In the days that followed, Ethan and the others entered another round of closed-door training.

They barely left the training complex, spending almost every waking hour using its facilities to absorb mysterious energy and push their Tiers higher.

They didn’t have to worry about the compound’s daily operations. Food was delivered on schedule, and everything else was handled by Miles and the city’s management teams. For Ethan’s group, there was only one job left—train.

The Fallen Star Guard trained just as hard.

The energy crystals inside the training complex were packed with mysterious energy. Whenever Ethan and the others used them, some of that energy naturally leaked into the surrounding area, giving the nearby Fallen Star Guard members a chance to absorb it as well.

With Fallen Star City at peace and no battles to fight, following Ethan’s group into training was the best way for the Guard to keep raising their Tiers.

Meanwhile, across the Atlas Federation, the major compounds gradually stabilized and entered a phase of rapid growth.

As more and more zombies were wiped out, the threat they posed to humanity dropped sharply.

Now, around almost every compound, you could go a hundred kilometers in any direction and not see a single zombie.

With the zombie threat pushed back, the big compounds turned inward and started rebuilding.

Bringing back the old world’s prosperity wouldn’t happen overnight—but they weren’t starting from zero, either. The knowledge was still there. The systems, the blueprints, the skills, and the people who remembered how things used to run... all of it had survived in one form or another.

As long as the compounds stayed safe, recovery was only a matter of time.

Of course, construction after the apocalypse wasn’t the same as before. Everything started with defense—and then, borrowing from Fallen Star City’s example, building dedicated facilities for Enhanced to train in.

After the end of the world, the core priority was still the same: strength.

The zombie threat had gotten smaller, sure, but the Void Realm was a sword hanging over everyone’s heads.

And besides, zombies weren’t "gone." They were just fewer. Every time an intelligent zombie appeared, it could still bring a nearby compound to its knees.

Thankfully, after months of zombie sweeps—and with the upgraded crystal-core synthesis tech coming out of Atlas City’s compound—each compound’s combat power had climbed a lot. Most ordinary zombie tides could be handled internally now.

While other compounds still worried about zombie outbreaks...

Fallen Star City’s Enhanced were dealing with a different problem.

They were annoyed there weren’t any zombies left to kill.

Ever since Skinny Pete took control of that petite Zombie King, every zombie within a few hundred miles of Fallen Star City had been pulled under its command.

Those zombies now camped out in the surrounding cities, forming a living—no, dead—buffer around Fallen Star City.

Most importantly, Miles wouldn’t let anyone kill them.

So if Fallen Star City’s Enhanced wanted to hunt zombies, they had to travel far out.

Right now, one squad of over three thousand people had even run all the way to Rivermark State just for something to fight.

They didn’t have much choice. In Golden Delta and Golden Valley State, the zombies had either been absorbed by that petite Zombie King’s Absolute Dominion... or already wiped out by other hunting teams.

So they went farther.

But Rivermark State had its own major compound—

Rivergate City compound.

Rivergate City compound had more than three million people inside, and plenty of Enhanced of its own. So a run-in was basically inevitable.

And sure enough—

The Fallen Star City team had just spotted a zombie pack—several thousand strong, with one Stage B zombie mixed in. Their blood was up, ready to move.

Then, out of nowhere, a force of over ten thousand surged in from the other side.

They didn’t even acknowledge Fallen Star City’s people. They charged straight past them and surrounded the zombie pack like it was already theirs.

"Hey," the captain, Alder Quinn, snapped, irritation flashing across his face. "We found those zombies first."

A young man from the other side let out a cold laugh. "And who told you ’first to spot it’ means it belongs to you? With your tiny little headcount, get lost. Don’t end up getting wiped out by a zombie pack."

Normally, the major compounds of the Atlas Federation were far apart. In the apocalypse, you almost never ran into people from other compounds.

So the Enhanced squads here naturally assumed Alder’s group was from Rivergate City.

And seeing how "small" their numbers were, they looked down on them without even trying to hide it.

Their Ironblood Squad was famous in Rivergate City. What squad didn’t give them face?

These nobodies clearly didn’t even register back home—otherwise, Ironblood would’ve heard of them.

"Oh, hell no. We came all this way just to get our kill stolen? I’m not swallowing that." A burly guy behind Alder looked ready to pop a vein. "Captain, say the word and we’ll flatten them."

The other side thought they were from Rivergate City compound. But Alder’s people knew damn well these guys weren’t from Fallen Star City.

The reason was simple: Fallen Star City’s Enhanced weren’t this weak.

Back in Fallen Star City, someone at this level would be stuck doing grunt work inside the compound. They wouldn’t even qualify to come out and hunt zombies.

"Don’t default to violence every time," Alder said earnestly. "Didn’t the Deputy Commander tell us? When you’re out and about, if you run into people from other compounds, be a little humble."

"Oh." The big guy nodded, then frowned. "Wait... why don’t I remember the Deputy Commander saying that?"

"..."

By then, Ironblood Squad had already started fighting the zombies. Their captain glanced back at Alder’s group again, eyes cold.

"Why are you still standing there? Planning to jump us once we’re busy?"

"I already said it." Alder’s tone stayed even. "We found these zombies first. If you want to help us fight, fine—but hand over the crystal cores afterward. Those are points."

"Hah? Did I hear that right?" Ironblood Squad’s captain, Dax Ironside, sneered. "Hand the crystal cores over to you? Who the hell do you think you are? One word from me, and your whole squad gets wiped."

Alder shook his head. "Don’t believe it."

Dax’s eyebrow twitched. "Oh? Mouthy, aren’t you. What squad are you with?"

"Amberleaf Squad."

"Amberleaf Squad?" Dax looked to the people beside him. "Any of you heard of them?"

"No."

"What about you?"

"No."

Everyone around him shook their heads.

Dax’s smile turned sharp. "Ha. Some no-name squad nobody’s ever heard of, and you think you can contest Ironblood Squad for a kill? You people got a death wish."

If most of his people weren’t tied up fighting zombies, he would’ve ordered them to move right then.

"In your compound, sure—maybe nobody’s heard of us," Alder said with a grin. "But in our compound, people have."

Dax paused, thrown off. "You’re not from Rivergate City compound?"

"Nope."

Dax’s expression tightened. "Then what compound are you from?"

"Fallen Star City."

"!!!"

The moment those three words landed, it was like the air itself froze.

Every Ironblood Squad member went wide-eyed.

"You’re... Fallen Star City?" Dax stared like he’d misheard. "No way."

"Yep."

"How is that even possible?" Dax blurted. "Why would Fallen Star City people come all the way out here?"

Alder lifted both hands in an innocent shrug. "There aren’t any zombies within a few hundred kilometers of us anymore. So we had to come here."

"..."

Dax’s face went through a whole slideshow of emotions. The arrogance from a second ago was just... gone.

Fallen Star City’s people?

Even if it was a dog from Fallen Star City, it still wasn’t something Ironblood could bully.

Right then, a young man hurried up to Dax, face tight with alarm. He leaned in and spoke fast.

"Captain—they’re all Tier 18. And some are above Tier 18."

"What?!" Dax snapped, eyes bulging. Then he rounded on him. "You dumbass, why didn’t you tell me earlier?!"

The young man looked wronged. "I was checking the zombies’ strength. And anyway—you never told me to check their strength!"

"..."

Dax took a breath, forced his expression into something that vaguely resembled friendliness, and turned back to Alder with a big, stiff smile.

"Uh... look, it’s a misunderstanding. All a misunderstanding."

"We just saw you didn’t have many people, and we figured it’d be hard on you, so we helped you out." He nodded rapidly. "Once we’re done, we’ll hand over the crystal cores. Every last one."

Alder looked at him with a half-smile that wasn’t really a smile. He didn’t bother calling out the lie.

"Oh, so you were helping us." Alder’s tone stayed light. "Then thanks. When you’re finished, remember to hand over all ten thousand crystal cores. Don’t short me."

"Ten thousand?!" Dax blurted, eyes going huge. He glanced at the zombie pack—less than five thousand bodies—and his brain stalled for a beat.

Then it clicked.

This was straight-up extortion.

And honestly... it fit.

Of course they were from Fallen Star City. Only Fallen Star City people could shake you down with a smile and make it sound reasonable.

But since he’d been the one to offend them first, Dax had no choice but to swallow it whole.

In the end, he could only keep that painful smile on his face and say, "Sure. Absolutely. Ten thousand. No problem."