Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1223: I Don’t Leave Loose Ends

The Hale Family commanded one of the top positions in Atlas City. At the heart of their compound lay a massive array of lavish homes—practically their exclusive neighborhood.

However, the Hale estate now plunged into complete disorder.

News of the clash had already reached them.

Within the Hale Family, a full-blown internal conflict had broken out.

One faction consisted of the Hale Family’s main lineage and their staunch supporters.

The opposing faction included the Hale Family’s peripheral kin and a large portion of their personal guards.

The deaths of Alexander and Dominic spread rapidly. Accompanying that was another revelation that ignited the flames:

The Hale Family had been producing thralls.

Even more shocking—the sole successful thrall apparently came from a peripheral Hale relative.

As soon as that news landed, the peripheral branch ignited in fury.

Fists became swords. Swords spilled blood.

Simultaneously, parts of the Hale Family’s guards switched allegiance on the spot, aiming weapons at yesterday’s allies.

When the great tree topples, the monkeys disperse. When the walls crumble, the masses shove it down.

Everyone grasped the truth: the Hale Family was doomed.

If they failed to sever connections immediately, the incoming force would drag them to doom as well.

Victoria—Alexander Hale’s granddaughter, who once strutted like the world belonged to her—stood frozen in shock.

Just moments ago, others pampered her like a treasure, holding her on their palms.

Now, those same faces demanded her life.

The reversal hit too swiftly for her to comprehend.

“Tyler—what the hell are you doing?!” Victoria yelled at the young man opposite her. “You dare to attack me?!”

It was unbelievable.

Tyler Hale had once followed her devotedly like a lapdog, a constant admirer. Yet now he wielded a weapon against her.

Tyler sneered. “Still acting like a highborn lady?”

He spat out the words. “A girl like you—without ‘Alexander Hale’s granddaughter’ branded on you, you’d have been diced up ages ago.”

“You…!” Victoria’s bosom rose and fell in fury.

“Victoria, don’t waste words!” Sebastian snapped, his face etched with alarm. “Flee—now!”

Their group boasted superior average power, but the foes outnumbered them vastly. Prolonged battle meant death.

Worse still—the pursuers were en route.

Delay their escape, and escape would prove impossible.

Victoria’s gaze quivered, clinging to disbelief. “Sebastian… this can’t be happening. Grandpa and Dad are okay, aren’t they?”

Sebastian’s tone broke. “Victoria, it’s true. The Hale Family is over. We must leave—immediately. Or we’re all finished.”

“Seems you’ve run out of time,” a voice declared.

The skirmish halted abruptly.

A band of intruders strode in from the entrance as if it were theirs.

Every gaze in the estate snapped to them, terror rippling through the assembly instantly.

Victoria fixed on Ethan—and erupted anew, oblivious to the reality. “You?! You dare invade the Hale Family home?!”

“Victoria, be quiet!” Sebastian bellowed, urgency shredding his voice.

Sebastian stared daggers at Ethan, shaking with rage. “Ethan! The Hale Family erred, but you’ve slain my grandfather and father. Isn’t that sufficient?!”

“It’s not about sufficiency,” Ethan replied evenly, straightforward. “I complete my tasks. I don’t leave loose ends.”

Victoria’s eyes contracted. “You… you murdered my dad and grandpa?!”

Ethan regarded her with weary exasperation. He shook his head. “Calling you foolish wasn’t even an exaggeration.”

“Aaaah!” Victoria shattered utterly, reason vanishing in a flash.

She snatched a longsword and lunged directly at Ethan.

“Victoria—stop!” Sebastian cried.

“Miss Hale!”

Her allies shouted too, horrified and frantic, hands outstretched as if to yank her back.

Far too late.

Victoria had dashed into the gap between the groups.

A longsword on the ground rose abruptly—as if seized by an unseen grip.

It streaked forth in a direct path, impaling straight through Victoria’s neck.

Her form convulsed, eyes bulging, before crumpling down.

Ethan remained unmoved.

He never spared foes merely for being female.

Victoria’s corpse stiffened, stare boring into Ethan as if etching him eternally. Then life ebbed, and she toppled lifeless—brimming with resentment.

“Victoria!!” Sebastian’s eyes reddened savagely. He glowered at Ethan, thirsting to tear him asunder. “You’ll eradicate us all?!”

“Yes.”

Sebastian’s jaw quivered. “You’re merciless. You’ll pay dearly!”

Ethan eyed him as if hearing a worn cliché. “Yeah… no chance of that.”

“…..”

Ethan shifted toward the defectors—the branch kin and turned guards.

“Desire survival?” His tone stayed serene, lethal. “Slaughter them. One escape, and none leave alive.”

“!!”

A chill swept them.

Yet hearing a path to life, they pounced without pause, swarming Sebastian’s faction like ravenous beasts.

Battle reignited—ferocious, frenzied, intimate.

“Big Mike, remain and oversee.” Ethan glanced at him. “We’ll search indoors for valuables.”

Big Mike grimaced. “I want in too.”

“Stay put.” Ethan stood firm. “Among us, your area-of-effect hits hardest. Trouble arises, you anchor the defense.”

Big Mike exhaled. “Okay…”

Chris and the rest surged into the Hale estate, ransacking it systematically.

Ethan seized a Hale member, inquired about Alexander’s quarters, and proceeded there directly.

His interest in the thrall technique wasn’t for personal creation.

He’d deduced it: the body in his spatial storage ring was likely a thrall.

Control method—that’s what he sought.

Uncertain of its full might, but certain—mastery would yield immense power.

Hence his haste.

Alexander’s room

Ethan triggered [True Sight] and probed beneath the bed.

There—a concealed panel indeed.

Within… a chest.

Ethan exhaled in relief. Chaos might have led to its theft or ruin.

He hurled the bed away, then smashed down with a fist.

Floor splintered, revealing the panel and chest below.

Ethan extracted the chest cautiously and pried it open.

An aged tome lay inside.

He leafed through. Script archaic, yet legible.

Besides the guide, vials of crimson fluid—no marks, no clues.

Ethan acted swiftly. Box into spatial storage ring, then plundered further rooms.

Over an hour passed stripping the Hale estate bare.

Much proved useless, yet treasures abounded.

Prime find: secret vault piled with crystal cores—over a million.

Mostly under Tier 5. Higher ones likely expended.

Ideal regardless. Fallen Star City overflowed high-tier cores; low-tiers stayed scarce. Perfect supplement.

When Ethan’s group emerged, the outer fray had concluded.

Hale core members and loyalists eradicated.

Peripheral kin and ex-guards suffered heavy casualties too.

Numbers advantaged them, but foes averaged stronger. Facing death, they battled fearlessly, unbound.

Nearly total annihilation on both sides.

Ethan surveyed coldly. No sympathy.

He’d meant to eliminate all Hales. Infighting spared effort.

He eyed survivors, gestured dismissal. No intent to slay them.

He honored words mostly.

“Head to the Kane Family,” Ethan instructed. “Ask if General Kane accepts you.”

“Yes!” Survivors chorused desperately—lives hung on it.

They fled instantly, dreading his reconsideration.

Ethan rolled shoulders. “Good. Let’s dine at General Kane’s. Ran all day without a bite.”

Chris cleared throat. “Er… General Kane likely lacks appetite now.”

Ethan’s face stayed neutral. “Doesn’t matter. Ryan invited us.”

Sean chuckled. “True. Now I’m famished.”

Big Mike patted belly. “Me too.”

“Then go,” Ethan commanded, pivoting. “Move out.”