211: Zombie Horde Defense

National Highway G323 Defense Line

"Quick! Faster! The vanguard of the first wave of the zombie swarm has entered the National Highway G323 area and is expected to arrive in two hours!" The voice of the Logistics Battalion's Sapper Company Commander was already hoarse. He stood like a statue on a relatively open stretch of plain at the end of National Highway G323, urging them on with all his might.

The entire 3rd Heavy Armored Brigade was like a wound-up war machine. Except for necessary sentry posts, almost every soldier was involved in constructing fortifications. Sweat mixed with dust slid down faces both young and old. Shovels clashing with gravel made piercing sounds, sandbags were quickly piled into breastworks, heavy caltrops and tank traps were buried deep in the soil, and layers of crisscrossing barbed wire stretched across the plain, reflecting cold light under the setting sun. This wasn't just building a defense line; it was digging trenches for survival.

Meanwhile, about thirty kilometers to the rear, a second reserve position was also being rushed into construction. Once the first position was compromised, the frontline troops would retreat to the second position.

An hour later, real-time footage sent back by drones showed that the first wave of the zombie swarm, numbering over a hundred thousand, was like murky sewage overflowing a dam, surging to a point thirty kilometers in front of the first position. Those densely packed, wriggling figures were enough to make any weak-minded person collapse.

Inside the Brigade Command Vehicle, the atmosphere was heavy yet orderly. Brigade Commander Xia stared at the screen, his face cold as iron, but his voice was exceptionally steady. "Order the Artillery Battalion to provide fire coverage on the zombie swarm. Only one round to reduce their numbers. Then, let the remaining, scattered zombies into the area five kilometers in front of the position!" He made a calm decision. Precious artillery shells could not be squandered; they had to be saved for critical moments. He wanted to fully utilize the harvesting capabilities of the Evolver Brigade and armored units in field combat.

Artillery Battalion Position

"All gun positions, pay attention! Target, coordinates XXX, YYY, distance thirty kilometers. Howitzer Company, 3-round volley, suppressive fire!"

"Loading complete!"

"Coordinates verified!"

"Whole company—everyone—fire!" The deafening roar of cannons tore through the silence of the sky, several—

—eighteen 155mm self-propelled howitzers spat out dazzling tongues of fire, and the shells cut through the air with the whistle of death. In the distance, massive fireballs and thick smoke rising one after another swallowed large areas. The blast waves instantly tore tens of thousands of zombies into pieces, with severed limbs falling like a rainstorm... "Have the 1st Battalion get ready. After the artillery strike, the first wave is expected to have about forty thousand left." Brigade Commander Xia's order was transmitted to the front via radio waves.

The 1st Heavy Armored Combined Battalion, as the first line of defense, was already prepared and waiting.

The Battalion Commander stood by the command vehicle, looking through the observation scope at the dark shadows surging like a tide in the distance. There was no fear on his face, only the calmness of a hunter.

"Tank 1st and 2nd Companies, aim for the middle of the zombie swarm and conduct a round of interceptive shelling to cut their formation in half! Armored Assault Company, coordinate with the Evolver Brigade to move forward and clear the severed vanguard of the zombie swarm!" His orders were clear and decisive.

"Understood!"

"Copy that!"

At the tank position, the turrets of over thirty 9a main battle tanks slowly rotated, their thick barrels pointing toward the designated area.

"All vehicles, pay attention. Target the middle of the zombie swarm, one volley!"

"Fire!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

Dozens of 120mm high-explosive shells, trailing flames, slammed into the zombie swarm, instantly tearing several huge gaps in the surging black tide. Flames soared into the sky, and thousands of zombies were turned to dust in the explosions.

"3rd and 4th Companies! Go! Harvest them!" the Battalion Commander roared into the communicator.

"Rumble—!" The engines of over thirty infantry fighting vehicles and armored assault vehicles roared. Like arrows released from a bow, they charged out of the position toward the remaining ten thousand or so zombies left after the artillery baptism.

"Fire at will! Smash them for me!"

The 1st Battalion Commander's roar exploded in the communicator of every vehicle. Instantly, the 50mm infantry cannons, 30mm chain guns, and 12.7mm heavy machine guns on the combat vehicles spat out countless tongues of fire. The dense barrage was like a metal storm, sweeping down the charging zombies in swaths. A few First-Tier Zombies that luckily broke through the fire net were also quickly cut down by the waiting infantry squads and the collaborating Evolvers.

"Battalion Commander! The rear of the zombie swarm is approaching the flank of the Armored Company!"

"Copy that!"

"Firepower Company, conduct rapid fire on the rear of the zombie swarm! Armored Company, provide alternating cover and retreat to the position! Tank Company, move forward and take over the fire output!" The 1st Battalion Commander's command flowed like water.

The eight 120mm self-propelled mortar-howitzers of the Firepower Company, which were already on standby, fired quickly. Shells slammed like hail into the rear of the zombie swarm attempting to encircle them, creating another bloodbath. The remaining thousands of zombies were soon completely wiped out under the precise sniping and crushing of the Tank Company.

In less than an hour, the hundred-thousand-strong zombie swarm was annihilated. Smoke filled the battlefield, and the pungent smell of burning and blood mixed together, making one nauseous. The 1st Battalion Commander wiped a mixture of oil and sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief, but his eyes remained vigilant.

"Sapper Company, go forward and clean up the battlefield, prioritize collecting crystal cores!" he ordered... Tens of minutes later, the 1st Battalion Commander's voice came through the communicator with a hint of alarm: "Brigade Commander! Something's not right! Among these tens of thousands of zombies, there isn't even a single Second-Tier one! They're all ordinary zombies and a small number of First-Tier ones!"

Brigade Commander Xia silently hung up the communication and looked at the Deputy Brigade Commander and Chief of Staff beside him, his expression grave. "Gentlemen, it seems this Corpse King is even more cunning than we imagined. These hundred thousand or so zombies were nothing more than cannon fodder it used to consume our ammunition and energy."

"Brigade Commander, using precious artillery to hit this cannon fodder is too wasteful!" the Deputy Brigade Commander said heart-wrenchingly.

"No," Brigade Commander Xia shook his head, his gaze deep. "You can't look at it that way. Trading shells for the lives and morale of our soldiers is a deal that's never a loss no matter how you calculate it. High-tier zombies are definitely behind them. We must maintain enough physical strength and a complete organizational structure to deal with them. Where are the 2nd and 4th Brigades?"

"The 2nd Brigade is still sixty kilometers away from us, and the 4th Brigade is about a hundred kilometers away."

"Pass the word down, tell the brothers to hold on! Tell them that in the face of our steel defense line and powerful firepower, these monsters are nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs! The second wave of four hundred thousand zombies will arrive soon. I will request Headquarters to conduct strategic bombing on the mountainous sections of National Highway G323 to eliminate their effective strength as much as possible!" Brigade Commander Xia's voice carried an unquestionable firmness.

"Yes! I'm going to the front line now to boost the brothers' morale!" The Deputy Brigade Commander grabbed his helmet and strode out of the Brigade Headquarters.

Before the second large-scale zombie swarm arrived, scattered zombies continuously struck the first position like small streams. Every soldier's nerves on the position were tightly strung; the gunfire almost never stopped, and no one could get any real rest. Fatigue and tension were written on every young face.

Half an hour later, the ground began to transmit a dull vibration, like ten thousand galloping horses. The second wave, a massive swarm of over four hundred thousand zombies, like a literal black tsunami, pushing and roaring, surged over the pass of the Nanling X Mountains. Along the winding National Highway G323, with a madness that could destroy everything, they surged toward the steel fortress built by humanity!

..."Headquarters! Headquarters! The vanguard of the second wave of the zombie swarm has arrived at the X mountain section of National Highway G323, about sixty kilometers from our position! Requesting immediate aerial bombing of the zombie swarm! Repeat, requesting aerial bombing!" Brigade Commander Xia shouted into the communicator, his voice urgent.