250: Battle of Hongdu

Eastern Front Battlefield

Smoke and dust mixed with the scorched stench of corpses.

In just two days, Mixed Brigade One and the main Red Alert Brigade under Chen Hao's command had advanced dozens of kilometers toward the city center with unstoppable momentum. Their steel tracks carved a trail of victory into the grimy asphalt, leaving behind a trail of secure zones being continuously cleared and tens of thousands of citizens rescued from despair.

A battlefield in a certain neighborhood:

An apocalypse tank, its mottled paint making it look like a massive mobile fortress, let out a roar from its terrifying 155mm twin heavy cannons.

"Boom—!!!" Huge rings of flame and dust erupted from both sides of the muzzle brakes, the shockwave making the ground within a hundred-meter radius tremble.

The shell followed a nearly straight trajectory, instantly slamming into the center of a zombie swarm attempting to gather ahead. There, several Second-Tier Zombies with abnormal builds and ferocious auras were preparing to charge.

The flash of the explosion formed a visible dark-red shock ring laced with metal jets! Those Second-Tier Zombies didn't even have a chance to struggle; their bodies were like paper before the apocalypse tank's firepower, instantly torn apart and decomposed into flying charred fragments and viscous bodily fluids. The shockwave swept away dozens of ordinary zombies nearby like wheat being harvested.

"I'm speechless! That's incredible! Squad Leader, this one shot is worth as much as a whole platoon's work for half a day!" Inside the spacious yet oil-and-metal-scented cabin of the apocalypse tank, a college student soldier wearing a tanker's cap, his face still showing a hint of youth, slapped his thigh excitedly, his voice cracking slightly with emotion.

"This is so damn satisfying!" Another soldier responsible for sighting leaned into the periscope, watching the destruction outside and clicking his tongue. "This AI fire control automatically locks on and corrects the trajectory; it hits exactly where you aim! And this firepower! Before, when we encountered Second-Tier ones, it was never this easy. We had to use several rounds of rocket coverage just to kill one! Now, one shell and it's all cleared up!"

"Alright! Stop showing off! Stay sharp, the battlefield changes in an instant!" An experienced tank commander from the Red Alert Legion smiled helplessly. His voice came through the internal comms with a hint of subtle indulgence. These college student soldiers from the Mixed Brigade were passionate and knowledgeable, and they learned to operate the equipment quickly, but their boisterous nature still needed to be tempered by the fires of war.

"Maintain formation, continue the advance!"

"Yes, Squad Leader!" The two young soldiers wiped the smiles off their faces and responded in unison, their hands moving quickly over the control panels.

Suddenly, danger struck.

"Bang!!!"

A dull thud, like a giant hammer striking an anvil, suddenly came from the top of the tank! The entire hull shook slightly.

The 360-degree panoramic image screen immediately displayed the culprit—an Iron Back zombie that had climbed onto the turret at some unknown point! Its sharp claws, covered in a grayish-white keratin layer, were frantically scratching and pounding at the armor and sighting equipment on top of the turret, making a tooth-gritting screeching sound and sending sparks flying.

"Squad Leader! An Iron Back has climbed up!" the driver's voice carried a hint of tension.

"Don't panic!" The commander's eyes sharpened, but his voice remained as steady as a mountain. "It can't break our armor! Rotate the turret 30 degrees to the left and shake it off!"

"Understood!" With the precise assistance of the Red Alert AI, the multi-ton turret emitted a low electrical hum and began to rotate rapidly and accurately! The Iron Back zombie perched on the turret clearly hadn't expected this move. Its claws, trying to anchor its body, scratched harsh noises and white streaks into the smooth, hard composite armor. Its massive body was thrown off like a leaf in the wind by the centrifugal force, slamming into the ruins on the side of the street with a "boom" and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Run it over!" The commander's order came without a moment's hesitation, carrying cold killing intent.

"Yes!" The driver slammed the control lever forward and floored the accelerator! The apocalypse tank's massive body, weighing over a hundred tons, erupted with a violent acceleration that defied its size. Like an enraged prehistoric beast, its tracks crushed the road as it charged forward with unstoppable momentum, reaching the Iron Back zombie just as it was struggling to stand!

"Thump!" Another heavy, dull sound! The Iron Back zombie was hit head-on as if by a heavy truck at full speed. Its entire chest caved in, dark green blood sprayed from its mouth and nose, and its body flew backward uncontrollably, slamming hard into a relatively intact concrete wall. The wall was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks. The Iron Back zombie was embedded in the wall, letting out a pained and angry howl, unable to break free for the moment.

"Pin it! Prepare the main gun! Armor-piercing shell!" The commander was as calm as if he were on a training ground as he handed down the final sentence. The apocalypse tank started up again, its massive body like a wall of steel, crashing forward. The turret adjusted slightly, using the hard gun barrel and the thickest part of the composite armor on the front of the hull to pin the wounded Iron Back zombie firmly against the broken wall. The immense pressure made even struggling difficult for it.

"Target locked! Armor-piercing shell loaded!" the gunner reported loudly.

"Fire!"

"Boom—!!!" The deafening sound of the cannon rang out once more. This time, because the distance was so close, the sound was more concentrated and piercing! The sharp 155mm armor-piercing shell slammed into the Iron Back zombie's chest almost the instant it left the muzzle!

That thick, iron-like shell, which was enough to withstand ordinary shells, shattered and splintered like fragile glass in the face of a dedicated armor-piercing warhead at such close range!

The shell pierced into its body without resistance, its massive kinetic energy releasing instantly, completely mangling and tearing apart its internal organs and spine! The Iron Back zombie's howling stopped abruptly as its massive body exploded from the inside, turning into flying dark-green chunks of flesh and shattered bone armor!

The shell's momentum remained unspent, punching through several brick walls behind it before causing a secondary explosion in the distance.

Even after enduring the muzzle blast and the impact of the explosion at such close range, the apocalypse tank's high-strength composite armor remained as good as new, only stained with a bit of grime, demonstrating an invincible defense that brought peace of mind.

"Squad Leader! That was awesome! So satisfying!" The gunner looked at the mess on the screen and wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead, shouting boisterously, his tone full of confidence in their equipment.

"Stop yapping. Cleanup complete, continue the advance!" The corners of the commander's mouth curled up slightly, but he quickly returned to a serious expression and issued new orders. The steel beast let out a low growl once more, its tracks crushing the remains of the Iron Back zombie as it continued to push deeper into the city.