Chapter 124: Boosting Morale

Chapter 124: Boosting Morale

Around eight o'clock, the mixed column of soldiers and civilians broke camp and began their trek toward the city of Eternal Night. Behind them lay the zombie horde and the Federal Army, leaving them no path to retreat. Ahead, the zombie horde blocked their way back to the city.

Of the original force of over twenty thousand, only one or two thousand truly elite soldiers remained after the grueling battles. Yet, the current camp swelled with fifty thousand people, most of whom were civilians or shadowy criminal elements.

Beyond the inability to return to the city, the primary blow to morale was the severe shortage of supplies. It had reached such a critical state that Xia Zheng had seen women forced to sell themselves just to secure food; money and other non-edible valuables had become useless unless they could successfully reach the city.

The military could not provide for fifty thousand people and prioritized the soldiers to maintain combat readiness. However, the low morale had caused military discipline to deteriorate, a problem that could not be solved overnight. Luo Bing, Liu Chuxing, Sam, and Alfred could only try their best to keep the remaining one or two thousand elites in check, while doing their best to placate the others.

Xia Zheng felt that this situation had to change; otherwise, the column would collapse before they even reached Eternal Night.

At noon, during a brief thirty-minute rest, Xia Zheng gathered the four leaders and several high-ranking officers—all at the captain level—into a tent for a short meeting.

They were still about fifteen kilometers from Eternal Night. Communication with the city was effectively severed. According to scouts, the zombie horde in that fifteen-kilometer stretch was immense—at least two hundred thousand strong—having seemingly been intentionally released from the outer city by the Vampires. With numerous mutant zombies in the mix, their current force was insufficient to achieve a rescue. They needed to expand their ranks and resources, specifically food, fuel, and equipment.

The officers were tempted by Xia Zheng's proposal, but lacked the manpower to pull it off. Xia Zheng eventually secured an agreement: he would lead five hundred elite soldiers and about a thousand able-bodied men and women to raid satellite towns, markets, and roadside gas stations surrounded by the zombies.

The horde was concentrated around the outer city of Eternal Night, with mutant zombies acting as sentinels at the entrances. This left the surrounding satellite settlements relatively lightly defended.

Though they had attempted similar raids before, the results were minimal. Once entangled with mutant zombies, the entire team risked annihilation. Luo Bing and the others, being the highest-ranking combatants after Xia Zheng, could not afford to leave the main force often, resulting in the constant scarcity of resources.

"Mr. Wood, are you... truly confident?" a forty-year-old officer asked.

Xia Zheng nodded. "I have confidence, provided the mutant zombies aren't too powerful. Right now, the morale of the entire column is too low. What use is it even if we reach the gates of Eternal Night?"

Indeed, his words drew nods of agreement. An army without morale was an army without fighting power. Because of Xia Zheng's previous displays of strength—surpassing even a Star-Level Warrior—the officers threw their support behind him.

They quickly organized two groups: five hundred battle-hardened veteran soldiers, and over a thousand volunteers—men and women between the ages of fifteen and forty who were largely reliable and steady.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Luo Bing asked, looking concerned.

Xia Zheng asked curiously, "Aren't you responsible for clearing the road to Eternal Night?"

Luo Bing shook her head. "Morale has been so low these past few days that we’ve decided to rest for a few days. As you said, this army is nearing collapse."

"Very well, come with me then. Liu Chuxing and the others will stay behind to keep the camp stable," Xia Zheng replied.

"Understood, I'll follow your lead." Luo Bing went off to make arrangements. Xia Zheng found it strange; she seemed to be listening to him more and more.

Xia Zheng, Luo Bing, and their force of fifteen hundred ate a hearty meal under the envious gazes of the tens of thousands remaining. Although some were disgruntled, they held their tongues once they realized these people were risking their lives to bring back food and fuel.

Once prepared, the column set out for the nearest market. If things went well, they would return by that evening.

Ten large cargo trucks and dozens of pickups carried them toward the market. Xia Zheng moved ahead to scout, maintaining constant communication with Luo Bing. Over the course of a few kilometers, Xia Zheng eliminated all the mutant zombies he encountered, leaving only scattered common zombies for the main force to handle.

Minutes later, he reached the destination—a U-shaped street lined with shops that had served as a market days prior. A quick glance revealed about a hundred storefronts.

"Now, to clear the zombies inside and out." Xia Zheng surveyed the area from above. With his keen vision and sensory perception, he had a firm grasp of the situation inside.

"There are about five hundred common zombies and a dozen mutants. The mutants appear to be around E-rank in power," Xia Zheng reported via satellite phone, instructing Luo Bing to deploy her personnel.

Though Xia Zheng could have cleared them alone, his goal wasn't to show off, but to foster synergy among his teammates and gain more followers. He understood that in this scenario, playing the lone wolf was meaningless. Unless he could build a powerful faction of his own, he would be unable to defy the plot and achieve his ultimate goal at the critical moment.

He extended his mental senses, blocking off both ends of the market and designing a trap to facilitate easier shooting and killing. As for the mutant zombies, he would weaken them steadily, allowing his teammates to deliver the finishing blows to bolster their confidence and morale.

Twenty minutes later, Luo Bing arrived with four hundred elites, leaving the rest to wait a kilometer away.

"Stay calm. Mutant zombies aren't as terrifying as you think. We will take them out one by one," Xia Zheng encouraged. He drew the zombies toward them, and with their combined efforts, they made quick work of the targets while minimizing casualties.

As Xia Zheng fired off weakened flame arrows, dozens of common zombies and one mutant rushed toward them, only to be stopped by the defensive barricades he had constructed.

The common zombies were dispatched quickly. The mutant resisted the gunfire, but Xia Zheng’s energy arrows sapped its strength until Luo Bing and the others could finish it off together. A cheer nearly erupted from the soldiers.

Following this pattern, Xia Zheng drew out the zombies, and the team cleaned them up with increasing speed and efficiency.