With a shift of Ethan's mind, a domain—a field of energy—began to spread outward from him.
This was Ethan's awakened ability: the Corpse Domain!
At his current strength, the Domain's radius was only about ten meters. It inadvertently enveloped Sophia, who was wiping the floor nearby.
Sophia's body instantly stiffened. Like someone suffering Sleep Paralysis, she was frozen on the spot. Her delicate body began to tremble, and an overwhelming sense of dread, as if she were immersed in a sea of blood and corpses, washed over her.
This demonstrated the immense suppressive power the Corpse Domain had over humans!
"Wh-What's happening?"
Sophia had no idea what had occurred. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Ethan, who had been sitting on the couch watching TV, had eerily vanished.
Where is the Boss?
Another ability of the Corpse Domain was Invisibility (concealment).
But it went further than that.
To Ethan's eyes, the surroundings were now covered in a crimson filter. The solid walls appeared illusory, rippling like the surface of water.
When he reached out to touch the wall, his hand passed right through it.
He pushed his body forward.
Ethan stepped entirely through the wall, moving from the living room into the kitchen.
Naturally, this bizarre scene was completely invisible to anyone else!
A further ability of the Corpse Domain allowed Ethan to Ignore Terrain, passing through walls, objects, or even Tunneling (burrowing) beneath the ground.
Within this terrifying Corpse Domain, if Ethan wished, he could reach through living flesh and rip out a person's heart!
"What a powerful ability..."
Ethan silently mused. It was perfect for killing or self-preservation. A Zombie King who could turn invisible and phase through walls? Who could possibly stop that?
However, this ability fell under the category of Spatial Abilities and consumed mental energy, meaning it couldn't be used indefinitely.
As Ethan phased through the wall into the kitchen, Sophia was finally outside the range of the Domain. She collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath, completely exhausted.
"What exactly happened? Where did the Boss go?"
Just then, Ethan opened the kitchen door and walked into the living room.
"W-What?"
Sophia's eyes widened.
The Boss had been sitting on the couch just moments ago, and now he was walking in from the kitchen?
It was too bizarre! A sense of unease spread through her.
"Boss, what was... that?"
"Nothing," Ethan said lightly. As he continued to evolve, his language skills had fully recovered. He spoke smoothly, his voice deep and magnetic. From his appearance, he was indistinguishable from an ordinary human.
"Oh..."
Sophia replied, not daring to press the issue further. She went back to diligently wiping the floor.
Over the last two weeks, Ethan's three zombie Minions had also grown considerably stronger.
Tank's physique was noticeably larger. His height had exceeded six and a half feet, and his muscles bulged like small mountains. He was a miniature Hulk come to life!
The Athlete was faster. Ethan had personally watched her discover humans searching for food and pounce on them like a gale. Her two sharp, bony claws moved so fast they left afterimages as she disemboweled them.
The Athlete's movements closely resembled Mileena from the Mortal Kombat fighting games!
So, Ethan gave her a name: Mina!
The most peculiar of them remained the PhD zombie. Not only did this creature enjoy dissecting humans and eating their internal organs one by one, but recently, he had become so twisted that he was dissecting other zombies! He often tore open their stomachs or dismembered them, leaving 'Parts' scattered everywhere.
It was worth noting that:
The three zombie Minions had also recruited quite a few subordinates. They all possessed the potential to become Zombie Kings and could already command other zombies.
When they weren't busy, they would gather near the tower. Ethan allowed them free range during this time, letting them have Uncontrolled Growth in the wild.
Ethan also noticed a pattern:
The zombies on the streets were all running much faster now, generally surpassing normal human speed, unlike the sluggishness when the apocalypse first struck.
It was clear that they were all evolving.
The zombies had initiated a massive evolutionary frenzy and were getting stronger by the day.
"What's the situation like on the human side?"
Ethan sat on the couch, pulling out his phone to gather intelligence. Because living humans were still generating signals.
As soon as his phone unlocked, a push notification caught Ethan's attention.
'TechCorp Bio-Tech Solutions Announces Comprehensive Zombie Eradication Program.'
"Zombie eradication?"
Ethan had heard of this corporation. They specialized in virus and genetic research, were immensely powerful, and operated at the forefront of global technology. They were like the Umbrella Corporation from the Resident Evil films.
TechCorp was a multinational entity with a division located in Port City.
Ethan was curious about this Eradication Program. He tapped the notification.
'Our TechCorp has successfully developed the bio-weapon 'The Hunter 1'—an effective means to eliminate the infected. Mass production is imminent for deployment across all sectors.'
Below the text was an image.
The so-called 'The Hunter' was a man-made bio-organic weapon, nearly ten feet tall, wielding a Gatling Gun in its right hand with belts of ammunition wrapped around its body. A giant Sledgehammer was strapped to its back.
Its enormous head was covered in surgical scars, crisscrossed with thick Centipede Scars that made it look terrifyingly grotesque.
Ethan's assessment was: It's even uglier than a regular zombie.
It had better not mess with me.
He scrolled down, where TechCorp had posted another statement.
'Major corporations have now established shelters. Survivors are welcome to relocate to our facilities, where TechCorp will guarantee your safety.'
This message had numerous survivor comments.
"TechCorp is amazing! The cutting edge of global tech, still alive and kicking after the end of the world."
"Everyone, do NOT go to the TechCorp shelter. They just want to use humans for live experiments. They won't protect you."
"Is there any chance… that The Hunter 1 was made from a live human?"
"Right. Those who can, head to the Official Shelters instead!"
"..."
The comments were a mixed bag, and Ethan stopped reading. Shelters had nothing to do with him.
However, the next piece of information he saw was extremely useful. It was published by the Official Shelters.
"Testing confirms that some human bodies are beginning to evolve. Individuals can now run 100 meters in 6 Seconds and deliver a punch with the force of One Ton. Experts believe the source of this power comes from a 'Brain Pellet' growing inside the skull."
"If you feel an itch in your head, it is very likely a sign of imminent evolution."
It was true. Humans were starting to change, though it appeared no one had awakened an actual ability yet.
The experts' ' Brain Pellet' would mature into a Crystal Core at a certain point, which would then unlock superpowers.
Evolution was a gradual process. No one could suddenly gain an ability; that was unrealistic.
Ethan figured that, given his abundant meat supply and countless energy absorption, whether among humans or zombies, he was almost certainly the first one to form a Crystal Core and awaken a superhuman ability!