Chapter 219 The Western Wall

Chapter 219: Chapter 219 The Western Wall

The convoy left the highway and headed directly towards the western side of the fortress, following the path created by the automatic turret as it continued firing at the monsters scattered ahead.

Each shot sent a bright beam across the dark battlefield, piercing through anything caught within its path before disappearing into the distance. The monsters closest to the highway had already noticed the strange weapon, and several immediately abandoned the corpses they had been feeding on before rushing towards it.

The turret turned automatically. Another beam flashed. The first monster’s head exploded, while the one behind it was struck through the shoulder and rolled several meters across the ground before crashing into the remains of a military vehicle.

Ling Xuan watched through the opening beside the driver, her expression unchanged. "Just keep driving."

The driver nodded. "Yes, Commander."

Gabriel had already informed the second truck to stay close, but the road became increasingly difficult to cross as they approached the fortress. Monster corpses covered almost every part of the ground, forcing the driver to slow down while avoiding the larger ones, and several times the truck shook violently as its wheels passed over bodies that couldn’t be avoided.

Alexander stared outside with an increasingly ugly expression. He had helped design most of the defenses around the valley, so no one needed to tell him how serious the situation was. The western barricade wasn’t simply damaged. An entire section had been destroyed, while the soldiers who should have been defending it were nowhere near their original positions.

"How could the western side fall this quickly?" He muttered.

No one answered him.

The truck finally slowed when several soldiers suddenly appeared ahead. Two were carrying an injured man between them, while the others repeatedly looked behind as they retreated towards the second defensive line.

One of them raised his rifle when he noticed the approaching vehicles, but the moment he recognized the fortress emblem, his hand lowered.

"It’s our people!" He shouted.

The soldiers beside him turned, staring with a new found hope. If the commander could shield them away from the red mist, she would definitely save them from the bloody deranged monsters.

Ling Xuan pushed the door open before the truck completely stopped and jumped down.

"Commander Laurel?" The soldier froze when he saw her.

Ling Xuan looked past him towards the battlefield. "What happened?"

The man seemed to finally recover from his shock. "Commander, the western line has fallen. Captain Rowan ordered everyone to retreat to the second defensive line."

A loud explosion suddenly came from somewhere ahead, drowning his voice for several seconds as smoke rose from behind the damaged wall.

"Move the wounded first!" Gabriel shouted after jumping down from the truck. Several expedition soldiers immediately rushed forward to help the men carrying their injured companion, while the remaining soldiers spread around the vehicles with their guns raised.

Chris and Alexander also climbed out.

The moment Alexander’s feet touched the ground, he looked towards the destroyed western defenses before turning sharply to the soldier. "Where are the reserve platoons?"

The soldier looked at him, recognizing him almost immediately. "Young Master Wayne..."

"I asked where the reserves are." He cut him short, his voice eyes burning with rage.

"They were transferred." The soldier lowered his head.

Alexander frowned. "Transferred where?"

"The northern and eastern sides."

His expression changed. "Who ordered that?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment, and Ling Xuan immediately noticed it. "Speak."

"It was Acting Commander Margaret."

Alexander stared at him. "Aunt Margaret?"

Inside the farming space, Laurel also became confused. ’Why is Aunt Margaret the acting Commander? Grandpa should be in charge while we’re away.’

Ling Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, already sensing something was amiss. "Where is Old Master Wayne?"

The soldier lowered his gaze. "He’s in the medical sector."

Laurel suddenly had a bad feeling. ’What happened to Grandpa?’

Ling Xuan repeated the question aloud. "What happened to Grandpa?"

The soldier looked uncomfortable. "Old Master Wayne was poisoned."

Alexander stepped forward almost immediately. "What did you say?"

"He was poisoned a couple of days ago. I don’t know his current condition, but the medical team has been treating him since then." The soldier hurriedly said.

Laurel’s mind went blank for a moment. She had expected something to happen while she was away, especially after seeing the condition of the fortress, but she had never expected Grandpa Wayne to be poisoned inside Vile Valley. ℯℯ𝘭.

"How could he be poisoned?" Alexander asked angrily. "Who did it?"

"They said it was Enzo." the soldier replied.

This time Ling Xuan’s expression changed. ’Impossible.’

Enzo had been following her orders ever since she took control of his organization. Even if he wanted to betray them, poisoning an old man in the middle of the apocalypse made no sense, especially when Grandpa Wayne had never directly threatened him. Not to mention his life was still in her hands.

"Where is Enzo?" Ling Xuan asked.

The soldier opened his mouth, but before he could answer, several screams suddenly came from the direction of the second line.

"Monsters!"

"Get back!"

Ling Xuan turned. A group of monsters had broken through and were rushing towards the retreating soldiers. Some of the men immediately stopped to fire, while the others continued dragging the wounded towards the second barricade.

"Gabriel, take the men and help them." Ling Xuan ordered.

"Yes, Commander!" Gabriel raised his rifle. "Expedition Team One, with me!"

The soldiers rushed forward.

Ling Xuan pulled out her sword and followed them, leaving the conversation unfinished. There was no point standing around asking questions when the western side was still collapsing in front of them.

The first monster reached the soldiers within seconds. Its body was larger than an ordinary wolf, but there was barely any fur left on its back, exposing dark flesh beneath. It leapt towards one of the wounded men being carried away, only for several bullets to strike its side and throw it off course.

It crashed onto the ground and rolled once before immediately getting back up. Ling Xuan appeared beside it, and her sword cut through its front leg before the creature could turn, causing its body to collapse to one side. She stepped forward and drove the blade through its head, pulling it out almost immediately as another monster rushed from the smoke.

Gunfire sounded beside her. The monster’s head jerked backward before it fell.

Ling Xuan glanced over her shoulder and saw Chris standing several meters away with a rifle in his hands.

She frowned. "Shouldn’t you stay inside the truck?"

Chris lowered the gun slightly. "And watch everyone else fight?"

"You nearly froze to death a few hours ago." She scowled.

"Then it is fortunate that I didn’t." Chris flashed a small smile at her.

Ling Xuan stared at him for a second before turning away. She didn’t have time to argue with him.

Alexander had already moved towards several soldiers near the damaged defensive equipment. He stopped beside one of the control panels and looked at the flickering screen before asking something Ling Xuan couldn’t hear.

’That man is troublesome.’ Ling Xuan said.

Laurel sighed. ’Which one?’

Ling Xuan paused, unsure which one was more annoying than the other.

The monsters continued coming through the damaged western side, but with the expedition soldiers joining the defense and the automatic turret firing from behind, the pressure on the retreating soldiers gradually reduced.

"Second line! Everyone move behind the second line!"

A familiar voice came through the smoke. Ling Xuan immediately recognized it.

Enzo.

She turned towards the voice and saw several soldiers retreating in pairs. Some carried the wounded between them while others walked backward, firing at the monsters following behind. Enzo stood near an overturned truck with a pistol in his hand, shouting orders as he directed the men towards the second defensive line.