Apocalypse: King of Zombies

At that moment, Axel stood beside Director Vaughn, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

He felt like he’d just taken a stroll through the gates of hell.

If it hadn’t been for Director Vaughn stepping in, he might’ve been nothing more than another pile of ash buried beneath the dirt.

”Th-thank you, Director Vaughn,” Axel said, voice hoarse with genuine gratitude.

Vaughn gave a small nod, saying nothing.

Even he hadn’t expected Ethan’s group to be that decisive—wiping out the entire squad without hesitation.

He’d been planning to step in after Rourke was dead, maybe try to plead for the lives of the others.

Clearly, that wasn’t necessary anymore.

Ethan and the others, meanwhile, looked like they’d just taken out the trash. Not a flicker of emotion on their faces.

”Director Vaughn, we’ll head back now,” Ethan said casually.

Then he turned and led his team away.

The crowd parted instantly, everyone stepping aside to clear a path.

No one dared block them.

Not a word was spoken until Ethan’s group disappeared from view. Only then did the onlookers finally exhale, like they’d been holding their breath the entire time.

In that moment, everyone understood.

Why the military hadn’t punished them for killing inside the compound.

Why even General Cross had treated them with such respect.

It was all because of power.

Power that shattered rules.

In the crowd, Derek Stone—the captain of Stoneguard Squad—was shaking just as badly as Axel.

He’d been the first to approach Ethan’s group when they arrived. He was also the one who’d passed their info to Ironfang Squad.

At the time, he’d even considered trying to recruit them into his own team.

Now, that thought made his blood run cold.

He hadn’t just underestimated them—he’d nearly signed his own death warrant.

If Ethan decided to hold him accountable, his entire squad would be wiped out just like Ironfang.

The incident spread through the compound like wildfire.

At first, most people didn’t believe it.

But there were too many eyewitnesses. And when the military issued a formal directive forbidding any faction from provoking Ethan’s group, disbelief turned to fear.

In Clearford’s compound, there were tens of thousands of Enhanced aside from the military.

Most of them operated in squads—some strong, some weak—formed to hunt zombies or scavenge supplies. Solo operations were suicide.

But now, every squad, no matter how big or small, called emergency meetings.

The message was the same across the board: ”Keep your eyes open. Do not, under any circumstances, mess with those people.”

Ironfang Squad’s total annihilation had made one thing clear—this group was more terrifying than the military.

Piss off the military, and maybe you’d get executed.

Piss off these people, and your entire squad would be erased from existence.

Who wouldn’t be scared?

While the entire compound buzzed with fear and panic, Ethan and his team had already returned to their quarters.

They’d just traded for two hundred thousand Tier 1 crystal cores from the military—more than enough to keep them going for a while.

Their compound back in Fallen Star City was built on a quality-over-quantity model. Every member was elite. Numbers didn’t matter—power did.

Besides, that place wasn’t suited for a massive population anyway. Growing it to even tens of thousands would be a stretch.

So this haul of crystal cores would last them a long time.

”I still need to head back and hand these over to Miles,” Ethan thought to himself.

They were useless in his hands—he didn’t manage logistics.

”But I’ll wait until Henry’s parents are found.”

He stored the crystal cores in his spatial ring, then headed to the kitchen.

Time to cook something good.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Skinny Pete was the first to move, hurrying over to open it.

The moment he saw two soldiers in full uniform standing at attention outside, he instinctively straightened up.

The soldiers gave a polite nod to everyone inside, then looked directly at Ethan. ”Ethan, General Cross has arranged new accommodations for your team. If you’re willing to move, we’re here to help with the transfer.”

Ethan glanced around the current place and nodded.

Yeah, it was getting a little cramped. Four bedrooms and a living room—technically enough for eight people if they doubled up. But with Mia being the only woman on the team, she had her own room. That left the other seven squeezing into three rooms. Not ideal.

In the apocalypse, they could’ve lived with it. But if there was a better option, why bother roughing it?

They packed up quickly—didn’t take much—and followed the two soldiers out.

By now, Ethan had a decent grasp of the compound’s leadership structure.

At the top were four key figures:

General Cross, the Commanding General, oversaw everything in the compound.

Colonel Mitchell, the Operations Commander, handled military affairs—troops, combat units, and reserves.

Director Vaughn, head of the Enhanced Division, managed all Enhanced personnel.

Director Michael, in charge of Civil Affairs, handled daily operations and the general survivor population.

That was the top tier. Below them were layers of sub-commanders and department heads.

As Ethan’s group made their way toward the compound’s central zone, people on the streets spotted them and quickly stepped aside, giving them a wide berth. No one wanted to risk getting in their way.

Before long, they arrived in front of a mansion.

Even in a place like this, the compound had its tiers—and this was clearly top-tier housing.

”This is your new residence,” one of the soldiers said, gesturing toward the mansion. ”Director Michael arranged it for you. From now on, this is your home.”

There was a hint of envy in his eyes.

It was obvious—only the elite lived in this area.

Ethan and the others looked over the mansion, and everyone’s face lit up with satisfaction.

Compared to their old four-bedroom setup, this place was a massive upgrade.

Sure enough, once you showed real power, the treatment changed fast.

”Should’ve just put down Tier 8 on the form from the start,” Ethan thought to himself with a wry smile.

But that was just hindsight talking. Back when they first arrived, revealing their full strength without knowing the compound’s dynamics would’ve been reckless.

Even if he didn’t think anyone here could truly threaten them, Ethan wasn’t arrogant enough to believe they were untouchable.

There’s always someone stronger out there.

This was a parallel world, after all. The Atlas Federation—still called that here—had once had a population of over 600 million. Even if 90% had turned into zombies or died, that still left more than 60 million survivors.

No one knew how many Awakened were among them.

Ethan and his team had their own path to power, but others would have their own opportunities too.

With so many different abilities out there, it was inevitable that some Awakened would rise to terrifying heights.

Especially the military. They’d had massive advantages early on—resources, weapons, manpower. If any powerful Awakened emerged from their ranks, they’d be a serious force.

Even in this compound, Ethan had already spotted one Tier 8 Awakened with solid strength.

And if this place had one, what about Atlas City—the capital?

That place was already researching crystal cores and energy systems.

With all the top-tier talent gathered there, it wouldn’t be surprising if they figured out new ways to boost power soon.

So yeah, Ethan believed in staying cautious. Always leave yourself some room to maneuver.

That said, with the strength they had now, there was no need to hide in the shadows. If someone needed killing, they’d kill. If someone crossed the line, they’d deal with it.

Even if someone strong enough to threaten them did show up—who would dare make the first move?

That was Ethan’s confidence.