Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1198: Welcome to Fallen Star City

Upon reaching the compound gates, Ethan and his companions dismounted. They caught sight of the towering, monumental entrance, which left them visibly impressed.

"Miles really achieved something remarkable," Chris remarked with a grin. "To construct the compound this quickly? I’m rating this gate an eight out of ten; I’m docking two, of course, to keep his ego in check."

"It is indeed robust," Ethan replied with a faint smile. "It seems even more grandiose than his original blueprints indicated."

"Haha. It is a compound, after all. Might as well make it have some presence."

"Let's get moving," Ethan said. "We should head inside and take a look around."

They proceeded toward the massive gate.

The entrance was currently bustling, with people packed together shoulder to shoulder.

In the time that had passed, the population of Fallen Star City had ballooned to over fifty thousand—most brought in during various scavenging operations in nearby counties.

Within the walls of Fallen Star City, those fifty thousand were almost entirely Enhanced.

The distinction was that here, anybody under Tier 7 was essentially considered a worker. These individuals typically managed the construction and maintenance tasks of the compound.

Only those at Tier 7 or higher were selected for specialized squads tasked with zombie-extermination missions.

This Tier 7 threshold existed for a pragmatic reason: Fallen Star City possessed a dwindling number of people at Tier 6 or lower.

Given the vast stockpiles of crystal cores—and the unique Energy Absorption Technique that allowed individuals to elevate their own Tier—even the elderly and children had been boosted to Tier 6.

Since the compound required constant development and labor, the Tier 6 personnel—who would have served as elite fighters elsewhere—remained restricted to standard labor roles here.

In Fallen Star City, the minimum requirement to be recognized as a true "Enhanced" individual was Tier 7.

This benchmark was expected to rise further as the city’s cumulative strength surged.

As of now, the actual combat-ready Enhanced force of Fallen Star City had expanded from its original ten thousand to twenty thousand troops.

All held at least the Tier 7 rank, with a burgeoning number of Tier 8s joining their ranks.

A significant portion of these residents had never gazed upon the Base Commander in person.

That fact did nothing to dampen their insatiable curiosity.

The original twenty-thousand-plus inhabitants carried a devotion to the Base Commander that verged on the fanatical.

Newcomers to the city had been constantly inundated with stories about the Base Commander’s legend and the terrifying reputation of the Fallen Star Squad.

Even in his absence, the entire city echoed with rumors and myths of their deeds.

Now that they were witnessing the man himself, the crowd felt a surge of adrenaline that teetered on the point of bursting.

To be fair, the sheer sight of the gate was enough to leave them stunned.

The team’s mounts—every single one of them—radiated an aura that could only be described as predatory. Everyone present understood: any of those beasts could casually annihilate them without effort.

When the onlookers sighted the white-furred apes, hearts hammered against ribs throughout the gathered crowd.

No questioning was needed. Those apes were clearly monstrous in their power.

"Base Commander...!"

"Base Commander...!"

As Ethan’s group drew near, the crowd stood at attention. Their eyes glowed, their faces reflecting pure excitement and deep-seated reverence.

The sheer intensity of the attention began to make Ethan and his crew feel somewhat self-conscious.

"Alright," Ethan commanded, projecting his voice. "Clear the way and stop blocking the gate. Everyone back to your duties. Later, I’ll coordinate with Miles to distribute some rewards for all of you."

"Understood!"

"Much gratitude, Commander!"

Amidst laughter and chatter, the assembly finally scattered. They had only desired a glimpse, and having obtained it, they were satisfied.

As they drifted off, hushed voices followed in their wake.

"Did you actually catch a look? The Base Commander is so incredibly young..."

"Indeed, and he possesses a striking appearance..."

"The entire Fallen Star Squad is comprised of youth. They are honestly quite good-looking..."

"You’re merely blinded by your infatuation with heroes. I personally don’t see the appeal..."

"Quiet your tongue, you fool. If he hears you, he’ll tear you to pieces."

As that specific group wandered off, Big Mike—the towering, perpetually grim-faced man—turned to stare directly at them.

His expression darkened even further.

Soon enough, the masses at the entrance cleared away, revealing an open path.

Ethan signaled for Goldie and the remaining six mutant beasts to retreat with the white-furred apes into the nearby mountains for some off-time. He additionally instructed a guard to lead Skinny Pete’s parents to a comfortable quarters for rest.

Then, Ethan and his inner circle resumed their trek toward the compound’s center.

Along the main thoroughfare, Jaxon’s group stood awkwardly in the center—trapped in a distressing limbo where they dared not advance, yet were too afraid to retreat.

The abrupt arrival of the Base Commander had caused the guards to completely neglect them. Lacking any guidance, they lacked the courage to wander deeper into such an intimidating facility.

"Captain..." the woman standing beside Jaxon whispered. "Are we really expected to just remain standing here?"

"What choice is left to us?" Jaxon muttered. "Look at how intimidating this place is. If we go wandering and someone swats us dead, there is no one left to complain to."

He gulped, forcing himself to maintain his composure. "We stand our ground. Someone will recall we are here eventually."

Jaxon felt deeply humiliated. Back in the Harrison City compound, even government officials treated them with respect. Yet here, in some backwater city, he found himself reduced to such a trivial state.

Still, he did not dare exhibit any sign of dissatisfaction. This location had already rattled his nerves too profoundly.

Suddenly, he noticed a group moving in their direction.

Jaxon exhaled a long breath.

He began to step forward—

—until one of his subordinates grabbed his sleeve with a desperate, crushing grip.

Jaxon could feel the man trembling so violently that his entire arm shook. Sweat beads the size of peas tracked down his brow.

Jaxon’s heart hammered against his chest.

"C-Captain..." the scout stammered. "D-don’t... Don’t go near them. I... I cannot... I cannot perceive it..."

"What do you mean you can’t perceive it?" Jaxon growled, brow furrowing.

"I cannot determine their... Tier." The scout swallowed hard, forcing the words out.

"...?"

Jaxon was confused at first.

Then, realization dawned.

His eyes widened in shock.

"You mean...?"

The scout nodded, his skin looking deathly pale. "My ability allows me to view up to three Tiers higher than my own. But them... I cannot discern a single one."

"Hiss...!"

A collective gasp rippled through the group as everyone present processed the implication.

If his vision couldn't capture their Tier, it necessitated that every single one of them exceeded his own level by at least three Tiers.

Considering he was a Tier 6 individual, being three tiers above him implied—

Tier 10.

An entire squad comprised of Tier 10s?

The thought was lunacy. Impossible.

Even considering the impact that this compound had already made on their psyches, the concept still felt detached from reality.

Regardless of their disbelief, Ethan and his group had arrived directly in front of them.

Ethan peered at them, looking perplexed.

"Why are you fellows loitering in the middle of the road like this?"

"P-please forgive us," Jaxon said hurriedly. His own voice wavered. "We... We just arrived. A guard informed us we would be taken to see the Deputy Commander, but then he simply walked away. We didn't dare explore on our own, so we simply... stood here."

Jaxon felt a wave of guilt that made him shudder.

He recalled that earlier, he had contemplated seizing this very compound for his own use.

Now, the mere notion made him want to strike himself in the face.

"Oh." Ethan nodded, as if the situation finally made sense. "New arrivals."

He waved a hand, dismissive and casual. "If you need to meet with Miles, simply join us."

Ethan pivoted and continued walking toward the compound’s heart. They were heading to see Miles anyway.

Jaxon jolted. "Ah... O-okay. Yes, конечно."

He hastily assembled his followers and trailed behind them.