Chapter 125: Returning Fully Loaded

Chapter 125: Returning Fully Loaded

The clearing of zombies at the U-shaped market proceeded in a safe, steady, and efficient manner. Within the defensive fortifications constructed by Xia Zheng, and with the aid of his ability control, ordinary zombies became nothing more than target practice, while mutated zombies failed to pose any significant threat.

"It really works!" As more people realized this, their confidence surged.

Luo Bing felt the same. With Xia Zheng as the vanguard and her providing support, the mutated zombies were forced into a defensive, beaten position.

Infected by this atmosphere, the zombies wandering the market were soon brought down, and there were no more mutated zombies in sight. Though these mutants were far weaker than those encountered on the battlefield, the five hundred people who followed Xia Zheng and Luo Bing were exceptionally excited. To have suffered only a few minor injuries and zero casualties so far was nothing short of a miracle.

"We will now begin a deeper sweep for hidden zombies. Split off one hundred people; the rest of you take the able-bodied civilians and start clearing obstacles and transporting supplies immediately." Xia Zheng was the first to vault over the barricade and enter the market.

"Understood." The leading soldiers followed his orders with genuine respect. Although Xia Zheng’s status was technically that of a civilian, his performance on the battlefield and his leadership today had won everyone over.

Xia Zheng nodded. He was still not used to being looked up to, but he knew that if he wanted to change the ending of this scenario, he had to become a leader. Relying on his own strength alone would never be enough.

Soon, Xia Zheng dismantled the fortifications by retracting his psychic energy, demonstrating his extraordinary powers once again—he could effectively build towers out of thin air.

Once the market was declared mostly clear, the support team waiting about a kilometer away was overjoyed. They sprang into action, arriving at the entrance and dividing into three groups with clear roles. The first group cleared zombie debris and buried them on the spot, the second packed up all usable supplies from the shops, and the third handled the loading and transport.

Xia Zheng and Luo Bing continued to sweep the market, eliminating any zombies that had been hiding or had gone unnoticed.

ROAR!

With a violent tremor, the ground shattered. A mutated zombie over three meters tall erupted from the earth, sending a dozen soldiers flying. Xia Zheng immediately moved to rescue them. Fortunately, none were killed, though they were severely injured and were quickly sent back to the transport team to be taken to camp.

This zombie appeared to be of the strength-enhancing type, possessing no special skills or unique physiology. Luo Bing signaled for Xia Zheng to hold back, stepping forward to engage it herself while other soldiers provided assistance.

Xia Zheng remained on the sidelines, providing support and stepping in to save any soldier in mortal danger.

Ten minutes later, Luo Bing sliced the mutated zombie in half. The crowd cheered, but suddenly, a small, octopus-like zombie crawled out from inside the carcass. It leaped high into the air, landing directly on top of Luo Bing and wrapping itself around her, aiming to parasitize her face.

The surrounding crowd gasped in horror. For the first time, Luo Bing felt a chilling terror; she didn't even have time to commit suicide.

In that split second, Xia Zheng appeared before her like a ghost. He pulled her into his arms, his entire body erupting in blue flames that enveloped them both, while simultaneously projecting a repulsive force of psychic energy.

The intense heat of the blue flames caused the parasitic zombie to shriek in agony, and it was blasted a hundred meters away by his psychic force. The soldiers immediately concentrated their fire, quickly killing it. It turned out that once separated from its host, the creature was incredibly weak.

When the group looked back, they saw Luo Bing was unharmed. Xia Zheng had already stepped away, leaving Luo Bing momentarily dazed.

"Boss, are you okay?" the soldiers asked with concern.

Luo Bing coughed, finally regaining her composure. She glanced at Xia Zheng, who had returned to his usual poker-faced expression, and shook her head. "I'm fine. I was truly frightened just now. I never expected there to be parasitic zombies; this is the first time I've encountered one."

"Indeed..."
"How terrifying..."
"Why do the Bloodkin always play these disgusting games?"
"Damn the Bloodkin. Sooner or later, I’ll wipe out their entire lineage."

Listening to the soldiers' coarse language, Luo Bing felt a sense of camaraderie, but also lingering fear. If she had been parasitized, she would have turned into a mutated zombie—the ultimate insult. As a soldier, she didn't fear death, but the thought of her body being controlled by the Bloodkin after death was unbearable.

"Thank you," Luo Bing said gratefully.

Xia Zheng smiled. "It's fine as long as you're safe. You looked completely stunned just now. Be more careful next time; these mutated zombies aren't simple. I suspect they are products of the Bloodkin using their biological technology to conduct experiments on humans."

"Benson, if I had been parasitized, would you have killed me?" Luo Bing asked curiously.

"I would have. That would be my final sign of respect for you. I would not watch my comrades, friends, or family become mindless zombies," Xia Zheng replied earnestly.

Luo Bing nodded in satisfaction. If Xia Zheng had answered with "I couldn't bear it" or "I wouldn't want to," she would have looked down on him. A soldier must never be indecisive; one must act decisively when necessary.

After this experience, the remaining team members were much more vigilant. With an additional two hundred elite soldiers brought in, they thoroughly scoured the market.

They secured vast amounts of food, fresh water, medicine, gasoline, and over a dozen well-maintained private vehicles. All in all, the mission was a great success.

By the time they returned, dusk was falling and the moon was rising high. On a day marked by such immense tragedy, this was the happiest day for everyone.

When they returned to the camp, the entire place erupted. Many who had stayed behind beat their chests, regretting their cowardly decision to remain.

This massive haul of supplies boosted the morale of the entire force. That night, while keeping a vigilant watch, the camp held a brief bonfire celebration. Most were satisfied.

Following this, more able-bodied civilians volunteered for the resource-gathering missions. Xia Zheng led consecutive outings over the next few days. Luo Bing stayed by his side, and their relationship warmed, evolving into a genuine friendship.

With the success of the resource-gathering missions and the continuous rescue of scattered soldiers and civilians along the way, the total population of the camp exceeded one hundred thousand within three days, with about twenty thousand being official soldiers. To expand their combat strength, Xia Zheng proposed integrating some of the able-bodied civilians into the military, a request that was quickly approved.

A week later, the expanded and reorganized rescue force—consisting of ten thousand elite soldiers and thirty thousand support troops—swept across the land and finally reached the gates of the Eternal Night City. However, the city was completely sealed, and even they were turned away by the guards on the walls, denied entry.