Ethan closed his eyes slightly, and with a single thought, an invisible force rippled outward from him, spreading across the room.
The air seemed to freeze in an instant, and an eerie, oppressive energy enveloped the entire space.
This was Ethan's newly awakened ability—Domain of the Dead.
The range of the domain was only about 30 feet for now, but even at this limited scale, its power was staggering.
At that moment, Nina, who had been quietly scrubbing the floor nearby, was unintentionally caught within its reach.
Her body froze abruptly, as if an invisible hand had pinned her down, rendering her completely immobile.
A wave of terror surged through her, crashing over her like a suffocating tide. Her legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and the cloth she had been holding slipped from her fingers, falling limply to the floor.
In her mind, horrifying visions of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood began to surface. The air was filled with the echoes of anguished screams, as if she had been plunged into the depths of hell itself.
The suppressive power of the Domain of the Dead on humans was overwhelming.
"W-what… what's happening?" Nina's voice trembled, barely audible.
She struggled to move her eyes, desperately searching for an explanation, only to realize that Ethan—who had been sitting on the couch watching TV just moments ago—had vanished without a trace.
Where was her boss?
In truth, Ethan hadn't gone anywhere. His domain granted him another ability—Invisibility.
Within the domain, he could completely erase his presence from sight, as though he had never existed.
But that wasn't all.
In Ethan's perception, the world around him had transformed.
The once-solid walls now appeared translucent, rippling like the surface of water.
He raised a hand and tentatively reached out to touch the wall. His palm passed through it effortlessly, as if it wasn't even there.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Taking a step forward, he walked straight through the wall, emerging from the living room into the kitchen in an instant.
To anyone else, it was as if he had simply disappeared into thin air.
This was another feature of the Domain of the Dead—Ethan could ignore physical barriers entirely.
He could pass through walls, objects, and even sink into the ground if he wished. If he wanted to, he could even reach into someone's chest and rip out their heart without breaking the skin.
"This power… it's perfect," Ethan murmured to himself, a cold smile playing on his lips.
It was a power that could kill without leaving a trace, or ensure his escape in the direst of situations. It was flawless.
An invisible, wall-phasing zombie king—who could possibly stand against that?
However, this ability wasn't without its drawbacks. As a spatial-type power, it consumed a tremendous amount of mental energy with each use, making it impossible to sustain for long periods.
By the time Ethan phased back into the living room from the kitchen, the domain's range had begun to shrink. Nina, now free from its oppressive grip, collapsed to the floor.
Her body went limp as she fell to her knees, gasping for air as though she had just been pulled from drowning.
Her face was pale, her forehead slick with cold sweat, and she looked utterly drained.
"What… what just happened? Where did the boss go?" Nina's voice was weak, her eyes wide with fear.
At that moment, the kitchen door swung open, and Ethan strolled out casually, as if nothing had happened.
"Wha—" Nina's eyes widened in disbelief.
She had just seen Ethan sitting on the couch moments ago. How had he suddenly appeared in the kitchen?
This was too bizarre.
"Boss, just now… what happened?" she asked cautiously, her voice trembling slightly.
"Nothing," Ethan replied calmly.
His speech was smooth and natural, his deep, magnetic voice indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person.
"Oh…" Nina murmured softly, lowering her head. She didn't dare press further.
She bent down to pick up the cloth she had dropped and resumed scrubbing the floor, trying to convince herself that the terrifying experience had been nothing more than her imagination.
Over the past two weeks, Ethan's three zombie underlings had undergone significant changes as well.
Bulldozer, for instance, had grown even larger. His height now exceeded 7 feet, and his muscles bulged like steel cables, making him look like a walking fortress.
His appearance was increasingly reminiscent of a scaled-down version of the Hulk, and his sheer strength was enough to make anyone think twice about crossing him.
The female zombie, on the other hand, was terrifyingly fast.
Ethan had personally witnessed her during a hunt, darting toward her prey like a gust of wind.
Her hands transformed into razor-sharp bone claws, slashing through the air with afterimages as she tore her target open in an instant.
Her movements reminded Ethan of X-23 from the X-Men movies, so he decided to give her a fitting name—Laura.
As for the zombie scientist, he was even stranger.
Not only was he obsessed with dissecting humans, but he had also started experimenting on other zombies. He would often capture one, slice open its stomach, or dismember it into various "parts," which he then arranged across the floor in grotesque displays. The sight was enough to churn anyone's stomach.
Interestingly, Ethan's three zombie underlings had recently recruited a new batch of followers.
Each of them already possessed the qualities of a zombie leader, capable of commanding ordinary zombies.
These new recruits had mostly gathered around the building, forming a growing force that couldn't be ignored.
Ethan had adopted a hands-off approach, letting them roam freely and grow stronger on their own.
But he had noticed something unsettling—ordinary zombies on the streets were now running faster, their speed surpassing that of an average human.
They were no longer the stiff, sluggish creatures from the early days of the apocalypse.
Clearly, the zombies were evolving.
A wave of zombie evolution was sweeping across the world. They were becoming stronger, faster, and more terrifying, even showing hints of an unsettling intelligence.
Ethan sat on the couch, legs crossed, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest as his eyes scanned the screen of his phone.
His expression was calm.
"What's the situation on the human side now?" he muttered to himself, unlocking his phone to gather intel on the outside world.
Despite the apocalypse, humanity's communication networks hadn't completely collapsed.
As long as there were survivors, there was still a signal. Ethan scrolled through the news feed, skimming various updates, until one headline caught his attention:
"Genesis Biotech Announces Zombie Eradication Plan."
"Zombie eradication plan?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
The name was familiar to him.
Genesis Biotech was a multinational corporation specializing in virus and genetic research. With its immense resources and cutting-edge technology, it was practically at the pinnacle of global science.
Its reputation was comparable to that of Umbrella Corporation from the Resident Evil franchise.
"Interesting…" Ethan murmured as he clicked on the article, curious to see how this company planned to "eradicate zombies."
The page loaded, revealing a brief statement:
"We at Genesis Biotech have successfully developed a biological weapon, 'Doom Hunter 01,' capable of effectively eliminating zombies. It has now entered mass production and will soon be deployed."
Below the text was an image.
Ethan's gaze fell on the picture, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The so-called "Doom Hunter" was a massive bio-engineered humanoid.
Standing nearly 10 feet tall, it wielded a colossal Gatling gun in its right hand, with a belt of ammunition coiled around its body, ready to unleash devastation at any moment.
Strapped to its back was an enormous spiked warhammer, clearly designed to inflict maximum carnage.
What made it even more grotesque was its head, which was covered in jagged scars, like centipedes crawling across its face. The stitched-together flesh gave it a horrifying, monstrous appearance.
Ethan stared at the screen, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.
"Not exactly a looker, is it?" he muttered mockingly. "Let's hope they don't come looking for trouble. Otherwise…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the icy glint in his eyes spoke volumes.
He continued scrolling down. Genesis Biotech had also issued another statement:
"We have established multiple shelters worldwide. Survivors are welcome to seek refuge, and we will do everything in our power to ensure your safety."
The comments section below the announcement was already in chaos.
"Genesis Biotech is amazing! They're the real MVPs, holding it together even during the apocalypse!"
"Don't trust them! Genesis Biotech's shelters aren't for protecting people—they're for capturing them as test subjects!"
"Is it possible that… 'Doom Hunter 01' was made from live humans?"
"Exactly! Everyone, stay away from Genesis Biotech's shelters. The government-run ones are way safer!"
"…"
The comments were a chaotic mix of praise and suspicion.
Ethan glanced at the comments and quickly lost interest.
He had no concern for shelters, whether they were run by Genesis Biotech or the government. None of it had anything to do with him.
But the next piece of news made him pause.
It was an announcement from an official shelter:
"Recent tests show that some humans are beginning to evolve. Data indicates that certain individuals can now run 100 meters in 6 seconds and deliver punches with a force of 2,000 pounds. Experts believe this newfound strength may be linked to the growth of a 'Neurocore' in the brain."
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued reading.
"If you feel an itching sensation in your head, it could be an early sign of evolution. As the 'Neurocore' develops, it will gradually condense into a 'Crystal Core.' Once fully formed, individuals may awaken special abilities."
"Humans are evolving too…" Ethan murmured, a flicker of complex emotion crossing his face.
According to the announcement, human evolution was a gradual process.
From the formation of the 'Neurocore' to the crystallization into a 'Crystal Core,' and finally to the awakening of abilities, each step required time and specific conditions.
No one could gain extraordinary powers overnight.
But Ethan knew he was already far ahead of everyone else.
"An itchy head… the sign of evolution," he chuckled softly, raising a hand to touch his forehead.
Ten days ago, deep within his skull, his own 'Crystal Core' had already formed, granting him the Domain of the Dead.
And none of it would have been possible without his relentless consumption of flesh and blood.
It was this insatiable hunger that had propelled his evolution far beyond that of other potential awakeners.
"Looks like I'm the first to awaken an ability," Ethan leaned back on the couch, a cold smile curling at the corners of his lips.
"But now… I'm curious what an awakened human might taste like."
…