"Continue?"
Ethan's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile.
He had to admit, Genesis Biotech's plan wasn't half bad. If they wanted to keep pushing forward with "Operation King Hunt," he had no problem playing along. Hunting down these human Awakeners and harvesting their crystal cores to replenish his energy? That sounded like a win-win to him.
After all, he hadn't had his fill of "cherries" yet…
And besides, Ethan had always hated being disturbed.
The best way to keep trouble from knocking on your door? Simple—take the fight to them. Eliminate every potential threat before it even had a chance to grow.
With that thought, he turned to Laura. His voice was calm, but the command in it was absolute. "Go. Track down those Awakeners."
Laura was Ethan's fastest scout—quick, sharp, and deadly efficient. She never failed a mission.
Hearing the order, she grinned, baring a row of razor-sharp teeth. Her laugh was low and eerie, like a predator toying with its prey. "Hehehehehe~~"
The next second, her figure blurred into a shadow and vanished from their hideout, melting into the distant streets.
...
Night fell, and darkness swallowed the city whole.
Los Angeles had long since lost power. The streets were pitch black, with not a single light to be seen—only endless shadows. The air reeked of decay and blood, and the distant howls of zombies and mutated beasts echoed through the night, painting a grim picture of the city's despair.
Ethan stood by the window of their hideout, gazing down at the streets twenty stories below. His sharp eyes pierced through the darkness, capturing every detail with ease. Zombies had exceptional night vision, and Ethan was no exception.
Suddenly, a shadow darted toward the building, moving with ghostly speed before leaping effortlessly into the high-rise.
Laura had returned.
"Master…" she knelt before him, her voice low and raspy. "I found a group of humans. They're hiding in Westfield Century City, guarding a warehouse. There are over ten Awakeners among them, wearing the same uniforms as the ones we encountered earlier today."
Ethan nodded slightly.
Laura's intelligence wasn't her strongest suit, but it was enough—about the level of a ten-year-old child. She could describe what she saw clearly, and that was all Ethan needed.
Ten Awakeners, all in uniform… Ethan immediately understood. These people had to be part of Genesis Biotech's team.
In this post-apocalyptic world, only Genesis Biotech still maintained such organization and discipline.
"They're guarding the warehouse. They've probably found some valuable supplies and are figuring out how to transport them back," Ethan murmured to himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
In a world where resources were scarce, moving supplies was no easy feat. After all, not everyone had the luxury of a spatial storage ring.
"Let's go take a look," Ethan ordered curtly.
Excitement flickered in Laura's eyes. Her grin stretched unnaturally wide, almost splitting her face, revealing a grotesque, predatory smile.
...
Night was the perfect time for zombies to hunt.
But this time, it was different.
The horde following Ethan moved in complete silence, blending seamlessly into the darkness. Their movements were synchronized, precise—like a ghostly army trained to perfection.
Outside Westfield Century City, the zombie horde gathered. Over a thousand of them stood motionless in the shadows, their eyes glowing with a feral, bloodthirsty light. They waited, silent and still, for Ethan's command. The moment he gave the signal, they would charge without hesitation, a tidal wave of death.
...
Inside the supermarket, the warehouse was packed with supplies—enough to sustain thousands of people.
To protect these resources, Genesis Biotech had stationed twelve Awakeners as guards, along with over two hundred regular employees and survivors.
"How long is it gonna take to move all this stuff?" A young man on guard duty leaned against the wall, his tone laced with frustration. "There's only, what, two hundred of us? We'll be dead tired just hauling this crap."
His companion, a man with a cigarette dangling from his lips, exhaled a puff of smoke lazily. "Who cares? We'll just wait for HQ to send reinforcements. In the meantime, we've got food, drinks, smokes, and booze. Just sit tight and enjoy it."
"Yeah, but…" The younger man frowned, lowering his voice. "I don't feel safe out here. I'd feel a lot better if we were back at the company."
"Hah! You're such a coward," the smoker laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "We've got twelve Awakeners guarding this place. Any zombie dumb enough to come here is just asking to get slaughtered!"
"Let's hope so…" The younger man yawned, his exhaustion evident. "Hey, Marcus, toss me a cigarette too. I need something to keep me awake."
But neither of them realized that, at that very moment, the entire perimeter of Westfield Century City had been surrounded by a silent, deadly army of over a thousand zombies.
They stood motionless in the darkness, like statues of death. But their glowing red eyes burned with hunger, ready to pounce the moment Ethan gave the order.
Ethan stood at the front of his horde, his senses locked onto the faint traces of life emanating from within the shopping mall.
His gaze sharpened, and a cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Twelve Awakeners…" he murmured to himself. "A direct assault would cost too much."
It wasn't that he cared about the lives of the zombies under his command. But the ones he'd brought tonight were his elite troops—obedient, disciplined, and capable of following complex orders. They were a resource he wasn't willing to squander so easily.
He made his decision.
"I'll take care of a few Awakeners first," Ethan said softly, his voice laced with a chilling resolve.
Turning to the horde behind him, he ordered them to remain in place. Then, his figure melted into the shadows, vanishing into the night like a phantom.
...
Ethan activated his Domain of the Dead, his body becoming intangible as he phased through the walls of the shopping mall. He moved like a wraith, silent and unseen, blending seamlessly into the darkness.
"Stay sharp…" he reminded himself, his cold eyes scanning his surroundings with precision.
There were twelve Awakeners inside. While Ethan was confident in his abilities, he knew that his Domain of the Dead could only be fully sustained for five minutes. If he got dragged into a prolonged fight, things could get tricky.
He focused on the faint traces of human presence in the air, his steps light and deliberate. Despite the pitch-black surroundings, his vision was as clear as daylight.
The first floor of the mall had once been a showcase for jewelry and luxury goods. Glass display cases still held gold, silver, and diamonds, though they were now coated in a layer of dust. In this post-apocalyptic world, these once-prized treasures had lost all their value. They sat untouched, forgotten relics of a bygone era.
Ethan didn't spare them a glance. He moved forward, his focus unwavering, until he reached the main hall on the first floor.
Here, the human presence was stronger. The sound of breathing filled the air, interspersed with the occasional faint snore.
His gaze swept across the hall, taking in the scene. The floor was covered with makeshift bedding—thin mattresses and blankets where dozens of survivors lay curled up, most of them fast asleep.
A few, however, were still awake. One of them, a bald middle-aged man, leaned against the wall, the faint glow of a phone screen illuminating his tired face.
"Still up late, even with no hair left to lose," Ethan thought with a cold smirk, continuing his silent observation.
It wasn't surprising that they had power. Large shopping centers like this often came equipped with backup generators. But these ordinary survivors weren't his concern.
His targets were the Awakeners.
Ethan's attention shifted to a small, isolated room nearby. He could sense three people inside—one Awakener and two ordinary humans.
He approached without a sound, using his Domain of the Dead to phase through the wall and enter the room.
The space had once been a retail shop but had since been converted into a makeshift bedroom. The air was thick with a cloying, nauseating scent of indulgence.
On the bed, a young Awakener lay sprawled out, naked, with two women curled up beside him. All three were deep in sleep, their breathing slow and steady.
Ethan's expression remained cold as he took in the scene.
He wasn't surprised.
In this post-apocalyptic world, Awakeners were rare and powerful assets. They were the privileged class among survivors, and many women were willing to offer themselves in exchange for protection or resources.
Under the constant shadow of death, concepts like chastity had long since lost their meaning. For many, indulgence and hedonism were the only ways to numb the fear and despair.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He drew a sharp dagger from his waist, his movements swift and precise. The blade plunged into the Awakener's forehead, silent and deadly.
To ensure there was no noise, Ethan activated his Domain of the Dead again, allowing the dagger to phase through the skull and directly destroy the brain tissue.
A faint "squelch" echoed as a Neurocore emerged from the Awakener's shattered skull, floating into the air.
Ethan caught it effortlessly, examining it briefly. This Awakener wasn't particularly strong—he hadn't even formed a crystal core yet. But Ethan wasn't picky. He popped the Neurocore into his mouth, chewing slowly as the familiar "cherry" flavor spread across his tongue.
"Not bad," he muttered, licking his lips with a hint of satisfaction.
As for the two women on the bed, they remained fast asleep, completely unaware of what had just happened.
Ethan glanced down at them, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes.
"If they wake up and find themselves lying next to a corpse, they'll probably lose their minds," he murmured to himself, his tone cold and detached.
Deciding to spare them that horror, he opted for what he considered a "merciful" solution.
The dagger flashed again, its blade striking with unerring precision. Two quick thrusts to the heart, and the women's lives ended without a sound.
Ethan stood over the now-silent room, his expression unreadable. He wiped the blade clean on the edge of the bed, then turned and phased back through the wall, disappearing into the darkness once more.
...