Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1277: Don’t Provoke Them

For a considerable period, Ethan and his companions established a demanding yet rewarding regimen.

The daylight hours were dedicated to hunting the crimson-skinned abominations.

As night fell, they would retreat to the compound, gazing at the celestial bodies scattered across the sky, and absorbing the enigmatic energy.

It was a period of focused activity, of tangible progress, and in its own catastrophic fashion, a semblance of tranquility.

Following Ethan's advancement to Stage B, the confrontation with the red-skinned monstrosities transformed from a task requiring Dopey's intervention to one Ethan could manage solo—the elimination became effortless, devoid of suspense or challenge, simply efficient lethality.

With each creature vanquished, their collection of high-tier crystal cores grew substantially.

These red-skinned entities originated at a minimum of Tier 16, signifying that every yielded core was of that rank or superior.

Although Chris and the others were not yet capable of utilizing Tier 16 crystal cores directly, their utility was far from exhausted.

In a display of characteristic extravagance, Ethan employed these Tier 16 crystal cores to energize the ritual circle, thereby intensifying the density of the mysterious energy available for cultivation.

The outcome was nothing short of astonishing.

The concentration of mysterious energy escalated manifold, dramatically accelerating everyone's progression through their respective tiers.

The sole drawback was the inherent inefficiency of the process.

A Tier 16 core possessed the capacity to draw in vast quantities of energy, yet the majority of the group remained at approximately Tier 14, unable to absorb at the required pace. Consequently, a significant portion of the potent energy dissipated, going to waste.

Under normal circumstances, such substantial losses would be deeply disconcerting.

However, Ethan remained unconcerned.

The potential for wasted efficiency was a justifiable expense if it meant the accelerated advancement of his entire team.

Day after relentless day, they systematically purged every location of red-skinned monsters that Rowan had identified.

Subsequently, their efforts evolved into a daily pursuit of new hunting grounds.

Meanwhile, the compound in Nova City was not idle.

Each day saw substantial deployments of scouts and drones tasked with locating fresh appearances of these creatures.

Sightings were frequent, often occurring daily.

And with these sightings came a grim, daily toll in lives lost.

For the reconnaissance teams, seeking out the red-skinned monsters was akin to participating in a deadly lottery; detection invariably meant certain demise.

Yet, there was no viable alternative.

The expanse of Nova City's territory was immense, and if Ethan's relatively small contingent were to undertake the search alone, the endeavor would be protracted indefinitely.

Concurrently, the world beyond their immediate vicinity was transitioning into a phase of "stable" development.

Smaller and medium-sized compounds were progressively disappearing.

At this juncture, their presence in the wild had dwindled to near non-existence, either due to complete annihilation or absorption into larger entities.

The evolution of zombies continued unabated, and the scale of zombie tides grew ever larger.

The stark reality had dawned upon all: unification was the sole viable path to survival.

Regardless of preference, consolidation became an imperative.

As the smaller compounds faded from existence, a greater number of prominent ones began to emerge.

By now, only the major compounds possessed the robust capacity to withstand the full force of a true zombie tide, with even those designated as "large" often finding themselves in precarious situations.

Following this period of assimilation and merging, the power dynamics within the Atlas Federation began to crystallize.

Accompanying this shift were meticulously compiled intelligence dossiers, offering in-depth analyses of the significant factions.

The most recent document cataloged every major compound that continued to stand within the Atlas Federation's dominion:

The Atlas Federation — Major Compound Rankings (Latest)

#1: Fallen Star City

Population: 3.8 million

Location: Silverlake City

Commander: Ethan Cole

Faction Profile: Boasting the largest population and the most formidable overall combat strength, with an astonishing number of high-tier Awakened and Enhanced individuals.

Top Combat Force: Fallen Star Squad — their strength is immeasurable, estimated to be no less than Tier 15.

Threat Level: ★★★★★★★★★★

Assessment: Exhibiting extreme aggression and holding deep grudges. It is strongly advised not to provoke them, as doing so would lead to certain ruin.

#2: Atlas City Compound

Population: 4.0 million

Location: Atlas City

Administrator: General Maxwell Kane

Faction Profile: Serving as the core compound of the Atlas Federation, possessing unparalleled firepower, the most advanced research facilities, and a significant contingent of high-tier Awakened and Enhanced operatives.

Top Combat Force: Task Force Fang — a unit comprising 100 individuals, all of whom are Tier 10.

Threat Level: ★★★★

Assessment: This entity represents the central command of the Federation. Boundary transgressions should be avoided to ensure safety.

#3: Clearford City

Population: 1.4 million

Location: Clearford City

Administrator: General Adrian Cross

Faction Profile: A military-established Federation compound that received substantial early support from the Fallen Star Squad. Despite a smaller population, its combat prowess is considerable, with over a thousand Tier 9 Enhanced individuals.

Threat Level: ★★★

Assessment: Operated by the military, characterized by strict discipline and adherence to protocol.

Other Major Compounds (7 total)

Nova City Compound — Population: 2.1 million — Location: Nova City — Administrator: General Rowan Pierce — A Federation compound.

Heartland City Compound — Population: 1.8 million — Location: Heartland City — Administrator: Graham Holloway — Formed through the merger of multiple compounds, led by an Awakened.

Goldcrest City Compound — Population: 1.6 million — Location: Goldcrest City — Administrator: Damien Caldwell — A Federation compound.

Ironhaven City Compound — Population: 1.5 million — Location: Ironhaven City — Administrator: Roland Merceridge — A Federation compound.

Rivergate City Compound — Population: 1.4 million — Location: Rivergate City — Administrator: Tobias Wainwright — Semi-official compound

Stonepeak City Compound — Population: 1.2 million — Location: Stonepeak City — Commander: Oliver Grant — Private compound

Crownfall City Compound — Population: 1.2 million — Location: Crownfall City — Administrator: Edmund Fletcher — Federation compound

A freshly circulated report detailed every major compound operating within The Atlas Federation’s borders.

Upon viewing the number-one ranked slot, many simply stared in disbelief.

The prevailing assumption was that Atlas City would undoubtedly hold the top spot.

No other outcome was even considered.

As the rankings became public, skepticism about their accuracy spread rapidly.

Many found the results unbelievable. How could Atlas City, the capital of The Atlas Federation, be surpassed? Surely, someone was attempting to create discord for Fallen Star City.

However, the subsequent events left everyone utterly stunned.

Following the public release of the data, Atlas City remained conspicuously silent.

There was no official denial, no rebuttal, not even a perfunctory statement.

Their silence seemed to imply an unspoken acknowledgment of the list's veracity.

This lack of reaction only deepened the public's confusion. Yet, for those who truly understood Fallen Star City's capabilities, the situation was not surprising.

In fact, Atlas City's measured response was perhaps the only logical course of action.

With the ten major compounds now in a phase of stable development, Atlas City chose not to interfere. They even disseminated a translated version of the Energy Absorption Technique, ensuring its widespread adoption and enabling others to enhance their strength.

Concurrently, Atlas City openly encouraged neighboring compounds to establish mutual-aid pacts, stipulating that support would be rendered if any one compound faced an attack.

It became evident that Atlas City had relinquished its ambition of total control over the Atlas Federation, shifting its focus towards a strategy of collective growth.

Ultimately, absolute dominion was an unattainable fantasy in this apocalyptic world.

Allowing independent development was the pragmatic approach, provided the leadership of each compound was not corrupt or tyrannical.

Should any compound fall under the rule of a wicked, lawless leader, Atlas City would intervene.

Bolstered by Atlas City’s advanced synthetic crystal core technology and the widespread implementation of the Energy Absorption Technique, humanity's collective combat prowess gradually began to close the gap with the zombies.

Crucially, most major compounds could now effectively defend themselves against zombie hordes.

For a period, it seemed that progress was steadily being made.

On the zombie front, their actions suggested a deliberate stockpiling of power. They avoided assaulting major compounds, instead targeting smaller or mid-sized ones. When none remained, they converged to occupy major cities.

It was as if they were in a waiting state.

The reason for this pause remained unknown to everyone.

As for the Fallen Star Squad…

Following more than a month of relentless pursuit, they successfully eradicated all the red-skinned monsters that had infiltrated Atlas Federation territory during this incursion.

While many of the Infernals had already dispersed from Nova City, they had caused havoc in other regions, prompting Ethan and his team to track and eliminate them.

Rowan's group had meticulously maintained a count of the Infernals. Ethan performed a thorough calculation and confirmed the figures:

This entire wave of monsters had been completely wiped out.

The spoils of their victory were immense.

In total, accounting for the cores Ethan had already utilized, they acquired:

384 Tier 16 crystal cores

165 Tier 17 crystal cores

8 Tier 18 crystal cores

The harvest was decisive and brutal.

Once Chris and the others reached the peak of Tier 15, the Fallen Star Squad could set their sights on a future where every member achieved Stage B.

And in just over a month, through a remarkably intensive method involving the use of Tier 16 cores to power a ritual circle and amplify mysterious Qi, everyone's strength had surged dramatically.

Ethan himself had ascended to the peak of Stage B.

Chris had successfully reached Tier 15.

The remaining members had been stalled at the peak of Tier 14 for several days, hovering on the precipice of advancement.

At this accelerated rate, assembling a full squad of Tier 15 peak cultivators was within reach.

The significant constraint, however, was the scarcity of Tier 18 cores.

Only eight had been obtained. Ethan had consumed one, leaving just seven—an insufficient amount to elevate everyone to Stage B.

Therefore, to acquire more Tier 18 cores, Ethan would need to personally hunt down additional red-skinned monsters.

Furthermore, Rowan had revealed crucial intelligence: these red-skinned monsters had emerged following a volcanic eruption at Mount Fuji and were identified as “Infernals.” Their arrival had been facilitated by Yamato Empire warships.

This revelation solidified Ethan’s resolve.

Ethan declared his intention to travel to the Yamato Empire.

Firstly, to hunt down more Infernals.

Secondly, because Yamato had dared to direct disaster-class monsters toward Atlas Federation territory. This act was not a mere “accident”; it was a deliberate act of aggression.

And if they wished to engage in such hostilities—

Ethan was determined to make them pay the ultimate price.

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