Chapter 124 - 98: Core Area

Chapter 124: Chapter 98: Core Area

"Alert! Hostiles to the front."

Atop the infantry fighting vehicle, the soldier on lookout duty suddenly shouted a hurried warning.

Almost simultaneously, the heavy machine gun, gleaming with a cold metallic luster, roared to life.

"THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD—!!!"

The deep, piercing report of the gun instantly drowned out the rain. Muzzle flashes erupted, creating a deadly storm of metal that swept toward the edge of the searchlight’s beam.

A dozen or so strange, dark-green-skinned zombies with webbed fingers had just stepped into the halo of light when they were instantly engulfed by the ferocious firepower.

The effect of the heavy machine gun rounds on their bodies was terrifying. These weren’t the small, piercing holes left by rifle bullets; they tore and pulverized, sending viscous blood and shattered limbs flying everywhere.

One zombie’s upper torso was nearly obliterated. Another was torn in half at the waist. A third had its legs blown off and writhed on the ground, screeching futilely, before a follow-up burst blew its head apart.

The overwhelming destruction wrought by the heavy firepower brought a bloody and direct sense of security, but it also served as a sobering reminder of just how ferocious their enemies were—that this level of force was necessary to eliminate them quickly and effectively.

Second Lieutenant Wang Lei’s expression was grim. He immediately halted his previous arrangements and began efficiently assigning tasks.

"All survivors, form pairs. Put on your rain gear and take a flashlight and a walkie-talkie. You are responsible for the roving patrol within a fifty-meter perimeter of the camp! If you spot anything unusual, report it immediately. Do not engage the enemy on your own."

"All personnel with standard-issue rifles, you’re assigned to the frontal defense group. Take cover and be ready to support the patrol points at a moment’s notice."

Xu Mo, carrying his AK-47, was naturally assigned to the frontal defense group. He and seven or eight other survivors, all armed with various rifles, were positioned behind a temporary sandbag barricade flanking the infantry fighting vehicle.

The rain continued to fall tirelessly.

The survivors, organized into pairs, donned their issued raincoats and began patrolling their designated areas around the camp. They stumbled through the mud, their flashlight beams cutting back and forth through the curtain of rain like anxious eyes in the darkness.

Xu Mo and the other members of the defense group waited silently behind their cover, letting the rain stream down their faces. They watched the dark areas swept by the patrols’ lights, their ears straining for any unusual sound.

Time passed slowly in the tense atmosphere.

Around one in the morning, the patrol team to the northeast suddenly sent a hurried warning over the walkie-talkie: "Northeast, four targets, moving fast."

Hearing the report, Xu Mo and the others immediately raised their rifles and took aim. Soon, four dark-green figures burst through the rain, shrieking as they charged the patrol team.

"BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!"

A messy volley of gunfire erupted from behind the cover. Xu Mo calmly squeezed the trigger, taking down two of them with two precise bursts. The others’ aim was worse, but under the density of their fire, the remaining two were riddled with bullets and fell mid-charge. The two survivors on patrol collapsed to the ground, breaking out in a cold sweat.

A little after three in the morning, a few more zombies crept over from the direction of the abandoned warehouses to the west. They seemed to know how to use the shadows, sneaking close until they were less than thirty meters from the camp before being spotted by a sharp-eyed patrol member.

This time, Xu Mo and two other skilled marksmen opened fire first. All five zombies were down within seconds. The whole engagement was clean and efficient, barely causing a stir.

Just before dawn, two zombies somehow bypassed the forward sentries, crawling silently out of a deep puddle to the south and lunging directly at the two-person team patrolling there.

The two were clearly inexperienced. By the time they noticed, the zombies were already on top of them.

"Watch out!" From behind the cover, Xu Mo saw it all clearly. He leaned most of his body out without hesitation, firing the AK-47 almost from the shoulder.

"BANG! BANG!"

The two shots were nearly simultaneous! The bullets grazed past the ear of the frozen survivor and drilled precisely into the skulls of the two zombies. Grayish-white brain matter splattered across the survivor’s face.

Only when the zombies fell did the survivor snap out of it. His legs gave out, and he collapsed into the muddy water, panting heavily. The look he gave Xu Mo was filled with gratitude.

As the first light of dawn struggled to pierce the thick clouds and rain, everyone let out a long sigh of relief. Unbelievably, after the chaos on the perimeter and the multiple attacks throughout the night, the temporary camp had suffered no new casualties.

After daybreak, they did a quick headcount and packed their gear. Both those choosing to return and those choosing to stay boarded the vehicles.

During the roll call, Xu Mo noticed that the number of survivors had clearly dropped since their arrival yesterday. A quick glance told him they had lost at least a dozen people.

Most of them had been left behind forever in the darkness of the factory district. However, Xu Mo also spotted a familiar figure—Feng Dayong.

The old fellow looked a bit tired, but he was in one piece and his condition wasn’t bad. When he saw Xu Mo looking at him, he forced a somewhat stiff but friendly smile and nodded, as if to say, ’Still alive. That’s good.’

The convoy set off again, this time heading for the core of the industrial zone. Whether returning to Jiang City or staying to continue the mission, everyone had to first go to an assembly point near the core area for unified arrangements and handover.

The atmosphere on the road remained tense. Although it was broad daylight, the rain hadn’t stopped, and visibility was still poor. The convoy had been driving for less than ten minutes when it encountered the first wave of wandering zombies—about seven or eight of them, a mix of regular ones and the strange, dark-green type.

The survivors in the back didn’t even need to act. The heavy machine gun on the lead infantry fighting vehicle roared again, like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, effortlessly tearing the group of zombies to shreds.

They subsequently encountered two or three more small groups of zombies, all of which were easily dispatched by the powerful firepower of the forward armored vehicles. This brought some relief to the survivors on board; Jiang City’s heavy weapons could indeed carve out a zone of safety.

The vehicles drove for about half an hour along the dilapidated factory roads, passing through an area that had clearly seen intense fighting—it was littered with craters, charred wreckage, and collapsed walls. Finally, they slowed to a stop in what appeared to be a massive central plaza for the industrial zone.

"Everyone, get out and assemble."

Xu Mo followed the others off the bus. As his eyes swept across the assembly point, even with his composure, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

Parked here was a large number of assorted vehicles that had brought in survivors. Many of them were battered and broken, their windows shattered, their bodies covered in shocking claw marks and impact dents.

What was even more shocking were the other survivor teams gradually gathering. Compared to Xu Mo’s group, which had only lost about a dozen people, some teams had suffered devastating losses. Their numbers were sparse, with casualties over half. Many looked disheveled, their eyes vacant, their faces etched with a lingering terror. They had clearly endured unimaginable nightmares.

In contrast, the Jiang City personnel were in better shape. The combatants were still busy, nervously setting up defensive lines and checking their equipment. But when Xu Mo’s gaze fell upon the steel beasts, his heart sank once more.

The thick composite armor of several main battle tanks bore huge, shocking dents and tear-like gashes. One tank’s turret was even bizarrely twisted and deformed, as if it had been wrenched by some immense force. The infantry fighting vehicles were in similar condition, their side armor plates torn open, with signs of triggered reactive armor everywhere...

Xu Mo simply couldn’t imagine what kind of enemy the ground forces in the core area had encountered. Even after enjoying absolute air superiority and conducting several bombing runs, their steel fortresses had still suffered such heavy damage.

The air support, it seemed, had failed to completely eliminate the threat, which spoke volumes about the ferocity of the ground combat. The core of this Red Star Industrial Zone was far more dangerous and strange than he had ever imagined.