Tech Corp was a global leader in technology. It had launched rockets into outer space, partnered with numerous countries, and controlled massive resources.
Their branch in the city was still thriving, even in this apocalypse.
"Tech Corp must have quite a few valuable things..."
Ethan started making plans in his mind.
However, Tech Corp had at least a thousand Awakened. While Ethan was strong, he wasn't yet an unstoppable force. He couldn't eliminate them all by himself.
Even with Tank, Sub-Eight, Doctor, and a horde of two thousand elite zombies, breaking in would be uncertain.
Unless he could command a million-strong Horde—then he could crash through anyone he wished!
Perhaps... it was time to expand his territory.
Ethan's two thousand odd subordinates were only from the immediate vicinity of the skyscraper. The original reason for gathering them was simply to keep a low profile and ensure he wasn't disturbed while staying at home.
Now, Ethan had the idea of recruiting soldiers and carving out new land.
Over the next few days, Ethan continued to consume flesh and blood. He absorbed all five Crystal Cores, and his power increased significantly once more.
The range of his Domain expanded, and if fully deployed, it could last for twenty minutes while becoming even more potent.
Night fell.
Darkness enveloped the land. A blood moon hung high in the sky, staining it a deep crimson—another night for slaughter.
The area around the skyscraper hadn't been peaceful lately.
Zombies from other territories often wandered in, letting out provocative snarls at Tank and his subordinates.
The two groups of zombies often clashed, tearing into each other.
Naturally, Tank was not one to be patient; he simply smashed the heads of the trespassing zombies.
At this moment, Ethan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out into the dark.
In the ravaged street, a 'squeak-squeak-squeak' sound suddenly rose, followed by the appearance of pairs of eerie green eyes that shone with bloodthirsty light.
A swarm of giant rats, each the size of a small piglet, emerged from the roadside sewers.
The rats shrieked and twitched their noses, clearly hunting. They quickly spotted a zombie beneath the skyscraper, charged forward, leaped onto it, and began tearing at it with sharp teeth.
"ROAR—"
The zombie, covered in rats and swaying precariously, let out a howl of agony.
It didn't last long.
It collapsed onto the ground, and was instantly consumed by the rats, seemingly melting into the swarm.
These mutated beasts could treat zombies as delicacies.
The commotion from the attack immediately disturbed other nearby zombies. They rushed in to attack the giant rats.
But the rats were agile and evasive, dodging back and forth with extreme flexibility, making them hard to catch.
They even danced around and taunted the slow-moving zombies, who screamed in frustration.
Yet, just as the rats were gloating, a shadow flashed past like the wind. Five sharp fingers slashed through the air, cutting the rats into six pieces.
It was the female zombie, Sub-Eight.
Her speed and agility allowed her to easily overwhelm the rats. She wore a strange smile, treating the killing of the rodents like a game.
And she wasn't alone.
Beneath the night sky, a towering figure appeared. He grabbed a rat with one massive hand and began to squeeze. The rat kicked its four legs desperately and shrieked, but it was no use. The beast was eventually crushed into an explosion of gore.
Tank licked the rat blood from his hands, his face glowing with excitement.
He then charged forward again, crushing one rat into pulp with a single stomp, and grabbed another, twisting its body to tear it in half.
Tank's motions were similar to snapping a cucumber.
The remaining rats were intimidated and began to scatter, disappearing into the darkness one by one.
"Hehehehehe~~~"
Tank chuckled foolishly, clutching two bleeding giant rats. He scurried into a nearby alley and began to devour them like they were watermelons.
Blood splattered everywhere, covering his face in juice...
He dared not eat in the open street because Ethan had warned him to avoid eating dirty things; they were junk food.
If the Boss saw him, he might be thoroughly disgusted.
Incidents like these—rat attacks and zombie provocations—had become frequent in the last few days. Ethan was used to it and generally didn't bother to interfere.
...
The next morning.
Thick, dark clouds covered the sky, black as ink, and before long, the rain began to pour down.
But this rain was unusual. Mixed with the water were black worms that fell from the sky.
It was a Bug Rain.
The finger-sized worms landed on the street and abandoned vehicles with a rapid 'pitter-patter'.
Soon, there was a dense, massive patch of them.
"Hiss....."
Inside the room, Stella gasped, her scalp tingling. The strange phenomena of the apocalypse were escalating; now it was raining worms. She wondered what could possibly happen next...
Ethan gazed out the window, a frown creasing his brow.
The weather today was truly awful...
He recalled pre-apocalypse television reports about 'Fish Rains' in some areas, caused by tornadoes sucking up fish and dropping them later.
Presumably, this Bug Rain followed a similar principle.
However, these worms were different from normal ones. They had a ring of sharp teeth and would burrow into the flesh of zombies.
The zombies, who were originally agile, became stiff after the worms burrowed in, as if their bodies were no longer under their control.
Fortunately, Ethan's subordinates were elites with high intelligence. Before the worms could burrow into their bodies, they simply pulled them out—and some even popped them into their mouths, chewing loudly.
Tank, with his thick skin and tough hide, was not afraid of the worms at all. He scooped up a handful and poured them into his mouth like he was eating crispy noodles as a child.
Perhaps they tasted good...
He tilted his head back, opened his mouth wide, and faced the sky, drinking the Bug Rain like water.
"Ah—"
"Thanks for the gift, Mother Nature..."
...
The Bug Rain ended in just a few minutes, leaving the street covered in worms.
They disliked sunlight and quickly burrowed into sewers, soil, or corners to avoid being exposed.
In the alley beside the skyscraper.
Tank's massive frame was squatting by the wall, reaching down to grab a handful of worms from the ground, and popping them into his mouth one by one, like he was cracking sunflower seeds.
Sub-Eight and Doctor walked over and looked at him askance.
"Hey, Boss said no junk food."
"Shh!"
Tank made a shushing gesture, meaning "Keep it quiet!" He then offered the worms in his hand to Sub-Eight.
Sub-Eight tilted her head, her eyes examining the offering.
She seemed to find it appetizing.
She took a worm and put it in her mouth to taste.
"Hmm, delicious!"
Immediately, she and Tank squatted down by the wall, beginning to 'crack the seeds' together, just like children sneaking a snack.
Doctor crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, exasperated with the two zombies.
"The Boss will find out."
"No way.... Boss loves staying inside. He barely comes out," Sub-Eight said.
She seemed to know Ethan very well.
But just as she spoke, a chilling face suddenly peered around the corner of the alley entrance.