The Zombie King System: My Undead Empire Begins with Betraya

CHAPTER 6 — Survivors in the Ruins

The gunshot echoed through the shattered city just as Ștefan reached the edge of the western district. It wasn't the disciplined burst of trained soldiers. It was frantic.Desperate.Someone was running out of ammunition.

Magnus stopped beside him, his scarred head turning toward the sound. Through the strange connection linking king and general, Ștefan felt Magnus's awareness spread across the surrounding streets like ripples over still water.

"Humans," Magnus conveyed. Many?" Ștefan asked silently. The giant paused. Six... living."A second pulse reached him through the mental link. Others... wrong."

Bandits.Ștefan had seen enough of humanity to understand what that meant. After decades of the apocalypse, not everyone who survived deserved to be called civilised. Some preyed upon the living as eagerly as the infected ever had.

He broke into a run. Behind him, hundreds of zombies followed. Not with their usual aimless staggering, but in disciplined silence.

The supermarket had once belonged to a national chain. Now its shattered windows were boarded with scrap metal, and overturned delivery trucks blocked most of the entrance. Inside, a terrified family huddled behind checkout counters while three armed bandits closed in.

A young father clutched an iron pipe with blood running down one side of his face. Beside him, a woman held two frightened children behind her.

An elderly man leaned against a shelf, breathing heavily after taking a bullet through the shoulder. The bandit leader laughed.

"You've got one magazine left."He casually reloaded his rifle. We've got twenty."Another bandit kicked over a display of canned food. Should've surrendered yesterday."

The father raised the pipe anyway. My family isn't yours."The leader smiled without warmth. Then they'll belong to the zombies."

He lifted his weapon. Before he could pull the trigger, every infected wandering outside the building froze. The bandits frowned.

"What..."One zombie slowly turned its head toward the street. Then another. Within seconds, dozens abandoned the supermarket entrance altogether. The leader blinked. They're leaving?"

A deep rumble rolled across the pavement. Hundreds of footsteps.Perfectly synchronised. One bandit rushed to the broken window. His face drained of colour.

"Horde!"The word exploded through the store. Run!"

Panic replaced confidence. The three men bolted for the rear exit just as the first ranks of zombies surrounded the building. The father tightened his grip on the pipe.

"We're finished."

The children buried their faces against their mother's coat.No one noticed the lone figure walking calmly through the sea of undead.Ștefan crossed the parking lot with Magnus at his side.

The infected parted before them as though making way for royalty. Inside the supermarket, the family stared in disbelief. The bandits did the same. One fired wildly.

The bullet struck a zombie in the chest. The creature didn't even glance at him. Its cloudy eyes remained fixed on Ștefan. The young man stopped several meters away. His thoughts flowed effortlessly through the royal connection. Disarm them.

The nearest zombies moved instantly. They did not tear flesh. They did not bite. Instead, dozens seized the bandits' arms and legs, pinning them to the cracked pavement before they could fire another shot. The rifles clattered harmlessly onto the ground. The bandit leader screamed. Kill him!"

None of the zombies obeyed. They obeyed only one king. Inside the supermarket, no one spoke. The impossible scene unfolded before their eyes. A city full of monsters had ignored easy prey to capture armed men instead. The mother slowly backed away from the doorway.

"This isn't real."Her voice shook. We're dreaming."

Ștefan entered cautiously, keeping his hands where everyone could see them. The children stared at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"So..." he said quietly. You're safe now."The words only made things worse. The woman pulled the children farther behind her. Stay away!"Her voice cracked with terror. You're controlling them!"

Ștefan stopped immediately. He had expected gratitude. Instead, he saw the same fear that had filled the faces on Fortress Aegis's walls. He couldn't blame them.

From their perspective, he stood beside a towering mutant while hundreds of obedient zombies waited outside for his command. He looked less like a rescuer than the ruler of a nightmare.

"If I wanted you dead..."He glanced toward the doorway where the restrained bandits struggled helplessly....I wouldn't have stopped them."

The supermarket fell quiet. The father looked from Ștefan to the zombies outside.

"They..."His voice faltered. They're listening to you."

"They are."Why?"Ștefan searched for an answer. I wish I understood it myself."

The honesty surprised the survivors. It surprised him as well. Through the mental link, he felt Magnus watching the frightened family with curious restraint rather than hunger.

The giant lowered himself slightly, making himself appear less threatening. It was an awkward gesture. Almost...Respectful.The elderly man noticed first.

"He isn't attacking."No," Ștefan replied. He won't."The old man's eyes narrowed. You trust that monster?"Ștefan looked at Magnus. I trust his choice."

Outside, the restrained bandit leader suddenly stopped struggling. His eyes widened as he stared at Ștefan. Recognition slowly replaced fear.

"I know you..."The words escaped in a whisper. The father frowned. You do?"The bandit swallowed. I've seen him before."He pointed a trembling finger toward Ștefan. Back at Fortress Aegis."

Understanding spread across the old man's face. His expression shifted from confusion to astonishment. The commander's son..."The title hung in the air like the beginning of a much larger revelation.