The scene completely shattered the three men's perception of reality.
"Boss, what do we do now?"
Even Crowbar, who had been the most aggressive just moments ago, was utterly lost.
Hammer frowned heavily.
"No choice. We have to gamble that their Crossbows won't fire!"
"Alright! Let's rush them!" Crowbar agreed.
At that moment, Ethan gave the firing command.
WHOOSH!
The PhD zombie's bolt was precise, a one-shot-one-kill. It pierced Crowbar's forehead, sending his body tumbling backward.
"You F*CKING…"
Hammer's eyes were wide with terror.
Clearly, he had lost the gamble.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The other two bolts flew toward them. The female athlete zombie was equally accurate, her bolt piercing one man's throat, instantly fatal.
Only the Personal Trainer zombie, all brawn and no brains, seemed clumsy. His bolt struck Hammer in the chest, embedding itself in his lung.
"AARRGGHHH—"
Hammer screamed in pain, crashing to the ground from the impact.
He struggled to get back up.
But the Trainer zombie let out a low snarl and rushed forward, pinning him down without biting.
Like a wolf pack, zombies wouldn't immediately consume their prey without the Alpha's instruction.
Hammer clenched his teeth.
He finally understood: these zombies were organized and disciplined, and their King was Ethan!
"Does that mean… they have some intelligence? Can they understand me?"
Hammer analyzed, enduring the pain as he spoke.
"Please! Spare my life! I had no choice… Please, just let me go, and I'll do anything you ask!"
Ethan slowly approached.
He stopped in front of Hammer.
He reached out and grabbed the crossbow bolt sticking from his chest.
And yanked it out hard.
SPLAT!
Blood immediately gushed out.
"AARRGGHHH—"
Hammer screamed again in agony. Fear welled up in his heart—what exactly did this bizarre zombie want?
Ethan waved his hand and retrieved a clean plastic straw from his storage space.
"Huh???"
Hammer was utterly confused.
But he had a sinking feeling about what was coming next.
"I wonder how much energy is in human blood…" Ethan pondered. He hadn't tried it yet.
He inserted the straw into Hammer's chest wound.
But quickly, Ethan frowned.
"Ptooey!"
He turned his head and spat the crimson liquid onto the floor.
"This guy is too fat. He's got High Cholesterol…"
Hammer was more baffled than ever by the scene before him.
His blood… was even rejected by a zombie?
Was there a chance…
That this might spare his life?
The hope was immediately crushed as a monstrous, snarling mouth lunged toward his neck.
Ethan gave the killing command.
The three Minions were starving and eager, and they were not picky eaters.
Before long, the bloody feast was over.
The three Minions had blood smeared around their mouths, still unsatisfied, but their loyalty to Ethan was higher than ever—verging on worship.
Follow the Boss, get the meat!
RING RING RING! RING RING RING!
At that moment, a phone started ringing.
"Who uses such a tacky ringtone?"
Ethan glanced down and saw the sound coming from a pocket in the clothes on the floor—it was Hammer's phone.
He picked it up and answered.
A man's threatening voice came through the line.
"Hammer! Don't try anything funny. Get the supplies back now! Your wife is with me, and if you don't return with the goods… hehehe…"
Hearing this, Ethan understood.
Hammer had been forced to hunt for supplies under duress.
No wonder…
He had claimed to have "no choice."
"Hello, hello! Hammer, talk to me! Don't play dead! Listen to your wife's voice!"
The voice on the other end continued to threaten.
Then came a woman's cry.
"Honey! Save me! They're not human! WAAAHHH WAAAHHH~~~~"
Ethan simply hung up the phone.
Funny thing is…
I'm not human either…
However, Ethan realized he could find the location of these people.
Live humans were still considered inventory.
He could categorize them as the…
Delivery Hub…
Ethan manipulated the phone, quickly finding clues through Hammer's text messages and iMessage history.
The Delivery Hub was located at a Construction Site.
Hammer had previously been a Foreman there.
He often exploited the workers.
Therefore, he was known to be quite ruthless.
After reading the messages, Ethan casually tossed the phone off the balcony. He mentally logged the location but was in no hurry to collect the 'take-out.'
He still didn't want to leave his home.
Although Ethan was incredibly strong and had three decent Minions.
He still intended to hide out for a few more days.
Who knew what lay waiting outside???
He returned inside, put on his slippers, washed his hands again, and went to the dining table to continue absorbing energy.
He turned on the TV, eating and watching content.
It was a perfectly relaxed and leisurely scene.
Five hours later, he was finally full. As his body continually strengthened, the amount of meat he could digest increased.
From two cows a day at the start, Ethan now required four cows daily.
After eating, Ethan took a hot bath and changed into a clean white pajama set.
Then, he washed the clothes he had taken off.
With everything complete, Ethan felt satisfied. He sat on the sofa, ready to watch some television.
It was dark outside. The streets were still littered with debris and reeked of blood and decay.
Countless zombies wandered.
Hunting for prey trying to cling to life.
But the chaotic apocalypse seemed to have nothing to do with Ethan.
He was safe in his cozy penthouse.
Perfectly content.
WAAAHHH~~ WAAAHHH~~ WAAAHHHH WAAAHHHH WAAAHHHH~~~
But then, a sudden, stifled sound of a woman crying echoed through the high-rise.
The crying was mournful and deeply sorrowful, resonating throughout the dark night.
A sound of the apocalypse.
It was profoundly eerie.
If a normal person heard it, they would be terrified, but Ethan merely pursed his lips. He felt no fear, only a slight annoyance.
The sound was coming from his Minion, the female athlete zombie.
"Has this one evolved emotions? Why is she crying?" Ethan wondered.
He concluded it wasn't surprising; the female zombie had consumed flesh and evolved, developing basic emotions.
It was even possible…
That zombies could develop full human-level sentience if they evolved far enough.
But that would require reaching S-Class.
Of course, this also depended on the zombie's aptitude. For example, the intelligent PhD zombie might not need to reach S-Class to evolve high intelligence.
It seemed the female athlete zombie wasn't weak, either, having already developed basic emotion…
"Let's go see what she's crying about."
Ethan was curious, and it was a way to pass the time.
He opened the door and walked downstairs…