11: Chapter 11 Encountering the Army

Whether in The Apocalypse or in his secret realm, fuel and electricity were of paramount importance; whether for driving later or starting equipment, fuel was indispensable.

He had been worrying about the lack of fuel for the vehicles in his space, but stumbling upon a gas station right now was a godsend.

He slowly twisted the brake, and the electric scooter stopped silently at the entrance of the gas station. It was empty all around, and the gas station attendant had long since fled.

The gas pumps stood lonely in the lot, the emergency lights still emitting a faint glow. There wasn't a trace of zombies wandering about; it was clearly an excellent spot for scavenging.

Mo Yufei dragged his stiff body off the scooter, his joints making faint clicking sounds as they moved. He walked slowly to the gas pump, his conscious mind racing.

He didn't bother looking for the fuel nozzles or fiddling with the equipment; he directly activated his space to envelop the underground fuel storage and all the oil drums in the station.

Without any unnecessary movements, with a single thought, he began to draw in the fuel. Massive amounts of gasoline and diesel followed the power of his space, continuously being sucked into it, where the different types of oil were stored separately.

After collecting the fuel, he continued riding. Not long after, Mo Yufei's gaze inadvertently swept forward, and his eyes suddenly narrowed.

In the distance, at the intersection, military-green vehicles faintly appeared. Soldiers wearing camouflage and holding rifles were forming a defensive perimeter, evacuating survivors along the way—it was a temporary military rescue team.

Mo Yufei's nerves tightened instantly. In his current state, with his grey, deathly skin, stiff and sluggish movements, and the chilling aura emitted by his body that only zombies possessed, anyone with a sharp eye could tell something was wrong at a glance.

Once discovered by the soldiers, they wouldn't care whether he had consciousness or not; they would shoot him dead on the spot without hesitation.

The seed shop was not far ahead; it was already within reach.

He dared not take any more risks.

Mo Yufei immediately squeezed the brake, and the delivery electric scooter was taken into his space.

He didn't abandon the scooter that had helped him all the way; storing it in his space, he might need it later.

The next second, he completely relaxed his body, letting himself fully assume the posture of a zombie: his back hunched, arms hanging slightly forward, footsteps dragging and heavy, every step slow and stiff, and he even deliberately forced out a few low, muffled growls from his throat.

Mo Yufei blended in among the scattered zombies wandering by the street, keeping his head down to avoid the soldiers' line of sight, and turned into a side alley.

He no longer took the wide main roads, but instead followed the gaps between buildings and secluded paths, wandering forward slowly like a true mindless walking corpse.

The military rescue team's temporary assembly point was set at the intersection of the main road. Three military-green armored vehicles were positioned in a triangular formation blocking the intersection, their steel bodies gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster, and heavy machine guns mounted on the roofs with their dark muzzles pointing straight down the street.

A dozen soldiers wearing camouflage combat uniforms and bulletproof helmets stood in dispersed positions, forming a tight defensive perimeter, holding assault rifles and scanning their surroundings with sharp eyes.

The lieutenant leading the team, with the rank of second lieutenant on his shoulder, held a tactical radio. He stood tall and straight beside an armored vehicle, calmly directing the soldiers to guide the survivors.

"Everyone, maintain order! Form three columns, don't crowd! The elderly, weak, women, and children go in the middle, the young and able-bodied on the sides!" The lieutenant's voice rang through the intersection via a loudspeaker, steady and powerful, drowning out the noise of the crowd.

"Do not shout! Keep your heads down and pass through the restricted area quickly, do not stop!"

The soldiers linked arms to form a human wall, isolating the panicked survivors from the outside, constantly reaching out to help those who fell, and sternly maintaining order: "Keep moving! Don't stop! Don't look back!"

But the panic of The Apocalypse had long been etched into the bones of the survivors. The crowd, like a frightened colony of ants, swarmed desperately toward the military perimeter. Cries, gasps, and footsteps churned into a chaotic mess as more and more survivors burst out of the alleys, gathering frantically toward the intersection.

The scent of densely packed living people was like the most potent bait, instantly spreading throughout the entire district.

First came the muffled, undulating growls from the distant streets, and immediately after, a dense mass of zombies surged out from building corners, behind abandoned vehicles, and from the depths of alleys. Their rotting faces, stiff bodies, and blood-dripping claws converged into a grey-black tide of corpses, rushing madly toward the intersection! Their numbers grew, blotting out the sky, and the ground even trembled slightly.

"Attention! Zombie horde spotted at three o'clock! Over a hundred! Approaching rapidly!" The lookout soldier instantly warned sternly, and his rifle was instantly loaded.

The lieutenant's expression darkened. He immediately gripped the radio and issued combat orders, his voice cold and decisive: "All units, pay attention! Enter Level 1 combat status! First Platoon on the left flank, Second Platoon hold the front line, Third Platoon cover the rapid evacuation of survivors! Heavy machine gun team, prepare!"

"Received!" "First Platoon in position!" "Second Platoon received!"

The soldiers reacted swiftly, instantly switching from guiding mode to combat mode. In unison, they took half a step back, relying on the armored vehicles as cover, raised their assault rifles, aimed their muzzles at the approaching zombie horde, fingers on the triggers, ready for battle.

"Zombies are five hundred meters from the defensive line! All units, free fire! Prioritize killing the zombies in the front row!" the lieutenant ordered sharply.

"Rat-tat-tat!" The first sound was the burst fire of assault rifles. Precise bullets instantly tore through the air, accurately hitting the skulls of the front-row zombies. One after another, the zombies fell to the ground, their bodies slamming heavily onto the earth. Yet, the following zombies felt no fear, stepping over the corpses of their own kind and still charging crazily, their rotting roars deafening.

The horde drew closer and closer, so dense there was almost no space between them. The lieutenant immediately roared into the radio: "Heavy machine gun team! Fire at will! Suppress the horde's advance!"

"Vroom—rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!" The heavy machine gun on the roof instantly spewed tongues of fire, its deafening roar echoing through the entire street.

Dense bullets swept out like a rainstorm, instantly tearing through the horde's formation. Flesh and blood flew, rotting chunks of meat and filth splattered everywhere, hitting the road ahead and the vehicles with a pitter-patter sound.

The thick smell of gunpowder, blood, and the stench of zombies instantly mixed together, filling the air.

"The left defensive line is under too much pressure! Requesting support!" the leader of the First Platoon shouted sternly, his voice mixed with the low growls of approaching zombies amidst the gunfire.

"Second Platoon, pull two men to support the left flank! Maintain fire output! Do not let the zombies break the defensive line!" The lieutenant quickly adjusted the deployment while roaring toward the survivors, "Speed it up! Everyone get into the transport vehicles in the back! Don't dawdle!"

The soldiers held the defensive line firmly. Their movements in reloading rifles were crisp and efficient, their coordination seamless. The heavy machine gun continued to roar, and shell casings constantly ejected from the chamber, piling up in a small heap on the ground.

But the number of zombies was simply too great, surging in endlessly, throwing themselves at the defensive line one after another. Some even climbed onto the corpses of their own kind and lunged at the soldiers.

"Watch out! Zombies flanking on the right!" "Take them out! The defensive line must not break!"

Gunfire, roars, the Commander's commands, and the screams of survivors intertwined, turning the entire intersection into a tragic battlefield.

Firelight and blood splattered everywhere. Relying on their equipment, the military soldiers desperately blocked the crazy zombie horde, buying time for the survivors to evacuate, and smoke shrouded the entire district.

Mo Yufei froze in place, clearly hearing the soldiers' roaring instructions from the loudspeaker.

"All survivors, assemble at Haisha Island immediately! That is the safe zone! Move!"

Haisha Island... a safe zone.

Mo Yufei's heart sank. The rescue team's evacuation route happened to overlap with the direction he needed to go to reach the seed shop.

The next second, a barrage of fire swept toward his area.

Stray bullets flew everywhere, the zombie horde fell in droves, and flesh and blood splattered.

If he continued to stand there wandering, he would sooner or later be hit by stray gunfire.

Mo Yufei did not hesitate; he lunged forward, falling heavily into the pile of corpses covering the ground.

After turning into a zombie, he could no longer smell the stench of blood, nor could he feel the cold, rough ground, let alone feel pain.

Lying on the ground now, his body stiff and straight, there was almost no difference between him and the dead zombies around him.

He dared not gamble. He didn't know if his own zombie body, which retained consciousness, would also die for real if shot in the head like an ordinary walking corpse.

The gunfire grew closer and closer, bullets whizzing past him.

Mo Yufei used the maximum range of motion his stiff body could muster and twisted violently, shoving his head deep underneath a few stacked zombie corpses in front of him.