Shen Feng led his men in an assault on the zombie tide from the west of the city. As far as the eye could see, the land outside the city was covered in dense masses of zombies, all of whom were madly attacking Rongcheng. Behind a low wall outside Rongcheng, soldiers were holding their ground, firing relentlessly. The concentrated firepower kept the zombies at bay, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they wouldn't be able to get within a step of the defense line. From within the city, artillery shells were also being launched, bombarding the zombies.
A single shell could instantly clear a circular area with a ten-meter diameter, killing dozens of zombies at least. A powerful shell landing would kick up a layer of soil, killing hundreds of zombies. Apart from the shrapnel produced by the explosion, shells also generated shockwaves. Zombies caught close to the blast would have their internal organs shattered.
The zombie formation was so dense that any shell could claim the lives of a considerable number of zombies. In the face of modern weaponry, the human wave tactic seemed to have lost its effectiveness.
Artillery shells rained down, killing all the zombies that neared the defense line. However, the zombie tide was simply too immense. Thousands of zombies were killed every minute, but for the over three million zombies, such losses were entirely bearable. This was because the corpses of zombies killed days ago had disappeared, all consumed by other zombies as sustenance. Those killed today would also become food for other zombies.
Shen Feng looked at the hundreds of thousands of zombies outside the west city wall and felt a headache coming on. With so many zombies, how could they possibly be killed? The command center offered no specific suggestions, only telling him to fire artillery outside the city. Once they fired, it would attract tens of thousands more zombies, forcing them to retreat again.
Guo Pinming stood by his side. He was originally the minister of Luzhou, leading a thousand men. However, during a previous battle with mutated plants, he had led his thousand men to advance without authorization and was heavily surrounded by dozens of treants. This ultimately resulted in the deaths of most of his soldiers. The few survivors were absorbed into the city defense army led by Chu Chaoyan and Yang Chang's personal guards.
In other words, Guo Pinming was now an empty shell with no soldiers under his command. Despite being a minister, he was more like a common soldier.
Guo Pinming, however, didn't care about this. His greatest desire was to kill zombies. As long as he could kill zombies, he didn't mind being a soldier.
Yet, Guo Pinming couldn't help but recall his comrades who had set out with him and were eventually crushed to death by the treants. They had died miserably, with many unable to even find their bodies. Many of them couldn't even have their ashes brought back. Every time he thought of this, he couldn't calm his heart. He had wanted to atone for his mistakes with his death, but Shen Feng had persuaded him to continue fighting.
In the end, Guo Pinming could only endure every minute and second in torment. He didn't want to recall the scenes of his comrades being killed by treants, but these images kept appearing in his mind. He wanted to find something to distract himself, but he found that he could do nothing but stand there blankly.
Yang Chang slowly walked up to Guo Pinming and handed him a bottle of water, saying, "Stop looking so glum. The fact that you're still alive is a good thing."
Guo Pinming lowered his head and said with distress, "I survived, but my comrades died, and it was all due to my wrong decision. I wanted to quickly resolve the crisis in the mist, so when I heard about the appearance of mutated plants, I hoped to kill them. I didn't expect to almost kill the City Lord..."
"Don't think about those things anymore. Your fight against the treants wasn't without benefit!" Yang Chang said with a smile. "At least the rest of us managed to escape the mist smoothly, and we even found the treants' lair. Without your sacrifice, we wouldn't have achieved the final victory. Besides, you're a third-tier esper now. Everyone is envious of you."
Yang Chang originally disliked Guo Pinming, believing he disobeyed orders and acted rashly at a critical moment. However, he later learned that Guo Pinming's entire family had died, either turned into zombies or eaten by zombies. A man in his forties, left all alone overnight, developed a deep hatred for zombies.
Now, seeing Guo Pinming so dejected, Yang Chang wanted to counsel him. He pointed to the zombie horde in front of them and asked, "Old Guo, do these zombies look like rats fleeing for their lives?"
Guo Pinming replied dejectedly, "Yes, they are very much like rats. A bunch of damned rats, eating the food that rightfully belongs to us, slaughtering our compatriots, and continuing to wreak havoc on the world."
Yang Chang continued, "Then don't forget, these rats are infertile. Zombies, apart from the most basic instinct of self-preservation, know nothing else. Therefore, victory will definitely belong to us. Don't lose your fighting spirit."
Guo Pinming couldn't help but chuckle helplessly at Yang Chang's words. "Don't worry, I can still persevere. Even if I have to die, I will die on the battlefield, or only after all the zombies are wiped out will I choose to die."
Yang Chang actually didn't want to see his former comrade so dejected. He could only offer Guo Pinming some comfort. Now that he realized Guo Pinming wasn't intent on dying, he felt relieved.
The zombie tide at the west of the city was caught between artillery fire from the front and back, causing utter chaos. Shells could land anywhere within the zombie horde, making the west city area exceptionally disordered, with no semblance of an attack rhythm. However, the zombies from the other three directions were still fiercely attacking Rongcheng.
Suddenly, a change occurred within the zombie tide. Tens of thousands of zombies separated from the main horde and began moving towards Shen Feng.
Chu Chaoyan quickly looked at Shen Feng and asked, "Should we run?"
Shen Feng roughly estimated the number of zombies and replied, "No need to run. We can handle tens of thousands of zombies. We have ample ammunition now, and these zombies won't be able to break through!"
Afterward, Shen Feng began to set up the battlefield. With Rongcheng's crisis not yet resolved, he absolutely could not retreat. Furthermore, two thousand soldiers were sufficient to deal with these zombies. It might take half a day of fighting, but as long as it could divert the zombie tide's attention, it would be fine.
The last line of defense in Rongcheng was held resolutely. However, tens of thousands of zombies within the city were still rampaging. When the zombies realized they couldn't penetrate deeper into the city, they began to charge towards the defense line outside the city. These zombies seemed intent on breaking through the defense line from the rear. In response, the soldiers had to divert one-third of their forces to deal with the enemies appearing behind them.
Fortunately, at this moment, four young people appeared. Leading the group was a sturdy woman, appearing to be in her thirties, wearing a military uniform. She placed her hand on the ground and, in an instant, a one-meter-thick earth wall rose up, directly blocking the zombies.
This woman was, of course, one of the six espers from the Esper Management Bureau. Her name was Qin Kewei, and her esper ability was controlling earth. She could alter terrain in a short period, but her efficiency wasn't particularly high, and it consumed a lot of physical strength. Therefore, she generally wouldn't alter terrain during combat.
After using her esper ability, Qin Kewei collapsed to the ground. Another young woman in her twenties quickly supported her and asked with concern, "Sister Qin, how are you?"
Qin Kewei said weakly, "I created a ten-kilometer-long low wall in one go. My physical exertion is too severe! I can't hold on."
It turned out that Qin Kewei had just exhausted her physical strength to create a ten-kilometer-long low wall outside the city. This would prevent the zombies from breaking through for a while, posing no threat to the soldiers on the defense line. As long as the defense line wasn't breached, Rongcheng would be safe.
At this point, Fang Qinghao stepped forward and said loudly, "That's enough. Leave the rest to us!"
Fang Qinghao waved his arm, controlling the lake water in a nearby park to fly over. After splashing it on the ground, it instantly formed muddy paths.
The zombies charged forward, seemingly intent on breaking through the outer defense line. This was the east city area, with over eight hundred thousand zombies outside the city. If the defense line were breached, these zombies would be unstoppable.
The zombies stepped onto the muddy roads, their movements becoming unsteady. Fang Qinghao used the lake water to create a swamp. As long as enough water seeped into the soil, a muddy swamp could be created in a short time. It wouldn't be easy for the zombies to reach the vicinity of the defense line.
Then, Yue Hengyi said, "I'm going to use my esper ability. You guys step back a bit, don't get caught in it."
The other three quickly retreated dozens of meters, ensuring they wouldn't be affected by his esper ability.
Yue Hengyi then used his esper ability. With a "bang," the ground around Yue Hengyi suddenly sank, and the surrounding zombies instantly fell, sinking deep into the swamp. The earth wall that had been painstakingly created earlier also showed cracks, appearing as if it could collapse at any moment.
The other three knew this was Yue Hengyi's esper ability: gravity control.
The zombies trapped in the swamp either drowned in the mud and suffocated to death or, unable to withstand the powerful gravity, had their internal organs rupture and were crushed to death by their own weight.
Yue Hengyi walked along the earth wall, ultimately killing over ten thousand zombies.
Seeing this, Fang Qinghao couldn't help but say, "The four of us working together are simply invincible! Let's go, let's continue killing zombies!"
"Zombies must be annihilated completely, otherwise, they could spread into the city at any moment!" Zhang Zi said urgently, her brow furrowed. Yesterday, they had basically killed all the zombies that had breached the city. She hadn't expected tens of thousands of zombies to appear within the city overnight. It was like weeds growing in spring, returning with the wind!
Zhang Zi's esper ability was ice. Although she could create ice blocks, it was too troublesome. There wasn't enough water here, and even if she created ice blocks, their lethality would be limited. Therefore, she didn't act this time.
The four were about to leave the defense line to continue killing zombies elsewhere in the city. The crisis at the east city defense line had now been resolved. However, at this moment, a person carrying a camera and a reporter appeared, saying hurriedly, "Can we interview you? Can you tell us about the situation in Rongcheng?"
It had to be said that the reporter was very dedicated. Even at this precarious moment, they hadn't forgotten to conduct interviews.
Zhang Zi replied, "We will defend the line. No matter how many zombies charge, they will be killed by us."
After speaking, the four ignored the interview and quickly left the east city, driving towards other areas where zombies were present.
Seeing this, the reporter couldn't help but praise into the camera, "This is the responsibility that the army should have. I believe that with everyone's concerted efforts, Rongcheng will definitely be defended in the end. The zombies cannot break through the defense line, and the residents within the city do not need to panic, because our army is fighting hard."
At this time, the reporter was still diligently staying on the front lines to report. Although he knew that not many people might be watching the program, as many residents in the city were seeking refuge and likely didn't have time to watch, he still had to conduct the interviews. Perhaps he could capture a turning point in the battle?
In a rented apartment on the edge of the city, over forty people were crammed together. The person leading them, dressed in a suit, was lecturing the people below. "Successology is about teaching you how to become a successful person. Perhaps everyone here thinks I'm a fraud, but I can responsibly tell you that with the advent of the apocalypse, this is a good opportunity for us to achieve success. The question is, do you dare to do it!"
The others could only stare blankly at the teacher lecturing in front of the blackboard, feeling half-believing and half-doubting. Many suspected they had stumbled into a pyramid scheme, but they were now convinced by this successology master because he described a wonderful scenario.
"Do you know? In many cities, many people have established their own bases, having everything they want? A four-hundred-square-meter villa is easily attainable. As for handsome men and beautiful women, there are as many as you want! The people in charge there are the true successful ones. A life that was once unimaginable is now laid out before you. Do you want it? Answer me loudly, do you want it!" the teacher asked loudly from the stage.
"Yes!" the people below shouted.
The successology master continued to brainwash the people below, saying, "This world is a world where the strong prey on the weak! To become stronger, you need to resort to any means necessary. Precisely because of this, those who are in charge of civilian bases have everything they want. They can change beautiful women every night and have delicacies and fine food at any time. Are they truly stronger than us? Not necessarily. The main reason these people succeed is their unscrupulousness!"
Changing the subject, the master continued, "Now, there is an opportunity to become a successful person before your eyes. Do you want it? If you want it, applaud. I don't need your money. I only need your applause now. I will tell you the method directly."
Upon hearing that they could learn the method for free, everyone became excited and started applauding.
The master pointed to the empty street outside the window and said loudly, "Now, the opportunity is right in front of you. Everyone, go and take what belongs to you! Food, or gold and silver, or other precious appliances, take whatever you want!"
"This... this seems like robbery?" a man asked cautiously.
The master immediately pointed at him and said loudly, "Look at this person! People like this can never become successful. I said that successful people are unscrupulous. Why do people outside Rongcheng have their own bases? Why can they casually change handsome men and beautiful women? It's all because they are unscrupulous. Now, the army is fighting outside, and no one can stop you from taking things. Moreover, there's a saying that the law doesn't punish the masses. What if the army finds out? As long as there are enough robbers, who can kill you?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd echoed in agreement. The people gathered in the rented apartment were naturally not educated people. The young people had all been conscripted into the army and sent to other provinces to fight zombies and reclaim cities. Therefore, among the dozens of people present, not a single one stepped forward to expose the true nature of this successology master.
Subsequently, dozens of people rushed out of the rented apartment, smashing and looting nearby shops and houses. They only remembered one rule: "To succeed, one must be unscrupulous!"