Under the glow of the flares, the Conductor and his team finally got a clear view of the wild surroundings.
They saw countless mutated beasts, like a black tide surging from all directions. The horde was so massive, they could not see where it ended!
"Beast... tide..."
The train Conductor's voice trembled.
"Conductor, hurry and hide inside the train!"
A few guards hurriedly dragged the Conductor towards the train.
In the other carriages, soldiers who were sound asleep were suddenly jolted awake.
"Strange beast attack!"
"It's a massive beast tide, roughly estimated to over ten thousand strange beasts!"
"The ones at the front are Iron Rhinoceroses. Judging by their size, they should be at Warrior class, but there are more than a dozen Warlord class Iron Rhinoceroses!"
Long-term battle experience allowed these warriors to instantaneously enter a state of preparedness. At the same time, three or four high-ranking officers of the Warrior rank emerged from each compartment, beginning to command these fighters.
"Immediately notify the train Conductor to gather everyone near the special recruit carriages. Our current manpower is only enough to protect four compartments!"
David Miller, whose post-battle injuries were still bandaged on his ear, shouted at a crew member who had entered the compartment to comfort the passengers. There was a touch of impatience in his voice, his brows furrowing. The staff member, already pale with fear, nodded mechanically like a puppet.
Seeing the other party's sluggish reaction, David Miller could not help but give him a shove and growled, "Go! What are you standing around for?"
David Miller turned to face the other warriors, issuing orders, "Oliver and others, get your gear immediately! All of you, leave the compartment and gather outside the carriage No. 5!"
A whoosh of the door being opened filled the air, and the carriage door slowly slid open.
A group of wounded soldiers quickly jumped down from the train, their movements agile. They orderly ran towards carriage No. 5—the carriage housing the special recruits.
At the same time, upon receiving the news, the train Conductor began to coordinate their actions.
He shouted loudly, "Bring out all the hydraulic jacks! Aside from the 345th compartment, push down all the others, surround it from all sides, and create a makeshift defensive rampart!"
His words still hanging in the air, the train Conductor and a dozen technicians jumped out of the carriage, starting to disassemble the other compartments.
The train Conductor and several technicians were from the rank of B-level Beast-Gene. They burst out with the power of their gene, showing immense strength.
In the blink of an eye, less than half a minute, the rest of the carriages were piled up at the perimeter of Carriage No. 345.
At this moment, the ground's tremors were intensifying, and the Iron Rhinoceroses rushing in from all sides were now closing in to a distance less than a hundred meters. Anxiety was pervasive in the air, with everyone holding their breaths.
"Fire!"
At once, gunfire echoed loudly.
David Miller and several brave warriors commanded, and the gunshots resounded throughout like thunderclaps.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Bullets poured down like rain, causing blood to spray from the Iron Rhinoceroses in the front immediately.
However, these massive beasts didn't back down but charged even more crazily with their eyes gleaming red.
"Keep firing! Get ready for close combat in the rear!"
David Miller shouted with a stern voice that was filled with tension and determination.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Another round of intense firing. This time, a dozen or so Iron Rhinoceroses fell to the ground. But given the overwhelming number of beasts before them, such casualties were simply insignificant.
The Iron-Armored Rhino moved with astonishing speed, and in the blink of an eye, it charged to within a few meters of the temporary defensive barrier. The beast wave came too suddenly; the heavy weapons on the train were still powering up; there wasn't enough time to fire.
"Follow me and let's charge out!"
David Miller drew the alloy longsword from his back, his eyes flashing with unwavering determination. With a leap, he jumped out of the wagon's defensive work. Faced with the oncoming wave of beasts, they had no other choice but to take the offensive in an attempt to scatter the beasts. If they continued to shelter in place, in a matter of minutes they would be surrounded and outnumbered by countless creatures. Even if they are not torn apart, they would be trampled alive into mush!
As a commander, David Miller took the lead, greatly boosting the morale of everyone.
"Charge!"
An unknown soldier roared angrily, his voice filled with the resolve to fight to the death.
In an instant, hundreds of soldiers, like tigers out of the cage, roared and rushed out, swearing to make a life and death battle against the beast tide!
In a blink of an eye, the soldiers brutally collided with the beast tide, the scene turned chaotic instantly. Several battle-hardened warriors, acting as the vanguard, pierced straight into the heart of the beast tide like a spear, tearing open a gap instantly. Hundreds of soldiers took advantage of the situation and charged into the belly of the beast swarm.
The beast tide that originally rushed towards the wagon with a menacing momentum suddenly stumbled and scattered like headless flies.
"Judging from their coordinated formation, there's a high chance they belong to the elite forces of the Subterranean Army."
Inside the fifth carriage, a skinny guy with black-rimmed glasses analyzed seriously.
Hearing his words, Ethan, Clara Song, and others threw puzzled glances his way. They were wrapped within the layers of carriages, unable to see the situation outside. Moreover, there was a group of fully armed soldiers outside, along with railway staff members providing them protection.
"Don't be surprised. I used my special ability to see that," the boy with the glasses pushed up his specs and solemnly added, "By the way, I'm an S-level Supernatural Ability User."
"What's the rank of the outside monsters?" Ethan couldn't help but ask further.
The boy with glasses furrowed his brows, observing the outside while answering, "From what I can see, most of them are Soldier-level grunts. However, there are over a dozen General-level big guys on the periphery, appearing to command the troop's movement."
Reaching this point, he revealed a cold smirk, "Interesting. These mutated beasts seem to be well organized and disciplined!"
"I dare to bet that these mutated creatures are targeting us, like sheep waiting for slaughter!"
Once these words were out, the carriage was buzzing. The special admissions students all looked worried, their hearts going up and down.
If it were just a group of different beasts passing by by chance, the soldiers might be able to hold on till the reinforcements arrive. However, if this was a premeditated attempt, their fate might be hanging by a thread!
A few timid children burst into tears on the spot. These kids have been raised in the urban 'greenhouse' all their lives, coddled by parents and teachers, afraid they would break or melt away. They hadn't even arrived at the Apex Academy yet, and they've already encountered such a life-threatening situation. Could they not be scared out of their wits?
However, there were also some tough-nuts in the special enrollment students who came from military backgrounds. The short-haired girl, who had been waiting with Ethan in the same room for the bus, blurted out, "What's the casualty situation?"
"It's disastrous." The bespectacled boy wore a serious look on his face, "On our side, already ten brothers are severely wounded, and this battle has only lasted for a minute! There are going to be even more who will fall victim in the later stage for sure." Now it gets worse, the people inside the carriage were even more panicked.
"I just heard the Conductor say that even if the reinforcement from the base flew here with wings, it would take half an hour!"
"We're doomed! Based on this situation, the people outside won't be able to hold on for half an hour; those beasts could break in at any minute!"
"Should we slip away quickly?"
"Are you insane? Where do you think you can run in this wilderness? Do you know where the base is?"the carriage was in complete turmoil.