Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1276: Everything Stopped… Except Him

The moment the crystal core impacted Ethan’s abdomen, it dissolved into raw energy, surging directly into his mind. Within the celestial map of his consciousness, the third star ignited.

A rush of power flooded back into his physical form, and then his awareness plunged once more into that familiar, empty expanse.

Ethan had come to know this place intimately by now.

He gazed at the dense cluster of floating light-points before him, his heart still pounding despite himself.

It had only been a little over a month since he reached Stage C. He certainly hadn't anticipated returning to this inner realm so rapidly.

The pace of his advancements was frankly astonishing—so much so that even he found it difficult to fully comprehend.

However, there was no time for idle contemplation or amazement. The opportunity was fleeting. Ethan immediately commenced his search.

Each instance he entered this void space, its appearance remained largely consistent… yet the skills contained within the luminous orbs could differ drastically.

When contrasted with the previous tiers, the Stage B selection was undeniably more potent. A Wind-attribute skill like “storm” was a clear upgrade from a mere tornado. A Fire-attribute “sea of flames” would unquestionably encompass a far greater area than the previously acquired [Rain of Flames].

Furthermore, there were formidable single-target abilities available—the Lightning-attribute Thunder Strike, the Light-attribute Spear of Judgment—skills whose very names suggested devastating impact.

Stage B also offered a greater variety of more unusual abilities—detection skills, healing capabilities, mental manipulation techniques, and a wide array of support options.

Ethan’s eyes swept across the myriad of lights, seeking something that would elicit a visceral reaction, a true spark of interest.

He wasn't precisely lacking in crucial areas at the moment. He possessed ample offensive power. He had Teleportation. If anything, his weaknesses lay in the realms of solid defensive capabilities or crowd control.

Yet, with the mastery of Teleportation, neither of those deficiencies felt truly critical.

Therefore, this time, he hadn't entered with a predetermined objective. He simply sought something… truly exceptional.

Five minutes.

His time was nearly expired when his gaze finally landed upon it.

A single light-point that sent a tremor down his spine.

“That’s the one,” he murmured.

Ethan focused on it, his eyes narrowing with intent.

The light-point shot towards him, piercing the center of his forehead—

—and his consciousness was abruptly ejected from the void.

Returning to the physical world, Ethan’s eyes snapped open, a broad grin of pure astonishment spreading across his face.

He had truly discovered something phenomenal.

“Ethan—how did it go? What skill did you get?” everyone inquired simultaneously, leaning in with the eager curiosity of children witnessing a magic trick.

Ethan simply offered a smile.

Then, he snapped his fingers.

The entire world fell silent. Leaves suspended mid-flutter in the breeze. The airborne mounts circling above froze in their flight paths. Chris and the others—their expressions, their very breaths, seemed locked in place, as if someone had hit the pause button on a video.

Ethan nonchalantly reached out and tapped Big Mike on the head.

A soft ‘tap’ echoed.

He then retracted his hand as if nothing had occurred.

One second later, the world snapped back into motion. Leaves rustled anew. Flint and the rest of the mounts resumed their circling. Chris and the others continued to gaze at Ethan, their eyes gleaming with anticipation—as if utterly unaware of the temporal interruption.

“Captain, stop playing with us,” someone blurted out. “What skill did you acquire?”

Big Mike suddenly frowned, rubbing his head. “Huh? Why does my head hurt so much?”

He squinted suspiciously at Skinny Pete. “Skinny Pete—did you hit me?”

Skinny Pete stared at him as if he had lost his mind. “I haven’t moved an inch. Everyone is watching. Don’t try to pin your nonsense on me.”

“Then why does it hurt? It genuinely feels like someone struck me.” Big Mike turned his head, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if expecting an assassin to emerge from the foliage.

Nothing. No one.

“…Am I just imagining things?” Big Mike scratched at his scalp.

Then his face contorted again. “No, I’m not—damn it, it still hurts!”

He appeared genuinely affronted by the reality of his sensation.

Chris shot him an irritated glance. “Stop complaining. We’re waiting for Ethan to tell us what he got.”

“Oh.” Big Mike’s shoulders drooped. He nodded, looking thoroughly dejected and slightly petulant, still nursing his aching head.

“Uh… I already used it?” Ethan spread his hands in a gesture of explanation.

“???”

“When?” Chris demanded. “How did none of us notice anything?”

“Just now.” Ethan’s grin widened.

They all stared at him, looking as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head.

Ethan let the suspense linger for a brief moment, then waved dismissively. “Alright, alright, I’m done teasing you. My new skill is Absolute Stasis.”

Everyone leaned in closer.

“It freezes both time and space. Once I activate it, everything within the designated area comes to a halt—time, space, the entirety of it. Everything except myself.”

“Holy—!”

All of them widened their eyes in disbelief.

“That’s ridiculously overpowered.”

“Yeah… that’s genuinely terrifying.”

“Ethan,” Chris said slowly, his voice filled with awe, “is that a composite ability, combining both time and space manipulation?”

“Mm.” Ethan nodded in affirmation.

“How long can you maintain it?”

Ethan coughed, suddenly appearing a little sheepish. “Like… one or two seconds.”

He scratched his cheek. “The expenditure is immense. Every additional fraction of a second taxes my mental energy at an exponential rate. At my current level, I doubt I can sustain it beyond two seconds.”

“That’s still game-breaking,” Sean stated flatly. “That grants absolute control.”

“Yeah,” others chimed in, their voices a mix of envy and apprehension, “two seconds is more than enough to eliminate anyone.”

Ethan smiled, feeling a genuine sense of satisfaction himself.

Big Mike finally pieced it all together. “Wait—so it was you who hit me just now!”

Ethan let out a chuckle. “I simply wished to ascertain if any occurrences during its duration were registered by you all.”

He then tilted his head. “It appears that nothing was.”

“Yes, I didn’t perceive a thing,” Big Mike stated, again patting his head. “Only… my skull aches.”

“That particular skill is genuinely terrifying,” Emily whispered. A few individuals present appeared visibly uneasy, as if the stark realization had dawned upon them: death could arrive unnoticed, without an iota of understanding as to why.

Big Mike, in his characteristic fashion, let out a theatrical sigh. “Man… it’s a shame it’s so brief. If only you could sustain it for longer intervals…”

His grin then morphed into a rather lecherous expression. “Dude. You could literally do anything and they wouldn’t even comprehend it. That’s utterly wild.”

Mia narrowed her gaze at him, her tone sharp. “And precisely what do you intend to ‘do,’ Big Mike?”

Her voice softened, adopting that perilous sweetness. “I’m putting you on notice right now—should you even consider attempting to sway the captain’s judgment, I will personally dismember you.”

Big Mike immediately seemed to deflate. “Uh…”

He mumbled under his breath, almost inaudibly, “As if the boss requires my influence to be swayed. He’d corrupt me before anything—”

Mia’s head snapped towards him. “What was that you just muttered?”

“N-nothing at all!” Big Mike scrambled to his feet. “I meant in battle! In combat! Mia, you’re overthinking things!”

“You had better be referring to combat.”

Chris intervened before Mia could press further. “Ethan—have there been any modifications to your innate ability?”

“Indeed,” Ethan confirmed with a nod. “A new one has manifested: Dread Gaze.”

“And what does this ability accomplish?”

“I make eye contact with an individual, and it instills shock, compelling them to fear me,” Ethan explained matter-of-factly, as if describing a mundane object. “Following that contact, they will essentially lose control of their bladder upon encountering me.”

“…What?”

“That’s profoundly unsettling.”

Ethan raised a hand, gesturing for calm. “Take it easy. This effect only manifests against those of a lower tier than myself, provided they are Awakened. Should their tier be superior, it results in merely a split-second stun—functioning more as a control mechanism. There is no damage inflicted.”

He offered a slight shrug. “The primary advantage lies in its instantaneous nature.”

Sean gazed at him for a moment before erupting in laughter. “Bro, that’s still completely absurd. Considering your existing arsenal, who on earth could possibly challenge you in a duel? Battling opponents several tiers above you would be akin to a leisurely breakfast.”

An expression of open amazement settled upon everyone. Ethan’s self-selected abilities were simply… unbalanced. His skills operated on an entirely different plane compared to ordinary Awakened individuals. Each significant breakthrough in his cultivation realm drastically reshaped his combat prowess.

Garrick emitted a sigh, tinged with a hint of resignation. “Man. The chasm between Ethan and the rest of us continues to widen relentlessly.”

“You’re not wrong,” Sean agreed, rubbing his face. “Seriously, Ethan’s already at Stage B, and we’re what, Tier 14?”

“Stop moping,” Ethan advised. “The disparity isn’t insurmountable. We simply need to dispatch more of the red-skinned monstrosities and accumulate their cores. Once you reach the peak of Tier 15, you can ascend directly to Stage B.”

Sean’s eyes widened slightly, followed by a broad grin. “Oh, that’s right. That’s merely an advancement of one or two tiers.”

Big Mike cracked his knuckles with a resounding snap. “Then what are we standing around for? Let’s go hunting!”

The collective mood shifted instantaneously. Moments before, dejection had permeated the air; now, exhilaration coursed through them.

They regrouped their formation and proceeded directly towards the next known location of the red-skinned beasts.