Inside the command center of the Clearford City compound, a tense meeting was underway.
At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man in full military uniform, his presence radiating the hardened discipline of a career soldier.
This was General Adrian Cross, the compound's supreme commander. After the apocalypse shattered the civilian government, martial law had been declared, and Cross had taken full control—both military and administrative. No one in the room questioned his authority. Most of them were alive because of him.
His swift, ruthless decisions—launching counteroffensives, locking down the perimeter, and pushing outward to secure more ground—had turned the compound into a fortress.
But right now, Cross didn't look pleased.
"You're certain the Zombie King has reached Tier Nine?" he asked, voice low and sharp.
