Chapter 649: Alright, fine. Eat however you want

Mia let out a guttural roar and pushed herself up from the ground.

Her sudden movement startled everyone around her—they instinctively took a few steps back.

“She’s awake!”

“Mia, are you okay?”

“…”

The group rushed to check on her, concern written all over their faces.

But Mia’s eyes were wild, feral. She stared them down with a predator’s glare, low growls rumbling from her throat like a starving beast craving fresh flesh and blood.

“Wait…”

Everyone froze, their expressions shifting from relief to shock. Then it hit them—she didn’t remember.

She’d lost her memory…

It wasn’t unexpected. Turning into a zombie meant losing your past. Even though Mia had absorbed Ethan’s Zombie King blood, her body had been too far gone before that. Her mind hadn’t recovered—she was just another mindless zombie now.

Everything she once was had been wiped clean. All that remained was the instinct to hunt and kill.

And now, she was about to attack.

But before she could lunge, Ethan stepped in front of her.

Mia’s savage expression faltered. The growling stopped. Silence fell.

She stared at Ethan, eyes narrowing, studying him. Then, slowly, she lowered her head—a sign of submission. There was even a flicker of something softer in her gaze, almost… obedient.

“She really doesn’t remember,” Ethan muttered under his breath. The old Mia would never have acted like this.

“Ethan, she doesn’t recognize us… What do we do?” Sean asked, worry etched into his voice.

“I don’t know,” Ethan replied, shaking his head. He didn’t have a plan either.

Even if they managed to evolve Mia into a full Zombie King and restore her consciousness, her memories wouldn’t just come back. At best, she might get flashes—fragments of who she used to be. Maybe some instincts would linger.

Everyone looked at Mia’s scarred face, and their hearts ached.

She’d become this way to protect them.

“If someone loses all their memories… are they still the same person?” Leah asked quietly, sadness clouding her eyes.

“There’s gotta be a way to bring her back, right?” Chris chimed in, hopeful.

Brandon nodded firmly. “Mia’s been protecting us all this time. She’s saved our asses more than once. It’s our turn to do something for her.”

“Yeah! I’m in.”

“Brandon’s right—as always!”

“…”

One by one, the others spoke up, voices steady with resolve. No matter what it took, they were going to help her remember.

Ethan stood there, silent, watching them.

Memories of the past flickered through his mind.

He remembered the promise he’d made…

If Mia ever lost her memories, he’d help her find them again.

“Raaagh—!”

A roar echoed from just below the mountain ridge, followed by panicked screams and shouts.

“Oh no! He’s turning too!”

“Hey! You’ve gotta fight it!”

“Robert, what the hell are you doing?!”

“…”

Robert was getting up from the ground. He hadn’t been fatally wounded in the last fight—just drained of all his energy.

But the Mutant Vampire Zombie virus had already sunk deep into his bones.

“Filthy humans… I’ll kill you all!” he snarled.

His eyes were bloodshot, glowing red. Veins bulged across his face, and his fingernails had grown into razor-sharp claws.

Unlike Mia, Robert had been infected with a mutated strain of the virus.

Some of his memories remained, but his personality had twisted into something dark and violent. The man who once stood for justice had been consumed by evil.

“Quick! Hold him down!”

The Awakeners rushed him—one grabbed his legs, another wrapped around his waist, someone else locked his neck. It took five or six of them, struggling with everything they had, to finally pin him to the ground.

Chris slapped a hand to his forehead.

“Great. Another one…”

…

The Battle of Mount Elbert had been nothing short of catastrophic—a brutal, world-shaking clash that nearly spelled the end for humanity. One by one, powerful warriors fell, either dying on the battlefield or succumbing to infection, their bodies twisted into the undead.

And yet, compared to death, becoming a zombie almost seemed like the better outcome.

At least there was still a sliver of hope—however faint—that memories could be restored.

“Let’s go. We’ll figure it out later,” Ethan murmured.

With that, the massive Zombie Horde—millions strong—began to retreat in perfect formation. In their wake, the ground was littered with corpses, a grim testament to the carnage.

The zombies’ faces were smeared with blood, their eyes gleaming with savage excitement.

Among them, Big Ears yanked a fang from the mouth of a Vampire Race Zombie King and hung it from his ear like a trophy.

This battle had been monumental. He figured he deserved a medal—something to remember it by.

“From now on, the path to domination… is wide open!”

…

The global war had ended.

Ethan had officially claimed the throne at the top of the world. No force remained that could challenge him.

The Vampire Race had crumbled. Genesis Biotech’s leadership was wiped out. Sure, there were still scattered remnants hiding out across the globe, but they were nothing more than rats in the shadows—weak, hunted, and hated by all.

Meanwhile, Ethan’s side was only growing stronger. Zombie Kings from all over the world came seeking allegiance, eager to serve under the new ruler.

History is written by the victors.

The strong rise. The weak fall. That’s just how it is.

The American Corpse Nest was expanding fast, becoming the dominant power on the planet.

…

Outside Los Angeles.

The city was drowning in the undead. From wide boulevards to narrow alleys, zombies packed every inch of space, swaying like waves in a living sea.

On a rooftop, Elegy cradled her guitar. Her fingers danced across the strings, and her smoky, raspy voice rang out with haunting beauty.

“Country roads, take me home…

To the place I belong…”

The music soared over the city, echoing through the ruins.

Vines burst from the ground, swaying in rhythm with the melody. Petals rained from the sky, blanketing the streets in a soft pink haze.

Dark mist pulsed with the beat.

The massive horde of zombies cheered and howled, caught up in the moment like fans at a sold-out stadium concert.

…

Back at home, Ethan sat at his dining table.

A white scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck. In front of him, a plate of raw, neatly sliced beef. He picked up a piece with his fork, chewing slowly, savoring each bite.

Across from him, the sound of loud, messy chewing broke the quiet.

Mia was hunched over her plate, claws digging into the meat, shoving it into her mouth with primal hunger.

“Hey, slow down a little…” Ethan said gently.

Mia paused mid-bite. She looked at him, then reluctantly set the meat back on her plate. Her pace slowed, and she began eating in smaller bites.

But it clearly wasn’t satisfying. Drool dripped from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes stayed locked on the meat, full of hunger and a pitiful kind of longing.

Ethan sighed. “Alright, fine. Eat however you want.”

Mia’s face lit up. She immediately dove back in, devouring the meat with renewed ferocity, loud slurping and chewing filling the room.

A few moments later, Ethan’s phone buzzed.

He picked it up and saw a message from Dr. Morgan, one of the top scientists still alive.

“Restoring Mia’s memory is… unlikely. Her brain tissue has undergone irreversible changes. With current technology, reversing it would take at least another hundred years of advancement…”

…