Chapter 618: BUUURP~~ Hell yeah!

Not far off, Ethan had already extracted the crystal core from the fifth-generation Cyborg. The core pulsed with a dazzling array of five colors, radiating a deep, potent energy.

Each of these five crystal cores was SS-grade—harvested from elite human warriors listed in The Awakened Files. They were one-of-a-kind, the kind of treasures you’d be lucky to see once in a lifetime.

Ethan was clearly pleased. The only question now was—could they help him break through his current limits?

Just then, the Snowy Owl approached. Its demeanor was respectful, almost reverent. As it slowly spread its wings, a stone tablet slid out from between them.

With its head bowed, the Snowy Owl held the tablet in both hands and offered it up to Ethan like a sacred relic.

Ethan raised his hand and pulled out two more stone tablets.

In an instant, radiant light burst forth. A soft, glowing mist rose into the air, and a strange energy ripple spread outward.

The white glow twisted like a long serpent, coiling around the tablet in the Snowy Owl’s hands, gently lifting it up.

The Snowy Owl stared, completely stunned.

“This is… incredible…”

The three tablets slowly drifted toward each other, aligning perfectly. Every groove, every notch—seamless.

BOOM!

With a deep, thunderous rumble—like two mountains colliding—the tablets locked into place. A brilliant white light exploded outward, flooding the area.

Now that the three pieces were joined, the tablet was no longer a long strip. Only the bottom right corner was missing—the final piece.

Without hesitation, Ethan embedded two Radiant Crystals into the carved sockets. The tablet flared even brighter, and the strange force field around it grew stronger.

Ethan knew exactly where the last piece of the puzzle was—the final stone tablet and the last Radiant Crystal were both hidden inside Genesis Biotech’s Global Headquarters.

“We’re almost there…”

Holding the tablet in one hand, Ethan gazed up at it.

The etched lines now connected seamlessly, and the six Radiant Crystals shimmered in a pattern unmistakably shaped like the Big Dipper.

This was it—the “spatial key” that the Undying had spoken of, the one summoned by the Nightbane Zombie King.

Behind Ethan, the figures of Bulldozer, Laura, PhD, and the other Zombie Kings began to gather. The heavy-hitters of the Los Angeles corpse nest were finally all in one place.

Further back, Samara, Mad Dog, and T-Rex—the infamous Japanese Iron Trio—stood frozen, eyes locked on the glowing, assembled tablet.

“What’s the boss holding?”

“Is it some kind of weapon?”

“No clue… but it looks insane.”

“…”

The three Zombie Kings murmured among themselves, clearly intrigued and a little uneasy.

Suddenly, T-Rex felt a poke in his side.

“Huh?”

He turned quickly, but there was no one there.

“Hey, down here.”

A voice called out from below.

T-Rex looked down and spotted a few zombies. The one in front had oversized ears and a necklace made of teeth dangling from one of them—definitely a unique look.

He was short—so short that if you weren’t paying attention, you might accidentally step on him.

“If you’re new and got questions, I’m your guy,” the little zombie said, folding his arms and looking up proudly.

“You?” T-Rex raised an eyebrow.

“Damn right. I’m the boss’s number one right-hand man. Without me keeping things running, this whole nest would’ve fallen apart ages ago.”

Big Ears launched into a full-on brag session, clearly trying to impress. If things went well, maybe he could recruit this new guy as his underling.

“I once led tens of thousands of zombies in a siege on Genesis Biotech’s U.S. headquarters. I helped the boss track down the stone tablets. I’ve played a key role in every major battle on Earth. All of them.”

He puffed out his chest. “And you? You’ve got the look, the vibe. I like it. Why don’t you roll with me from now on? We’ll even give you a new name—how about… Big Gatorax?”

At first, T-Rex was actually impressed. The guy sounded legit. And hey, he said T-Rex had a good look and strong presence—seemed honest enough.

But then came the name change.

That hit a nerve.

T-Rex’s name wasn’t just a label—it was a bond, a mark of honor given by Ethan himself. Suggesting a change? That was crossing the line.

T-Rex narrowed his eyes, his expression turning cold and dangerous.

“Get lost.”

“Uh…” Big Ears’ eyes went wide. He felt the threat immediately and grabbed Shrimpy and the others, scurrying off like their lives depended on it.

“Hmph! No appreciation for greatness!”

…

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the blood-soaked battlefield, the cleanup in Canada was finally complete. The American zombies, jaws still slick with blood, growled low and steady, their eyes gleaming with lingering excitement.

This battle had been a turning point—Ethan’s Zombie Horde had grown even larger, stronger, more terrifying.

Among them, the towering figure of Logan strode over, his crimson eyes glowing faintly, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Congrats, man. You finally wiped out the Canadian horde!”

Ethan barely reacted. “It was nothing.”

Logan chuckled, clearly in high spirits. “Nothing? Come on, now that those Canadian freaks are outta the picture, I can finally settle down with Awan. No more interruptions.”

But Ethan’s expression didn’t change. “No. The real fight… is just beginning.”

“Huh?” Logan blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean, just beginning?”

Ethan nodded slowly, his gaze drifting toward the horizon, eyes dark with thought.

The destruction of the Canadian Zombie Horde—and the elite Vampire Race forces that had gathered with them—was bound to provoke a response. The Crimson Count wouldn’t take this lying down. Retaliation was inevitable.

And then there was LORN.

The fifth-gen Cyborg had fallen, but LORN’s true body was on its way. His Awakener abilities might not match the Cyborg’s tech, but his physical strength? Probably even greater. Overall, he’d be a tougher opponent.

So no, this wasn’t the end of the war in Canada. It was just the beginning of something bigger—something global.

“Boss, let’s keep going,” Bulldozer rumbled, his voice thick and eager. “Let’s just steamroll the whole damn planet.”

But Ethan shook his head. “We’re going home.”

“Huh?”

The Zombie Kings exchanged confused glances. They all knew what “home” meant—Los Angeles.

They were leaving? Just like that?

Ethan’s voice was calm, but firm. “The enemy will come to us. No need to rush.”

Going home wasn’t retreat—it was preparation. For the storm that was coming.

The Zombie Kings didn’t question him. Orders were orders. They gathered their undead legions and began the march south, back across the border into the U.S.

Soon, the battlefield was empty, save for the wreckage and the mountains of corpses left behind. In time, the wind and sand would bury them, and they’d fade into dust, forgotten by the world.

Ethan, meanwhile, boarded a sleek aircraft and flew straight back to Los Angeles.

At the heart of the corpse nest, a towering building stood tall. The streets around it had been cleared of debris. Aside from the wear and tear of time, there was little left to suggest the world had ended.

Ethan had returned—not just as a survivor, but as a ruler. A warlord. On this continent, there was no one left who could challenge him. Even globally, only a handful could stand toe-to-toe with him now.

Up in the building, one window still glowed with warm light.

Before he’d left, Ethan had assigned someone to keep the place clean. And sure enough, the interior was spotless.

Inside, sprawled on a couch, Nina was going to town on a bag of chips—one of the last stashes Ethan had looted from a supermarket before the world went to hell.

She munched away, crumbs clinging to her lips, grease shining on her cheeks, looking like she was in absolute heaven.

A year into the apocalypse, Nina had definitely put on some weight. Her once-slim, heart-shaped face had puffed up like a marshmallow.

After polishing off the chips, she grabbed a bottle of ice-cold Coke and chugged it like a champ.

“BUUURP~~ Hell yeah!”

She sighed in satisfaction, then reached for the PS5 controller and fired up a game.

…

Here’s a redemption code for everyone: