“Holy shit!! Look over there!”
Someone on the watchtower pointed into the distance. There, more than a dozen agile figures were leaping high above the zombie horde, stepping on the heads of their kind as they closed in.
The previous wave of Tier-4 zombies had not been completely wiped out, yet another wave of Tier-4 zombies was already arriving.
Each watchtower was guarded by only two Tier-4 ability users. Their approach instantly intensified the pressure on all watchtowers.
“What’s going on? Why are there so many Tier-4 zombies this time? Where the hell are they coming from?”
It should be noted that in the last large-scale zombie tide, only a single Tier-4 Zombie King appeared. At that time, the only Tier-4 ability user in the base was the City Lord, but his psychic-type ability could only control intelligent humans, not zombies.
In the end, it was Si Zhe and Lin Weiran, both Tier-3 ability users, who joined forces to kill that Zombie King.
Since then, a few Tier-4 zombies would occasionally appear in the eastern hunting zone, but not many. Some ability users who sought to advance to Tier-4 would specifically go out of the city to hunt zombies, but most of the time, they would return empty-handed.
So why had so many Tier-4 zombies suddenly appeared in this nighttime zombie raid?!
“Watchtower No. 3! A few of them are heading for Watchtower No. 3!”
In the darkness, the searchlights above the watchtower instantly illuminated five or six rapidly leaping Tier-4 zombies.
Their ghastly pale and hideously twisted faces looked even more terrifying under the blindingly bright light.
The densely packed zombie horde below, waving their arms frantically, also exerted immense psychological pressure on the defenders.
At this moment, those few zombies were already closing in on the iron fence.
One of them was an earth-type ability user. In an instant, it summoned a massive sandstorm, accumulating a thick layer of sand in front of the iron fence, forming a high slope.
The zombie tide climbed up the slope, and within moments, a surging wave of zombies formed, rising and falling in height.
Now, the ability users on the watchtower not only had to deal with the Tier-4 zombies but also had to divert their attention to stopping the relentless tide of low-tier zombies climbing up…
As time dragged on, some ability users began to exhaust their strength. The zombies on the high slope were already about to reach the top of the iron fence. If they jumped down, the ordinary people guarding behind the fence would face certain death.
That breach would be completely lost! Zombies could flood into the base at any moment!
Once ordinary people were bitten by zombies, their transformation was guaranteed—100% inevitable!
“Requesting reinforcements! Watchtower No. 3 needs reinforcements!!!”
The desperate cries for help spread to the nearby watchtowers. But in the brief moment it took to send the message, zombie arms had already reached the top of the iron fence!
“It’s over. We can’t hold on any longer!”
A completely drained ability user showed a trace of despair in their eyes. All they could do was shout down to the ordinary people gripping their spears below:
“Run! The zombies are about to jump down!”
Hearing the shout, the blood-soaked fighters finally looked up and saw heads popping up one after another over the top of the iron fence.
“The zombies have climbed up!”
“Run! Don’t wait for them to jump down!”
Panic-stricken, all the ordinary people turned and fled in a chaotic frenzy. The scene became dangerously overcrowded, and desperate screams only amplified the intense fear, pushing the situation toward outright disaster.
A stampede was imminent…
Just as Watchtower No. 3 was about to be completely overrun, a graceful silhouette suddenly appeared!
“Stop.”
A voice, neither too loud nor too soft, rang out.
The remaining ability users in the watchtower all stared in disbelief at the woman who had suddenly appeared.
Shouting “stop” at zombies—did she really think they would stop?
Was she an idiot…?
Before that thought could even fully form, they all witnessed an utterly shocking scene—
The zombies that had been continuously climbing up the iron fence along the earthen slope… actually stopped!
Thousands upon thousands of low-tier zombies simultaneously ceased their assault and roaring.
What an incredibly rare sight!!
The woman standing at the front spoke again. “Go back.”
The zombies actually obediently walked back down!
Not only were the ability users within the iron fence stunned, but even the attacking Tier-4 zombies were bewildered!
The leading earth-type zombie let out a dissatisfied low growl, as if urging its kin to continue the assault.
But these mindless creatures, which typically only obeyed higher-tier kin, for the first time broke free from its command!
Su Su loosened her hold on the black snake in her arms.
“Xiao Hei, burn them.”
The black snake slithered onto the railing of the watchtower, lifted its head, and spat out a vast expanse of blue flames.
Countless tiny fire sparks flew toward the iron fence, precisely landing on every retreating zombie.
The moment the flames touched their clothes or skin, they rapidly surged, engulfing each zombie completely, until they were reduced to charred corpses.
The coordination between the girl and the snake was seamless.
The thousands of zombies that had nearly breached the defense line moments ago were turned to ashes in the blink of an eye.
A thick layer of black ash covered the entire slope, completely burying the once yellowish sandstorm.
For a brief moment, there was silence—
Then, an eruption of cheers!
“We held the line! Watchtower No. 3 is secure!”
“The ability users defended us!”
“Crystal stones! My god, it’s raining crystal stones!”
And wasn’t it a crystal rain?
Thousands of low-tier zombies had simultaneously turned to ash, causing a downpour of miscellaneous-element and Grade-1 crystal stones to rain from the air.
If not for the fact that they had fallen outside the iron fence, the crowd would have already swarmed forward to snatch them all up!
The ordinary people, who had been fleeing in panic, slowly came to a stop.
They stared in astonishment at the iron fence, watching the embers of blue flames flicker in the night, and the zombie horde that had been reduced to nothing but ash…
At some point, they had picked up their spears again.
And once more, they found the courage to slaughter zombies!
As long as they could push back the zombie tide, the crystal stones outside the fence would be theirs for the taking!
The cheers even spread to the other watchtowers.
The ability users stationed there were still locked in intense battles with Tier-4 zombies.
Even though some caught glimpses of the brilliant blue firestorm out of the corner of their eyes, they had no time to investigate further.
“What just happened?”
“When did the base get such a powerful fire-type ability user? That has to be Tier-4 peak level, right?”
“Is it Lin Weiran from the Eternal Squad?”
“No way, her flames are red. These flames are blue, and in terms of intensity, the latter is even stronger!”
“I was close enough to see! It was a young girl—she controlled the zombie horde! And the flames came from her pet python!”
“Holy shit! Where did such a powerful figure come from? Why have we never heard of her before?”
“I did hear that the City Lord was hosting a female ability user who raises battle pets…”
Each watchtower was equipped with a radio. Earlier, before anyone could rush to aid Watchtower No. 3, the situation had already taken a dramatic turn.
Now that the crisis was averted, curiosity about the newly emerged female ability user who raised battle pets surged among everyone.
The radio operated on a public channel—once switched on, everyone on the same frequency could hear the conversation.
Lin Weiran and Si Zhe, too, heard the chatter through the radio attached to their teammates’ waists.
“Su Su is here too.”
Lin Weiran instinctively glanced in the direction of Watchtower No. 3. All she saw were the remnants of blue flames, but no sign of a figure.
Si Zhe didn’t turn his head. He expressionlessly killed a Tier-4 zombie before speaking. “She sure knows how to make an entrance.”
As if afraid that no one would know she could control zombies, and even more afraid that no one would notice she had a battle pet.
Lin Weiran fell silent.
Something inside her felt uneasy, though the feeling was so subtle that it seemed petty—like she couldn’t stand seeing others do well. (TL: Wow she’s unaware?)
But… Su Su’s arrival had indeed stolen all of Eternal Squad’s spotlight.
They had clearly arrived at the Southern Base ahead of time, yet they still couldn’t escape her shadow…
Deep in the corner of her heart, an unspoken resentment stirred—Had she ever wronged Su Su? They had agreed to go their separate ways, so why was Su Su still haunting her every step?
Did she insist on following her just to prove she was always one step ahead?
Lin Weiran took a deep breath. As she looked up again, her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of an unusual figure in the distance.
Her heart pounded violently. “Si Zhe! Look at that zombie!”
Si Zhe followed her gaze—
Amid the endless zombie horde, a massive gap had suddenly appeared in the farthest area near the horizon.
A singular, distinct zombie was quietly infiltrating the battlefield.
After a few seconds of observation, Si Zhe’s pupils shrank sharply. “It’s a Tier-5 zombie!”
For the first time in over two months, a Tier-5 zombie had appeared in a zombie tide attacking a human base!
This was both a crisis and an opportunity.
After all, the Southern Base currently had no Tier-5 ability users—except for that python.
If they could obtain the Grade-5 crystal stone first, Eternal Squad would rise to a whole new level.
At that point… even standing on equal footing with the City Lord wouldn’t be impossible!
Si Zhe and Lin Weiran exchanged glances, then simultaneously looked toward their team’s earth-type ability user.
—
Near Watchtower No. 3, the zombies had been completely wiped out.
Even the Tier-4 zombies that had been jumping around, trying to regain control of the zombie tide, were now being restrained by other ability users.
Those who had earlier ridiculed the young woman as an idiot: “…”
Their expressions had shifted from confusion to admiration.
An ability that could control a zombie tide—didn’t that mean she could do whatever she wanted in the base?
And on top of that, she had a powerful battle pet!
Everyone knew that the City Lord’s most prized tiger could only patrol the hunting grounds and intimidate low-tier zombies.
But when faced with high-tier zombies, that tiger’s legs would go weak before even putting up a fight.
Just as some people were considering whether to approach her and strike up a conversation, the young woman’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
The black snake, which had been spewing flames in all directions without pause, also halted its movements in sync.
Sensing something, it lifted its head.
Su Su stroked its head. “Xiao Hei, you see it too, don’t you?”
“Hiss—!”
An animal’s instincts were far keener than a human’s. It had already caught the scent of a kindred presence.
One just as powerful as itself.
Su Su gazed toward the farthest reaches of the zombie tide, murmuring, “This is my first time seeing a Tier-5 zombie.”
A year and a half had passed since the apocalypse began, and now, the era of high-tier zombies had finally arrived.
From this point on, whoever advanced their abilities first would seize more resources in the fight for survival.
A single step ahead meant every step ahead.
The moment Su Su spoke, someone had already taken action!
Beyond the iron fence, the wind whipped up the sand once more. Amid the densely packed zombie horde, a series of elevated slopes abruptly formed.
Two figures leaped over the iron fence, using the slopes as stepping stones to advance forward.
It was Lin Weiran and Si Zhe!
They had also spotted the Tier-5 zombie!
Perhaps to prevent anyone else from following, the slopes crumbled behind them one by one, cutting off anyone else’s path.
At this moment, some of the lower-tier ability users were still confused.
“Was that Si Zhe and Lin Weiran from Eternal Squad? What are they doing out there?”
“Look in that direction!”
Ahead of them, the tightly packed zombie horde moved like ocean waves under the moonlight, parting to the sides and clearing a broad, unimpeded path.
“What are they making way for?”
“They’re letting that zombie through… no, wait—why would zombies make way for one of their own?”
By now, the smarter ones had fully grasped the situation.
“Tier-5 zombie! A Tier-5 zombie has appeared!”
In several teams, radios crackled with firm, decisive orders.
“We must secure the Grade-5 crystal stone at all costs!”
Almost instantly, every Tier-4 ability user’s heart was set ablaze.
One after another, they unleashed their abilities, carving paths through the zombie tide.
Each of them aimed to break through, surrounding the Tier-5 zombie before anyone else could!
Seize it!
That was the unspoken consensus among all of them.
The allure of a Grade-5 crystal stone was enough to drive every ability user to risk their lives.
Amid the chaotic power struggle, a sudden, deafening snake’s hiss tore through the battlefield.
“HISSS—!!!”
A moment later, the ground trembled violently, as though struck by an earthquake.
The ability users using earth-type abilities to advance wobbled in place, struggling to maintain balance as they turned, panic-stricken, toward the source of the noise.
And then—
A massive, jet-black python emerged in their field of vision!
It leaped over the iron fence, launching itself into the zombie tide.
Its colossal body crashed down with a thunderous impact, sending both zombies and ability users flying.
No one was left unshaken.
The sheer impact of this scene was akin to primitive humans witnessing a train pulling out of a station for the first time.
The “steel beast” roared forward. Its thick, menacing snake head plowed through the zombie tide, forging a path amidst the chaos. Its powerful, unyielding tail struck out, sending countless zombies flying as they tried to surge forward.
Atop its back stood a young woman clad in a black tactical jacket.
Under countless gazes, filled with shock or curiosity, she drew the curved short blade at her waist.
The few remaining Tier-4 zombies lunged at her—only to be frozen in midair by an invisible force.
A sharp gleam flashed.
With a swift stroke of her blade, their heads separated from their bodies.
The young woman deftly reached into the severed skulls and extracted the crystal stones.
For a moment, all the ability users charging forward froze in place, stunned by the sight.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Su murmured, “Xiao Hei, charge ahead!”
The massive python shot forward.
In the blink of an eye, it closed in on Lin Weiran and Si Zhe from behind.
This Grade-5 crystal stone—
Su Su would never let it fall into the hands of the City Lord sitting safely behind the walls, nor into the grasp of Lin Weiran, Si Zhe, or anyone else.
It could only belong to her!