Chapter 202

Chapter 202

Yan Bubu and the group, accompanied by their quantum beasts, dashed along the mountainside, leaping over rocks and ditches. Fortunately, the area was illuminated by the camp's high-pressure sodium lights, allowing them to see the path clearly.

A shrill alarm rang out over the entire camp. The people, who had been ordered to stay indoors, listened anxiously to the distant gunfire, and even after the loud explosion, suspected it was just the Eastern and Western Alliances bombing each other. Now with the alarms sounding, they were unsure whether to evacuate or stay hidden, anxiously asking each other for guidance.

But then, accompanying the alarm, a voice blared from the loudspeakers, "Everyone out of the houses! Leave no one behind! You have one minute to evacuate!"

"Can we evacuate everyone before the mountain collapses?" Feng Chen, leaping over a large rock, asked, then immediately turned to shout back, "Watch the ground, there are rocks here."

"Now, neither the Eastern nor the Western Alliance forces are mainly in the camp, just two platoons left for emergency situations. Evacuating over a hundred thousand civilians with just these forces is not an easy task."

Yu Yuan replied, "The landslide is only a small section for now; complete collapse is still some time away, roughly twenty minutes. If the people follow orders and move to safe areas, evacuation in twenty minutes is possible. And the Eastern and Western Alliances must have heard the commotion here and are likely on their way back—"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, three loud explosions rang out, leaving Yan Bubu's ears ringing, unable to hear anything else. He felt the mountain shake beneath him, stumbling to maintain his balance. He saw Wang Suizi fall to the ground, mouth moving as if speaking, but he couldn't make out a word.

The soil and rocks beside him shook loose, tumbling down the mountain, while debris from the blast rained from the sky. He saw Chen Wenchao ahead, slipping with the shifting earth, and rushed forward to pull him to safety.

Several figures dashed back towards them; his arm was grabbed, and together with Wang Suizi and Chen Wenchao, they took shelter under some large trees midway up the hill, with the quantum beasts hiding alongside.

Only a grey bear quantum beast seemed excited, leaping around the slope, nimbly avoiding the falling debris, occasionally glancing at the other beasts under the trees with a show-off attitude.

The buzzing in Yan Bubu's ears finally subsided, and he could hear the sentries shouting.

"Whose quantum beast is that? Get it inside."

"Mine, leave it, it's hyper when people are around."

"Isn't that just like you? Both go crazy around people."

"…What are you talking about? I'm damn restrained."

……

Debris rained down like hail from the sky, with stones rolling at their feet. The sentries stopped talking, erecting psychic barriers overhead, pelted by the falling rocks.

The grey bear quantum beast, gradually enveloped in black smoke from exhaustion, started running towards the trees but vanished into thin air halfway.

"Is everyone alright? Is everyone hidden?" Lin Fen asked loudly.

Feng Chen responded, "We're all here, everyone's here!"

The tremors from the explosion gradually subsided; no more rocks rolled down the mountain, and no more debris fell from above. However, the air was thick with dust, reducing visibility to only a few meters around.

Feng Chen brushed the dust off Yan Bubu's head and was about to check on him when screams of terror and sudden gunfire came from the direction of the main camp.

Without waiting for Lin Fen's order, everyone immediately started running towards the front.

Many of the high-pressure sodium lights along the way were damaged by the explosion, but some still emitted light, indicating the power plant was intact. However, the plantation was completely destroyed, with young potato plants and mature corn all smashed into chaos.

As the drifting dust began to clear, Yan Bubu saw that near the main camp, the mountain appeared as if chopped by a giant axe, revealing a tunnel-sized gap.

Although the bottom of the gap wasn't visible from this angle, the gunshots and screams suggested zombies were entering through it.

"Release psychic energy!" Lin Fen commanded sharply.

While still sprinting, the sentries unleashed their psychic energy towards the gap, with guides arranging their efforts. Below them was the plantation, and the few remaining soldiers in the camp were also running in that direction. Hearing Lin Fen's command, they too released their psychic energy.

When Yan Bubu reached a position parallel to the main camp, he saw chaos below.

Most of the prefab buildings were smashed by rocks, and the ground was littered with rock piles. Although the prefab structures were supported and wouldn't crush anyone if they collapsed, some people outside had already been killed by falling debris, lying bloodied on the ground.

Zombies were now visible among the running crowd, though not in large numbers. Despite the similar distance they had to cover from the mountain to the camp, the faster ones had already broken in.

A zombie, howling, pounced towards the nearest person. Seven or eight soldiers fired simultaneously; while still in mid-air, the zombie's chest was blown open by the bullets, and its head shattered.

Panicked people were running everywhere among the prefab houses, some fleeing towards the plantation, others towards the desert.

"Down the mountain, to the camp!" Lin Fen bellowed, and everyone followed him down.

"Keep pushing psychic energy forward, block that gap," Feng Chen ordered as he ran.

"Understood."

"Got it."

Yan Bubu, half-dragged by Feng Chen, felt as if he was flying, each step propelling him seven or eight meters forward before landing.

In less than half a minute, everyone reached flat ground. These were ordinary zombies; Feng Chen kicked the nearest one, sending it flying backwards to crash against the mountain wall with a dull thud.

After the zombie hit the ground, it tried to rise, but its body was limp like cooked noodles, unable to even lift its head. Feng Chen's kick had shattered its bones upon impact with the mountain wall.

Quantum beasts rushed in all directions across the camp, attacking the zombies that had infiltrated the crowd. Yan Bubu, too, drew his dagger. As a zombie charged at him, he didn't flinch and lunged forward, stabbing it in the eye socket and piercing deep into its brain.

At that moment, his mental image interface popped up. Without looking, he pointed his left-hand gun to the right and lightly squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet flying.

A zombie approaching from the rear fell silently, a dark bullet hole appearing on its forehead.

"Bubu! How did you become so formidable!" Wang Suizi's shocked scream came from behind.

Without a second thought, Yan Bubu replied, "Because I merged with my brother."

Wang Suizi and Chen Wenchao stood back to back, each wielding a gun. During a lull in the shooting, Wang Suizi asked, "Don't you want to merge with Cai Tao? If you did, you could become more powerful."

"No, I fear he’s too weak and might drag me down," Chen Wenchao replied.

A soldier with a megaphone ran past Lin Fen, who snatched it and marched forward. Shooting zombies as he went, he barked orders through the megaphone.

"I am Major General Lin Fen of the Western Alliance, the highest authority here. Everyone follow my command. Sentinels and guides clear the zombies from the camp, and use psychic energy to guard the collapse. Regular soldiers, organize civilians to evacuate towards the plantation, then up the mountain from the right side of the camp. Do not head towards the desert, it's certain death!"

After shouting his orders, Lin Fen tossed the megaphone back over his shoulder, which Wang Suizi quickly caught. He then drew his dagger, grabbed a nearby zombie by the hair, and fiercely stabbed it in the temple.

Feng Chen was physically in the camp but used his psychic energy to intercept zombies pouring through the breach.

The explosion had torn a tunnel-like opening in the mountain, like a breach in a dam, allowing zombies from the central city to clamber over the rocky debris towards the camp.

His psychic energy spread over this opening, turning into countless sharp blades that struck down. Previously, such an attack would hit only four or five zombies at a time, but now, each strike took down a dozen or more.

All sentinels, like Feng Chen, fought the zombies in the camp with their physical presence, while attacking at the collapse site with their psychic energy. Despite their efforts, the sheer number of zombies meant that even as the front rows fell, more clambered over their fallen comrades, pressing forward.

"Hurry up! Move faster! Run towards the plantation! Head to the military camp!"

Ordinary soldiers shouted continuously, leading the crowd towards the military camp, while sentinels and guides worked tirelessly to clear the zombies that had penetrated the camp.

Having endured one hardship after another, the civilians had toughened up, each armed with a weapon. Wrapping a cloth around one end of a metal rod made it a dagger, and a sharpened doorknob picked up from somewhere could be thrust into a zombie’s head. Those without suitable weapons picked up stones to use as makeshift weapons.

A stout woman wielding a shovel like a large sword relentlessly hacked at a zombie, severing its head into pieces.

More people teamed up to tackle a single zombie. They circled it, probing, then swarmed together, smashing it to death with stones and stools, then continued running towards the plantation with their weapons.

The local militia, trained for such emergencies, played a crucial role in the absence of the regular army. They rushed into the collapsed supply room, digging out firearms and ammunition to fight alongside the regular soldiers.

"Move quickly! Keep moving! Follow the crowd! Don’t run towards the desert; it’s certain death!" The exhausted voices of soldiers echoed from the loudspeakers.

But no matter how many zombies were killed, there were always more, and inevitably, someone would get overrun.

Yan Bubu had just killed a nearby zombie when he turned to see two more on the ground, gnawing at a fallen person.

He aimed his gun at one of the zombies, but when he pulled the trigger, nothing happened; he was out of bullets. Discarding the gun, he leaped forward, plunging his dagger into the zombie’s skull, then withdrew it and thrust it into the back of the other zombie's neck.

Yan Bubu looked down at the person on the ground, their legs twitching, blood gushing from their shoulder, staining half their body red.

"Kill me... kill me..." The man, tears streaming down his face, looked at Yan Bubu. "Please... end me."

Seeing the blackish hue spreading on the man’s neck, Yan Bubu raised his dagger, pointing it at the man's temple.

Although he could easily kill a zombie, facing those tearful, despairing eyes, his hand shook uncontrollably, unable to strike.

"Please... end... me..."

A gunshot rang out, silencing the man, a black bullet hole appearing on his forehead. Yan Bubu was pulled up by a strong arm and then embraced in a familiar hold.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Feng Chen hugged Yan Bubu tightly, then quickly let go and charged towards another zombie. Yan Bubu wiped his face, quickly regaining his composure, and hurriedly followed.

Quantum beasts were running everywhere, ferociously attacking the zombies. Sentinels and guides cleared the camp of zombies, using their psychic energy at the collapsed mountain pass. Initially attacking zombies with psychic energy, they switched to erecting collective psychic barriers to seal the entrance when they realized they couldn't kill them fast enough.

The psychic barrier sealed the entrance, but the zombies desperately rammed against it, some even climbing on top of others to hit the barrier. As the zombies piled up, the barrier had to be constantly extended upwards.

However, the barrier could only be maintained for a few minutes and even then, it constantly developed cracks, requiring continual psychic repairs by the sentinels.

As the sentinels’ psychic energy was rapidly depleted, guides worked tirelessly to coordinate them. But the barrier eventually shattered under the zombies' forceful impacts, allowing them to flood in again.

Fortunately, during the time the barrier held, most of the camp's zombies had been cleared. Although new zombies poured in, another barrier could be erected for some time.

These large barriers were extremely draining on psychic energy and needed constant repair. Despite the guides' coordination, the sentinels’ psychic reserves were nearly depleted.

"Run! We can’t hold much longer! Run!" shouted the regular soldiers leading the evacuation, their voices strained.

Most people obeyed the command and ran swiftly, but a few still struggled forward, burdened with luggage, slowing themselves and blocking others.

Lin Fen, after knocking down a zombie and delivering a final blow, shouted to Wang Suizi not far away, "Give it here!"

Wang Suizi, understanding immediately, tossed the megaphone she had on her back towards him.

"Everyone must evacuate at top speed, leave behind large luggage. Those already carrying it must drop it immediately, or it will be considered a serious crime endangering others! Soldiers, follow the order: in one minute, execute anyone seen with large luggage. I am Lin Fen, and I take responsibility for this order!"

Lin Fen's voice echoed far through the megaphone, and the soldiers responsible for communication repeated with their own megaphones, "Everyone must evacuate at top speed, leave behind large luggage... I am Lin Fen, and I take responsibility for this order!"

Those who initially refused to abandon their large luggage, upon hearing the command, reluctantly dropped their burdens, clearing the way. The road suddenly became more passable, significantly speeding up the evacuation.

In the Wuming Mountain Range, a large force of Eastern and Western Alliance troops was rapidly advancing towards Yinxia Mountain. However, upon reaching a canyon entrance, the entire troop halted.

"Why have we stopped? Why is everyone stopping?" Ran Pinghao, the governing official of the Western Union Army, stood beside the troop, shouting towards the front.

"Report to Ran Zhengshou, the path ahead is blocked by a rockslide, we can't get through."

"A rockslide? Are all these soldiers good for nothing? Just move the rocks!"

"Report to Ran Zhengshou, those rocks weigh hundreds of tons, bigger than a house, completely blocking the gorge. We need to plant explosives to blast through."

"Then do it quickly! We must rush back to the camp! And, has the barricade machine been moved out yet? Is it out?"

"Report to Ran Zhengshou, the message from below says the shed housing the barricade machine is pinned under a huge rock."

"Damn it, rocks again! Why are there so many rocks!" Ran Pinghao cursed before asking, "When will we be able to clear the rock pinning down the shed?"

"Report—"

"Stop reporting and just give me the facts," Ran Pinghao yelled, yanking off his military cap and clenching it in his hand.

"It should be soon!"

"Once the barricade machine is out, immediately transport it to the entrance and block that gap! We must block it at any cost!" Ran Pinghao yelled again to the troops, "Hurry up and blast these damn rocks away!"

"Yes!"

"By the way, have we located Chen Sizhe yet?" Ran Pinghao asked a Western Union Army officer.

"No. When we reached Hill No. 3, where Chen Sizhe was located, we found the temporary command post empty. We don’t know where he has fled to, and now only two squads are left searching."

Ran Pinghao cursed furiously, "Damn it, Chen Sizhe, that bastard! I should have crushed the Eastern Union Army sooner and flayed him alive!"

Having been a Western Union Army governor for many years, Ran Pinghao had usually restrained his military temperament, but now he couldn't help but curse, throwing his hat furiously to the ground.

After venting, he realized his slip, glanced at the still-open communicator, and said into it, "I got carried away, my words were unfiltered. General Feng, don't take it seriously."

"Understood," came a calm male voice from the communicator. "When I capture Chen Sizhe, I'll flay him alive too."

Clearing his throat, Ran Pinghao said, "General Feng, please have the Eastern Union Army wait in place for a while. We can't proceed until we clear the rocks blocking the path."

"Understood."

After ending the call, Feng Zai Ping turned to a Donglian Army officer behind him and said, "The road ahead is blocked. Have everyone wait here. Contact the forces at the base of the mountain and instruct them to lead the civilians to the dark matter area for shelter. They should stay there until the barrier machine is repaired, and then we can proceed to the next step."

"Yes, sir."

Feng Zai Ping asked in a lower voice, "Who's in command at the base now?"

The officer replied, "It seems to be Major General Lin Fen from the Xilian Army."

Feng Zai Ping pressed, "Do you know who he has brought with him?"

The officer hesitated briefly, "I'm not sure about that... Should I have someone from the camp inquire?"

"No need. They're short on manpower. Don't waste our troops." Feng Zai Ping waved his hand dismissively and said nothing more, just frowning at the road ahead.