Chapter 189: Zombie Horde Attack

Aowu wu!

More than a dozen zombies, lured by Qi Xiaoshuai, rushed toward the obstacle—just as the clash began, Zhang Su's chest-mounted radio crackled with static, followed immediately by Zheng Xinyu's urgent voice.

"Su-ge, where are you? A horde of zombies is heading for the camp!"

In the Tianmayu control room, Zheng Xinyu stared at the screen with an extremely grave expression.

"What?"

Zhang Su's heart tightened; he pressed the talk button: "What's the exact situation?"

Then he immediately returned to killing zombies.

"A huge group of zombies suddenly emerged from the fields across the road—on the monitor, at least four or five hundred! The front ones are already on the highway, heading straight for the camp!"

"Shit!" Zhang Su thrust his blade through a zombie, then pressed the talk button: "Don't panic—the camp wall is nearly finished. Everyone stop what you're doing, immediately set up barricades to block the gates. Even if the zombies charge, there's only one narrow path—easy to kill them!"

"Use guns?"

Zheng Xinyu asked.

"Su-ge, how's the camp holding up?"

Zhang Su slammed the accelerator. The RV, unloaded, surged forward violently—flooring it sent it speeding over a hundred kilometers per hour.

At this moment, Tianmayu's situation was far worse than Zhang Su had imagined…

A massive horde stretched over a hundred meters vertically and spread more than ten meters wide. Though its movement was relatively fast and the density sparse, the number far exceeded Zheng Xinyu's estimate of four or five hundred—likely doubled, reaching eight or nine hundred!

Fortunately, the mountain path was only five or six meters wide, preventing the horde from surging forward en masse. Like yellow rice poured into a funnel, this naturally eased the camp's pressure—otherwise, the situation would have been far more dire!

"Everyone, prepare for defense! We're seasoned elites—don't fear this crisis!"

Behind the barricades, Zheng Xinyu had her usual baseball bat and rifle slung across her back, gripping a newly forged steel rod in her hands, standing resolutely at the center of the crowd.

"Fall back!"

Aowu aowu!

"A new wave of zombies suddenly appeared from the western fields—this should be just past the explosion site. Let's hurry and catch up from behind—we can lure away a large portion, reducing pressure on the camp!"

Tan Huajun asked anxiously—her daughter was still at the camp, and her heart burned with worry.

The zombies' target was unmistakable: they moved steadily toward Tianmayu, slightly faster than aimless wandering.

As a woman who had fought her way out of Shengqin Home alongside Zhang Su, she couldn't retreat now. She had to stand at the front in his place—this was the perfect moment to build authority. If anyone else stepped forward to lead, cohesion would fracture!

Others seemed to understand this too—no one challenged Zheng Xinyu for this dangerous, visible position. They yielded the spearhead to her.

Zhang Su thought the zombies had just passed the explosion site—but in truth, the front row had already reached the mountain's base, and even the tail of the horde had cleared the blast zone.

Zhang Su wasn't just concerned about wasting bullets—he also feared that in their panic, camp members might accidentally shoot each other.

Lu Yubo and the others had heard the radio message during Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu's call. Their hearts raced, their hands moved swiftly. Upon hearing the retreat order, they grabbed their weapons without hesitation and sprinted for the RV.

The surviving zombies were blocked by the obstacle and couldn't break through immediately. They didn't think to detour—just stared helplessly as fresh meat escaped, growing wildly enraged. But it was useless. By the time they smashed through the barrier, the BMW had already retreated over two hundred meters.

"Go, go!"

"Keep guns ready, use melee weapons first. With barricades and walls, four or five hundred isn't too many. Only use guns if absolutely necessary—but watch your fire lines, no friendly fire!"

"Got it, got it… everyone's already preparing. I'll hang up—I'm heading over!"

Ending the call, Zhang Su glanced at the remaining zombies, gritted his teeth, and waved: "Forget this place—let's go! A horde is attacking the camp!"

The village road was too narrow to turn around. Zhang Su watched the screen as he reversed, soon pulling onto another field path, then swung the rear end sharply toward the highway.

Lu Yubo and Qi Xiaoshuai were equally desperate—it was their shared home, their warm haven in the apocalypse. No one wanted the camp to fall. When the nest is destroyed, no egg survives!

Everyone in the camp had mobilized, except the still-bedridden Pang Dankun. Zhao Dezhu stood among the crowd with his arm in a sling. The corgi, Lucky, didn't miss it either—though she was too short to be noticeable.

"Give us weapons! We can help kill zombies!"

Guo Dachao and Yang Wenjie stood at the rear of the crowd, faces etched with anxiety. They'd finally found shelter—and now, facing crisis, they couldn't lift a finger. It was maddening.

"Yes, please believe us—we truly want to help the camp!" Yang Wenjie gripped her farming hoe, which could kill zombies, though the effect was obvious.

"Wu Lue, give them two steel rods!"

Zhong Xiaoshan didn't hesitate. Below, thousands of zombies were charging the camp—every fighting force was precious. Cold weapons could be issued; firearms could not.

Once weapons were handed to Guo Dachao and Yang Wenjie, they were positioned beside the wall under Yu Wen's direction, stabbing zombies outside through the pre-drilled holes!

Everyone held their breath. Even though the zombies were still at the mountain's base, they could already hear the scraping of feet on ground and the zombies' low moans—like demonic chants—creeping closer, eroding their mental defenses.

"Don't be afraid!"

Zheng Xinyu heard the sound of someone swallowing nervously—she shouted loudly: "Su-ge received the alert and is already returning! We'll hold the front line—he and his three men are fierce. They'll circle around from behind and wipe out the horde easily!"

Whether it was easy or not didn't matter—first, boost morale.

"If anyone gets injured, shout immediately. With prompt treatment, you won't get infected. Chen Hanzhou is living proof—don't panic, but protect your neck and shoulders at all costs!"

Zhong Xiaoshan delivered a timely boost of courage.

The greatest fear of zombies was the certainty of death after infection—but if there was even a chance to avoid infection, even amputation was acceptable!

"Comrades, before us stand alien enemies; behind us lies our warm home! We draw our blades with unified resolve—kill ten thousand enemies!"

Yu Wen's voice wasn't loud, but it was powerful, stirring the crowd. Yet his voice couldn't halt a single zombie. Soon, the first zombie figures appeared around the bend.

"Come on! We're not afraid of you! Come on! We'll kill you!"

Zheng Xinyu shouted toward the front, aiming to draw the front wave forward early, preventing a mass charge.

As a seasoned zombie-luring veteran, her shout instantly roused the zombies on the mountain path.

Aowu aowu!

The front row of zombies, awakened by the cry, looked up toward the Shanmen, then broke into a run—charging forward with terrifying momentum.

The uphill slope was steep, limiting their speed. Still, dozens or hundreds charging together was terrifying to behold!

"Kill them!"

Zhao Dezhu shouted with one arm raised. With safety behind them, they didn't need to fear attracting more zombies—so they roared freely to amplify their courage.

"Kill them!"

"Kill!"

Everyone joined the cry, venting their fear and rage.

For a moment, human shouts drowned out the zombies' howls. The invisible clash of wills—humans held their ground!

Boom!

The first wave of zombies hit the barricades.

Pupu pupu pupu…

A series of sharp stabs pierced flesh—the front row of zombies were impaled on the barricades, yet still alive, clawing and snarling, trying to reach the humans.

The zombies behind them slammed into the obstacle, shoving and crowding. Some climbed atop their fallen kin, stumbling forward, attacking humans now within reach.

Puci, puci.

As soon as the distance allowed contact, the front-line fighters struck simultaneously, ruthlessly eliminating the closest zombies—movements swift and precise!

Filthy blood and tissue fluids sprayed everywhere as weapons swung. The scene's brutality rivaled a slaughterhouse in hell.

The battle offered no pause. In barely one or two minutes, a layer of zombie corpses lay atop the barricades. Behind them, zombies stretched out bony arms, straining forward. Unable to breach the gate, they spread toward the walls.

Those stationed behind the walls to stab never stopped. The holes were small and fixed—couldn't guarantee hitting vital spots. Only quantity could compensate for precision. Physical exhaustion mounted rapidly.

"Pei Lan, Lü Lei, Liu Tianji, Wang Xin—clear the zombie corpses!"

Seeing zombies step over the corpses on the barricades as if walking on flat ground, Zheng Xinyu immediately assigned teams to clear them—an unforeseen development.

The four dropped their weapons and began dragging the corpses off the barricades, tossing them aside.

Fighting zombies was still better than fighting humans—at least zombies didn't feign death. If they lay still, they were truly dead—safe, rotting meat. No fear of sudden reanimation.

There were four rows of barricades. Only the innermost row could be cleared. But even one row functioning properly was enough to form a buffer, giving weapon-wielders time to kill zombies.

Yet things weren't going as smoothly as expected.

Just as Pei Lan and the others finished clearing one wave of corpses and reached for their weapons again, the sound they dreaded most echoed in their ears.

Kachakacha.

The wooden barricades couldn't withstand the pressure. The first row collapsed entirely; the second row cracked instantly. The corpses piled atop them sank downward, causing the zombies behind to stumble—a final, fleeting use of the barricade's function.

"Hold firm! If one more row breaks, I, Yu Wen, Xiaoshan, Zhao Xue, and Jia Shiqin will prepare to fire! Form a single line! When the guns fire, everyone else immediately assist the wall defenders!"

Zheng Xinyu, a former PUBG streamer used to squad play, understood basic command. In real life, as long as she kept her head and didn't panic, she could still organize effectively.

Indeed, preparation was essential. Barely a minute after Zheng Xinyu assigned the gunners, the zombie pile surged forward—the third barricade couldn't hold. Wood snapped with a crack, then collapsed with a crash.

(End of Chapter)