Chapter 541, Ahead Lies the Xinfu City Munitions Factory
The horde dispersed, leaving the entire street empty.
Everyone widened their eyes, their initial surprise and doubt gradually turning into fear and unease.
Ordinary zombies didn't have the intelligence to avoid artillery fire.
There had to be a high-level zombie issuing commands to these ordinary ones.
However, even a commander zombie couldn't control such a large horde simultaneously.
The most likely explanation was the presence of an even higher-level zombie lurking in the shadows.
"Stay on alert. Send the drones around to take a look."
The order came through the radio.
The armored vehicles' cannons aimed forward, and the gunners tightened their grips on the triggers, ready to react to any sudden danger.
Two drones ascended into the sky.
They circled around the buildings ahead to check on the horde.
"The horde is on the move. They're relocating out of our line of sight to encircle us from both sides."
The voice reporting through the radio was trembling slightly.
A horde of tens of thousands, now being commanded.
That would be a terrifying fighting force.
"Abort the mission. Turn around and retreat," the commander ordered.
The vehicles immediately started reversing.
As the convoy turned and prepared to leave,
the horde behind the buildings erupted with deafening roars.
"Speed up and get out of here!"
Thump, thump, thump~!
The sound of dense footsteps filled the air.
From the small side streets, masses of zombies began flooding out.
The roads were packed, like a flood bursting through a dam.
Bang bang bang~!
Gunfire and explosions resounded again as bullets rained down, tearing through zombie bodies and splattering black blood everywhere.
There was no need to aim—just firing in front of them was enough to hit a zombie.
Under the heavy firepower, zombies fell in waves.
Crash~!
Glass shattered as countless zombies leaped down from above.
They landed on vehicle roofs and all around the convoy.
The vehicles rocked violently, and the retreat slowed as zombies swarmed in from the sides and rear, slamming into the convoy.
Thud~!
Thud, thud~!
SUVs and trucks were overturned by the horde.
Steel reinforcements on the windows were torn away as zombies flooded inside, clawing and biting.
One vehicle after another was engulfed, falling almost instantly.
"Break through! Just push through!" The orders continued without pause.
Roaring engines and cannon fire echoed down the street.
Two armored vehicles, covered in clinging zombies, broke through the encirclement.
They sped away in the direction they had come from.
The horde chased them for a distance before stopping and watching from afar as the armored vehicles drove away.
...
"Is anyone else out there? Respond, please."
Several inquiries came through the radio, but no one answered.
Silence filled the armored vehicles.
Out of over twenty modified vehicles, only two armored ones, thanks to their heavy defenses, had managed to escape.
All the other vehicles had lost contact.
What this meant was obvious without needing further explanation.
Everyone had considered this outcome before setting out.
But now that it had happened, it was still difficult to accept.
After a long silence,
someone finally spoke in a low voice, "How did the Xinfu City base manage to do it?"
"Maybe they were lucky and only encountered ordinary zombies."
"Maybe."
"The horde isn't following us. Let's return to base and report this to the commander."
The armored vehicles accelerated toward the base.
Far behind them, a massive, beetle-like figure descended from the sky, watching the convoy from afar.
...
Gold-Silver Island, at the guild hall.
After knocking on the door and hearing a response, Wu Heng entered.
Inside, only Sheila Grey was present, sitting behind a desk and organizing documents.
"You called for me?" Wu Heng asked.
After returning from the zombie world,
Minnie had told him that Sheila Grey had arranged for a staff member to find him. Since it was still early, he had taken a carriage over.
Sheila Grey looked up at him, tied her loose hair with a ribbon, and said, "Call a staff member in."
"Okay." Wu Heng opened the door and called in a passing staff member.
"Island Master, Steward!" The staff member greeted them with a bow.
Sheila Grey instructed, "Go summon the two new deputy stewards."
"Understood!"
The staff member left to carry out the task.
Wu Heng, curious, looked at Sheila Grey. "We have new deputy stewards?"
"One arrived last night, and the other at noon today."
"How are they? Impressive?"
Gold-Silver Island still faced significant challenges, so combat power was crucial.
"Both are level-12 Professionals, one human and one dwarf, transferred from outside. I don't know much about them yet; we'll observe them for now," Sheila Grey replied.
Level 12 was already a considerable rank.
Especially on Gold-Silver Island.
In the outside world, they would qualify for steward positions.
As they spoke, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!"
The door opened, and a middle-aged man wearing leather armor with a longsword at his waist entered.
He looked to be over 40, with short hair and a well-defined face.
"Steward," the man greeted with a slight bow.
Sheila Grey nodded and introduced him, "This is Mr. Wu Heng, the island master of Gold-Silver Island and the Bannerholder of the Emerald Sea."
The man glanced at Wu Heng, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Perhaps he hadn't expected the island master and Bannerholder to be such a young human.
"Tuffsey City's Skitt. Greetings, Island Master," the middle-aged man said with another slight bow.
"Welcome to Gold-Silver Island," Wu Heng said with a smile and a nod.
"Thank you, sir."
Just then, there was another knock on the door.
This time, a dwarf wearing scale armor with a battle axe at his waist entered.
He had a sturdy, muscular build, and his exposed arms bulged with exaggerated muscles.
He had short hair, a deep-set brow, and a long, meticulously groomed beard adorned with ruby-inlaid beard clasps.
Sheila Grey introduced him directly, "Dwarven race—Gadein, level-12 Dwarven Warrior."
She then turned to the other side and said, "Wu Heng, the island master of Gold-Silver Island and Bannerholder of the Emerald Sea."
"Island Master," Gadein greeted.
"Welcome to Gold-Silver Island."
The two exchanged greetings and curiously assessed each other's attire.
Sheila Grey continued, "Get to know each other. This will help when coordinating future activities on the island."
"Understood, Steward," the two deputy stewards replied with a nod.
"Alright, you're dismissed for now. Settle into your accommodations, and then officially join the guild."
"Yes."
The two bowed again and left the office.
With only the two of them remaining, Sheila Grey asked, "What do you think?"
"They seem reliable and steady."
Sheila Grey raised an eyebrow. "Much more stable than we were when we first joined."
Back when Imiro was managing the guild, the atmosphere felt more youthful.
Wu Heng wasn't that old, and Sheila Grey had just reached adulthood in the elven race, still carrying a youthful appearance.
The entire guild gave off a youthful vibe.
But now, with the two new deputies—one over 40 with a seasoned gaze and the other sporting a beard longer than his hair—
the guild had entered its "middle-aged" phase.
Wu Heng stood up and poured himself a cup of elven herbal tea. "How's your sister doing?"
"She's mostly fine, just shaken up," Sheila Grey paused before continuing, "I wanted her to return to the clan, but she refused."
When Sheila Grey was attacked, Sheila Grey regretted bringing her from the clan to Gold-Silver Island.
Now that she was safe, Sheila Grey probably feared future danger and planned to send her back.
"She's worried about you, right?"
"Maybe. I'll talk to her again in the next few days."
Wu Heng sat back down. "I'll continue to strengthen the island's defenses. It'll be even safer in the future."
"I trust you, but it's still better if Shiyali goes back."
"You sisters can decide together." Wu Heng didn't push further.
The two chatted in the study for a while.
The guild hall began closing for the day.
Sheila Grey and Wu Heng walked out of the guild hall and went their separate ways home.
...
Back at the estate, dinner was already on the table.
Andviel said, "Mr. Youssef mentioned that the newly constructed area will be completed this month. Recently, many people have been visiting the island, inquiring about houses and shops. Should we start selling them in advance?"
Youssef was the name of the gnome designer.
They had discussed the expansion nearing completion last time.
It was indeed time to start selling.
"We can. First, divide the areas and set the prices. Once everything is ready, we'll put them on the market," Wu Heng said.
"Alright, I'll handle the arrangements," Andviel nodded.
"By the way, those special skeletons in the courtyard—have them set up streetlights along the road over the next few days and have someone assist them."
"Understood, Master."
After dinner, they all went to the training room for practice.
As night fell, they returned to their rooms to rest.
...
In the zombie world, at the provincial rescue team base.
In the dim room, an oval-shaped conference table stood at the center.
People continued to enter and take their seats, their expressions serious.
A middle-aged man in a green coat strode in, sweeping his gaze across everyone. "You've all heard about the failed squad's return."
Everyone's eyes flickered, but no one spoke.
The middle-aged man continued, "According to the information from the survivors, we may have encountered a zombie king-level entity. It can command large hordes of zombies, issue unified orders, and possesses high intelligence."
His words stirred a murmur among the attendees.
"Isn't that a bit too coincidental? We've only heard of zombie kings through central station reports."
"Yeah, we just entered the city, and we already ran into a zombie king?"
"The Xinfu City base occupied the airport without encountering one."
"I heard Xinfu City and the central station reported sightings of zombie kings, so maybe they did encounter one."
"Impossible!"
The head commander tapped the table. "Quiet."
Everyone fell silent and looked at him.
"Whether Xinfu City encountered a zombie king or not is irrelevant to us. We've suffered heavy losses, so we need to reassign tasks, form a new team, and mark that area as off-limits to prevent anyone from approaching."
The group nodded in agreement.
The losses were significant but not catastrophic.
As long as the base remained intact and they could continue trading grain with Xinfu City,
their foundation wouldn't be shaken.
Thud, thud, thud~!
Amid the discussion, urgent footsteps echoed.
A staff member rushed in and reported, "A large horde has been spotted outside the camp, and their numbers are growing rapidly. We can't even estimate how many there are."
The attendees jumped to their feet, disbelief in their eyes.
Someone realized, "The convoy didn't escape; they were deliberately released to lead the horde here!"
"Let's go take a look!"
The group hurried out of the room, quickening their pace as they climbed the walls.
Under the silver moonlight, countless figures swayed in the distance. They didn't attack but stood there silently.
More figures continued converging on the horde.
A chill ran down everyone's spines.
There were too many—tens of thousands? Or more?
A thousand zombies could fill a street, and these hordes stretched beyond sight.
"All squads, maintain defensive positions. Use every available weapon."
"Organize the evacuation. Vehicles should first take researchers, engineers, and children under 14. Ordinary civilians will be in the second batch, and the remaining personnel will follow in the third."
The orders were issued, and the camp descended into chaos.
People boarded the waiting trucks.
Others carried grain and essential supplies.
Both sides remained in a standoff for about 20 minutes.
Suddenly, a deafening roar tore through the night.
The horde's roars merged into a collective cry.
Then, they surged forward like an unstoppable flood.
"Open fire!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Grenades arced through the air and exploded within the horde.
Thunderous blasts lit up the night sky with flames.
Gunfire followed, countless bullets raining down from the walls.
Zombies fell en masse, tripping over their fallen comrades.
But the tide of zombies continued, quickly filling the pre-dug trenches, breaching barricades, and rushing toward the walls.
The crashing and roaring became deafening.
"Commander, it's time to retreat."
"Let's go."
The soldiers quickly boarded the trucks and sped away.
Boom, boom, boom~!
Explosions shook the ground as the base was consumed by fire.
The zombies pouring into the city were instantly engulfed in flames.
...
The explosions were deafening, and the city glowed like a flashing beacon.
Flames illuminated the entire area.
"Burn them all—those damn monsters."
"That so-called zombie king, if it entered the city, it must be dead too."
"Too bad we lost our base."
As they watched the city burn, they spoke in hushed tones.
Roar, roar, roar~!!
Suddenly, rapid footsteps echoed behind them.
Countless zombies charged toward them from afar.
Their expressions changed drastically.
Someone grabbed the radio and reported, "We've spotted another massive horde chasing our convoy."
After a brief silence,
a voice over the radio asked, "Where does this road lead?"
"It leads to Xinfu City's munitions factory. If we keep going, they'll be in trouble too."
The commander narrowed his eyes.
"We can't stop. Warn them and tell them to evacuate ahead of time."
"Understood!"
...
Xinfu City, munitions factory.
Static crackled over the radio.
"Provincial rescue team calling Xinfu City's munitions factory."
The woman on radio duty jolted awake and grabbed the receiver. "This is Xinfu City's munitions factory. Go ahead, provincial rescue team."
"Our base has been overrun by a horde. Our convoy is retreating along Tianhua Road, with a large horde following. They'll reach your location in 30 minutes. Prepare accordingly."
The woman, still groggy, instantly snapped to attention. "Hold on. I'll notify the leader."
She grabbed a nearby walkie-talkie and shouted, "Emergency! The provincial rescue team is leading a massive horde toward us. We have 30 minutes to prepare."
"Wait, we're on our way."
Rapid footsteps followed as five or six people rushed into the radio room.
The woman quickly briefed them on the situation.
One of them grabbed the radio and said, "Why are you leading them to us? Take a detour and shake them off!"
A low voice replied, "Sorry, but we're already on this road. Unless we stop, we can only move forward."
"Damn it! You're dragging us down with you!"
The radio went silent.
Everyone in the room looked grim. Securing this base hadn't been easy. Life here was good—they had 24-hour electricity and had essentially returned to normalcy.
But now, the rescue team had led the horde right to them, putting them in danger.
"What do we do? The leader isn't here, and Sister Qi went to Xinfu City with the convoy this afternoon."
"Damn it! The rescue team sucks at saving people but excels at getting others killed."
"Let's evacuate. Gather everyone and leave."