Apocalypse: King of Zombies-Chapter 280 : who exactly are you trying to prove yourself to again?

Jacob's trip to Japan didn't yield the Radiant Crystal, but he did manage to hunt down plenty of monsters and collect several crystal cores, significantly boosting his strength.

"Wow, that's awesome news!" Sophia's eyes lit up, genuinely thrilled. It felt like a double win. But then she suddenly remembered something else.

"Oh, right. Headquarters mentioned Leon's coming back too."

"Leon...? That guy's still alive? I thought he was dead already..." Jacob muttered under his breath.

Leon Graves—known simply as Leon—was the last of the Bernardino Four Riders, a figure as famous as Jacob himself. Yet, he was incredibly mysterious; most people had never even seen him.

Several months ago, Leon had gone to headquarters to participate in a top-secret genetic experiment. Even the heads of various branches didn't have clearance to know exactly what it entailed.

Naturally, Sophia and Jacob were both curious about what he'd become.

But one thing was certain:

If the experiment succeeded, Leon's strength would skyrocket, probably pushing him into S-class territory.

With her subordinates growing stronger, the company thriving, and powerful bounty hunters coming to lend their support, Sophia felt fantastic. The future looked brighter than ever.

"Let's throw a celebration tonight!"

...

Meanwhile, Ethan crossed the dangerous ocean aboard the aircraft, smoothly landing in downtown Los Angeles.

Oliver, the pilot, felt his heart leap into his throat again.

Now that the Japan trip was over, he figured he had no more practical use to this Zombie King—just potential as a snack...

"Ahhh..." Oliver sighed deeply, convinced Ethan would discard him like a used-up tool and kill him.

"What are you sighing about?" Ethan asked casually.

Oliver lowered his head. "You're planning to kill me now, aren't you?"

"Hmm... doesn't really matter to me either way," Ethan replied nonchalantly.

"..." Oliver was speechless. Seriously? Was his life really that insignificant?

It felt like Ethan didn't care at all.

In truth, Oliver was only a B-class pilot from Genesis Biotech, similar in usefulness to Chris from the shelter—hardly worth eating.

Ethan continued, "If you don't go back to Genesis Biotech, I won't kill you."

"Wait... really?" Oliver blinked, surprised and hopeful.

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, really."

"Then... I'll head to the Los Angeles shelter. It's pretty close anyway," Oliver quickly suggested.

"Sure, go ahead," Ethan waved dismissively.

Oliver nodded enthusiastically, bobbing his head like a woodpecker, relieved and happy. He jumped down from the aircraft and started walking toward the shelter.

Still a bit uneasy, he glanced back nervously. Ethan stood calmly at the aircraft door, clearly not intending to kill him.

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Finally reassured, Oliver felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders. He couldn't believe he was still alive. Life really was unpredictable...

"Oh, by the way, boss, if you ever need a translator or a pilot again, I'm your guy! I speak sixteen languages fluently!"

"Alright, got it," Ethan nodded.

Oliver continued walking, but after a few steps, he stopped again and turned back.

Ethan tilted his head, slightly annoyed. "Now what?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to mention—I was originally a survivor from Rancho Cucamonga. I'm really not that close with Genesis Biotech."

"..." Ethan was speechless. This guy wasn't just multilingual—he was also annoyingly talkative.

Noticing Ethan's growing impatience, Oliver didn't dare linger any longer. He quickly scurried away, disappearing around the corner.

...

Afterward, Ethan stored away the aircraft and returned to his territory.

As he approached the main building, he saw Bulldozer and the other Zombie Kings respectfully waiting for him.

"Anything happen while I was away?" Ethan asked casually.

"Nope," Bulldozer shook his massive head. "Nothing at all—except missing you, boss."

Ethan rolled his eyes. This guy was getting smoother by the day. All that flesh he devoured must've gone straight to his charm.

But Ethan didn't bother calling him out. Instead, he waved his hand, tossing out the spoils from his trip.

"Oh my god!"

The zombies' eyes widened in shock. This time, Ethan had brought back an enormous haul—most notably, two gigantic mutant centipedes. And beside them was a mountain-sized pile of "Sandwich Cookies."

"This much?"

"And it's Japanese cuisine, too!"

"Let me have a taste first!"

"..."

The zombies eagerly swarmed the food, unable to hold back their excitement.

As usual, Ethan headed upstairs, took a refreshing shower, changed into clean clothes, and placed three Radiant Crystals on the windowsill.

He lounged comfortably in the sunlight, poured himself a drink, and began leisurely absorbing the crystal cores.

As the crystal cores melted in his mouth, a warm, soothing sensation spread through his limbs, making him sigh contentedly.

"Ahh, nothing beats home..." Ethan sank deeper into the sofa, completely relaxed.

Downstairs, his minions were having the time of their lives, devouring the feast with gusto. The scene was lively and chaotic.

"Hiss... Ahh... spicy!" Bulldozer gnawed on a centipede leg, grimacing slightly. The centipede's venom made it feel like biting into a hot pepper—burning and spicy.

Quickly, he grabbed a "Sandwich Cookie," taking a big bite to neutralize the venom's sting.

Spicy centipede paired with sweet Sandwich Cookies—surprisingly delicious!

After returning from Japan, Ethan decided to lay low for a while, just like before, comfortably staying at home without making any big moves.

On the surface, the major factions nearby maintained a fragile peace.

But secretly, everyone was preparing for war, eager to tear each other apart.

Especially Nightmare, the Zombie King from Rancho Cucamonga. Ever since realizing he was living in Ethan's shadow, Ethan had become his obsession—his personal demon.

Nightmare spent his days muttering obsessively about killing Ethan, convinced it was the only way to free himself from his inner torment.

His constant rambling made Scissorhands and the other Zombie Kings worry their boss was losing his mind.

Maybe he'd overused his psychic powers and was suffering side effects.

He was trapped in his own nightmare.

Of course, Nightmare didn't just plan to kill Ethan. He had another goal—destroying the Los Angeles shelter.

Ever since Mia had humiliated him that night, he'd been nursing a grudge.

"I'll make her pay!" Nightmare growled.

"Absolutely, boss!" Scissorhands and the others nodded vigorously.

Nightmare continued ranting, "She dared say I'm not worthy of being a ruler? I'll show her!"

"You're definitely worthy, boss!" Scissorhands declared passionately.

Comforted by his subordinates' reassurance, Nightmare felt slightly better.

"I'll succeed for sure, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course you'll succeed," Scissorhands nodded repeatedly. But after a moment, he looked confused. "Wait, boss... who exactly are you trying to prove yourself to again?"

Nightmare: "..."

...