Apocalypse: King of Zombies
Chapter 663 - 663: Then let’s begin the exam

"Uh… what?" Hank's glowing eyes widened in alarm. What the hell did that mean?

From the very beginning, Ethan had been careful—never showing his face, always staying in the shadows. So naturally, when the livestock started disappearing, all the blame landed squarely on Hank.

"But they know me!" Hank hissed, the realization hitting him like a punch to the gut. He crouched low behind a crack in the rocky hillside, peering out at the distant figures of wandering zombies.

Luckily, maybe by some miracle, the undead didn't come any closer. After a while, they turned and shuffled off in another direction, their guttural howls fading into the distance.

"Whew… they're gone!" Hank let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, feeling like he'd just dodged a bullet.

The Exile Zone was massive. Finding this exact hiding spot would've been like finding a needle in a corpse pile.

"Boss, they didn't come this way," one of the lesser zombies nearby said, visibly relieved.

"Yeah, what are the odds?" Hank replied, trying to reassure the others—and maybe himself. "No way they'd just stumble across this place."

But Ethan wasn't looking at the zombies anymore. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, where the sky shimmered under the light of Solaris's three suns. A low, mechanical rumble echoed in the distance.

A flying craft was approaching, its engines humming steadily as it cut through the air.

"They're back again…" Ethan muttered under his breath.

That same aircraft had been circling the area for days now, looping around like it was searching for something but couldn't make up its mind.

"Hide! Quick!" Hank hissed, already diving behind a boulder like a spooked animal. His instincts had been rewired by weeks of paranoia—see a ship, hit the dirt.

The others followed suit, pressing themselves against the rocks, not daring to peek out.

They figured the ship would pass by like it always did.

But this time… it didn't.

Instead, it hovered above them, circling tighter and tighter, like a vulture that had finally spotted its prey.

"What the hell…?" Hank frowned, a knot forming in his gut. Something felt off.

Up above, inside the sleek, humming aircraft, a group of humans watched the scene unfold.

"Look at these zombies," a teenage boy sneered, pointing at the screen. "They're actually hiding. That's hilarious."

"Right? I swear they've been in that same spot for a month," a girl giggled beside him. "Haven't moved an inch."

The boy turned to the woman standing at the front of the cabin. "Instructor Leia, why don't we just go down there and take them out? They're clearly weak—just a bunch of cowards hiding in the rocks."

Leia, a stern woman with sharp eyes and a commanding presence, nodded slightly. Her gaze was locked on the control panel's display, where the targeting system had already locked onto the zombies below.

She was an instructor from one of the human civilization's elite academies—her job was to train Awakeners, gifted individuals who could fight the undead. Today, she was leading a group of soon-to-graduate students on their final trial: The Hunt.

To become a true warrior, you had to kill a zombie in the field. No exceptions.

Leia had done this dozens of times.

She studied the image of Hank on the screen—crouched low, trembling, clearly terrified. "That one's a power-type Zombie King," she said coolly. "They're tough—thick skin, strong bodies. Don't try to go toe-to-toe with it. Keep your distance, wear it down from range."

"Ohhh, got it! Instructor Leia, you're amazing! You can tell just by looking!" one of the students gushed.

Leia gave a small nod. "I've seen hundreds of Zombie Kings. Each type requires a different strategy. You have to combine what you've learned in class with real combat experience. That's the only way to become a true warrior."

"Yes, ma'am!" the students chorused, eyes shining with admiration.

The aircraft continued to circle overhead. Leia remained cautious, watching the zombies below. Something about this part of the Exile Zone had been off lately—too many hives acting up, too many zombies wandering the wilds.

They'd flown several laps already, unable to find a suitable target. But now, with Hank and his crew huddled below, this was the best opportunity they'd had all day.

"Let's go down," Leia ordered.

"Yes, Instructor!" the boy at the controls responded, immediately beginning the descent.

The rest of the students buzzed with excitement.

After two and a half years of training, they were finally about to face real zombies. If they passed this trial, they'd graduate—and earn the title of warrior.

The aircraft dropped fast, kicking up a storm of red dust as it touched down on the cracked, rust-colored stone.

With a hiss of hydraulics, the side doors slid open, and Leia stepped out first, flanked by six students—three boys, three girls—all armed and visibly buzzing with adrenaline.

The scorching wind howled across the barren landscape, tugging at their hair and clothes like invisible claws. The students squinted into the sun-drenched wasteland, their eyes flicking toward the jagged hills ahead, where the zombies were hiding.

Leia's voice cut through the wind, calm and commanding. "They're holed up in those rocks. I'll draw them out. When they come, don't panic—just do what you've trained for."

"Yes, ma'am!" the students chorused, gripping their weapons tighter.

They followed her lead, boots crunching over the dry, cracked earth as they advanced toward the dead hills.

...

Meanwhile, deep in the crevice of the rocks, Hank's glowing eyes narrowed with fury.

"Shit. It really is humans. They've landed," he growled.

"No wonder they kept circling overhead," one of the lesser zombies muttered, his tone grim. "They must've spotted us a while ago."

"What do we do? Should we run?" another asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"Run where?" Hank snapped, keeping his voice low. "We're boxed in. Outside's crawling with Zombie Hordes looking for us. If Dreadpaw catches us, he'll skin us alive."

Compared to the starving, rabid Zombie Kings out there, Hank would rather take his chances with these humans.

In the shadows behind them, Ethan stood silently, half-hidden in the shade of a boulder. He didn't move, didn't speak—just watched. His eyes were calm, unreadable, like a ghost waiting for the right moment.

"So these are the humans of this planet…" he murmured to himself, studying them.

Some had violet hair and golden skin, others were blond with pale blue eyes, and a few looked like hybrids—mixed features, strange combinations. A chaotic blend of genetics. Fascinating.

He wondered idly what their crystal cores would taste like.

...

Leia stepped forward, her expression hard as steel. The air around her crackled with tension—an aura forged in fire and blood. She wasn't just a teacher. She was a killer.

"No point hiding," she called out, her voice sharp and cold. "I can see you."

Lightning sparked in her palm, crackling and twisting into a glowing orb of raw energy. The air warped around it, the pressure building fast.

With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the thunderball forward.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the hillside. A blinding flash of light, a deafening crack of thunder—and then the rocks shattered, pulverized into dust and debris.

The blast was massive—easily S+ level.

"RRAAAHHH—!"

The shockwave triggered a chain reaction. From the rubble, several figures burst out, snarling and roaring.

Zombies.

They moved fast, their bodies lean and powerful, eyes glowing with rage.

At the front was Hank—towering, broad-shouldered, his muscles rippling beneath his cracked, gray skin. He looked like a walking tank, radiating raw aggression.

"You humans shouldn't have come here," he growled, voice like gravel grinding in his throat.

Leia's eyes narrowed. "Disgusting monster," she spat, her hatred boiling over. "Don't forget what I told you—this one's a power-type Zombie King. Don't let him get close. Keep your distance and wear him down."

"Understood!" the students replied, their faces serious now, the thrill of battle overtaking their nerves.

Leia gave a sharp nod.

"Then let's begin the exam."

…