After Qin Bing and her group eliminated the Wolf Pack mercenaries, Ginkgo Town was free of potential threats. However, they also lost any potential allies. Facing the zombie horde that could sweep in at any moment, they could only rely on themselves.
Two more peaceful days passed. On this day, Xiao Ke was sparring with Duan Canglong on the training grounds of their temporary camp. Eight team members surrounded them, watching the practical combat drill with great interest.
Although Xiao Ke had defeated Duan Canglong before, many factors had contributed to that victory, such as his resolute character, his berserker-like fighting style, and the favor of Lady Luck. Without any one of these, he could not have won that duel against Duan Canglong.
To put it simply, Xiao Ke's victory over Duan Canglong had been largely a matter of luck.
But now, after just ten days, Xiao Ke's fighting skills had undergone a drastic transformation.
Xiao Ke deftly dodged Duan Canglong's punch and executed a textbook-perfect neck-lock takedown, cleanly throwing him to the ground. This was the thirteenth time Duan Canglong had been taken down by Xiao Ke during their sparring session today.
Bruised and swollen, Duan Canglong winced in pain as he struggled to his feet, shouting, "No more, no more! I'm no longer a match for you, Captain. But I have to say, your progress is astonishingly fast."
Xiao Ke smiled faintly. "It's not that I'm improving quickly; it's that you all have stagnated during this time."
Although the combat effectiveness of Duan Canglong and the others hadn't improved significantly, they were already at the level of regular soldiers. For Xiao Ke to surpass them in just ten days was truly meteoric progress. Of course, this was inseparable from his own talent and hard work, as well as the personal tutelage of the Valkyrie, Qin Bing.
Xiao Ke was just about to spar with other team members when he suddenly heard the officer on duty in the distance blow the emergency assembly whistle.
Xiao Ke and Duan Canglong exchanged glances. Everyone realized something might be wrong.
Xiao Ke said in a deep voice, "Black Shark Legion, Orca Combat Battalion, First Squad, all soldiers, assemble!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Soon, Xiao Ke's ten-man squad, along with three other similar squads in the camp, a total of 40 soldiers, had all lined up on the training grounds.
Immediately after, Qin Bing appeared in full military attire, her beautiful face stern, and strode before the soldiers in her combat boots.
Qin Bing scanned Xiao Ke and the other soldiers, then said in a grave voice, "Bad news. The Fifth Squad, responsible for sentry and scouting duties today, has sent word. They have spotted a small number of zombies wandering five kilometers outside of Ginkgo Town, and these scattered zombies are heading our way."
Xiao Ke and the others were all alarmed. Although the scout report only mentioned scattered zombies, they all knew that since a zombie horde had already formed, the appearance of a few stragglers meant that a large number would soon follow.
This meant that the days of fighting for their lives were upon them.
Qin Bing continued, "The zombies are coming. I know you are all afraid, but we cannot retreat. We have received a death order from the higher-ups: we must hold our ground here. If the town stands, we stand. If the town falls, we fall."
Qin Bing looked at the varying expressions on everyone's faces and continued, "However, while this crisis is dangerous, it is also an opportunity. As long as you fight well, every zombie you kill will be recorded. Promotions are fastest during wartime. I have in my hands several appointment letters for Centurion, and even one for Chiliarch. For anyone who wants to become a Centurion of the Empire, or the Chiliarch of our Orca Combat Battalion—that is, my adjutant—then perform well."
If the position of Centurion wasn't enough to move them, then the position of Chiliarch was enough to make every soldier present fervent with desire.
What did Chiliarch represent?
A Chiliarch was a position typically held by an officer of field-grade rank. In other words, becoming a Chiliarch meant you would be a Major at the very least. This represented formally entering the backbone of the Empire's society, becoming part of the new nobility.
The Empire had always been strict about its class hierarchy.
At the very top, naturally, was the Imperial Family, followed by a few great hereditary houses, then the gentry clans, the lesser families, the commoners, and at the very bottom were the refugees, vagrants, scavengers, and the abandoned.
The Empire once had ten major metropolises, but five of them had already fallen and become territories occupied by zombies.
In the remaining five metropolises—Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, Xuanwu, and Qilin—only commoners or higher were qualified to enter. The vast numbers of refugees, the poor, and scavengers were not eligible to live within the safest major cities. They could only survive in the wilderness, struggling on the brink of death.
Xiao Ke, Duan Canglong, and the other soldiers were mostly from poor or refugee backgrounds. They belonged to the lowest stratum of the Empire, people for whom even getting a meal was a problem. Now, an opportunity for transformation lay before them. If they could be promoted to Chiliarch in this battle, they could leap up to become the new nobility of the Empire.
Not only would they possess various privileges, but if they started a family, their family members would be commoners at the very least, and might even have the chance to become one of the Empire's new gentry clans.
The eyes of Xiao Ke and the others shone with light as they shouted in unison, "Commander, we will fight to the death and stand with the town until the end!"
Qin Bing knew that this group of men had been deserters before, so for them to have such morale now was already quite good. She felt rather satisfied.
She said, "At present, traces of zombies have appeared sporadically around the town. Although we can't be certain if more will follow, we must strike now and eliminate all these scattered, wandering zombies. Let's move out!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Two days ago, Qin Bing and Xiao Ke wiped out all the Wolf Pack mercenaries and took all their equipment and supplies.
Those guys from the Wolf Pack, despite being mercenaries, were well-paid for protecting their drug-trafficking boss, so their equipment and supplies were much better than those of the Orca Combat Battalion soldiers.
Besides combat knives and firearms, the most practical items were six armed off-road vehicles and five medium-sized trucks.
The armed off-road vehicles were divided among Qin Bing and the five Decurions, including Xiao Ke. As for the five medium trucks, they were assigned one to each of the five combat squads, a perfect fit.
The armed off-road vehicles and medium trucks, now carrying all the soldiers of the Orca Combat Battalion, roared out of the camp. The convoy bumped along the cratered streets, drove out of the town gate, and proceeded into the vast wilderness ahead.
In the sky, vultures circled.
In the wilderness, the body of an Orca Combat Battalion sentry lay on the ground. Two zombies were crouched over the corpse, their hands continuously digging into the flesh and blood, enjoying their freshly acquired meal.
Suddenly, the two seemed to hear something. They immediately stopped eating. They stood up together, hunched over, and raised their heads to scan their surroundings warily.
In the distance, the faint roar of vehicle engines could be heard.