They’re… they’re really digging their way in!

With the zombies' innate sharp senses, Ethan had already picked up on the commotion inside the building.

Faintly, he could also smell a strong scent of blood, as if something unusual had happened in there.

His three zombie underlings clearly sensed the presence of prey as well. A gleam of excitement flashed in their eyes, like starving predators catching the scent of fresh blood.

Without needing a signal, they all bolted toward the fortress-like building, their movements swift and feral.

Inside that building, a group of survivors had indeed gathered.

There were about a dozen of them, including a few construction workers, some streetwise thugs, and the construction site's developer—Warren Whitaker.

Warren Whitaker wasn't just anyone to Ethan. He was an "old acquaintance." Not only had Warren once bought out Ethan's farm, but he'd also loaned Ethan money before the apocalypse—a debt that had since become a thorn in Ethan's side.

When the apocalypse broke out, Warren had been inspecting the construction site with his crew.

After realizing zombies were attacking, he quickly organized his men and used steel and concrete to build a sturdy fortress. By sheer luck, they survived the initial chaos and made it this far.

Now, Warren was still the leader of this fortress.

He, along with his trusted right-hand man Damian Flint and a few loyal enforcers, held the fate of the survivors firmly in their hands.

"Warren, none of the people we sent out… have come back," Damian said, frowning, his voice tinged with unease.

Warren's expression darkened. He knew that while the fortress was solid, their supplies were a serious problem. The food had long run out, and everyone was so hungry their ribs were practically touching. Even walking had become a struggle.

"If it really comes to it…" Warren muttered, hesitating, "we might have to… eat some human meat to get through this. But… I'm not sure if it'll cause prion disease."

"Boss, it shouldn't," a bespectacled woman interjected. She was Warren's secretary—calm and intelligent.

"From my research, prion diseases only develop after a person dies. So, as long as we're eating live humans, we should be fine."

Her tone was disturbingly calm, as if she were discussing something as mundane as the weather.

Damian frowned at her words and suggested, "Warren, why don't I take some guys out to scavenge for food? We can't just sit here starving."

Warren shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous out there."

"Relax, Warren. Back in my street-fighting days, I took down three blocks with just a kukri in hand and didn't even blink. These zombies? They're nothing compared to real people."

Warren looked up at Damian and suddenly asked, "You didn't blink? Didn't your eyes get dry?"

"…"

Damian was momentarily speechless. He'd been bragging about his combat skills, only to be completely thrown off by Warren's deadpan question.

Just then, the low rumble of an engine echoed from outside.

"There's a car coming in!"

Damian's eyes lit up. "Warren, it might be Tom and the others coming back."

Warren perked up as well, quickly standing and heading toward the fortress's main gate. His heart was filled with hope—they might have brought back food.

The fortress's gate was made of thick stainless steel, incredibly sturdy. There were a few fist-sized ventilation holes in the door, allowing for airflow and a view of the outside.

Warren and Damian leaned against the holes, peering out.

But what they saw wasn't Tom. It was a group of terrifying zombies.

"Hehehehehe~~~"

A female zombie's face suddenly appeared right in front of one of the holes. Her lips curled into a twisted grin, her eyes brimming with bloodthirsty madness.

Her face was only inches away from theirs, separated by the steel door, making the sight all the more chilling.

"Holy shit!"

Warren and Damian stumbled backward in fright, nearly falling to the ground.

"What the hell… How are there zombies here?!"

"Don't panic, Warren," Damian said, trying to steady himself. "This door is solid. They can't get in."

Warren nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

But the next moment, a violent crash echoed through the air.

Bang!

Bang!!

Bang!!!

Bulldozer swung his massive fists, hammering the steel gate with relentless force. Each punch landed like a sledgehammer, shaking the entire building to its core.

The survivors inside the fortress were startled by the commotion and rushed to the gate, eager to see what was happening outside.

"Raaaargh—"

Bulldozer let out a deep, guttural roar.

Despite his monstrous strength, the specially reinforced steel gate held firm. After a few more punches, he stopped, stepping back obediently to stand behind Ethan, waiting for his leader's next move.

He glanced at Ethan expectantly, as if hoping he'd pull out that mysterious "little stick" again to open the door.

"Is this zombie… mutated or something?" Warren's voice trembled. "How can it be this strong?"

"Relax," Damian waved dismissively. "Even if it were a dinosaur, it wouldn't get through this door. Unless, of course, the zombies suddenly learn how to operate a bulldozer and dig their way in."

Warren nodded, feeling slightly reassured. He leaned back toward the ventilation hole, peering outside to get a better look.

This time, he saw a young man.

The man stood silently outside, his gaze cold and piercing, flanked by three eerie-looking zombies.

"Is that… Ethan?"

Warren squinted through the hole, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the figure standing outside.

Even though Ethan had clearly turned into a zombie, Warren would never forget that face.

A wave of complicated emotions surged through him.

This was the same guy who had sold him a farm before the apocalypse and borrowed $80 million in loans. Now that the world had ended, the money was obviously gone, but the thought of that massive debt still made Warren's chest tighten with frustration.

"Serves you right! Turned into a zombie, huh? That's karma!" Warren muttered under his breath, his tone laced with schadenfreude.

Still, he couldn't help but notice that even as a zombie, Ethan somehow managed to look as clean and put-together as ever.

Damian, standing beside him, remained calm. "Warren, forget about them. This door's solid—they're not getting in. Let them mess around out there. They'll probably give up and leave after a while."

Warren nodded, thinking that made sense. He stepped away from the gate and returned to his chair, trying to relax.

But outside, Ethan showed no intention of leaving.

He stood motionless in front of the building, his icy gaze fixed on it like a predator sizing up its prey.

The steel gate, though sturdy, was nothing to him now. With his current strength, a single punch would be enough to blow a hole clean through it.

But Ethan didn't plan to do that.

The reason was simple—he didn't want to get his clothes dirty.

Instead, he raised his hand and gave a small wave.

In the next moment, a faint glimmer of light flashed, and from his spatial storage ring emerged a massive metal machine.

It was an excavator.

Ethan had brought it from his farm before the apocalypse. He'd thought it would be useless in this new world, but it turned out to be just what he needed today.

Vroooom—

The engine roared to life, the deafening sound echoing through the air. Ethan climbed into the driver's seat, calmly operating the steel beast as it rumbled toward the fortress.

The fortress's reinforced concrete walls were tough, but Ethan didn't plan to destroy them outright. His goal was to dig a tunnel beneath the building and enter from below.

Inside the fortress, Warren and the others quickly noticed the noise outside.

"What's that sound?"

Warren frowned, standing up and walking back to the gate with Damian. They peered through the ventilation holes again, only to see a massive excavator slowly approaching.

"What the…"

Everyone froze.

"An excavator?"

Warren's mind struggled to process what he was seeing. The idea that zombies could operate heavy machinery was beyond his comprehension.

Damian's expression was even more priceless.

He had just joked about zombies needing a bulldozer to break in, and now, right before his eyes, was a zombie driving an excavator.

"Are these zombies… graduates from UTI?" he muttered, utterly dumbfounded.

Under Ethan's control, the excavator's massive bucket began digging into the ground.

Each swing of the steel bucket tore up huge chunks of earth. Before long, a large pit had formed in front of the fortress gate.

Inside the fortress, the ground began to crack. In some places, it even started to collapse, allowing sunlight to stream in through the gaps. The survivors inside grew increasingly uneasy.

"They're… they're really digging their way in!"

Warren's face turned pale.

He never imagined that the fortress he had painstakingly built would be breached by a single excavator.

"Grab your weapons! Get ready to fight!" Damian whipped around and shouted at the people behind him.

The survivors inside the fortress sprang into action. Construction workers, street thugs, even Warren's secretary—all of them grabbed whatever they could use as a weapon.

Someone picked up a steel pipe. Another pulled out a machete. One person even hefted a double-barreled shotgun.

And then there was the most over-the-top of them all—someone dragged out a chainsaw, revving it up with a loud whirrrrr.

Their weapons might have been a chaotic mix, but their sheer numbers and determination made for an intimidating sight.

"Yeah! Let's take them on!"

...