Apocalypse: King of Zombies

"Yeah, you’ll get used to it," Mia said casually.

But just then, from the darkness ahead, a faint, guttural roar echoed, and a menacing aura began to spread through the air.

"Huh? More monsters?" Zane frowned, instantly on alert. "These things just don’t know when to quit."

"Get ready for a fight," Mia said, unfazed. With a sharp shing, she drew the tachi from her back. Considering they were deep in the monsters’ lair and had sealed off the entrance, running into an attack was hardly unexpected.

Within seconds, the sound of chaotic footsteps grew louder, closing in fast. Soon, terrifying figures emerged from the shadows.

They were mostly humanoid, but their grotesque, muscular tentacles marked them as anything but human. These were no ordinary creatures—they were the elite, mature and powerful.

"Ugh, these monsters are so scary," a strikingly beautiful woman said, her voice trembling with fear.

Zane, exuding confidence, turned to her. "Sophie, stay behind me."

"Oh, okay!" Sophie nodded quickly, like a nervous little bird pecking at seeds.

As the monsters charged closer, their tentacles lashed out like whips. Zane unsheathed a short alloy blade and darted forward, his speed leaving afterimages in his wake.

Clearly, his abilities were agility-based. As an A+ rank Speed Enhancer Awakener, his movements were razor-sharp. With swift, precise strikes, he severed the tentacles and plunged his blade into the heart of one creature, expertly extracting its crystal core.

It was obvious he was no stranger to combat. His efficiency and familiarity with the monsters’ anatomy spoke volumes.

Mia’s sharp eyes followed his movements. While she didn’t think much of Zane as a person, she had to admit that, as their captain, his willingness to lead from the front wasn’t entirely without merit.

Nearby, another monster lunged at her. Mia’s tachi crackled with electric energy, illuminating the darkness as she swung it in a wide arc, slicing through several creatures’ torsos in one fluid motion.

Behind her, Sean provided cover. With a single punch, he sent a monster flying over a hundred feet away.

"Damn it! Where the hell is the supply stash?" someone shouted in frustration.

Meanwhile, the elemental Awakeners in the group were already channeling their powers. Energy rippled around them as they worked together to fend off the relentless wave of monsters.

Sophie, a Water Element Awakener, conjured a shimmering blue Torrent Barrier that held the creatures at bay. Beside her, an Ice Element Awakener formed sharp icicles that shot forward like bullets, piercing through several monsters.

"Nice teamwork, Sophie!" someone called out.

"Thanks," Sophie replied with a quick nod, though she didn’t dare let her guard down. The monsters showed no signs of stopping, continuing their relentless charge.

As the group fought with everything they had, none of them noticed two shadowy figures silently circling around to their rear, moving like ghosts.

Sophie, focused on her attacks, unleashed a cascade of water energy that flowed like a waterfall, her movements graceful and fluid. For a B-rank Awakener, her strength was nothing to scoff at.

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But compared to someone like Ethan, she still seemed a bit... clumsy.

"Water Prison!" Sophie called out, her voice steady. A surge of water coiled around several monsters, trapping them in place.

Just then, faint footsteps echoed from behind her. Something—or someone—was approaching, slowly but deliberately.

"Who’s there?" Sophie’s instincts kicked in, and she spun around, her eyes scanning the darkness.

Two figures emerged from the shadows. One was a young man with a scar running across his face, and the other was a girl with freckles dotting her cheeks.

"Sophie, relax, it’s us!" the scar-faced man said, stepping forward.

"You two?" Sophie blinked in surprise. She recognized them immediately—they were from the Rancho Cucamonga shelter.

"Weren’t you supposed to stay back and seal off the first entrance? What are you doing here?"

"We did seal it," the scar-faced man explained. "But then a horde of monsters attacked, and we got separated."

"Oh, yeah, we’ve stirred up quite a few monsters ourselves. Getting swarmed is pretty normal around here," Sophie said, not doubting their story.

The freckled girl suddenly looked serious. "And... we discovered something. A secret about the shelter."

"A secret?" Sophie’s curiosity was piqued. Like many others, she couldn’t resist a bit of gossip.

The freckled girl glanced around cautiously. The battlefield was chaotic, filled with the sounds of clashing weapons and monstrous roars.

"Come closer. I’ll tell you," the girl said in a hushed tone.

"Alright," Sophie said, stepping toward them.

The Ice Element Awakener nearby overheard their conversation and, intrigued, decided to follow.

"What secret? Tell me too!" the Ice Element Awakener asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

The scar-faced man and the freckled girl exchanged a glance, then motioned for them to follow. They led Sophie and the Ice Awakener to a more secluded spot, away from the chaos of the battlefield, ensuring no one else would overhear.

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Sophie and the Ice Awakener looked at them expectantly. "Alright, we’re listening now. Spill it," Sophie said, her tone a mix of excitement and impatience.

"Alright," the scar-faced man said with a nod. But as he spoke, a sinister glint flickered in his eyes.

"The secret is... I want to devour you."

"What?!" Sophie’s face turned pale as the realization hit her. Something was very, very wrong.

But it was too late. A sharp, cold pain shot through her abdomen. She gasped, looking down to see a grotesque tentacle piercing through her stomach, emerging from the scar-faced man’s mouth.

Before she could even scream, the man’s body began to twist and contort unnaturally. A parasitic creature, still in its juvenile form, wriggled out from his chest, its fleshy mass pulsating as it slithered along the tentacle and into Sophie’s body.

"You..." Sophie tried to speak, her voice trembling with terror. But her vision blurred, and darkness consumed her as she collapsed, unconscious.

The Ice Awakener, standing beside her, was frozen in shock, her eyes wide with horror. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but before a sound could escape, something coiled tightly around her neck. A tentacle constricted her throat, cutting off her air.

Her face turned red as veins bulged on her forehead, her tongue involuntarily sticking out. Another tentacle shot forward, stabbing into her abdomen with brutal force.

...

Meanwhile, the battle at the frontlines was nearing its conclusion. Mia, Sean, Zane, and the others had proven their strength, cutting down the wave of monsters with precision and skill.

The remaining creatures, realizing they were outmatched, abandoned their assault and retreated into the depths of the lair, vanishing into the shadows.

"Ha! Cowards," Zane spat on the ground, glaring in the direction the monsters had fled. "These beasts really don’t know when to quit."

A younger Awakener nearby tilted his head, puzzled. "That was weird, though. They came at us so aggressively, but then they just bolted."

"Hmph," Zane scoffed, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Their leader probably realized we’re here and is shaking in its boots, scrambling to figure out what to do."

"Let’s hope that’s the case," the younger Awakener said, sounding cautiously optimistic.

But Zane suddenly furrowed his brow, glancing around. "Wait a second... where’s Sophie?"

"Honey, I’m right here," a familiar voice called out from the shadows. Sophie stepped forward, her striking features illuminated by the faint light. She was smiling, her tone sweet and reassuring.

"Oh, there you are," Zane said, visibly relaxing. "You didn’t get hurt during the fight, did you? Wait... what happened to your clothes? They’re torn."

"It’s nothing," Sophie said quickly, shaking her head. "I just got nicked by accident earlier. No big deal."

The Ice Awakener, who had followed Sophie, chimed in with a grin. "Sophie was amazing out there! She took down a bunch of monsters all by herself."

"Ha! That’s my girl," Zane said with a hearty laugh, clearly proud. He didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. "Wait till I’ve got some downtime—I’ll make sure to give you something special."

...