Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1331: Now Humanity Strikes Back

With the Stoneborn escapees from the Void Realm vanquished, a sense of relief washed over Ethan.

Those adversaries were exceptionally powerful, posing an indiscriminate threat wherever they went.

Their elimination felt like a immense weight lifted from his chest.

Following their evening meal, Ethan transferred the more than twenty Stoneborn corpses, which he had stored in his spatial ring, to Miles. He instructed Miles to distribute them as rations to the white-furred apes on a strict schedule.

These apes possessed an extraordinarily potent bloodline, and their combat prowess was not to be underestimated.

Ethan intended to nurture their development meticulously, envisioning them as a foundational force for Fallen Star City in the future.

The defeated Stoneborn powerhouses were all at least of Stage A. The sheer quantity of their meat alone was sufficient to dramatically boost the apes' strength.

Miles observed Ethan for a brief moment. "Captain... you are departing once more?"

"Indeed," Ethan confirmed with a nod. "It is time to investigate the Infernals on the Yamato island chain. If they have emerged, their current strength is likely formidable, which presents an excellent opportunity for us to enhance our power."

"And should they emerge, we shall target other nations. It is improbable that Void Realm creatures confined their appearance solely to the Atlas Federation and the Yamato Empire. Other territories undoubtedly harbor them as well."

"Some will not have managed to return. We will seek out any stragglers."

His tone was pragmatic, almost nonchalant, yet the underlying strategy was undeniably ruthless.

"This represents a shortcut to increased strength," Ethan declared. "Relying solely on absorbing mysterious energy to elevate our Tier is an exceedingly slow progression."

He then addressed Miles directly. "For this expedition, I will be taking the Fallen Star Guard. Our absence may be extended. The responsibility for Fallen Star City now rests with you."

Miles beamed, a look of eager anticipation on his face. "Rest assured, Captain. I am accustomed to this role."

He added, "In recent days, the Guard has acquired a substantial quantity of crystal cores. Enough for me to further advance the Fallen Star Corps members."

Ethan acknowledged this with a nod. "Excellent. That is precisely what I wished to hear."

As dawn broke the following morning, Ethan led the Fallen Star Guard out of Fallen Star City in a vast procession, mounted on Flamebirds.

This time, he allocated twenty thousand Flamebirds, sufficient for one mount per individual. The remaining ten thousand were assigned to remain and defend the city.

In terms of the second-echelon members, Ethan selected only Vivian and Calvin. All other personnel were likewise instructed to remain within Fallen Star City.

These two individuals were powerhouses in their own right. Setting aside the concept of punching above their Tier, they were virtually unrivaled within their respective Tiers.

The contingent proceeded directly towards the Yamato islands.

Atlas City...

Owing to the one hundred Tier 16 crystal cores Ethan had provided previously, Atlas City succeeded in augmenting over sixty thousand Tier 12 Enhanced individuals.

Subsequently, a surge of mysterious energy occurred.

From the aforementioned sixty thousand-plus Tier 12 individuals, a select group ascended to Tier 15, while the majority of the remaining forces reached Tier 14.

Confronting zombies that had grown stronger yet continued to act with primal instinct, this formidable army of Enhanced proved decisive.

An army comprising sixty thousand Tier 14–15 Enhanced individuals possessed the capability to dominate the battlefield, provided they did not encounter Tier 17+ zombies or overwhelming numbers.

With such military might, Atlas City emerged as the preeminent power within the entire federation, second only to Fallen Star City.

Furthermore, each zombie vanquished yielded more crystal cores, which were then reinvested into empowering the Enhanced units.

Stronger Enhanced individuals were more effective at eliminating zombies.

A greater zombie population resulted in more crystal cores.

An increased supply of crystal cores led to stronger Enhanced individuals.

This established a clear, albeit brutal, positive reinforcement cycle.

Under the influence of this cycle, Atlas City's overall strength escalated at an astonishing pace.

Within the highest command center of the Atlas Federation, located in Atlas City...

Maxwell and the senior leadership of the Atlas City compound were convened for a meeting.

"General Kane," one of the compound executives exclaimed, struggling to contain his elation, "at this rate, we may very well achieve the eradication of the zombies, bringing the apocalypse to an end."

Maxwell responded with a shake of his head, his voice subdued. "The situation is not that straightforward."

He elaborated, "The zombies transitioned from slow-moving cadavers to entities capable of cognitive thought in just over a month. This transformation will likely not require a prolonged duration."

"The instant they regain their intelligence, they will launch frenzied retaliations against human compounds. When that event transpires, few compounds will remain standing."

He surveyed the individuals in the room. "Our sole course of action is to capitalize on this opportune interval. We must eliminate as many as possible while they remain intellectually deficient, thereby enhancing our own capabilities and concurrently mitigating the threat."

"Understood, General."

Maxwell then turned his attention to another middle-aged man. "Provide me with an estimated figure. How many active zombies currently remain within the confines of the Atlas Federation?"

The man's expression grew somber. "Based on satellite surveillance... the number is at least two hundred million."

"Such a vast quantity?" Several individuals present in the conference room widened their eyes in disbelief.

The man nodded grimly. "If anything, that number’s conservative."

"In the past year, we’ve eliminated over a hundred million zombies. But at the same time..." His voice dropped. "Humanity is down to less than fifty million."

A heavy, bitter silence descended upon the room.

Four hundred million people—whittled down to under fifty million.

This dreadful apocalypse.

"Even if there are 'only' two hundred million left," someone stated, "we couldn’t possibly eliminate them all in such a short span, even without rest."

"Forget 'all,'" another responded. "What we can do is leverage this time to bolster the compounds' overall strength as much as possible."

"Agreed."

Maxwell’s fingers tapped the table once. "And the Void Realm entrances. Keep constant vigilance on them. I have a disturbing premonition those passages will reopen."

"Rest assured, General. Every confirmed entrance is under guard around the clock."

Maxwell nodded, then expelled a slow breath. "Zombies are no longer the most terrifying aspect of this world."

"The Void Realm is."

Someone across the table managed a strained chuckle. "Seriously. If not for Ethan this time, those twenty-odd Void Realm creatures alone would have been enough to wipe us out."

Charles leaned forward, a flicker of curiosity momentarily overcoming his caution. "I have to ask—where on earth did Ethan find that fighter? That guy is unbelievably strong. Those Void Realm monsters were being knocked out with single punches as if they were nothing."

Maxwell glanced at him, his tone sharpening, a veiled warning within his calm demeanor. "Do not delve into Ethan's secrets."

"Such inquiries have a way of getting people killed."

Charles stiffened. "Understood."

He had come to terms with reality long ago. He wasn't as obstinate as he once was.

He recognized that the Atlas Federation no longer held the reins of power. Their survival, or demise, rested upon Fallen Star City.

Maxwell straightened, steering the meeting back to its agenda. "Currently, we have a few key priorities."

"First: utilize every available minute to eliminate zombies. Secure more crystal cores. Foster the emergence of more high-Tier Enhanced individuals."

"Second: continue to advance the crystal core synthesis team. I expect the technology to be upgraded promptly—the minimum objective is the capability to synthesize Tier 18 crystal cores."

"Third: expedite research on refining the Energy Absorption Technique and on developing optimized skill-combination builds. We require swift breakthroughs."

"Yes, General!"

Maxwell paused. "On a related note—has there been any activity from Fallen Star City recently?"

A young man stepped forward. "Early this morning, a contingent of approximately twenty thousand individuals departed Fallen Star City, mounted on Flamebirds. Their destination was the Yamato islands."

"They headed to the Yamato Empire?" Maxwell's brow furrowed. "For what purpose?"

"We are unaware. You instructed us not to maintain surveillance within Fallen Star City, leaving us without internal visibility."

Maxwell leaned back slightly. "Fair enough. Likely tidying up some residual matters over there."

Gabriel clicked his tongue, a hint of regret in his voice. "If Ethan took that many people, he's probably on the verge of undertaking something significant. Man... I truly wish they'd utilize body cameras."

Maxwell let out a laugh. "If you aren't concerned about meeting the same fate as Rowan, I can relay that suggestion to Ethan."

Gabriel's expression faltered. "Uh... yeah, never mind. I'm quite alright as is."