Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1468: The Seal That Chained Abyron

"Stage SSS!?" Ethan’s eyes practically bugged out as he stared at the beast. "You’re saying Dopey—no, Abyron—was Stage SSS when he was alive?"

"What’s the issue?" the beast asked, tone flat.

"N-no issue." Ethan swallowed hard.

If this thing was Stage SSS, then Abyron being Stage SSS too... it tracked.

Still, the moment the idea really sank in, Ethan’s whole body started trembling—half adrenaline, half pure joy.

No wonder Dopey’s body was so freakish. No wonder even that Tier 38 Titan Bull couldn’t scratch him.

If Abyron had been Stage SSS, then sealing his power and skills wouldn’t change the fact that his was still a Stage SSS body. A Tier 38 bull trying to hurt that was like a kid punching a tank.

But the excitement cooled fast when reality caught up.

Stage SSS in life didn’t help much if his power and skills were sealed now. Unless they could solve the seal, Abyron was still "just" an unkillable Stage S-level shield.

Ethan took a breath, then looked back at the beast with a polite smile.

"Um... I don’t think I ever asked. What should I call you?"

Only now did he realize he still didn’t know the monster’s name.

Its shape was vaguely lion-like, but with antler-like horns, and a vertical third eye on its forehead—regal, terrifying, and unmistakably not anything Ethan recognized.

Even if it were ugly, at Stage SSS it would still look imposing just by existing.

The beast glanced at him. "My original name is Dread-Eyed Lion. Abyron gave me another name—Vaelrath. I prefer Vaelrath."

"Understood, Lord Vaelrath," Ethan said instantly, all manners.

There was no shame in being respectful here. You didn’t posture in front of something that could erase you with a sneeze.

And honestly, judging by the name alone, this thing was not some cuddly neighborhood guardian. It was probably only this reasonable because of Abyron.

Ethan hesitated, then asked the question he cared about most, voice careful.

"Lord Vaelrath... can you remove Abyron’s seal?"

Vaelrath shook its head. "No."

Then it sighed, and for the first time its voice carried real weight. "The one who sealed him was a Stage SSS, peak Tier 47 powerhouse."

"—!"

Ethan’s scalp went numb.

"That strong!?" He blurted before he could stop himself. "Then doesn’t that mean we’d need at least Tier 47 to break it?"

If that was the requirement, then it might as well be a fairy tale.

"Not necessarily," Vaelrath said. "If someone possesses a skill specifically meant to break seals, it may be possible. Those abilities are extremely rare..."

Its gaze slid to Ethan.

"...but your human race can awaken all kinds of absurd skills. So find a human who has something like that."

Ethan’s eyes lit up.

"That... actually makes sense."

Stage SSS.

If they could restore Abyron’s real strength, then what Void Realm races? What invasions?

He could take Abyron and bulldoze through Void Realm worlds like a storm.

The more Ethan thought about it, the more his pulse picked up. He’d thought he was doomed today.

Instead, he’d walked into a nightmare—and come out with an opportunity that could rewrite everything.

Then Vaelrath spoke again, tone ending the conversation.

"Now leave."

Ethan blinked. "Huh? I leave—then what about you?"

"I’m staying. I have things to handle."

Ethan frowned. "This place is a ruin. Handle what? And if I leave, you won’t be able to get out."

"It’s fine," Vaelrath said calmly. "At most, one month. The void passage will open again."

"How do you know that?"

"I have my methods."

Ethan hesitated, then nodded. "Alright... then be careful."

"..."

Vaelrath looked at him like he’d said something nonsensical. "Careful of what? There’s nothing here. And with my strength—do you really think I need to be careful in a world like this?"

"Uh... fair point." Ethan cleared his throat.

He didn’t argue again.

"Then I’m going." He didn’t bother hiding how fast he wanted to leave.

Even if Vaelrath’s temperament was decent, it was still Stage SSS. One wrong sentence, one wrong look, and Ethan would be paste.

Ethan hated the feeling of his life being held in someone else’s hands.

So he decided he’d enjoy his luck from very, very far away.

Ethan shot up from the underground ruins, kept climbing until he reached the old entrance area, then activated Riftwalk again and slipped out.

The moment he was gone, the Dread-Eyed Lion withdrew its gaze and turned back toward the altar.

It lifted a forepaw and stomped.

The broken altar cracked open again, splitting into a deeper fissure.

A faint light rose slowly from within, weak but unmistakable.

The Dread-Eyed Lion’s eyes flared with excitement.

"So you really did leave yourself a way out..."

Its vertical third eye snapped open.

The faint light drifted upward, drawn in as if pulled by a silent current, and sank into that third eye.

A moment later, the eye closed again.

The Dread-Eyed Lion murmured to itself, voice low and cold.

"Now it depends on whether that boy can find a way to remove your seal."

Then it took a single step—and its body vanished from the underground world, reappearing above a stretch of abandoned buildings.

Its third eye opened once more.

A beam of light shot out and swept across the ruins below, inch by inch, as if it were extracting something hidden inside the wreckage.

Outside...

Ethan stumbled out of the Void Realm passage and stared at the spot where the dimensional rift had disappeared.

Only then did he finally let himself smile—the shaky kind people wore after surviving something they had no business surviving.

"Finally... I’m out," he muttered. "I seriously thought I was dead."

But the relief didn’t last.

Questions rushed in immediately.

And why had it let him go so easily?

From everything Vaelrath had said—and the way it looked at Abyron—it was obvious their relationship ran deep.

So why hadn’t it killed Ethan and taken Abyron back?

If Ethan were in its shoes, he’d have done it without hesitation. He’d kill whoever was controlling his friend and snatch his friend back on the spot.

But Vaelrath hadn’t shown even the slightest intent to do that.

Was it worried killing Ethan would somehow affect Abyron?

Or was there another reason—something bigger, something Ethan couldn’t see?

Ethan raked a hand through his hair, trying to untangle it.

No answer came.

"...Whatever," he said finally, forcing the thoughts down. "I’m alive. That’s what matters."

Vaelrath was still inside that world. For now, it couldn’t just stroll out and appear above Fallen Star City.

That bought him time.

But one line Vaelrath had dropped kept grinding at Ethan’s nerves.

Ethan’s expression darkened.

That wasn’t good news. Not even close.

He knew exactly what it meant when the dimensional rifts opened again.

Next time wouldn’t be a handful of vanguards you could wipe out in a week.

News that this world had humans— humans—would spread through the other worlds fast. And once it did...

They might be facing the same kind of pressure the ancient human race had faced.

Ancient humanity had been strong enough to terrify entire eras, and they’d still been wiped out.

So what chance did have if countless races decided to crush them together?

Even Ethan couldn’t pretend he had an answer.

He exhaled slowly.

"In the end... we’re still not strong enough."

His eyes hardened.

"Then we get stronger. No matter what it takes."