48: Chapter 48 Successfully Eradicated

The remains of the Brood Mother slowly cooled in the depths of the cave, and the terrifying will that had once dominated the entire Mutant Beast swarm completely dissipated into the cold rock crevices.

Having lost its central control, the beast swarm instantly turned into a disorganized mess, and their once fearless charge transformed into a chaotic rout.

The coalition's encirclement had long been as solid as an iron barrel, and at this moment, it had transformed into an inescapable hunting net.

Wang Jie sat in command on the front line; his voice, while hoarse, remained clear and organized as he deployed his troops.

Tank turrets swiveled to deliver precision fire upon the scattering Mutant Beasts; helicopter formations swept overhead at low altitude, their onboard machine guns acting like the scythe of death, reaping the stragglers attempting to climb over the mountain walls; the coalition soldiers, eyes bloodshot, drove modified vehicles, weaving and flanking to corner the isolated Mutant Beasts.

This battle had transformed from a life-or-death struggle into a thorough cleanup operation.

Wang Jie personally led the remaining elite troops in a dragnet search of the entire valley.

They crawled into every hidden rock crevice, searched every collapsed ruin, and did not even spare the charred bushes.

Any larva still squirming or any unhatched egg was turned to ash in the flames and artillery fire.

"The northwest canyon has been cleared, no residual targets!"

"Southeast rock face inspection complete, confirmed safe!"

"The entrance to the underground river has been sealed, and all discovered eggs have been destroyed!"

Through the communication channel, reports of victory came one after another; each report meant that humanity's living space had become cleaner by one more fraction.

This cleanup lasted for three full days.

During these three days, Wang Jie had barely closed his eyes.

His figure appeared in every corner of the valley, and his bloodshot eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings, as if he wanted to completely excise all danger from this land.

It was not until the evening of the third day that the base Radar Station delivered the final confirmation report—with the valley as the center, within a radius of fifty kilometers, the life signals of all large Mutant Beasts had completely disappeared, leaving only scattered, negligible small creatures.

The multi-day nest extermination operation finally came to a successful conclusion.

The sun set, the remaining light blood-red, dyeing the rolling valley in a tragic, heroic crimson.

Zhou Jianguo stood at the entrance of the valley, looking at the land before him that had been baptized by the flames of war.

On the charred ground, the mountain-high piles of Mutant Beast corpses were already being collected for disposal, and although the smell of blood in the air had not yet dissipated, the suffocating sense of oppression was gone.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if trying to expel all the stagnant air that had accumulated in his lungs over the past few days.

This typically unyielding man's shoulders relaxed slightly, and a long-lost weariness and relief appeared on his face, his voice trembling with a hint of hoarseness: "It's finally... over."

Wang Jie stood right beside him; his military overcoat was stained with dust and dark brown bloodstains, and his military boots were still covered in uncleared humus.

He followed Zhou Jianguo's gaze, looking at the devastated yet now peaceful valley, nodded slowly, and let out a similarly heavy sigh.

But he knew in his heart that the "end" Zhou Jianguo spoke of was only the end of this specific battle.

For him, and for all of humanity, this was merely a brief respite in the long, endless night.

Deeper in this wasteland, in those dark corners where sunlight could not reach, the mysterious figure codenamed "K" remained dormant, the shadow of the "new human project" had not yet dispersed, and even more powerful and bizarre enemies were quietly watching all of this from behind layers of mist.

The real war was far from over.

The coalition's triumphant convoy set off on the return journey in the twilight.

The roar of the engines was no longer the impassioned sound of rushing to the battlefield, but rather a weary, relaxed hum.

When the familiar outline of the base appeared in his field of vision, the nerves that Wang Jie had kept taut for days finally snapped completely.

Upon returning to the base, he did not attend the victory banquet, nor did he go to listen to the logistics department's battle damage report.

At this moment, which should have been shrouded in the joy of victory, he only wanted to do one thing—rest.

Three days and three nights without sleep had long since exhausted all his physical strength and energy.

His steps were unsteady, his vision was blacking out in waves, and it felt as if he could collapse to the ground at any moment.

Just after walking into the temporary command post's dormitory, he could no longer hold on, and he leaned against the wall, gasping for air.

Lin Waner had already been waiting in the room, and seeing his teetering state, her pretty face was instantly filled with heartache.

She did not ask questions; she simply stepped forward quickly, supported him to the bedside without allowing any argument, her tone filled with unquestionable firmness: "Don't think about anything, lie down."

Wang Jie obediently lay down on the hard bed, his bones seemingly screaming in pain.

Lin Waner carefully removed his mud-stained military boots and found a clean towel to gently wipe the dust and bloodstains from his face.

Finally, she pulled over a thin quilt and covered him with it, her movements as gentle as if she were treating a rare treasure.

She moved a chair over and sat by the bedside, her gaze never leaving him for an instant, afraid that something might happen to him again.

Under the dim light, Wang Jie turned his head to look at Lin Waner's face, which was just inches away.

There were dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating that she had also not rested well these past few days while managing base affairs and waiting for his return.

That familiar, gentle figure had become his only solace in this cruel apocalypse.

"Lin Waner." He suddenly spoke, his voice as faint as a breeze.

"Hmm?" Lin Waner immediately leaned down, tilting her head to listen.

"Thank you."

Lin Waner was slightly stunned, a flash of confusion appearing in her clear eyes: "What are you thanking me for?"

Wang Jie gazed into her eyes; those eyes of his, which had experienced countless battles and had long since become cold and hard, were now filled with soft starlight.

He thought for a moment and said slowly: "Thank you... for always being by my side."

In this apocalypse where one could not guarantee survival from morning to evening, on this journey filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, no matter what desperate situation he was in, no matter how dark the path ahead was, there was always someone who would be behind him, lighting a lamp for him, waiting for him to come home.

This companionship gave him more strength than any weapon.

Lin Waner's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something.

She looked at Wang Jie's pale, haggard face, looking at the deep-seated weariness and reliance in his eyes; her nose felt sore, her eyes instantly turned red, and crystal-clear tears welled up in her eyes, yet she stubbornly held them back.

She did not speak, but slowly leaned down and pressed an incredibly gentle kiss onto his burning forehead.

This kiss, carrying a tenderness rare in the apocalypse and an unspoken promise, landed on Wang Jie's heart.

"Sleep," she said, straightening up and gently brushing away the sweat-dampened hair from his forehead with her fingertips, her voice so gentle it could drip water, "I will always be here."

Wang Jie smiled; this was the first time in these past few days that he had shown a truly relaxed smile.

He closed his eyes in peace, temporarily casting aside all his vigilance, all his grief, and all his burdens.

Under Lin Waner's protection, in this rare tranquility, his breathing gradually became steady and deep, and he soon fell into a deep slumber.

This sleep was dreamless.

There was no roar of artillery, no shrieking of Mutant Beasts, no screams of comrades.

This was the deepest, most peaceful sleep Wang Jie had had since the apocalypse began.