Chapter 529: No vampires?

“Yeah,” Brandon said, nodding. “This island’s brutal. If the zombies weren’t so damn tough, they wouldn’t have lasted a day.”

The group had been talking for a while, poring over maps and intel. Bit by bit, they were piecing together what life on the island was really like.

Ethan sat quietly, deep in thought. If they could take out Monroe, they’d basically have access to half the island’s resources.

After all, the guy ran seven different “farms.” There had to be a ton of valuable stuff stashed away.

Later that evening…

The humans, led by Mia, sat down for dinner. Thanks to the castle’s surprisingly well-stocked pantry, the meal was way better than expected—almost luxurious, considering the circumstances.

They ate until they were stuffed, everyone feeling full and content.

But human bodies were fragile. They needed rest to recharge.

So the plan was to get some sleep, recover their strength, and head out again once they were ready. Tomorrow was full of unknowns, and they’d need all the energy they could get.

One by one, they split off to find rooms for the night.

Mia and Elara ended up sharing. Mia had been the only girl in the group until now, so having Elara around was a welcome change—finally, someone to talk to who wasn’t a guy.

Chris, Oliver, and the rest of the men bunked together in another room. On a strange island like this, it made sense to stick close—just in case something went down in the middle of the night.

But Griffin? He got kicked out.

Brandon and the others had made it clear: sleeping in the same room as that guy was just asking for trouble.

So Griffin ended up alone, sulking in the hallway. “Y’all are the worst,” he muttered. “I hope your room’s full of roaches.”

Ethan, of course, didn’t need sleep. He poured himself a glass of juice, sat down, and popped an S-class crystal core into his mouth.

The core melted instantly, sweet and smooth.

Pure energy surged through his body, refining and evolving him further, keeping him in peak condition.

Time passed slowly. The long night dragged on, but eventually, it gave way to morning.

Only, the weather hadn’t improved.

The sky was still heavy with dark clouds, thunder rumbling in the distance, lightning flashing now and then. A storm was brewing—one that could hit at any moment.

“Let’s move out,” Mia said once everyone was up. They packed quickly, grabbed a bite to eat, and got ready to go.

They left the castle and headed toward the edge of town.

To their surprise, a crowd had gathered to see them off.

People stood in clusters, whispering nervously, their faces tense and worried.

Koa ran up to them, breathless. “When are you guys coming back?”

“No idea,” Oliver replied with a shrug. “Might not be coming back at all. You’ll have to ask my boss about that.”

Koa’s face fell, anxiety written all over it. “You killed Lucien and gave us our freedom, but the vampires in the city won’t let this slide. They’ll come for revenge. They’ll kill us all!”

“Don’t sweat it, man,” Oliver said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He smiled. “If I had to guess… those city vampires won’t be around much longer either.”

“Huh?”

Koa’s mouth opened, but no words came out. A few days ago, he might’ve laughed it off. But after what happened with Lucien, his whole worldview had shifted.

“Stay alive,” Oliver said, his tone warm but firm. “Get stronger. Who knows? Maybe we’ll meet again someday.”

With that, he turned and followed Ethan down the road.

Koa and the rest of the townspeople stood there, watching them go, their silhouettes fading into the thick, white mist.

And in that moment, a single thought echoed in all their minds:

The balance of power on this island was about to change—forever.

…

Outside the town, the last traces of human civilization slowly faded into the mist. The landscape turned bleak and empty, giving way to a wide, open plain.

Dew clung to the blades of grass, glistening like tiny crystals under the gray light.

The air was thick with moisture, a dense white fog hanging low and heavy, cutting visibility down to less than three hundred feet. It felt like walking through a dream—or a nightmare. Every direction looked the same, and it would’ve been easy to get turned around.

Oliver held the map up, squinting at the route. “If we want to reach the radiation zone, the shortest path takes us straight through Monroe’s territory. Otherwise, we’d have to go around.”

“Then we go through,” Ethan said without hesitation. “Even if we try to avoid him, he’ll probably spot us anyway. And if we somehow make it past his turf and into the radiation zone, we’ll risk getting attacked from both sides. That’s a death trap.”

Mia glanced at him. She knew Ethan—calculating, cold, and always three steps ahead. He’d never walk into a situation he couldn’t control.

“But Monroe’s the top dog in this region,” she said. “He’s got seven farms feeding him. That kind of setup means serious power. His vampire army’s gotta be over a hundred thousand strong. Marching straight into his lair… isn’t that suicide?”

Ethan nodded slightly. “Yeah. It’s risky.”

Just then, a faint rustling came from the tall grass on a nearby hillside.

Ethan’s eyes flicked toward the sound. Through the swirling mist, he caught a glimpse—several pairs of glowing zombie eyes, watching them from the brush, filled with a predatory gleam.

“Rrraahh—”

One of the zombies let out a low growl the moment Ethan locked eyes with it, warning the others to back off.

They immediately ducked down and vanished into the fog, retreating in silence.

“Huh? What was that?” Chris asked, scanning the area, his hand already on his weapon.

Ethan shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s keep moving.”

“Oh… okay,” Chris replied, still glancing around warily.

They continued across the open plain, talking strategy as they walked.

But Ethan could feel it—those zombies hadn’t gone far. They were still out there, shadowing them from a distance. Always just out of sight, but never too far behind.

They were organized. Disciplined. Which meant only one thing: a Zombie King was pulling the strings.

Eventually, the terrain shifted again. A forest loomed ahead, thick and dark, with a narrow, winding path snaking into its depths. The trail disappeared into the trees, the end nowhere in sight.

The forest was a mess—trees toppled over, the ground torn up, signs of past battles everywhere. Half-rotted corpses lay scattered, some half-buried in the mud, others sprawled out like broken dolls.

“Map says this path could be dangerous,” Oliver warned, eyes scanning the treeline. “Stay sharp.”

“Got it,” Chris said quickly, already on edge.

The forest was crawling with undead. Low-level zombies wandered aimlessly between the trees, some standing still like statues, others staring blankly up at the sky.

But there were stronger ones too—faster, smarter. Elite zombies moved like predators, leaping from branch to branch with eerie agility, like twisted, undead monkeys.

“Boss! More humans just left the town!” one of them hissed.

A massive zombie turned his head slowly. His skin was dark and leathery, muscles bulging under his torn clothes. Yellow eyes glowed beneath a heavy brow, and sharp fangs jutted from his mouth.

“Of course there are humans,” he growled. “The real question is—how do we take out the vampires guarding them?”

“Boss… there aren’t any vampires this time,” the elite zombie reported, voice low and cautious.

“No vampires?” The big one frowned, clearly thrown off. That didn’t make sense.

“Could they be… escapees? Humans who broke out of the town?”

…

Here’s a redemption code for everyone: