”

But since they’d already caught a whiff of him, there was no point in hiding anymore.

Time to kick things off.

He gave the order.

“Charge.”

“ROOOAAARRR—!”

A deafening chorus of howls erupted all around. Thick black fog surged through the streets like a living thing. Zombies emerged from the mist, their twisted faces flickering in and out of view, cloaked in shadow like demons rising from the depths.

They moved like a storm cloud, rolling in fast and heavy.

“Holy shit!”

Frank’s jaw dropped. The zombies were real—and they didn’t look weak. Not even close.

…