Chapter 22 – Simba

Volume 1: Apocalypse Beginning

The moonlight grew deeper.

While Wen Yu rested with his eyes closed, inside Riverside Park, the park had lost all of its former beauty. Now, only scattered remains and dark brown bloodstains-human and animal alike-covered every corner.

Amid this hellish scene, the park was incredibly quiet. There were no cries from Zombies, nor any roars from Mutant Beasts. It felt as though one was standing in a land of the dead.

Among the countless bloodstains and severed limbs, a dark shadow slowly stood up. Under the dim moonlight, its three-meter-tall body was like a small mountain.

As the moonlight gradually fell on the figure, its terrifying face was revealed.

It was a lion.

As the only male lion inside Riverside Park, Simba had long since lost his wildness due to human domestication. Every day, he ate, slept, and reproduced.

Simba had never thought there was anything wrong with this.

Simba-that was the name given to him by his keeper.

In fact, Simba thought this life was truly wonderful.

He had lived this way since he was small. In Simba's mind, this was the entirety of a lion's daily life.

But when the Apocalypse arrived, everything changed.

A great surge of killing intent and hunger overwhelmed him, swiftly filling his heart and drowning out his reason.

The first to suffer were the nearby females of his own kind. The difference in strength left them no chance to resist. In less than five minutes, his many mates had fallen at his feet, then became his food.

He felt his body continuously growing, strength pouring in without end. With this immense power, Simba suddenly understood something:

I was always meant to decide life and death around me. I was always meant to stand at the top of the food chain. I was always meant to act without restraint.

Smoke kept coming from his mouth. Simba felt as if there was a ball of fire in his throat, causing him unbearable pain. Then he opened his mouth and truly spat out a stream of fire.

Flame Flow (Rank A): The power of fire bursts forth, dealing devastating damage to enemies.

Simba didn't really understand why he could breathe fire, but that didn't stop him from using the flames to destroy his enemies.

In reality, there weren't many enemies. The entire Riverside Park had become his hunting ground.

There was the bear on the east side. That one was a bit harder to kill, seemed a little bigger than last time, and could shoot out a sharp blast of air. But it didn't matter-one burst of flame from Simba reduced that stupid bear's head to ash. It was a pity about the meat on the head, but there was still plenty of food in the park.

The crocodile in the water was also difficult to handle. But it didn't matter-his teeth seemed sharper than before, his claws keener, his skin tougher. Besides, crocodile meat was still quite tender.

Eating the crocodile made him feel warm inside. After finishing it, Simba felt his body grow even bigger, and his skin became tougher than before. When he struck with his claws, it felt just like when he used to scratch at that hard, long thing that once confined him.

Steel Armor (Rank B): The power of steel protects you, greatly increasing your body's defensive ability.

Although growing bigger was good, it only made him hungrier. The burning sensation in his stomach slowly eroded Simba's reason.

Thus, Simba's hunt began.

For all the creatures within Riverside Park, the Level 2 mutant Simba was nothing short of a nightmare.

Thus, not a single living thing escaped from this not-so-large park-be it humans, Mutant Beasts, or Zombies.

At the same time, many Zombies poured into the park, bringing Simba even more food.

Gradually, the Zombies gathering around the park realized there was a terrifying presence inside. Their simple instincts kept them from entering the park any longer, but they didn't stray far from this soon-to-erupt volcano.

Until today. Until now.

Simba felt hungry. Three days had passed, and Simba had slaughtered every moving thing inside the park, feasting heartily.

But as the number of active creatures dwindled, Simba's body grew larger, his appetite sharper, and he was no longer satisfied with the scraps he'd left behind.

The immense power made Simba rediscover his pride as a king.

"There must be more to eat outside."

That was Simba's thought.

Then, Simba stepped out of the place he'd lived his whole life.

With the strength of a Level 3 Mutant Beast.

And the pride of being at the very top of the food chain.

……

The loud commotion outside snapped Wen Yu out of his light sleep.

Rushing to the window, Wen Yu knew the opportunity he'd been waiting for had arrived.

The first thing Wen Yu saw was a massive horde of Zombies.

Countless Level 1 Zombies nimbly climbed onto this spherical mass, their simple intelligence telling them there was a delicious meal inside. Just one bite, and they could evolve.

The result was that more and more Zombies piled onto the ball, making it increasingly bloated and slower.

Then, the massive Zombie horde came to a halt.

"Tsk tsk tsk, did someone really drive a bus in there? That's reckless."

You have to know, one of the traits of Zombies is their fearlessness. Driving into a Zombie horde would get you completely blocked, and ordinary metal wouldn't stand up to the claws of Level 1 Zombies.

Worst of all, they'd call for reinforcements.

In Wen Yu's eyes, this was nothing but a suicide mission.

Just looking at the crazed Zombies swarming around the park, it was clear that whatever was inside was doomed.

Even an armored vehicle would be trapped by countless Zombies.

Wen Yu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. If it was possible to break through, he would have tried long ago.

"Looks like this isn't the chance I've been waiting for."

Just as he was about to watch the bus's inevitable tragic end, suddenly, a dazzling red light burst from the center of the massive Zombie horde, then exploded with a thunderous roar.

The immense force made Wen Yu instinctively duck his head. He watched in shock as the farthest-flung Zombies were blasted ten meters into the air by the red light.

"This, this, this is Simba!"

Wen Yu's mouth hung open as he stared in disbelief at the creature that appeared below.

It was a giant lion. A powerful body, pale yellow mane, eyes as big as lanterns, razor-sharp claws, and a gaping maw. From its mouth, a stream of molten, lava-like substance flowed continuously.

Though its size was much smaller than what he'd seen in his previous life, the same proportions, the fierce killing intent, and the signature Flame Flow skill made it unmistakable.

"This time, the joke's gone too far."