21: Rushing to the aid of the Northern Camp, a pact in dire straits

Chapter Twenty-One: Reinforcing the Northern Camp, Covenant of Despair

The engine of the armored personnel carrier let out a dull roar, crushing two deep ruts into the pitch-black ruins. The headlights pierced the thick night, illuminating a fallen road sign ahead; the words "Northern Military Region" on it were already mottled and worn, with only half of the metal frame swaying in the wind.

Lin Zhou leaned against the driver's seat, his fingertips repeatedly rubbing the casing of the communicator. Zhao Weiguo's plea for help still echoed in his ears, and the promise to "regard you as the supreme commander" weighed on his heart like a heavy stone. On the Radar screen, the red dots in the direction of the Northern Military Region were densely packed. The signals of ten Fourth-Tier Zombies were like dark red tumors, and the energy fluctuations of tens of thousands of Mutated Zombies around them were interwoven into a net; just looking at it made one's scalp tingle.

"Boss, thirty kilometers to go." Ye Lang put down his night-vision goggles, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. "We only have half our ammunition left. The brothers have been fighting continuously; their physical strength is about to give out."

Lin Zhou glanced at the team members in the back seat. Ten people, every one of them injured. Scarface's arm was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, and two members' combat suits were torn open, revealing gruesome wounds beneath. But their eyes remained sharp, and the hands holding their weapons were steady as rocks.

"Notify the base. Tell Old Zhou to send out all operational apocalypse tanks and Rocket Troopers to provide support via the backup route," Lin Zhou said in a deep voice. "Also, have the medics bring first-aid kits to meet us halfway. We need to settle this quickly."

[Base instructions transmitted. Three remaining apocalypse tanks, twenty grizzly tanks, and fifty Rocket Troopers are ready for deployment. Estimated arrival at the combat zone in one hour.]

The armored personnel carrier continued to speed along. Hearing the engine, the zombies along the way roared and lunged at them, only to be shredded by the heavy machine gun on the roof. Half an hour later, the silhouette of the Northern Military Region finally appeared in sight.

How was that a steel fortress? It was clearly a burning ruin.

Most of the towering walls had long since collapsed, broken rebar pointed toward the night sky, and charred military flags hung limp on flagpoles, flapping in the wind. Inside the walls, gunfire was sparse and explosions occurred one after another. Ten Fourth-Tier Zombies rampaged through the camp as if in an uninhabited land. They were even larger than those encountered before, their dark gold scales shimmering with an eerie luster under the firelight. Every swipe of their claws could tear solid fortifications to shreds.

The command building in the center of the camp was still burning. Zhao Weiguo led dozens of remnants, stubbornly defending the last line of defense. Their weapons were a motley crew—rusty rifles, homemade machetes, and some even held Fire Axes. Everyone's face was covered in blood and soot, but their eyes held a look of desperate determination.

"They're coming again!" a soldier roared, pulling the trigger. The bullets hit the scales of the Fourth-Tier Zombie, producing only crisp clinking sounds.

A Fourth-Tier Zombie suddenly turned around and swiped its claws, instantly tearing the soldier's body in half, splashing blood all over Zhao Weiguo. With bloodshot eyes, Zhao Weiguo raised his pistol and fired frantically, but he couldn't harm the zombie in the slightest.

"commander Zhao! Hold on!"

A roar pierced the night sky as the armored personnel carrier, like an arrow released from a bowstring, broke through the obstruction of the zombie horde, crashed through the collapsed wall, and charged into the camp. Lin Zhou opened the hatch and leaped down holding a Fire Axe. His Armor-piercing combat suit glinted coldly in the firelight, and the Bone Blade Shards on the axe's blade shimmered with a chilling light.

"Sharp Blade Squad, follow me!"

Ten team members followed closely behind. Tongues of fire erupted from heavy machine guns, and rockets whistled away, trailing exhaust. The two Fourth-Tier Zombies in the lead were beaten back repeatedly, dark green pus seeping from the gaps in their scales.

Seeing Lin Zhou's figure, a flash of wild joy crossed Zhao Weiguo's eyes. His hoarse voice carried a sob: "Lin Zhou! You really came!"

"You've worked hard! Take your people and retreat to the command building!" Lin Zhou said without looking back, his Fire Axe hacking fiercely at a Fourth-Tier Zombie's joint. "Ye Lang, snipe the Fourth-Tier Zombies' eyes! Scarface, lead the men to clear the ordinary Mutated Zombies!"

"Understood!"

Ye Lang quickly found a vantage point. The muzzle of his sniper rifle flashed as an armor-piercing round accurately hit a Fourth-Tier Zombie's left eye. The zombie let out a shrill roar, waving its claws frantically, but Lin Zhou took the opportunity to hack its knee, causing its massive body to crash to the ground.

Scarface led the team members into the zombie horde, his machete whistling through the air. Every strike could split open a Mutated Zombie's head. But there were too many Fourth-Tier Zombies. The remaining eight quickly reacted and lunged toward the Sharp Blade Squad. Their speed and strength far exceeded the third tier. Lin Zhou's Fire Axe could only leave shallow white marks on their scales.

"Hold on! The base's reinforcements are almost here!" Lin Zhou roared, sidestepping a Fourth-Tier Zombie's pounce and hacking his Fire Axe back toward its throat.

But he was still a step too slow. The zombie's claws brushed past his shoulder, instantly tearing a hole in his Armor-piercing combat suit. The sharp claw tips left three deep, bone-revealing wounds on his skin, and a burning pain immediately swept through his body.

"Boss!" Seeing this, Scarface's eyes turned red, and he rushed over, his machete hacking fiercely into the zombie's back.

The zombie, feeling the pain, turned to pounce on Scarface. Lin Zhou seized the opportunity to shove his Fire Axe into its eye socket and twisted his wrist violently. Dark green pus gushed out, the zombie's movements suddenly stopped, and it crashed to the ground.

[Killed Fourth-Tier Mutant ×1, metal points +5,000, Experience +50,000]

The battle fell into a stalemate. Members of the Sharp Blade Squad fell one by one. Their ammunition was exhausted, and they could only use melee weapons to fight the zombies hand-to-hand. Zhao Weiguo led the remnants forward. Their weapons were simple, but they were unafraid of death, using their bodies to block the zombies' attacks to create opportunities for Lin Zhou and the others.

Just then, a deafening roar came from the distance. On the horizon, a torrent of steel came rolling in. Three apocalypse tanks led the way, followed by twenty grizzly tanks. Fifty Rocket Troopers carrying missiles descended like gods of death.

"Reinforcements are here!" A sharp light flashed in Lin Zhou's eyes as he roared into the walkie-talkie, "apocalypse tanks, concentrate fire on the Fourth-Tier Zombies! Rocket Troopers, cover fire!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Both main guns of the apocalypse tanks fired simultaneously, the shells accurately hitting the bodies of the Fourth-Tier Zombies. Violent explosions kicked up clouds of dust. The Rocket Troopers' missiles fell like raindrops, blooming into flowers of blood within the zombie horde.

The tide of battle turned instantly. Losing their advantage, the Fourth-Tier Zombies were enveloped in gunfire and fell one by one. The ordinary Mutated Zombies were even more of a disorganized mess, crushed into meat paste by the tank treads.

The battle lasted for a full two hours before it finally settled completely. The camp was a mess, with flames soaring and thick smoke billowing. Lin Zhou leaned on his Fire Axe, panting heavily. Every muscle in his body was trembling, and the wound on his shoulder was still seeping blood.

Zhao Weiguo walked to his side, solemnly gave a military salute, and said in a hoarse but firm voice, "Commander Lin, I, Zhao Weiguo, on behalf of all the remnants of the Northern Military Region, pledge my loyalty to you! From this day forward, all the forces of the Northern Military Region will follow your command!"

Dozens of remnants put down their weapons one after another and knelt on one knee before Lin Zhou, shouting in unison: "We are willing to obey the supreme commander's orders!"

Lin Zhou watched the scene before him with mixed emotions. He reached out, helped Zhao Weiguo up, and said in a deep voice, "From today on, the Red Alert Base and the Northern Military Region are one! Our common enemies are those man-eating zombies! Our common goal is to survive and rebuild our home!"

Just then, the base communicator suddenly rang, and Old Zhou's voice carried a hint of urgency: "Boss! This is bad! We've detected a large-scale energy fluctuation from the south. At least twenty Fourth-Tier Zombies and a legion of tens of thousands of Mutated Zombies are moving in our direction!"

Lin Zhou's pupils suddenly constricted. Twenty Fourth-Tier Zombies! Tens of thousands of Mutated Zombies! This force was enough to destroy any survivor camp.

He looked up at the southern sky, where the night was exceptionally heavy, as if a sleeping giant beast was slowly awakening.

Zhao Weiguo clenched his fist, a look of determination flashing in his eyes: "Supreme commander, we still have the strength for one more fight!"

Scarface and Ye Lang also stood up one after another, gripping their weapons. The base's reinforcements, the remnants of the Northern Military Region—everyone's gaze converged on Lin Zhou, their eyes filled with trust and resolve.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath and gave a deep-voiced command into the walkie-talkie: "All combat units, integrate immediately! apocalypse tanks, guard the defense line! Rocket Troopers, construct the positions! Brothers of the Northern Military Region, pick up your weapons! In this battle, there is no retreat. We either win, or we die!"

"Win! Win! Win!"

The roars shook the night sky, echoing for a long time above the burning camp.