Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1197: What Kind of Compound Is This?

Redwood County, located within the expanse of Redmont City...

Occupying a massive space that spanned over six miles, a colossal compound stood firmly within the boundaries of Redwood County.

Few would have imagined that such an isolated, minor city within Redwood County could facilitate the construction of a facility this extensive.

Even fewer could have anticipated the sheer scale of the power hidden behind its walls.

Although the territory of Redmont’s compound was vast, its population remained under a hundred thousand. Regardless, the base was impeccably supplied—boasting robust food stockpiles, advanced weaponry, and high-tech medical centers.

Above the primary gateway hung a massive steel plaque:

FALLEN STAR CITY

In this era, most settlements followed a simple naming convention, usually pairing their location with the term "compound." Rarely did anyone dare title a base after their own faction or military unit, as such an act served as a blatant, public proclamation of sovereignty.

While many compounds secretly harbored aspirations for that level of autonomy, hardly any were foolish enough to voice it openly.

At that moment, a squad of Enhanced individuals, having fled the collapse of Harrison City, sought refuge within the reach of Redwood County.

For months, the Safe Zone established by the Harrison City administration had successfully resisted… yet in the final analysis, it proved unable to survive.

A newly evolved Tier 10 Zombie King, commanding an army exceeding 800,000 strong, shattered the defense of the Safe Zone with one decisive blow. Those within were either slaughtered or forced to flee.

The vast majority of the civilian population was devoured. Only a handful of the Enhanced managed to escape, scattering into various directions toward nearby suburbs and neighboring cities.

This particular contingent of five hundred survivors was among those who escaped.

Originally, their numbers had surpassed two thousand, but their retreat had turned into a literal bloodbath. By the time they reached this region, barely five hundred remained.

They were only intact because they hadn’t encountered any zombies since entering Redwood County. Otherwise, even this small remnant might not have survived the journey.

Shortly after crossing the county line, they observed a sprawling compound ahead—one that seemed even more expansive than the base in Harrison City had ever been.

A wave of intrigue swept through their ranks.

However, the moment their eyes landed on the gateway’s sign—FALLEN STAR CITY—the expressions of the survivors hardened, and their brows furrowed in concern.

"A compound not run by the government?" remarked Jaxon Holt, the team lead, his voice tinged with confusion.

An official, government-sanctioned facility would never market itself with such a title.

The fact that an independent entity could maintain something of this magnitude triggered both a sense of caution and a flicker of ambition in him.

A strikingly beautiful woman standing beside him blinked and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Likely some power-hungry rogue, Captain. Do you think we might be able to...?"

Jaxon gave a slow shake of his head.

"Let us observe first," he commanded. "Anyone capable of establishing a stronghold this immense cannot be underestimated."

Those were the words he spoke aloud.

Internally, however, a seed of temptation had been planted.

Remote cities held limited resources. No matter how formidable these people appeared, how powerful could they truly be?

Back in Harrison City, his squad had been considered the elite, and Jaxon personally had reached Tier 8.

Though their numbers had been decimated, possessing Tier 8 strength, supported by six Tier 7 Enhanced and dozens of Tier 6 warriors, should be more than enough to dominate such a backwater organization.

If they could seize this massive compound for their own...

The mere thought quickened the blood in his veins.

Jaxon’s mouth curled into a faint, predatory smirk. Perhaps this apocalypse had brought him a golden opportunity rather than ruin.

"Let us proceed," he murmured. "We shall investigate."

The party accelerated, marching directly toward the fortified entrance.

Standing at the gates were eight guards arranged in two impeccable rows. Perched along the battlements, an Enhanced guard was stationed every thirty feet.

As Jaxon and his group reached the threshold, the sentries halted them.

"To which squad do you belong? I do not recognize your faces."

Jaxon prepared a retort, but one of his subordinates—his face drained of color—clutched tightly at his sleeve.

"C-Captain... please... keep your tone respectful."

Jaxon frowned, irritated. "What is the matter?"

"T-Tier 7..." the man stammered, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "All of them... Tier 7!"

Jaxon recoiled in surprise. "What do you mean, Tier 7?"

"The guards... every single one of them... they are tier 7!"

"...!"

Jaxon’s eyes widened in shock. The other members of the group who overheard the exchange were similarly stunned.

"You are surely joking," Jaxon hissed, glaring at his scout as if the man had lost his sanity.

The man swallowed hard and insisted, his voice barely audible. "Captain, I am not joking. Their strength is definitely Tier 7."

An eerie silence fell over the group.

This scout was their secret weapon. Ever since he ascended to Tier 6, he had possessed a supernatural sense—the ability to detect the cultivation levels of those up to three Tiers higher than his own.

Though he was not a warrior by trade, his utility to the squad was unparalleled, and he was known to never fabricate such grave intelligence.

Yet, Tier 7 guards serving at the front entrance?

It defied logic.

"What are you muttering about?" the guard questioned again, his voice cold. "I inquired about your affiliation."

"Apologies," Jaxon replied swiftly, his posture becoming significantly more deferential. "We belong to no official squad. We are refugees from Harrison City."

Having confirmed they were dealing with Tier 7s, he felt it wise to show immediate respect.

Even with his own Tier 8 strength, if the very gatekeepers were Tier 7, the people within were certainly not to be trifled with. There was no room for error.

"Harrison City?" The guard regarded him with a sharp, piercing stare. "What is the current status of that region?"

The leadership of Fallen Star City had been dedicated to clearing zombie infestations in the surrounding counties and had not recently checked the situation in Harrison City.

Jaxon sighed, assuming a look of profound bitterness. "A Tier 10 zombie emerged. Harrison City has already fallen."

"So it has perished," the guard muttered to himself, finally nodding. He waved them forward. "Follow me. Our Deputy Commander is very interested in intelligence regarding Harrison City. You have arrived at an opportune moment; you will brief him."

"Y-yes. Of course."

Jaxon felt a cold knot tighten in his gut. He feared that once they entered, they might never leave.

Yet he understood that refusing at this late stage would likely invite an even more brutal fate.

Thus, he complied, guiding his people through the gates under the watchful eyes of their escort—maintaining a posture of extreme caution, attempting to not appear as easy prey.

They had barely progressed into the facility when they encountered a patrol of over a hundred Enhanced individuals. The gate guard exchanged a quick acknowledgment with them before continuing onward.

Beside Jaxon, the scout suddenly flinched as if struck by a physical blow.

The entire group turned toward him, concerned.

"One Tier 8..." he whispered, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "The others... everyone else is Tier 7."

"...!"

Jaxon felt his throat go bone-dry.

They had not even reached the heart of the compound, and already the sheer power on display made his skin crawl.

Suddenly, a massive commotion erupted near the entrance of Fallen Star City.

Heavy, rhythmic thuds echoed. Low, guttural growls filled the air, accompanied by the swift approach of immense, powerful bodies.

A squadron of mutated beasts surged toward the front gate.

For an instant, the guards tensed—their hands hovering over their weapons, their eyes sharpening with hostility—

Then, the beasts closed the distance, revealing the identities of the riders.

The tension on the guards' faces transformed instantly into sheer, unadulterated excitement.

"The Commander has returned!"

"The Commander is back!"

"He has arrived back at the city!"

The exclamations cascaded through the compound like a tidal wave.

Within the walls, groups of people began sprinting toward the gates, abandoning their tasks.

Even the guard assigned to escort Jaxon’s group deserted them immediately, abandoning his duty to rush toward the entrance without hesitation.

Jaxon and his followers were left stranded, paralyzed in the center of the road.

They were trembling.

Truly, they were shaking.

As the massive crowd of Enhanced individuals streamed past them, the scout’s voice kept reciting the same frantic, repetitive report, as if the sheer magnitude of the power levels had shattered his ability to process reality.

The logical conclusion was unavoidable:

There was not a single individual present whose cultivation was lower than Tier 7.

Jaxon swallowed with great difficulty, staring out into the sea of power surrounding him, filled with the sinking realization that he had just stepped into the jaws of a titan.

What kind of terrifying sanctuary had they stumbled into?