Chapter 43 – Zombie Horde
Zhang Ping was utterly exhausted. Seeing that the situation was resolved, he closed his eyes, and his consciousness unknowingly returned to his body. Leaning against a wooden crate, he slowly fell asleep.
The defense battle of Mingzhu City had begun.
Under Feng Laixian's arrangement, the Awakeners were grouped in threes, responsible for defending different weak points on the city wall. Healers and logistics also had dedicated personnel. For a moment, the southern wall became orderly, showcasing Feng Laixian's impressive command and coordination skills.
"The zombies are three hundred meters from the city wall. Everyone, be alert. Do not let them get within two hundred meters, or the long-range zombies will threaten the wall's safety," Bai De shouted.
Standing atop the city wall, Feng Laixian squinted and said, "Start attacking when the zombies are within two hundred and fifty meters. Let's test their strength first."
"Yes, sir!"
Bai De responded and quickly relayed the order.
Worried about Zhang Ping and Liu Tiefeng's safety, Qiu Qiang stayed on the southern wall. Once the attacking zombies were dealt with, he would immediately leave the city to search for them.
Holding a rabbit, he watched the dense, black tide of zombies approaching and muttered, "Xiao Zhang, if I die in battle, remember to take care of Uncle Liu."
There were too many zombies, stretching endlessly into the distance.
In the darkness, the zombies' eyes emitted a greenish glow, flickering as they drew closer.
"Attack!"
Feng Laixian shouted, and Bai De echoed the command.
The instructors brought by Feng Laixian were the first to react, launching their attacks. Some drew bows and shot arrows, others threw spears. The other Awakeners, though initially hesitant to follow orders from strangers, quickly joined in once the instructors led the charge. The southern wall was soon ablaze with lightning and fire.
Two hundred and fifty meters away, a zombie stepped forward, met by a face-sized fireball. With a loud boom, the zombie's upper body was blown apart, leaving only its lower half standing before it eventually collapsed.
Other zombies were also attacked. A giant gorilla zombie was sliced in half by a blade's energy, yet its body continued to move, both halves crawling forward in a grotesque display.
Suddenly, all the zombies seemed to awaken, raising their heads to look at the living on the city wall. Their eyes glowed brighter, and they became incredibly agile, launching a direct assault on the wall.
"Roar!"
A three-meter-tall giant ape let out a hoarse roar, grabbing a nearby human zombie and hurling it like a cannonball at the wall. However, the zombie collided with a fireball mid-air, exploding into countless fragments.
The giant ape roared again, grabbing a monkey by the tail and flinging it onto the wall. Despite breaking a leg, the monkey quickly crawled towards an Awakener.
Qiu Qiang kicked the monkey off the wall, his gaze locking onto the giant ape. Just as he was about to jump off the wall, Bai De held his shoulder and said calmly, "Watch Master Feng. There's no need for close combat now."
Boom!
A scorching wave of heat erupted. Qiu Qiang looked at Feng Laixian, whose upper body swelled like an inflated balloon. The next moment, Feng Laixian opened his mouth, releasing a red stream of energy.
Sensing danger, the giant ape grabbed a zombie to shield itself, but the zombie was instantly carbonized and disintegrated. The red stream hit the giant ape, blowing away its flesh and exposing its bones, which lasted only a few seconds before disintegrating as well.
After the giant ape's body vanished, the ground melted into a two-meter-wide lava pit.
"Is this the ultimate technique of the Beast King Boxing School, the Chaos Breath?" someone exclaimed in awe.
Bai De proudly replied, "Chaos Breath itself has no attributes; it's a pure energy attack. Master Feng's Chaos Breath is combined with his own abilities, hence the high temperature."
"It can combine with personal abilities!" a less experienced Awakener exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course," Bai De said proudly. "Otherwise, why would the Beast King Boxing School charge such high fees? Each of the nine forms of Beast King Boxing has its own merits, and the ultimate Chaos Breath can even devour the air. Mastering the complete Beast King Boxing is like gaining an additional superpower!"
Many Awakeners were tempted by Bai De's words, considering enrolling in the Beast King Boxing School in the future.
The school masters were willing to take on the main defense responsibility because it was an excellent promotional opportunity. As long as they could defend the wall and showcase their strength, they wouldn't worry about attracting students for decades.
Of course, the premise was that they could hold the line!
Feng Laixian looked solemnly into the distance, not relaxing at all.
He knew tonight's zombie attack was not simple, with an air of conspiracy surrounding it.
The problem was that Patrol Guard Captain Lin Kedi was missing, and the City Lord hadn't appeared for a long time. If the martial arts school masters didn't take on the responsibility of defending Mingzhu City, the city could very well fall.
All the Awakeners present were locals of Mingzhu City. The city was their home.
Defending the homeland was everyone's duty.
The martial arts schools' businesses would be handled by the instructors, and eyewitnesses would help spread the word. Feng Laixian's task was to hold this wall.
The zombies in front were just cannon fodder.
Even the giant ape zombie he had just dealt with was only equivalent to a high-level Awakener.
He was searching for the real enemy, the true threat to Mingzhu City.
Below the city wall, zombies piled up like mountains, causing significant damage to the wall. It was pockmarked and stained with blood in many places.
Awakeners took turns attacking, retreating to the back of the wall to eat the food prepared by logistics when their stamina was exhausted.
Suddenly, a green bolt of lightning shot from outside the wall, striking three Awakeners who couldn't dodge in time, causing their bodies to explode. A piece of scalp landed on Qiu Qiang's shoulder.
He glanced at the blood-stained scalp, took a deep breath, and gently brushed it off with his hand.
With seventy to eighty thousand zombies attacking the city, casualties were inevitable.
This was just the beginning.
Qiu Qiang wasn't confident he would survive. He turned and handed the rabbit to a female Awakener in charge of logistics, saying, "Please take care of it. It can contact a brother scouting outside the city. If there's any news, come find me immediately."
"Okay, you be careful too," the female Awakener said gently, taking the rabbit.
Qiu Qiang nodded, turned, and walked to the front of the wall. He replaced the exploded Awakener, took a spear, and after aiming, threw it instantly.
Zombies attacked all four walls, with shouts, cries for help, and explosions echoing continuously. The residents of Mingzhu City were already awake, but most ordinary people could only wait, regardless of whether the outcome was victory or defeat.
In the City Lord's mansion, Zhu Zeming was also closely monitoring the situation.
This was entirely unexpected. Where did these zombies come from, and why? He and his family had no idea.
He felt things were slipping out of control.
Gritting his teeth, he left his room and quietly approached Chen Junting's room. He planned to move Chen Junting tonight.
Chen Junting was a crucial part of his family's plan. Only by controlling her could they hope to deal with Situ Shibai and quickly take control of Mingzhu City.
But he hadn't gone far when he saw the Moon Prince.
In the corridor, the Moon Prince's tall figure was bathed in moonlight.
He was holding Chen Junting, his eyes somewhat cloudy, gazing up at the moon.
Zhu Zeming couldn't help but step back.
He saw something wriggling in the Moon Prince's silhouette, and a sense of foreboding enveloped him.