Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1252: Warships on the Horizon

Right at dawn the following day, Vivian set out with her group.

The base of Deepwater City lay just a short distance away, ensuring a quick trip home for them.

Ethan and his companions rose, grabbed some breakfast, and soared away on their flying beasts as well.

Aurora tagged along toward Fallen Star City, practically inseparable from the Fallen Star Squad by now.

Counting Aurora, their group numbered ten exactly—ideal setup with five flying mounts, two per beast.

The downside was Ethan could no longer ride solo with Flint. Each mount now bore a pair.

Ethan had figured on teaming with Chris, yet Mia yielded her spot to Aurora and climbed onto Flint right behind him.

Ethan felt utterly surprised.

Lately, something about Aurora struck him as a bit unusual.

Ethan wasn't any social whiz, but even he sensed Mia's recent odd behavior.

Was she truly pursuing him now?

Didn't she join the Fallen Star Squad purely to grow stronger? Why had things grown complicated all of a sudden?

Ethan felt conflicted inside. Truth be told, Mia's appearance, aura, all of it ranked among the best he'd encountered. That initial glimpse had made his pulse race, explaining why he'd glimpsed more of her than proper on their first meeting.

He never activated [True Sight] casually on women.

Yet perhaps from all their shared time, that early thrill had dimmed. Lately, he viewed her mainly as a squad mate.

And now, grasping she might harbor feelings... it left Ethan bewildered.

He knew Mia hadn't felt this earlier.

Previously, she'd seen him solely as captain. Her focus stayed locked on powering up.

He couldn't pinpoint when her mindset shifted.

“Did watching Chris and the rest pair off spark something in her?” Ethan pondered.

In matters of love, he figured himself no better than Chris, honestly.

At present, he had zero desire to divert focus there.

Thus, feigning ignorance was his only play.

Mia gazed silently at Ethan's back from her seat behind.

She couldn't recall exactly when it began. Gradually, her thoughts kept pulling toward him.

Perhaps his command of the Fallen Star Squad drew her. Or that steady, bold assurance he showed amid chaos.

For whatever cause, at some turn, her view of him transformed.

Squad mates had ribbed her earlier, dubbing her Ethan's “girlfriend.” She'd brushed it off with laughs then.

But repeated jabs... perhaps planted the seed subtly.

And recently, Grace and others arriving stirred a strange pressure in her heart.

What if another claimed him first?

Hence her bolder moves lately.

Still, the fool ahead acted oblivious.

That defied logic. Ethan stayed razor-sharp—too keen to overlook the blatant.

Was he faking it?

The idea twisted Mia's feelings into a tight tangle.

Self-assurance had always defined her.

Yet facing Ethan... doubt crept in strong.

After prolonged inner struggle, Mia clenched her jaw.

Slowly then, she slid her arms around his waist.

“…”

Ahead, Ethan's frame stiffened instantly.

That unexpected warmth blindsided him fully. He sat paralyzed, unmoving.

A faint smile tugged Mia's lips. No rejection. At minimum, he didn't mind her touch.

That sufficed for now.

“Holy—this is something a non-paying member is allowed to see?” Big Mike’s over-the-top voice boomed suddenly from nearby.

“I didn’t see anything, I don’t know anything!” Emily shielded her eyes—fingers parted just enough to peek through.

“Man, the weather’s really nice today,” Chris remarked to Henry at his back.

“Mhm. Yeah. Totally can’t complain,” Henry nodded gravely in agreement.

Voices hitting her ears, Mia's cheeks flushed crimson. In a fluster, she released him fast.

Ethan let out a breath at last… only to instantly yearn for that lost warmth against him.

He spun back, firing a fierce scowl at Chris and the crew, then spurred the peregrine falcon Flint into quicker flight.

“So the captain’s the true undercover charmer, eh?” Big Mike lobbed at Chris. “Dead silent type who’s already snagged Mia. Not like certain self-styled Casanovas—haven’t even linked fingers yet.”

“Dude, Big Mike, you begging for a smack?” Chris fired up right away.

“Tch. Just laying out truth,” Big Mike retorted fearlessly.

“Who says he hasn’t?” Emily jumped in abruptly.

“Henry, swap with me.”

“Oh. Okay.” Henry complied quick around his sister.

They switched in a blink. Emily settled behind Chris… then mirrored Mia, encircling him from rear.

The group froze briefly.

No soul anticipated Emily's sudden daring leap.

Big Mike's face stiffened into an awkward grimace.

“So… I ended up being the clown all this time.”

Chris, on the other hand, was shaking with pure exhilaration.

It wasn't merely the embrace.

Rather, Emily had just safeguarded his dignity.

Chris had been with his ex-girlfriend for three full years. She rarely spared his pride—if she avoided humiliating him in public, that counted as a great day.

Right then, Chris believed he would do anything for her.

“Emily, I—”

“Don't say a word…” Emily's cheeks flushed crimson.

Gathering the courage for that move had been utterly nerve-wracking.

“O-okay.” Chris remained frozen like a fool, clutching Emily's hand tightly as if she'd vanish otherwise.

“Enough already, cut it out. I can't stomach this lovey-dovey nonsense anymore,” Big Mike grumbled, then pushed his golden eagle Nugget to fly faster.

The rest of the group hastened after him, leaving space for the pair.

Atlas City’s compound…

General Maxwell Kane’s office…

Maxwell scanned a report when urgent knocks echoed from the door.

“General, emergency situation.”

“Come in!” Maxwell barked, slamming the document down and standing abruptly.

A soldier rushed inside.

“General, satellite control detected multiple Yamato Empire warships closing in. They've breached our territorial waters.”

“Warships from the Yamato Empire?” Maxwell's forehead creased deeply.

“Damn it all. The world's crumbling, and they still pick a fight?”

Just hearing about the Yamato Empire made Maxwell curse under his breath.

He hailed from a lineage of soldiers. From childhood, tales of the Yamato Empire's treacherous assault on the Atlas Federation had filled his ears—a betrayal his family could never forget.

“Any visuals on the troop numbers aboard?”

“Negative. Unknown substances are jamming the satellite signals—imagery's too poor. We can barely confirm the vessels.”

“Plus, intel shows the Yamato Empire dispatched a fleet this time, but most got sunk en route. Oceanic mutant beasts are evolving quicker than land ones—and far deadlier.”

“Expected that,” Maxwell replied darkly. “The ocean's vast and uncharted. Who knows the horrors below. Post-apocalypse, it'll be off-limits to humans entirely.”

“At least sea mutants haven't adapted to emerge onto land yet,” the soldier noted. “Coastal areas would be lost otherwise.”

Maxwell narrowed his gaze. “True. But it's inevitable. As they grow mightier, landfall is coming.”

“Humanity's struggling enough already.” Maxwell clenched his jaw. “Yet those fools crave war.”

“Alright. If they want to tangle, we'll oblige.”

“This ain't peacetime anymore,” he declared, his voice turning icy and resolute. “They step on our turf, they'll regret it big time.”

“Alert the adjacent compounds,” Maxwell commanded. “Lure every zombie nearby to their beachhead. Give 'em a proper reception.”

“Sir… maybe we should learn their intentions first?” the soldier ventured cautiously.

“Forget it. They didn't cross oceans for chit-chat.” Maxwell shut it down firmly. “Warships now? That's all the intel I need. No questions—hit 'em hard.”

“Zombies first. If they survive, artillery barrage. Then deploy elite Enhanced. Annihilate them the instant they land.”

“Yes, sir!”

“One more order,” Maxwell tacked on. “Keep Atlas City's top Enhanced ready. If their forces pack power, rush in backups right away.”

“Yes, sir!”