Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1288: Until It All Went Wrong

While Ethan was engaged in a lively chase with a vast multitude of crimson avians, Chris and his companions sought refuge within a craggy den, meticulously excavated by Garrick himself.

The instant they witnessed Ethan drawing the entire flock away, Chris acted without hesitation. He activated his invisibility and swiftly returned to the scene of the conflict.

The terrain was strewn with deceased forms—more than a hundred of the very red birds Ethan had just led astray.

Chris drew his blade, allowing a dark luminescence to envelop the weapon, and commenced his task. His movements were swift, precise, and honed by practice—cracking skulls and extracting crystalline cores as if he had performed this ritual countless times. His hands moved with such rapidity that it appeared to be pure muscle memory.

One core after another vanished into his possession.

Among the spoils were cores of Tier 15, Tier 16, and Tier 17, yet it was evident that Ethan had selectively targeted his prey. Tier 15 cores constituted the majority.

Once every fallen creature had been thoroughly plundered, Chris hurried back to their stone sanctuary.

The moment he stepped inside, everyone converged upon him.

"How did it go?" Henry inquired. "How many Tier 15s did the boss manage to acquire?"

For the group, the significance of Tier 15 cores far outweighed that of Tier 16 and 17 ones.

"Abundantly," Chris couldn't suppress the elation in his voice. "Approximately ninety Tier 15 cores. This is sufficient to elevate several of us to the peak of Tier 15. And with the high-tier cores that Ethan previously provided, we can advance directly to Stage B."

"Hells yeah!" Skinny Pete exclaimed. "Let's rapidly ascend in power and then go assist him. He was being pursued relentlessly."

"Indeed," Sean added. "Ever since we emerged from the Clearford City Void Realm, I haven't observed the captain appearing so harried."

Mia scoffed. "That's because he's safeguarding us. If he didn't have to concern himself with our safety, with Absolute Stasis coupled with Teleportation, those birds would never have laid a feather on him."

"Yeah, yeah, you speak the truth," Big Mike interjected, gesturing impatiently. "Chris, make haste and distribute the cores. Cease this dilly-dallying."

Chris cast him a dispassionate gaze, yet he proceeded to deposit the collected bounty onto the ground.

"Two teams will be formed," Chris declared. "This location is far too perilous. We require individuals to maintain vigilance."

"Agreed," Garrick assented immediately.

They divided their responsibilities without contention.

Chris, Garrick, Sean, and Henry were the first to settle down, each selecting a portion of the cores to commence their absorption. The remaining members assumed positions around the cave's entrance and the fissures in the rock, attuned to any sign of movement.

As the cores were assimilated, their inherent auras surged upwards—rapidly.

Concurrently, Ethan—now adept at telekinetic flight—was experiencing unparalleled enjoyment.

While everyone envisioned him under immense duress, in truth? He no longer felt profoundly strained.

Telekinesis, a skill derived from his inherent capabilities, offered a significant advantage: its minimal cost. It likely possessed the lowest energy expenditure among all his abilities.

This was logical. Every ability he had acquired was extraordinarily potent... and each one demanded a voracious quantity of energy, akin to a high-performance engine.

Telekinetic flight, however? It merely involved the manipulation of a single dagger. He could consume a couple of crystal cores, and his mental energy would be replenished almost instantaneously.

And the velocity was quite astonishing. He could depart and return at his own discretion.

So, he did precisely that.

He continued to provoke the flock: if they pursued, he retreated. If they attempted to disengage, he would swoop in and inflict damage. The birds became so incensed that they seemed to be physically vibrating.

"Hahaha, I'm gone!"

A moment later—

"Oops... I've returned!"

Ethan's taunting voice resonated through the heavens at irregular intervals.

If the Fallen Star Squad could witness his current exploit, they would likely question the entirety of their understanding of their captain.

The crimson birds fared even worse—their plumage ruffled, their tempers igniting, and yet they remained utterly powerless.

They desired to disregard him.

They could not.

Because each instance they attempted to do so, he would circle back and eliminate a significant portion of their contingent. If they left him unattended, he would persist in his predatory actions.

After more than ten minutes of this relentless harassment, the flock's leader finally reached its breaking point.

It emitted a shriek—a single, sharp, authoritative call—and the entire swarm veered, making its way back along the path they had traversed.

It recollected the existence of other formidable entities besides this solitary adversary. If it could not achieve his demise, it would focus on eliminating the others.

They had sustained substantial losses today. They would exact retribution, one way or another.

Observing their abrupt change in direction, Ethan let out a frigid snort and surged after them. Dozens of obsidian daggers spiraled outward, orchestrating a deadly ballet as he felled more birds in mid-flight.

However, this time, the swarm had solidified its resolve. They did not falter. They did not retaliate.

They simply flew—with immense velocity.

Their speed was such that, even with Ethan's persistent harassment, they continued their forward momentum.

In a short period, they found themselves positioned once more above the initial engagement zone.

And upon witnessing the state of the fallen below—shattered skulls, pilfered cores—a glint of understanding flickered in the leader's eyes.

It vocalized another cry.

Instantly, tens of thousands of crimson birds spread out, resembling a vast net being cast.

They dispersed in all directions, commencing a thorough search of the surrounding territory.

Ethan's stomach clenched with apprehension.

He possessed no idea of the progress Chris and the rest had made. Should they be in the midst of a breakthrough and be discovered now... it would mean total annihilation.

His instinct was to intervene, but with tens of thousands of crimson birds forming a vast aerial net, plugging every potential gap was an impossibility.

he reasoned with himself, attempting to maintain composure.

Reality, however, delivered an immediate and harsh blow.

To his left, a massive congregation of the red avian creatures began an alarming chorus above a dark crimson mountain. They swirled and cried out, as if they had stumbled upon an unimaginable prize.

The instant these calls echoed, other birds commenced their convergence, streaming towards that exact location from all conceivable directions.

Activating True Sight, Ethan focused his gaze—

His countenance fell.

Within a cavern situated beneath that very mountain, Chris and his companions were clearly visible.

The moment Ethan observed the luminous glow emanating from their ongoing breakthrough, he let out a groan and forcefully struck his own forehead.

It was only logical.

The energetic resonance from their advancement had essentially broadcast their presence like a beacon.

There was no time for contemplation.

Ethan propelled himself forward with extreme speed, a telekinetically propelled dagger whizzing through the air beneath his boots.

"BOOM! BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!"

The avian multitude was already unleashing a relentless assault upon the mountainside.

Although the crimson rock possessed considerable resilience, it began to rapidly fracture and disintegrate under the onslaught of thousands of fire-elemental projectiles and fiery feather barrages. Sections cracked apart, and the entire slope started to cave inward.

Ethan had only just arrived when birds from every quadrant descended upon him. The vast swarm divided with remarkable precision: approximately half detached themselves to engage Ethan, while the remaining half persisted in their pulverization of the mountain.

Their sheer numbers enabled such a strategy. They could afford such a division.

And Ethan... he could not.

With tens of thousands of creatures swarming, even he was incapable of forcing a path to the cave. His daggers possessed lethal power, but against such a colossal mass, dispatching them individually was far too slow a method.

The mountain finally succumbed to the onslaught.

It collapsed entirely, exposing the cave and everyone within to the open sky above.

Ethan’s gaze immediately darted downwards, his heart pounding intensely.

Below, Mia, Emily, Big Mike, and Skinny Pete remained seated upon the ground, their heads bowed—still in the process of absorbing essence cores and advancing their cultivation.

Chris, Garrick, Sean, and Henry formed a tight defensive perimeter around them, their bodies taut, their eyes fixed upwards.

A colossal, translucent dome of light had materialized directly above them, effectively sealing them within its confines.

The debris from the collapsing mountain rained down all around the exterior of the dome, accumulating into a jagged ring, yet none of it made contact with the individuals protected inside.

Ethan’s vision intensified with relief.

A rapid assessment of their status shifted his relief into a jolt of astonishment.

They had already attained the formidable Stage B.

And the dome—Ethan recognized its nature instantly—was a manifestation of Garrick’s light-attribute ability: a protective dome, encompassing an area of approximately thirty feet in radius. It completely repelled all external assaults.

Its defensive capabilities were exceptionally potent.

The significant drawback, however, was severe: it possessed no mobility whatsoever.

The instant the crimson birds perceived living targets, their aggression escalated dramatically.

Torrents of fire cascaded downwards. Flaming feathers descended like a relentless meteor shower.

Everything impacted the dome—

...and dissipated instantaneously upon contact, extinguished as readily as sparks upon water.

Against a defensive barrier of Stage B, their fire-elemental abilities proved utterly ineffective in harming those within.

Chris erupted in cheers and gave Garrick a vigorous thumbs-up. "Garrick, you're a beast!"

"Stop with the praise," Garrick retorted sharply, perspiration beading on his temples. "And start lending a hand. If they keep assaulting it with this intensity, my endurance won't hold out much longer!"

This was not a conflict against a handful of adversaries; it was an engagement against tens of thousands. No barrier, regardless of its strength, could withstand such sustained pressure indefinitely.

Sean glanced upwards, a frown of frustration on his face. "Can we even attack them from within here?"

Garrick clenched his teeth. "As long as the attack is formed *within* the dome, it's permissible!"

Chris’s eyes widened in realization. "Then you should have stated that from the outset!"