Apocalypse: King of Zombies-Chapter 285: Hey, hand over those crystal cores...

"Captain, my ears feel kinda itchy too," the young man said blankly, his mind flashing back to his companion's gruesome death. Fear gripped him, making it impossible to accept reality.

Kade was speechless for a moment, then quickly tried to reassure him, "Hey, don't overthink it. It's probably just your imagination."

"No, it's not..." The young man's brow furrowed deeply as the itching sensation intensified, turning into a maddening, tingling torment he couldn't bear.

Clearly, the Devourer Ants had already taken hold, multiplying rapidly inside his body.

"Ahhh—!" Unable to endure the agony, the young man desperately clawed at his face. Within seconds, his skin was torn open, bloodied and raw, and tiny flying ants began crawling out of the wounds. The sight was horrifying.

Kade watched helplessly, eyes wide with anguish, unable to bear the gruesome scene.

They had sounded the horn, rallied their forces, and marched out to clear the zombies. Everything had been going smoothly—until now. In mere moments, the situation had completely reversed.

Damn it!

Where the hell did these flying ants come from?!

Kade seethed with frustration and anger.

Meanwhile, the Giant Boulder Zombie King stood nearby, watching gleefully, a twisted grin spreading across his face.

"Hehehe..." he chuckled mockingly. "What's wrong with you humans? Weren't you having fun just a minute ago? Not so tough now, huh? That's what you get for ganging up on me!"

His fierce eyes glinted maliciously. He still held a grudge against that speedy young man who had toyed with him earlier. Seeing him now writhing helplessly on the ground, the Zombie King lunged forward like a hungry predator.

Opening his massive jaws, he bit down hard on the young man's shoulder.

But the young man's flesh had already been mostly devoured by the ants, leaving only a thin layer of skin that tore off easily, along with a swarm of tiny insects.

"What the hell is this?" The Giant Boulder Zombie King stared in confusion.

"Did someone sprinkle black sesame seeds on him or something?" A mouthful of Devourer Ants flooded into his mouth, popping and buzzing like fizzy candy, bouncing around wildly.

Devourer Ants didn't eat rotten flesh, but that didn't mean they wouldn't bite. Immediately, the Zombie King felt sharp stings inside his mouth, the pain quickly intensifying.

"Pffft! Ugh! Gross!" He spat frantically, trying to get rid of the ants, his mouth now burning as if he'd suddenly developed a dozen painful ulcers.

Kade saw this and realized things had gone from bad to worse.

Their own people were being decimated by the ants, yet the zombies seemed mostly unaffected.

This wasn't just about mutant insects anymore—it was about whether they'd even survive this mess.

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Sure enough, the Giant Boulder Zombie King's fierce gaze locked onto Kade.

"This is payback for messing with me earlier!" With a furious roar, he charged forward, followed by a horde of zombie minions, all snarling viciously.

"Crap!" Kade cursed inwardly. Without the ants, he might've been able to hold his own against the Zombie King, but now he was completely cornered.

Worse yet, the swarm of flying ants had grown into a black whirlwind, surging toward them relentlessly.

"Ice Shield!" At the critical moment, the female Awakener beside him reacted swiftly. Cold energy radiated from her body, instantly crystallizing into a thick, protective dome of ice that enveloped both herself and Kade.

The swarm of ants crashed against the icy barrier, instantly freezing and dropping lifelessly to the ground. Within seconds, it was as if a black rain had fallen around them, countless frozen insects piling up into a dark carpet.

But the Giant Boulder Zombie King's attack was already upon them. He raised his massive fist and slammed it down onto the ice shield with a deafening boom.

The ground trembled violently beneath the impact.

Cracks immediately spread across the previously impenetrable ice barrier, spiderwebbing rapidly as it began to shatter.

The female Awakener clenched her teeth, desperately channeling her powers again. Cold energy surged outward, quickly sealing the cracks in the ice shield.

"Let's see how long you can keep this up!" The Giant Boulder Zombie King sneered, slamming his fist down once more.

Inside the ice dome were two A-level Awakeners—prizes he'd been eyeing for a long time. Especially Kade, whose strength-based crystal core was exactly what he craved. The Zombie King's mouth practically watered, like someone impatiently cracking open a crab shell to savor the juicy meat inside.

For a moment, both sides were locked in a tense stalemate.

"Captain, are we really going to die here?" The female Awakener felt despair creeping into her heart. She knew her ice energy couldn't possibly outlast the Zombie King's brute strength.

Kade's brow furrowed deeply. "No, hang in there. Reinforcements will come soon."

"Okay..." she whispered weakly, struggling to maintain the barrier.

But Ethan had no intention of waiting any longer—it was pointless. He calmly stepped forward, approaching the ice dome.

Immediately, both zombies and humans noticed his presence.

"Huh?" The Giant Boulder Zombie King turned his head, surprised. He recognized Ethan as the Zombie King from Los Angeles. After all, their two zombie factions had maintained a superficial alliance until now.

Meanwhile, Kade and the female Awakener stared in horror.

Who hadn't heard of the infamous Zombie King from Los Angeles?

An S+ ranked Zombie King, listed prominently in the Zombie King files. He had destroyed laboratories, slaughtered the Takahashi Family, and even killed two of the Bernardino Four Riders.

His mere presence felt like a crushing mountain, suffocating and overwhelming.

"It's...it's him!" Kade was stunned speechless.

Ethan glanced down at the ground, observing the countless dead ants scattered like black sand beneath his feet. Then he looked back up at Kade, a faintly disappointed expression on his face.

"I brought you a gift, and you didn't even appreciate it."

"Huh???" Kade's jaw dropped in disbelief.

Now he finally understood where the flying ants had come from. It was Ethan's doing all along—truly ruthless!

The female Awakener beside him trembled uncontrollably. Ethan's casual tone, as if chatting with an old friend, carried a chilling, psychotic undertone. It was terrifying beyond words.

This guy was a total psycho!

The infamous S+ Zombie King from the files was truly a nightmare come to life.

"It's rude to refuse someone's gift, you know," Ethan muttered softly. With a casual flick of his wrist, his Tachi appeared out of thin air. He swung it effortlessly, slicing through the ice dome as if it were paper-thin glass.

The ice shattered instantly.

The female Awakener collapsed to the ground, pale-faced and completely drained of energy.

"Stay...stay away!" Kade shouted desperately, stepping protectively in front of her.

But to Ethan, Kade's warning sounded more like a weak prayer—utterly meaningless.

Seeing Ethan continue forward without hesitation, Kade snapped.

"I'll kill you!" he roared, lunging forward instinctively, throwing a powerful punch.

But Ethan didn't even need to exert himself against an opponent in this state. He didn't even bother activating his Domain of the Dead. With a simple sidestep, he dodged Kade's attack effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, Ethan's slender fingers pierced into the back of Kade's skull, extracting his crystal core cleanly.

Kade's lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

Now, only the female Awakener remained. She knelt helplessly, her face pale and drenched in cold sweat, too weak even to speak. She simply raised her eyes, silently pleading for mercy.

But Ethan showed no hesitation. With a swift, clean motion, he raised his blade and slit her throat, freeing her from this cruel world.

Two A-level crystal cores—quite a decent haul.

With a casual wave, Ethan collected their bodies as well.

Nearby, the Giant Boulder Zombie King stared blankly at Ethan's actions, feeling something wasn't quite right. After a moment, realization dawned on him, and he quickly jogged over to Ethan's side.

"Hey, hand over those crystal cores..."

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