Chapter 255 — The Battle (Part 2)
The grotesque mutated plants extending from the snow appeared remarkably thicker and more robust than they had before the winter, easily by more than double!
As the vanguard of the zombie tide trampled over the trap zone and smashed straight into the mutated plants, even Luo Xun and his team were seeing the plants’ current form for the very first time.
The vegetation, which originally bore a color resembling golden wheat ears, now featured a dark brown tint layered over the golden-yellow. Furthermore, terrifying backward-facing thorns had sprouted along the plant vines! Every single time these vines whipped outward, they would death-lock onto a victim and never let go!
Gazing at the distant display of zombies entangled with the mutated plants, Luo Xun and the team remained dead-silent for a prolonged duration, not daring to draw a single heavy breath. Yet at the exact moment the vanguard of the zombie tide was snared by the mutated plants, a colossal shadow converged across the sky—the airborne zombies had arrived.
With a heavy thud, something plummeted straight from the sky, crashing hard against the ice-and-snow-covered metal roofing.
The expressions of Luo Xun and the others shifted instantly, and they exchanged a synchronized glance. Although they were holed deep inside the basement vaults, they hadn’t forgotten to leave sound-capturing microphones exposed on the roof; currently, that noise was being transmitted straight inward through those audio devices.
As if by an absolute synchronized agreement, one heavy impact detonated after another as the airborne zombie units persistently battered their roof while circling directly overhead.
Luo Xun and Yan Fei exchanged a quick look, the former noting with a trace of resignation, “We have no choice but to fall back on our contingency plan.”
Yan Fei gave a firm nod. Rising to his feet, he glided over to a corner of the vault, raising a hand to press flat against a section of the metal wall.
Yan Fei possessed the capability to manipulate metal, a trait that became exceptionally absolute now that his superpower had successfully upgraded to level five. Currently, because the entire structural framework of the base was forged from solid metal, conceptually speaking, the absolute moment he laid his palm against the wall, he could rapidly execute a full-scale scan of the entire complex and every interconnected iron structure. He could easily discern whether they bore structural defects, required a reinforcement overhaul, or faced alternative wear.
It was merely because the absolute geographic footprint of the base was so immense—and the mass of interconnected metal ran so staggeringly colossal and jumbled—that executing a comprehensive diagnostic sweep of this caliber would consume an exorbitant volume of elemental energy and mental focus. The dynamic ran strictly counter to their efficiency parameters, which was why they had consistently refrained from giving it a trial run in the past.
But currently, Yan Fei was naturally not deploying his power to chart the comprehensive damage profile of the complex, but rather—a succession of metal filaments, styled so paper-thin they were virtually imperceptible to the naked eye, violently shot straight from the roofing trajectory into the upper atmosphere. That subtle, microscopic glint of reflected light was something even the surveillance cameras trained laser-locked on that specific heading could barely capture.
One burst, another burst, and yet another! Upon piercing into mid-air, those ultra-thin metal filaments remarkably and violently woven themselves into a succession of colossal webs! Expanding outward from the base apex straight into the upper sky, they structured a pristine network of interceptor nets to completely snared the airborne zombie units flying overhead!
Those massive webs behaved exactly like living entities, unceremoniously “blanketing” down toward the zombie targets. Filaments that appeared structurally fragile enough to snap from a gentle tug paradoxically possessed the raw capability to violently dice any snared zombie unit into loose, microscopic fragments on the fly!!
Yan Fei had never plying a defensive methodology this aggressively brutal to hunt zombie targets in the past. The primary catalyst driving the shift was that previously, even when they crossed paths with zombie units across the open ground, those specimens overwhelmingly comprised advanced classes armed with various elemental traits—especially those showcasing absolute physiological hardening—making thin metal lines completely insufficient to compromise their bulk.
But currently, these wind-attribute airborne zombies were entirely a different story. The vast majority didn’t belong to the strength-hardened class, meaning the raw defensive density of their outer skin ran relatively frail. This was especially true since they had poured their absolute focus into brainstorming how to breach the complex’s roof framework, completely intent on hammering the panels. The heavy glare reflected from the snow blanketing the roof further caused them to entirely ignore those ultra-thin, completely imperceptible metal filaments. Consequently, a continuous succession of wind-attribute and wing-mutated zombie units was systematically slaughtered right on the spot by Yan Fei!!
However, although Yan Fei’s absolute combat capability ran exceptionally lethal—and the overall range, area, and vertical clearance commanded by those metal webs were immensely substantial—it ultimately failed to alter the core reality that the opposition’s absolute volume was staggeringly monumental.
Catching the continuous sequence of impacts detonating over the roof audio, the crew transitioned from instinctively attempting to parse the source of every stray noise during the initial phase to growing completely numb to the input, before simply choosing to ignore the sound entirely down the line.
At this exact hour, if a reconnaissance satellite happened to complete a macro sweep directly over this sector and capture an image file, it would inevitably record a monumentally shocking visual display—an endless tide of pure black, thoroughly and aggressively entangled with grotesque, golden-yellow branches, both factions locked in a relentless match of mutual attrition.
However, Luo Xun and the team possessed zero leisure to police these parameters currently. While the independent survival columns managing the City A Base and alternative major bases indeed caught satellite confirmation that a colossal zombie army was plowing right over the coordinates where Luo Xun’s team nested, the absolute number of wild mutated vegetation sectors this zombie tide rolled over along its entire march was simply countless. Coupled with alternative background noises, the dynamic paradoxically caused absolutely no outside organization to notice that this specific coordinate bore a profound anomaly.
A vastly more critical catalyst structural-anchoring this blind spot was—although the zombie tide systematically rolled right past their complex, and the absolute density of zombies lingering in their immediate perimeter ran substantial, compared against the macro volume of the colossal army that could only be captured by the term “tide,” the numbers pinned to their walls didn’t count as cartoonishly immense. Furthermore, the local base administration was currently dealing with an onslaught that left them completely short-handed—these zombies hadn’t chosen to anchor their absolute bulk at this single coordinate. The vanguard columns of the zombie tide were styled like a long, drawn-out line; at the exact moment they brushed past the Otaku Team’s base, the zombie mass flanking alternative coordinates swarmed straight toward the city walls of the City A Base in a unified, frantic surge!
It wasn’t until early on the third morning—rolling out of bed to rotate shifts after their scheduled rest—that Luo Xun and the team successfully intercepted associated updates from the computer terminal that had newly locked onto a loose satellite signal.
Although the satellite had captured confirmation that their base framework was thoroughly blanked beneath the zombie tide, because the immediate perimeter comprised pure mutated thickets, those zombies Yan Fei had systematically diced across the roof panels simply plummeted down around the exterior ruins. Yet the density of zombies dying across the wild tracks and traps ran far too immense. Furthermore, as the colossal army marched along the thoroughfares, their boots had long since churned the open ground into a chaotic morass of thick mud. The biological fluid excreted by these zombie units didn’t display a crimson hue, rendering instead as a dark brownish-red blended with deep murky green—a coloration profile that carried zero objective distinction from the heavily trampled, mangled earth below, allowing anyone evaluating the photos to handily and unceremoniously overlook the parameter!
If it hadn’t been for a heavy volume of surrounding zombie units actively mounting an assault against the flanking mutated thickets, there was a high probability that their base would have mirrored every standard, unremarkable plot of ground the zombie tide rolled over, leaving absolutely zero specialized markers across the satellite files.
Yet while those zombie units were actively besieging the perimeter tracks, based on standard zombie habits, pulling over to brawl against wild mutated vegetation the absolute moment they crossed paths was simply standard behavior to the absolute extreme.
“…Profoundly fortunate that their absolute bulk didn’t choose to anchor a permanent siege right outside our gates.” Luo Xun scrolled through the newly received macro maps, catching confirmation that the overwhelming majority of the zombie mass had handily detoured past their coordinates to race straight toward the local base proper. Yet the absolute density of zombie units remaining outside their walls remained immensely substantial, perfectly capable of effortlessly flattening a compact independent camp on the fly. Furthermore, an endless line of the zombie army continued to rush toward their direction from the rear trailing columns, meaning Luo Xun and the team still couldn’t afford to loosen their baseline vigilance.
Throughout the daylight hours of these past two days, Yan Fei had systematically anchored the vanguard line to clean up those airborne zombie units. However, his elemental reserves and mental focus ultimately possessed strict structural boundaries. Although they persistently plying raw crystals to replenish his internal consumption, he could still manage a maximum of three to four hours of continuous deployment before being forced to lie flat to rest and recover. Following his rotation, Zhang Su would step up to anchor the line. Relying on his wind attribute to seamlessly shield himself from the rancid biological odors outside, his Eminence unceremoniously marched to a room on the third floor that featured an operational air vent, plying wind blades and vacuum compressed air cannons to enjoy a round of long-range target practice.
Zhang Su’s absolute lethality when processing these zombie units visibly lacked the sweeping efficiency Yan Fei displayed, but once you factored in little Xinran anchoring his flank to relentlessly generate streams of fine grit to serve as raw ammunition, the performance delivered by those “air cannons” turned immensely substantial.
Regrettably, he remained strictly bound to dispatching a single target per strike, meaning his absolute efficiency couldn’t match Yan Fei’s tier parameters.
As for the remaining members of the base, even if they harbored a fierce desire to step up to assist, they lacked a functional methodology currently. Those wind-attribute, wing-mutated zombie units were incredibly cunning, maintaining an exceptionally high flight altitude. Unless a survivor could execute a deployment as perfectly stealthy as Yan Fei’s, or hit targets at a vertical clearance as towering as Zhang Su’s while controlling the precise flight trajectory of an air cannon, plying a standard crossbow to strike down zombie units from that range carried an extreme layer of difficulty. Only Luo Xun could barely maintain a reliable accuracy baseline, but he currently had to remain holed inside the basement vaults to monitor the shifting external conditions.
“The zombie columns have successfully pushed past the rear boundaries of the mutated plants.” Luo Xun’s eyes remained laser-locked onto the monitor feeds as he suddenly threw out a sharp warning to the crew.
The boys who had been evaluating the photo documents rapidly cast their equipment aside, crowding in a tight circle before the surveillance terminal to parse the screens. True to expectations! Those zombie units that had swarmed the perimeter of the mutated thickets like an endless tide had finally, plying raw numbers, smashed through the outermost layers of the vegetation, rapidly driving straight toward the exterior walls flanking their base framework!
Luo Xun took a sharp, deep breath, completing a sweeping look around the crew: “Prepare to cut the main power grid. Lock down the isolation barriers. Release the eagles.”
Three concise commands handily caused the entire squad’s expressions to turn intensely solemn.
The absolute density of the zombie force currently was far too monumental; the innermost units had already smashed straight against the base of their exterior walls, yet an unquantifiable mass of the zombie army anchoring the outer layers of the mutated thickets still hadn’t forced their way inside. Although Luo Xun and the team could still track those individual mutated vines lashing wildly across the feeds—every single strike successfully coiling around a zombie unit to violently drag it deep into the thickets to consume—these plants ultimately didn’t exist strictly for the purpose of slaughtering zombies. The core catalyst driving them to snare zombie units and any stray living entity that blundered into their perimeter was simply to feed!
Even if they managed to avoid being completely trampled to death beneath the heavy mass of the zombie army—and even if they could persistently maintain their baseline combat efficiency—they were ultimately plants. No matter how instantaneous their internal absorption velocity ran, it still possessed an absolute structural ceiling!!
Presently, it was glaringly obvious that the volume of zombie units dumped into their coordinates had crossed a critical baseline, far exceeding what those mutated plants could comfortably digest. Under these dynamics, it was entirely a matter of course for those zombie columns to systematically force a path inside.
Verifying via the surveillance terminal that zombie units had successfully swarmed the exterior facade of every single perimeter wall, Luo Xun acted with absolute resolution, instantaneously severing the entire central power grid of the complex! Snapping a flashlight into focus, he guided the crew along with the twin eaglets straight to a specialized, isolated metal wall vault inside the basement tracks.
Reaching out to pat the heads of the eagles, Luo Xun pointed a finger at the steel wall: “Unleash your electrical current.”
Ever since these two household eagles unearned that they possessed the capability to wield a superpower, they would intermittently spray a medley of raw lightning bolts and electric sparks across the greenhouse tracks. It was profoundly fortunate that the crew possessed excellent foresight early on, systematically maintaining them inside the above-ground glass greenhouse where the ceiling framework rose exceptionally loftier, keeping the automated watering fixtures and electrical control arrays safely out of their reach, ensuring their erratic frolicking merely left a few massive pitfalls blasted into the dirt.
Yet even under those dynamics, since Luo Xun and the team knew these two frauds had successfully unlocked a superpower, they would naturally brainstorm strategies to ensure their elemental output turned relatively controllable—at the very least, ensuring they could execute a deployment the absolute moment a critical necessity arose, right?
Analogous to this exact moment.
Feeding a substantial strip of raw meat to each of the twin eaglets, the birds frantically flapped their wings, craning their necks high as a succession of brilliant blue electrical sparks began crackling across their beaks in the pitch-black vault. That electric light grew aggressively brighter and more monumental, the sharp crackle-pop-snap cadence rising to a thunderous peak—CRACK-BOOM-SNAP!! Dual columns of blue lightning violently slammed straight into the solid metal wall. In a single, blinding flash, the entire steel wall framework transformed into an absolute conductor, radiating a brilliant, shimmering blue light across the dark!!
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
