Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1242: Because My Fists Are Bigger

After three relentless days of travel, Ethan and his companions finally arrived at the county containing Grace’s compound.

Over twelve hundred miles covered in three days. They barely paused except for meals and sleep, pushing nonstop otherwise.

On the journey, Ethan alone occasionally engaged in battles. His companions hardly made any effort to fight.

Ethan’s presence made it nearly impossible for zombies to surround them. Spotting large hordes from afar, he’d always detour the group safely around.

During those days, Ethan casually eliminated dozens of Tier 9 zombies and seven Tier 10s—without seeking them out. These were merely the ones crossing their path.

This revealed a stark truth: Tier 9 and Tier 10 zombies were becoming increasingly common.

Zombie packs nowadays? Zombies below Tier 6 were rare. Nearly every one was Tier 6 or higher. Without Atlas City synthesizing crystal cores for major compounds and empowering their mid- to high-level fighters recently, scarcely any compounds could repel such overwhelming hordes.

They traversed numerous cities along the route. Most were utterly abandoned by humans, now zombie strongholds. Only a few still sheltered surviving compounds.

Grace’s compound supported fewer than a hundred thousand residents. Like Fallen Star City, they first purged all zombies within county limits, then built up securely inside.

Unlike Fallen Star City, however, they avoided aggressive expansion into nearby zones. They stayed cautious, prioritizing steady internal growth.

As for the Void Realm... Fearing leaks, Grace kept it hidden from everyone in the compound. Only the four women had ever entered.

The Void Realm was precisely why those four women far outstripped all other compound members in power—enough to maintain firm control.

Without it? Four women leading a compound? Nobody would obey them.

Grace and her group had just returned when residents rushed out to welcome them.

"Grace, you’re back!" A handsome young man quickly led a welcoming party forward.

"Yeah." Grace eyed him closely. "Everything stable while I was gone? No trouble inside the compound?"

The man was Jared Brooks. Due to his competence, Grace had elevated him personally to Compound Manager, tasking him with daily operations. His rank was the highest besides the four women themselves.

"With me here, what trouble could there be?" Jared replied with a grin.

"Good." Grace breathed a sigh of relief. "Let’s go in. We’ve been on the road for days. I’m dead."

"Sure." Jared’s eyes shifted toward Ethan’s group. "And these are...?"

"My friends," Grace stated. "Arrange better accommodations for them tonight."

"Oh. Of course."

Inside the compound, residents greeted Grace enthusiastically one by one, while sneaking intrigued glances at Ethan and the others.

Ethan’s team quietly surveyed their new surroundings.

All in all, Grace’s compound was a classic, standard small-scale base.

Its area was compact. Roughly seventy thousand people lived there. Facilities were solid, complete with farmlands and veggie patches—sufficient to prevent starvation.

Leadership appeared reliable too. Residents seemed content with their lives, faces flushed with health and fullness.

Those they encountered along the way proved amiable enough.

Jared, however, walking beside them, kept casting suspicious glances at Ethan’s group—as if sizing them up.

They reached a spacious mansion within the compound. Grace at once instructed Jared to ready meals from the kitchen.

"Ethan, sit wherever," Grace said, waving at the living room couches. "Make yourselves at home."

"Okay." Ethan nodded, settling onto a seat.

Vivian chimed in, scanning the area. "Grace, if you ever get hit by a million-zombie tide, this compound won’t hold."

Grace showed no reaction. "I know. But we have a fallback. If a million-class horde shows up, I’ll take everyone into the Void Realm."

"That might solve the immediate crisis," Vivian pointed out, "but it’s not a long-term plan. If there’s no food in the Void Realm, you’ll still starve eventually."

Grace’s eyes narrowed a bit. "So what are you suggesting?"

Vivian cut straight to it. "I just took over Deepwater City Compound. It’s got over six hundred thousand people—already a large compound. If you don’t mind, bring your people and merge into ours. Together, our odds of survival are a lot better."

"This..." Grace wavered.

She and Vivian had bonded well during the trip, both having fled the same university in the past—but relocating her people to join Vivian’s compound...

Grace didn’t like it.

She had pride too. And she didn’t want to live under someone else’s roof.

"No need for you two to argue anymore," Ethan interrupted abruptly. "After this ends, everyone's merging into Fallen Star City."

Both Vivian and Grace stiffened in shock, then whipped their gazes toward him.

"Why the hell would we do that?" Vivian shot back sharply.

"My fists hit harder." Ethan's voice brooked no dissent. "When we finish up here, get your people ready to join Fallen Star City. End of story."

"You...!"

Anger surged across Vivian's face. "How dare you act so tyrannical?"

Nearby, Chloe's eyes sparkled like stars as she clutched her hands together, utterly smitten. "Ethan's so dominant..."

"Chloe, I'm dominant too," Big Mike chimed in, sidling up next to her.

She scanned him dismissively. "You don't come anywhere near your captain."

"..."

Henry coughed lightly and stepped in before Vivian could erupt once more. "Vivian, hear Ethan out. Being a big compound doesn't ensure you'll make it through the end times."

His words came steady, yet carried a pointed edge beneath. "The top zombies we've faced so far are just Tier 10. Imagine if Tier 11 emerges—or Stage C zombies—what chaos might unfold? Fallen Star City stands as the ultimate safe haven, no question."

"I'll consider it," Vivian replied, her face showing clear conflict.

Competitiveness had always defined her. Stubbornness too. She was the sort who refused to yield to any man. In the apocalypse, she'd vowed to claim her own domain through pure willpower and tenacity.

Yet Ethan remained... Ethan.

His overwhelming strength and commanding presence made challenging him seem like battering a sheer cliff.

Henry could be overstating things a bit, of course. Zombies fell in droves daily. Even a Tier 11 or Stage C Zombie King likely couldn't rally a massive horde.

Still, no one had witnessed such a beast. No clue what powers those higher levels might wield.

Suppose one could call forth every zombie across hundreds of miles?

On that grim day, would any "large compound" truly endure?

Fallen Star City's superior safety? Vivian harbored zero skepticism there.

The prowess of the Fallen Star Squad had already convinced her.

Grace broke the heavy silence first.

"I'm in," she murmured softly. "We'll integrate with Fallen Star City."

Vivian's eyes widened. "Grace..."

At that moment, Jared came back from the kitchen, catching Grace's final words by chance. Confusion warped his features.

"Grace, what do you mean?" he pressed. "Merging with Fallen Star City? What's this about merging?"

Grace locked eyes with him firmly. "I intend to fold our compound into Ethan's."

"What?" Jared's pitch rose. "Absolutely not."

His brow furrowed deeply. "I won't accept it. Our setup's solid as is. Why fold into another group's base?"

Grace's tone iced over. "I established this compound. My call on its future. You don't get a vote to 'not agree.'"

Jared clenched his jaw. "Sure, you started it, but its growth came from all our sweat. You can't just declare 'we're merging' without checking what the team thinks."

Grace's gaze sharpened, chilling the air further. "Is that so? As leader, am I barred from such choices now?"

"I'm not claiming you can't lead," Jared stood firm. "Just that you ought to consult the group beforehand."

"Alright." Grace snapped curtly. "Understood. I'll inform them all. Get out."

"I—"

"Out."

"...Yes." Jared spat the response and retreated.