Chapter 153 - 109: Catalysis

Chapter 153: Chapter 109: Catalysis

"BANG!"

A crisp gunshot, like a starting pistol.

"BOOM—!!!"

In an instant, a huge tongue of fire shot up from the ground. The flames spread with astonishing speed, instantly merging into a raging sea of fire. The orange-red inferno danced wildly, devouring everything combustible, including the zombies drenched in fuel.

"HRAAAGH—!!!"

Bloodcurdling, inhuman wails instantly erupted from the sea of fire, more piercing and desperate than any roars before.

Countless zombies turned into walking torches in the flames. They twisted, writhed, and struggled, trying to extinguish the fire on their bodies, but it was all in vain.

The fuel was highly adhesive, and the flames clung to them like a festering cancer, rapidly charring their bodies. An indescribable, extreme stench—a mix of burnt meat and melting plastic—filled the air. Even from inside the fortress, it was as if one could smell the nauseating odor.

Charred corpses collapsed in droves within the inferno. The once-dense horde of zombies dwindled at a visible rate under the baptism of fire. In that moment, the entire core ruin area seemed to have transformed into a legendary lake of fire straight out of hell.

Xu Mo watched the scene quietly, his heart unstirred. It was just another profound reminder of the apocalypse’s cruelty. ’Jiang City sure doesn’t do things by halves,’ he thought.

The great fire burned for nearly an hour before it gradually died down, having exhausted all combustible material. The ruins, once filled with wreckage and zombies, had now become a vast, charred wasteland. Wisps of green smoke and sporadic embers rose from the ground, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of burning and waves of heat.

However, Jiang City’s cleanup operation didn’t seem to be over.

Not long after the fire died out, Xu Mo heard a familiar buzzing sound again. This time, the source was lower and the sound was denser.

Looking through his observation port, Xu Mo saw a formation of several dozen large drones, like a migrating swarm of bees, flying in from the direction of the base. They began flying at low altitudes along the perimeter of the ruins, over key access routes, and through corners where zombies might be hiding.

From beneath the drones, fist-sized, dark-colored cylindrical objects were continuously dropped, landing evenly on the charred ground.

’These are landmines...’ Xu Mo recognized them immediately. He recalled seeing drones deploy this type of defensive weapon during a previous defensive battle.

Seeing this, Xu Mo frowned slightly. Jiang City’s methods were certainly efficient, but for Observers like him who needed to be stationed here long-term, the days ahead would likely be far from peaceful.

For humans who were still rational, the mines were clearly marked and would naturally be avoided. But for the zombies, driven only by the instinct to devour, they would step on them without a second thought. He could predict that in the days to come, the sound of zombies triggering landmines would ring in his ears from time to time, day and night.

’Looks like I’ll have to get used to sleeping and training with a background track of explosions,’ Xu Mo thought with a touch of resignation.

As if to prove his point—

"BOOM, BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"

A series of deep, massive explosions, far more violent than any single landmine, roared from the distance. This time, the source seemed closer, and the force of the blasts was clearly much greater. Even the fortress’s solid concrete walls vibrated distinctly, and the water in the cup on his desk rippled faintly.

The walkie-talkie channel instantly erupted.

"My god! What was that noise? Is that heavy artillery?"

"Doesn’t sound like it! More like a large-scale demolition! Jiang City must be using high explosives to clear out piles of zombies!"

"How much explosive is that? The ground is shaking!"

"Jiang City is really getting serious this time! Looks like the number of zombies spooked them!"

The channel was filled with awe and speculation as everyone was stunned by the thunderous cleanup methods.

Xu Mo silently turned down the volume on his walkie-talkie, blocking out the external clamor. Jiang City’s power and decisiveness were reassuring, but in the end, that was an external force. In this perilous apocalypse, the only things one could ultimately rely on were the strength in one’s own hands and a powerful will.

The violent explosions in the distance, a symbol of Jiang City’s thunderous methods, finally subsided after raging for the better part of the day, like a weary beast settling down.

After some time, the heated discussion on the regional walkie-talkie channel about the large-scale extermination campaign also died down. The Observers’ collective mood shifted from initial excitement and shock back to the dull routine and constant vigilance of fortress life.

Xu Mo had already formed a few theories about Jiang City’s operational model. Firepower coverage and demolitions on this scale would be incredibly costly and could not be used as a routine cleanup method.

This operation was more like a strategic "peak-shaving," designed to forcibly suppress the total number of zombies below a relatively "safe" threshold before they could accumulate into an uncontrollable horde. This would alleviate the long-term defensive pressure on Jiang City’s perimeter. As for the scattered zombies that infiltrated the wider region later on, as well as the trouble of them constantly "respawning" inside the industrial zone, those would most likely be left to the Scavenger teams who lived by hunting and gathering supplies. Jiang City would probably issue missions for them to handle it gradually. This approach aligned with the principle of optimal resource allocation.

However, although the artillery fire on the perimeter had ceased, the area around Xu Mo’s fortress did not return to tranquility.