Apocalypse: King of Zombies - Chapter 521

Chapter 521: Yeah… impressive
“If you don’t cut it open, then how do you get it out?” Koa asked, genuinely curious.

“My master can do anything. Maybe you’ll find out someday,” Oliver replied, keeping things vague as usual.

With Koa leading the way, they made their way through the forest. The journey was relatively smooth—whenever a mutated beast showed up, Brandon and Griffin took care of it effortlessly. No one else even needed to lift a finger.

As they moved forward, the dense jungle began to thin out. Signs of human activity started to appear—footprints, plastic bottles, trash bags.

And, of course, skeletal remains and traces of past battles.

Oliver couldn’t help but ask, “If the town’s so safe, why do you guys even come out here?”

“Living in the town isn’t free,” Koa explained. “You’ve gotta pay your dues—crystal cores, beast meat, stuff like that. It’s like a tax. Plus, we need to get stronger, earn supplies. So yeah, we still have to come out here and take risks.”

“Oh…” Oliver nodded, now even more intrigued by what life in the town was like.

After about half an hour of walking, they finally reached the edge of the forest. Beyond it stretched a wide open plain.

And at the far end of the horizon, a cluster of buildings came into view. It was a sizable settlement, with smoke rising from chimneys and the unmistakable signs of human life.

“There! That’s the town they call ‘The Blessed Grounds.’ Once we’re inside, we’re totally safe,” Koa said with confidence.

“It’s that close?” Oliver was surprised. The town was practically pressed up against the wild forest. Normally, that’d be a terrible place to set up a refuge.

As they got closer, the town came into clearer view.

A tall fence surrounded the perimeter, wrapped in barbed wire and electric netting, with sharp spikes jutting out. It looked more like a massive prison than a sanctuary.

But strangely, the area around it was calm. No corpses, no signs of recent battles. Just two patrol squads pacing in front of the main gate.

“If monsters don’t attack here, why the guards and the walls?” Oliver asked.

“Uh… I’m not really sure,” Koa admitted, scratching his head. “Maybe just in case?”

As they approached, the guards at the gate noticed them. One look at Ethan and the others—their clothes, their faces—and the guards immediately grew suspicious.

“Stop right there! Who are you people?”

“They’re Awakeners from America! They saved my life—please, let us in!” Koa rushed forward, plastering on a smile.

“From America, huh?” The lead guard narrowed his eyes, scanning each of them with interest. He seemed intrigued, but not hostile.

“Our town welcomes any survivors. As long as you pay the tax, you’re free to enter.”

“No problem at all…” Koa grinned, pulling out a few B-grade crystal cores and stuffing them into the guard’s hand without hesitation.

The guard captain nodded, clearly pleased.

“Alright, go on in.”

“Thank you, thank you!” Koa bowed repeatedly, grateful.

The town gates creaked open, and the group was allowed through.

Ethan stayed silent, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. He didn’t understand the language, but from the guards’ expressions and tone, he could more or less guess what was going on.

“Hey, are you even allowed in?” Mia asked, glancing at the gate.

Ethan gave her a warm smile, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

“Of course.”

He walked forward without hesitation, stepping right into the town.

Chris and the others watched closely.

To their surprise, Ethan passed through without any resistance—just like anyone else. No alarms, no strange reactions. Nothing.

“Wait… what?”

“Isn’t the whole thing about the town being off-limits just a rumor?”

“Maybe he’s just too powerful, so the rules don’t apply to him?”

“But… there really aren’t any monster attacks here…”

“…”

Everyone was confused. The town was starting to feel more and more mysterious.

As the group stepped into the town, the first thing they saw was a wide main street flanked by buildings on both sides, with narrow alleys branching off in every direction.

Ethan glanced back toward the gate, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the guards. He’d noticed it earlier—their faces were pale, completely devoid of color, and their pupils glowed a faint, eerie red. There wasn’t a trace of human warmth coming off them.

In other words… they weren’t human at all.

But Ethan didn’t say anything. Not yet. He turned his attention back to the street ahead.

There were plenty of people here—actual humans, by the look of it—but most of them wore black robes and moved with sluggish, unsteady steps. Their energy was faint, their bodies frail. Some looked like they could collapse at any moment.

The buildings lining the street were strange, too. Outside several homes sat clear glass jars filled with a thick, crimson liquid.

Ethan only needed a glance to know—it was human blood.

Not far down the street, a patrol of guards was making rounds. They stopped at each house, collecting the blood-filled jars and replacing them with empty ones. Before leaving, they’d toss a small bundle of food at the doorstep—bread, dried meat, maybe a few root vegetables.

Oliver noticed it too and asked bluntly, “What are they doing?”

“They’re collecting offerings,” Koa said like it was the most normal thing in the world. “Everyone in the town has to give something. Awakeners can hand over crystal cores, but regular folks? They have to give blood. The mayor uses it for rituals—that’s how he keeps the monsters away.”

“Oh… so if you give blood, you get food in return?” Oliver pressed.

Koa nodded. “Yeah, but not always. The mayor’s a kind man—he doesn’t want people to starve. So only the families that are really struggling get food. It’s just enough to keep them alive. Not bad, right?”

“Honestly? Yeah, not bad at all,” Oliver said, nodding in agreement.

Then he turned and translated everything for Ethan and the others.

“This town’s got a pretty solid system. Even now, they’re still handing out food. Kinda impressive, actually.”

“Yeah… impressive,” Ethan murmured.

But deep down, he already had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

Back before the world went to hell, Ethan had run a farm. He knew what it meant to feed the chickens, collect the eggs, and—when the time came—slaughter them for meat.

This setup? It wasn’t all that different.

The town was raising these people. Feeding them just enough to keep them alive. Stockpiling them.

Ethan didn’t say a word. He just kept walking, calm and casual, like he hadn’t figured out the whole game already.

A few minutes later, they turned into a narrow alley.

Koa pointed excitedly at a small house up ahead. “That’s my place! My sister’s probably still inside, waiting for me!”

He broke into a run, practically sprinting to the door. He pounded on it with both fists, calling out loudly.

“Kirra! Kirra! Open up, it’s me—I’m back!”

The wooden door creaked under his knocks. It took a while, but eventually, slow footsteps echoed from inside. The door cracked open.

A young girl, maybe thirteen or fourteen, peeked out. She had golden hair and bright blue eyes, her features delicate and pretty—but her face was ghostly pale, her body visibly weak. Her skin, already fair, looked almost translucent.

“Koa…” she whispered.

“Yeah… it’s me!” Koa beamed, pulling her into a tight hug.

Kirra clung to him, her small shoulders trembling as she tried to hold back tears. But she couldn’t stop them. Her body shook with quiet sobs.

“Kirra, how’ve you been while I was gone?” Koa asked, gently patting her back.

Kirra shook her head, her voice barely holding together.

“I’m okay… really… I’m fine…”

…