Chapter Forty-One: Joining the Battle

“Hiss…”
Everyone gasped in shock—there really were monstrous abominations lurking about!

But just then, a zombie leapt from a tall building, landing squarely on the shoulders of an armed man. It was one of Redface’s most capable subordinates, the agile Corpse King, nicknamed “Monkey.” Monkey’s body was robust, covered in festering boils. Locking its arms around the man’s neck, it gave a savage twist, wrenching his head clean off.

“Quick! Attack!”

The surrounding fighters raised their weapons to retaliate, but the Monkey was nimble beyond compare. With another sudden leap, it vaulted onto the back of the Hunter’s neck. The Hunter, thrown off balance by the interference, lurched violently. Its right hand—wielding a Gatling gun—fired off a wild, uncontrolled burst.

‘Ratatatatatatatat!’

Muzzle flashes spat fire and a hail of bullets tore into the ranks of the armed squad. “Take cover!” someone shouted in alarm, and they threw themselves behind the armored vehicle. Bullets ricocheted off the plating in a shower of sparks. A few were less fortunate—struck by the stray rounds, their bodies exploded apart on the spot.

With the Corpse King joining the fray, the humans began to lose ground.

At that moment, Redface himself made his move. He raised his arm, which swelled to grotesque proportions as blood vessels burst forth, writhing like living serpents. The tendrils coiled around several armed men, plunging into their bodies.

“Aaargh—!” The men shrieked in agony as their bodies shriveled, every drop of blood drained away, leaving them as withered husks.

“So powerful!”
Lu Hao’s eyes narrowed. Watching this attack, he couldn’t help but think of a certain movie: Venom, the Lethal Protector. Still, this ability, while terrifying, remained within the realm of the conventional—not quite the stuff of “Spectral Corpses.”

As Redface’s blood vessels danced wildly, reaping lives without pause, Lu Hao stomped his foot. Several oval-shaped earthen walls rose from the ground before him, shielding his group from the attack.

“Captain Lu! The corpse horde is breaking through!” someone reported nearby.

With their suppressive firepower gone, the tides of zombies surged forward en masse.

“I know!” Lu Hao replied, glancing over his shoulder. It was like trying to plug one leak only for another to spring open—he could barely keep up against the relentless zombie onslaught.

But now their own trump card stepped forth—a towering man named Xu Jian, an Awakened of the Lightning element, whose offensive power was formidable. Alone, he strode to the front of the horde, electric arcs crackling around him, his hair bristling with energy, power building to a fever pitch.

“Die!”
He roared, slamming a fist into the ground.

‘Rumble!’

Spiderweb cracks spread across the earth as arcs of lightning danced in all directions. Within twenty meters of him, everything was engulfed in electricity. Any zombie that touched it spasmed violently, smoke pouring from its charred body until it was reduced to a crisp.

“Captain, this won’t work—we’ll get worn down at this rate!” Xu Jian called back.

Awakened ones were strong, but not inexhaustible. Now, the main fighters wore exhaustion plainly on their faces—their energy almost spent.

“These zombies came from somewhere else—their strength is on par with a three-star nest!” Lu Hao had already deduced the truth.

“What?!”
The female Awakened’s face was ashen. Their first mission, and they stumbled into a catastrophe.

“Then… why did they come here?”

“How should I know? The one-star nest’s zombies haven’t even emerged!” Lu Hao’s frustration was mounting.

Everyone fell silent, caught in a crisis they couldn’t have anticipated. The mission target was untouched—nothing had even come close.

“On the other hand, if the one-star nest’s zombies don’t come out, it’ll be easier for us to break through,” Lu Hao reasoned.

The others nodded in agreement. They already had their hands full—the last thing they needed was more zombies joining the fray.

Xiao Wen offered reassurance, “Don’t worry, those zombies are dumb as rocks. The fighting’s right on their doorstep and they haven’t stirred—probably won’t come out at all.”

……

Meanwhile, atop a building, Lin Dong stood with an air of leisure. Around him perched a flock of crows—Brother Crow’s underlings, eager for their share of the spoils.

“Thank you all for waiting…”
“Is it time to feast?”
The crows’ eyes glimmered with red light, growing more excited by the second.

“Yes.” Lin Dong nodded.

On the battlefield below, the armed fighters’ ammunition was nearly depleted, the Awakened drained and weary. The two mighty corpse hordes had already been whittled down to mere remnants.

“It’s time for us to step onto the stage,” Lin Dong commanded.

The thousands of zombies standing below seemed to come alive, roaring and snarling, murderous intent filling the air.

“Roar—!”
Tank let out a bellow—a beast of a zombie, he charged forward like a rampaging bull, every step making the ground tremble.

Behind him, the elite zombies surged like wild horses off their reins.

But none was more eager than Little Eight. At last, the boss had given the order—he was nearly moved to tears. Watching the slaughter earlier had made him itch with anticipation; now, he could barely wait to “shower” those humans with affection.

“Hehehehehe~~”
Little Eight’s grin stretched to his ears—a twisted, ghoulish smile. In a flash, he darted forward like a wraith.

Atop the building, countless crows took flight. Among the swirling black cloud stood a cold, sharp-eyed youth. His eyes flashed with crimson light—then, in an instant, he vanished into thin air.

……

Tank was the first to barrel into the battlefield. His massive form was like a speeding locomotive, scattering zombies in all directions—some were even sent flying onto streetlamps.

He tore a gaping hole in the horde, and the elite zombies behind him pounced swiftly, bringing down their foes and biting through their necks with razor-sharp teeth. Tossing the severed heads aside, they moved on to the next target.

“Wait… what is that?”
Lu Hao and the others felt the earth shaking and turned to see—a colossal Corpse King had scattered the zombie horde and was now charging straight for their defensive line!

“Damn it! They’re… coming out!”
Despair washed over their faces.

The female Awakened was horrified.
“Brother Wen, didn’t you say they wouldn’t come?”

“I…”
Xiao Wen was speechless—reality had slapped him too quickly. Was it just a coincidence?

Everyone now realized their dire situation had just taken a turn for the worse. But soon, they would see—this was more than just “worse.”

Tank’s massive frame reached the human lines, the ground quaking beneath his feet, his momentum unstoppable.

“We have to stop it!” Lu Hao shouted.

The armed fighters opened fire on Tank, but his hide was thick and his flesh tough—he paid no heed to the hail of bullets. If anything, he only accelerated, his charge becoming even more ferocious.

“Let me handle this!” The female Awakened’s brow creased with determination. Her power was the manipulation of metal. With a graceful motion of her hand, a heavy armored vehicle slid into Tank’s path.

“Boom!”
The two collided. The armored vehicle spun through the air several times before crashing far away.

Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.
“That’s… monstrous…”