The Reborn Otaku’s Code of Practice for the Apocalypse – CH109

Chapter 109 — The Millstone

Aside from Zhang Su and the military officer beside him, the others standing above the city gate had gathered together and were whispering among themselves.

“What did he just say?”

“What team? I didn’t catch it clearly.”

“Something like ‘nan’? Or maybe ‘nan’ as in south?”

“Kill-the-south? Does he have some grudge against people from the south?”

“Maybe it was ‘Zai Nan’? Perhaps he’s from the south? Or came from that direction?”

No one could understand or interpret the true meaning of the name “Otaku Team,” and Zhang Su had no interest in explaining it.

Not long after, Song Lingling climbed onto the wall together with the other fire-type ability users, holding little Xinran in her arms. Fire-type ability users formed a large group and made up a considerable portion of the base’s ability users.

Zhang Su glanced at them and lifted his chin toward Xu Mei, saying rather “kindly,”

“I’ll demonstrate once. After you learn it, form teams and do it yourselves.”

The fire-type users and the remaining wind-type users looked at each other in confusion, unsure who he was talking to.

Xu Mei understood his intention. She put Xinran down and raised her hand.

Swish, swish, swish.

A dense cluster of tiny fireballs appeared above the wall, hovering there and continuing to burn.

Zhang Su raised his hand as well.

A violent gust instantly swept across the sea of flames, sending the blazing fire surging downward like a fiery ocean onto the densely packed zombies below.

Everyone gasped.

When they looked again, they saw that every zombie within that area had been struck and was now burning.

So abilities could be used like this?!

The overall commander who had rushed over also witnessed the scene. His expression showed both shock and delight as he immediately shouted orders:

“Pair wind-type and fire-type ability users together! Spread them along the entire wall! Logistics, bring more crystal cores immediately!”

Even though this would consume large numbers of crystal cores, in wartime who had time to worry about such things? If these zombies were not repelled, everyone here would die. At that point, no amount of supplies would matter.

The section above the main gate was left under Zhang Su’s command. Other ability users who had witnessed the method quickly dispersed to various sections of the wall.

When watching Zhang Su and Xu Mei perform the technique, it looked simple and effortless—but actually doing it was extremely difficult.

For example, once fire-type users reached Level Two, most of them focused on creating larger, more powerful fireballs. Few people would think of splitting their flames into so many small fireballs.

Even those who attempted group attacks and divided their flames into several balls would never reach the astonishing number Xu Mei produced.

Wind-type users had an even harder time.

This technique required precise wind control. The wind couldn’t be too strong, or it would blow out the flames. It couldn’t be too weak, or the flames wouldn’t reach the target. They also had to control the direction.

In short, only those who mastered the technique could truly unleash its power.

At that moment, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the right side of the main gate.

When everyone instinctively turned to look, their eyes nearly popped out.

A gigantic metal wheel was rolling along the narrow path between the city wall and the moat.

Zhang Su raised his eyebrows.

Xinran clapped her hands excitedly while jumping up and down.

“Uncle Yan’s big iron ball is here!”

The one controlling the metal wheel was indeed Yan Fei—but he was not alone.

From last night until now, the moat had almost been completely filled with zombies—and they were still not dead.

New zombies were stepping on the bodies of their fallen comrades and climbing onto the bank.

Whether intentional or not, the zombies had already reached the base of the wall.

Earlier, Luo Xun had sharp eyes and spotted metal-type zombies mixed within the horde below. They were tearing pieces off the metal wall.

After he reported this to Yan Fei, Yan Fei immediately tore off a huge chunk of metal and smashed it down.

Even metal-type zombies could not survive being crushed by a massive iron block.

Afterward, he called over the other four metal-type ability users and together they created a gigantic metal wheel.

The reason for choosing this shape was simple: the path beneath the wall was too narrow for a metal sphere to roll properly. If they made a smaller sphere, it might not be heavy enough to crush the sturdier Level Two zombies.

Working together with Yan Fei, the three other ability users controlled the wheel like people pushing a millstone, rolling it tightly along the metal wall and crushing the zombies beneath it.

The method proved extremely effective.

Because the metal wheel remained pressed against the metal wall, the other three ability users could also control it. This reduced Yan Fei’s energy consumption and allowed him to maintain his ability for longer.

When Captain Guo saw Yan Fei and the others clearing the zombies along the wall, he immediately called the higher command.

Once Yan Fei’s group returned to their original position, Captain Guo hurriedly said,

“The regiment commander says you should use that big wheel to circle the entire outer wall once! Zombies have reportedly climbed onto the banks everywhere!”

One person asked in confusion, pointing downward, “What about the area we were guarding before?”

“Don’t worry about it! Reinforcements will take over soon! Come on, bring them the supplies! We’ll fight guerrilla-style!”

Zhang Su and Xu Mei watched with slightly twisted expressions as Yan Fei and seven or eight others approached, theatrically directing the giant wheel.

They quickly stepped aside—the wheel had to roll along the edge of the wall because the three metal-type users needed to keep their hands touching the metal plates to control it.

Xinran clapped happily.

“Uncle Yan is here! The big iron ball is here!”

“That’s an iron wheel, not a ball,” Xu Mei corrected, taking the opportunity to teach the little girl.

Behind them, Luo Xun followed along carrying backpacks and crystal cores, his mouth twitching helplessly.

Zhang Su’s expression also twisted slightly as the wheel—almost as tall as the wall—rumbled past them.

He suddenly asked Luo Xun, “Are you really going to circle the whole wall?”

Yan Fei was too busy to speak.

Luo Xun stopped and spread his hands helplessly.

“Orders from above. They have to go around once. If the zombies climb up again after that, they might have to do another round.”

A malicious grin suddenly appeared on Zhang Su’s face, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.

“Do you know what your husband looks like right now?”

Luo Xun immediately stepped back warily.

“What are you going to say?”

“A donkey pushing a millstone.”

Zhang Su raised one eyebrow and smiled brightly.

Without hesitation, Luo Xun raised the gun he had been holding and fired a shot past Zhang Su’s left cheek without even aiming.

Zhang Su didn’t dodge at all. The bullet whizzed past his ear.

His mouth was simply too irritating.

Normally Luo Xun only threatened him with a crossbow, and Yan Fei sometimes threw a row of metal spikes at him. But since both of them had excellent aim, they could afford such gestures. Other people could only grind their teeth in frustration when Zhang Su’s sharp tongue struck.

Nearby, a bystander collapsed to the ground with a thump, terrified.

He stared wide-eyed as Luo Xun calmly turned around and jogged after the giant metal wheel, while Zhang Su continued smiling as if nothing had happened.

The officer responsible for assisting Zhang Su wiped cold sweat from his forehead once Yan Fei’s group had moved away.

He approached Zhang Su and Xu Mei.

“That man just now… is he your friend?”

Xu Mei simply smiled and said nothing, leading Xinran back to the wall to prepare another attack.

Zhang Su’s smile had not faded.

The donkey comparison really fit perfectly.

And such an effective method would definitely be adopted by the base. Yan Fei would surely be forced to keep pushing that “millstone” in the future.

The thought alone made Zhang Su feel extremely satisfied.

In his excellent mood, the “queen” kindly explained,

“That’s our team captain and his man.”

As for which one was the captain and which one was “his man,” such minor details hardly mattered.

With that, he stepped forward and raised his hand again.

A rumbling sound echoed as the giant metal wheel continued circling the entire base.

Four non-ability members of the metal team jogged alongside the ability users, carrying water, crystal cores, and supplies. The rest ran ahead to warn defenders on the wall to make space.

Whenever Luo Xun and Yan Fei worked with the military, they wore standard military uniforms and caps. Today they had done the same.

Unless someone personally knew them, everyone assumed they were military ability users specially assigned to crush zombies.

After all, that enormous solid metal wheel existed for exactly that purpose—crushing every zombie that managed to climb onto the bank.

After Luo Xun and the others completed one full round and returned to their original position, sure enough—the earliest section they had cleared now had zombies climbing up again.

“Rest here for twenty minutes. After twenty minutes we’ll go another round,” Captain Guo encouraged them, though in his heart he looked worriedly toward the endless horde of zombies still pouring out from the direction of the city.

Luo Xun drank some water and suddenly said to Captain Guo, “Captain, actually there’s another way to kill large numbers of zombies stuck to the wall even when metal-type ability users aren’t around.”

“Oh? What method?!” Captain Guo’s eyes lit up.

Luo Xun pointed at the wall. “The outer layer of our city wall is metal. Metal conducts electricity…”

“You mean bring in lightning-type ability users?!” Captain Guo immediately understood.

“Not only them. The base also has many water-type ability users. The zombies are climbing up from the moat, so their bodies are definitely wet. If the water-type users expand the wet area, then lightning-type users can electrify the metal wall directly. But if we do that, everyone else will need to stay away from the wall. I’m not sure how far the safe distance should be.”

Captain Guo patted Luo Xun heavily on the arm. Without saying anything else, he immediately turned around and went to make another phone call.

The deputy captain rested nearby while occasionally glancing toward Captain Guo. When he felt enough time had passed, he tugged at Guo’s sleeve and pointed to his wrist, indicating the time.

Captain Guo waved his hand dismissively, so the deputy captain returned and said to Yan Fei and the others, “Alright, about time. Let’s go another round!”

Making a full circle around the wall took quite a while. That first round had already taken almost half the morning. If they didn’t finish the next round before noon, the people delivering food would probably have already left and they would end up eating cold meals.

The rumbling sound began again as the enormous metal wheel rolled forward once more, crushing everything in its path.

When Yan Fei and the others reached the section where Zhang Su and Xu Mei were stationed, they saw that the road on the far side of the moat had suddenly collapsed inward—along with a large group of zombies.

Luo Xun twitched his mouth and looked at little Xinran, who was smiling sweetly nearby. He bent down and pinched her cheeks.

“You did that?”

Xinran nodded vigorously and pointed behind her at Zhang Su.

“Uncle Zhang told me to! It’s not my fault!”

Zhang Su was holding a handful of crystal cores. When he saw Luo Xun looking at him, he waved casually.

“Hurry and catch up. Your husband is about to run away with someone else.”

This time Luo Xun didn’t shoot at him. He simply rolled his eyes.

“We just saw your man earlier. He was chatting happily with a little girl on the wall. Be careful he doesn’t run off with someone else in a single day.”

Zhang Su narrowed his eyes with a smile.

“That’s fine. If he runs away, I’ll just replace him. His skills can’t improve anyway. I’ve been thinking about dumping him and finding a new one.”

The conversation between the two was so shameless that Xu Mei helplessly crouched down and covered Xinran’s ears.

Meanwhile, the military officer standing nearby had not only a stiff expression but a stiff body as well.

Had he just discovered some incredible secret?

This legendary Doctor Zhang who used wind blades to slice enemies was also gay?

And the team he belonged to supposedly had a gay captain as well?

Did that mean he had joined some kind of… gay team?

Wait, then what about this woman and this little girl? Was this some kind of combined lesbian-and-gay squad?

With the experience from the previous round, when Yan Fei’s group returned pushing the metal wheel again, the people guarding the wall would quickly step aside once they heard the rumbling sound.

Even earlier, when they saw them approaching from afar, people would instinctively make way.

The battle continued until evening.

Luo Xun and the others had defended the wall for nearly twelve hours before finally being relieved. Dragging their exhausted bodies, they slowly returned home.

No one had any energy left. After briefly greeting one another, everyone went straight back to their rooms to rest.

They slept until the middle of the night.

Suddenly, the base alarm blared loudly.

“What’s going on?!” Luo Xun rubbed his eyes and turned on the bedside lamp. Yan Fei also sat up and grabbed the phone charging beside the bed.

“No message yet… wait, there’s a call. From Captain Guo.”

He answered immediately.

Luo Xun leaned on one elbow and watched him. Yan Fei responded with several quiet “Mm” sounds while pinching the bridge of his nose, his brow furrowed from being abruptly awakened.

Seeing that he looked uncomfortable, Luo Xun sat up and reached around from behind to massage his temples.

Yan Fei’s expression gradually softened. After hanging up, he held Luo Xun’s hand.

“Zombie rats have appeared among the zombies. There are also many ability-type zombies attacking the walls. The defense line is running into some trouble. Captain Guo wants us to go over.”

Luo Xun glanced at the phone screen and yawned.

“It’s only four in the morning… let’s go.”

Now wasn’t the time to complain about lack of sleep. Besides, they had gone to bed early precisely because they expected to be called out suddenly.

By the time they finished dressing and stepped out, the door of apartment 1602 also opened.

Zhang Su walked out fully dressed, followed by a tired-looking Wang Duo.

“They called you too?” Luo Xun asked.

After seeing Luo Xun and Yan Fei, Zhang Su glared back at Wang Duo.

“Go back and sleep!”

“But…” Wang Duo looked worried.

“I’m going with them. Xu Mei will be there too.”

He gave Wang Duo another sideways glance.

At that moment Li Tie and the others, awakened by the alarm and hearing movement in the hallway, also opened their door.

Zhang Su pushed Wang Duo toward them.

“Watch him. You’ll still need to defend the wall tomorrow morning. Don’t get in the way.”

Being called “in the way” left Wang Duo looking utterly dejected.

He wanted to follow Zhang Su because he worried about his safety, but Zhang Su insisted that his presence would only be a distraction.

Fortunately Luo Xun and Yan Fei were also heading to the wall. Otherwise Wang Duo would have followed no matter what.

On the fifteenth floor, Xu Mei and the others had also been awakened by the alarm. After checking the situation in the hallway and seeing that Luo Xun and Zhang Su were heading to the military, Xu Mei decided to go as well.

She left Song Lingling at home with Xinran.

The little girl had spent the entire day assisting Zhang Su and Xu Mei on the wall. Using her ability to remotely turn designated areas into sand consumed enormous mental energy. Xu Mei wanted her to rest.

As for herself—although other fire-type users could cooperate with Zhang Su, their coordination might not be as good.

In times like this, it was better for her to go.

They hurried toward the city gate. Even before climbing the tall wall, they could hear the chaotic sounds from above and outside.

Brilliant flashes of abilities were bursting across the top of the wall.

As they climbed up, a powerful gust of wind hit them head-on, forcing them to squint.

At the same time, shouts erupted across the wall.

“Careful! Careful! They’re coming again!”

Again? What was coming again?

Everyone quickly looked outside.

They saw a swarm of red-eyed zombie rats being carried by the wind, flying directly toward the wall.

A roaring sound followed as the ability users quickly raised a wind barrier in front of them, with a wall of flames behind it.

Together they barely managed to block this wave of “flying rat bombs.”

“Are these… rat meat artillery shells?!” Xu Mei widened her eyes and looked at Luo Xun and the others in horror.

All of them instantly remembered the time they had been surrounded by zombie rats before. They silently felt grateful that the rats back then had been ordinary zombie rats—not like now, when they were part of a combined assault.

Captain Guo had been waiting for them.

As soon as he saw Luo Xun and Yan Fei arrive, he stepped forward.

“We just discovered some zombie rats sneaking under the wall by swimming across the moat. Quite a few metal-type zombie rats are mixed in there. They’ve melted small holes in the base of the wall. We still don’t know how deep they’ve dug…”

That was why Yan Fei, the strongest metal-type ability user, was needed to inspect and repair the wall—and hopefully eliminate the rats as well.

Meanwhile, Zhang Su and Xu Mei were pulled aside by the same military officer who had assisted Zhang Su earlier.

He pointed toward the battlefield outside.

“There seem to be many wind-type zombies over there. They’re throwing zombie rats at the wall like artillery shells. A few of them landed here earlier, but we managed to eliminate them immediately. If this keeps happening, something will eventually go wrong…”

As he spoke, several strong gusts of wind rose from different directions outside.

Another swarm of rats was launched into the air.

Zhang Su raised his hand with obvious interest. A massive wind wall—much thicker and wider than those created by ordinary wind users—appeared in front of him.

At the same time, near Luo Xun and Yan Fei’s position, the defending ability users had stepped away to check the situation and could not react in time.

Suddenly—

The metal wall of the outer city twisted violently.

In an instant, a gigantic iron plate formed and slammed toward the incoming “flying” zombie rats.

Whoosh!

The dense swarm of small bodies disappeared behind the metal plate. The sound of impact echoed—no matter how fierce those zombie rats were, such a direct blow would snap their necks or crush their skulls.

After striking the swarm, the metal twisted again in midair and merged seamlessly back into the wall, as if nothing had happened.

Captain Guo stared in a daze.

If he had seen correctly, Yan Fei had not even touched the metal when the plate appeared.

He could control metal from a distance?

The thought flashed through Captain Guo’s mind.

Then he quickly realized that this was probably Yan Fei’s hidden trump card. In this world, everyone needed some secret method to protect themselves.

So Captain Guo merely moved his lips but said nothing, standing quietly to the side while Yan Fei restored the wall.

Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉