Forty years old, awakening attribute panel

Chapter 274

The two left the basement without any words, but their eyes showed their common belief and determination. They acted quickly and began to move guns and ammunition to prepare for the upcoming battle. Although Neville's residence was relatively solid, with reinforced concrete walls and doors and windows reinforced with more than 10 mm thick protective steel plates, this might be effective for ordinary zombies. Facing the highly intelligent zombie leader, these protective measures were not safe enough.

There were still two precious hours before it was completely dark, and it was obviously impossible to further strengthen physical defense in such a short time. Therefore, they decided to start with increasing firepower to increase the chances of resisting zombie attacks. Jiang Sheng skillfully operated the cutting machine and opened shooting holes on the protective steel plates on the north and south sides of the first floor. Two light machine guns were quickly set up, and the ammunition belt boxes were neatly arranged next to them, ready to be deployed at any time. In addition to heavy-fire machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and other weapons were also checked, with magazines fully loaded and ready to fire, lined up in a row, ready to respond to emergencies at any time.

Although Neville has not yet realized the peculiarity of what he has captured, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli know that this little zombie is most likely a relative of the zombie leader, which means that the attack tonight will be extremely fierce. They thought about possible defense strategies. In addition to relying on firepower advantages, they also thought of taking advantage of the zombies' fear of light. They decided to set up strong lights around the house. Once night falls, they will turn on these lights and use the deterrent effect of light on the zombies to delay time as much as possible and gain more space for counterattack.

In addition, they also plan to set up some simple traps around the house, using limited resources to create chaos, distract the zombies, and reduce the pressure on the front line. Time passes by, and the air is filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere. Everyone knows that tonight will be a sleepless night, and a tough battle for survival is about to take place. In the doomsday environment, every decision and every action may become the key to life and death.

Neville knew that facing an intelligent zombie leader, traditional defense alone was far from enough. Therefore, he carefully arranged a circle of solar lights around the house to ensure that these lights could provide them with an additional safety barrier when night fell. In addition, Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli were not idle either. They used the resources at hand - gasoline, diesel, discarded plastic products and several old cars to build a fire wall around the house. This can not only block the direct attack of the zombies, but the pungent burning smell and bright flames will also have a certain deterrent effect on the zombies.

As the last rays of sunset disappeared, a tense atmosphere began to fill the air. Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli realized that the real test was coming. After a hasty dinner, Neville returned to the basement to continue his crucial antiviral drug research, while Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli occupied the north and south windows respectively, vigilantly watching the darkness outside, waiting for the appearance of the intelligent zombie leader.

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye it was already eight o'clock in the evening. Outside the window, a wall of fire was burning in the night, and thick smoke was billowing into the sky, accompanied by the pungent smell of burning plastic. The whole environment seemed both oppressive and threatening. At this moment, Moon Hyo-ri's voice broke the silence, and she captured the first trace of movement through the infrared telescope.

"Here they come!" After a brief warning, she quickly put down the telescope, set up the machine gun, and entered combat status.

Jiang Sheng followed closely behind, crouching down and paying close attention to the outside through the observation hole. The fire in the southwest corner seemed to have weakened, and vaguely, zombies could be seen trying to extinguish the fire wall that blocked them. Faced with this provocative move, Jiang Sheng was filled with anger.

"Damn, let me show you how powerful I am!" He cursed under his breath, tightened his fingers, and the machine gun immediately spewed out angry flames.

"Da Da Da—" In the night, dense bullets poured down towards the southwest corner like a fire net woven of steel. The wrecked car in flames burst into larger sparks under the impact of bullets, and in response, the zombies who tried to break through the fire wall were instantly torn into pieces under the close-range strafing of machine guns. Dirty blood splashed everywhere under the reflection of the fire, and the scene was both tragic and cruel.

This battle is not only a contest of physical strength and weapons, but also a contest of wisdom and strategy. Kang Seung and Moon Hyo-ri understand that they are facing not only a physical enemy, but also an extreme challenge to human nature and the will to survive. In this doomsday wasteland, they must use all means to protect the faint light of hope.

"Awooo--" The zombies' roars echoed in the night sky, as if driven by an irresistible force. Facing the blazing wall of fire, they showed an almost suicidal determination, even if they were swallowed by the flames. This scene was chilling, their behavior was extraordinary, it seemed that they were no longer controlled by instinct, but driven by a deeper will.

Moon Hyo-ri was also engaged in a fierce battle at the south window. The sound of her machine gun was intertwined with her shouts, "These zombies are crazy, turn on the solar lamp!" Before she finished speaking, Jiang Sheng had already responded quickly. The circuit switch on the right hand side was flipped hard. With a "swish", the strong light instantly illuminated the house in the night, just like daylight. Those zombies who had luckily crossed the fire wall were panicked by the sudden strong light and tried to escape.

However, at this critical moment, a deafening howl was heard in the night, and the sound contained a trembling power. The zombies that had tried to escape before seemed to be rekindled by the roar. Their bodies emitted wisps of white smoke and they desperately rushed towards the solar lamp group, intending to destroy this only light source.

"Don't let them break the solar lamp!" Jiang Sheng's heart was filled with alarm. The sound of his machine gun and Wen Xiaoli's machine guns intertwined again, and they fired wildly, trying to stop the zombies' crazy behavior. Although some zombies were torn apart by bullets, more zombies took the opportunity to break through the firewall, and the situation became more critical.

"MB, there aren't so many zombies in the movies!" Jiang Sheng looked at the zombies gathered outside the fire wall, and his fear and anxiety reached its peak. The number of zombies was far beyond their previous expectations, as if all the zombies in the city were attracted here.

"Puff puff puff--" A worse situation occurred. Due to insufficient fire coverage on the east and west sides, the zombies took advantage of the situation and sneaked in, tearing open a gap, and rushing in like a tide, directly threatening the flanks of the house.

Faced with such a dangerous situation, Jiang Sheng made a bold decision. He picked up the machine gun, dragged a long bullet chain, and rushed to the gap in the east without hesitation. There was no pre-set shooting point there, but the zombies were still some distance away from him. Jiang Sheng made a prompt decision, directly pulled open the protective plate, set up the machine gun, and launched a fierce sweep at the swarming zombies.

Moon Hyo-ri witnessed all this from behind and was horrified. She quickly shouted, "Are you crazy? Put down the protective plate quickly!" She was well aware of the risks of doing so. If the zombies got close to her, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Shut up!" Jiang Sheng responded with a bit of determination and madness. At this critical moment of life and death, the desperate nature in his bones was completely aroused. After he finished scolding, he continued his desperate attempt without any hesitation, weaving a death net with machine guns, trying to buy precious breathing space for the house.

At this moment, Jiang Sheng's actions are not only a resistance to the zombies, but also a challenge to despair. He uses practical actions to interpret what kind of courage and spirit of sacrifice the desire for survival can inspire in the end of the world. In this land shrouded in despair, the persistence of every living person is the most noble hymn to life.

In such a desperate situation, Moon Hyo-ri had no choice. She quickly picked up a machine gun and rushed from the north to support, guarding the south window side by side with Jiang Sheng. Although there were many zombies, not every one had the intelligence and strength of the zombie leader. In the face of dense firepower, they fell in large numbers like wheat cut by sickles in autumn. In close-range exchanges of fire, human weapons showed an absolute advantage.

However, the intervals between battles are always short. After the previous batch of zombies was cleared, a new wave of zombies came from outside the fire wall. Jiang Sheng's reason seemed to be overwhelmed by the madness of the battle. He took out a mine from his pocket, and according to the method taught by Moon Hyo-ri before, he quickly pulled out the safety, threw it hard into the zombie group, and then immediately closed the protective plate. A deafening explosion followed, "boom--" After the loud noise, the shock wave carrying fragments hit the protective steel plate, making a "puff puff" sound, like the music of death.

Jiang Sheng waited patiently for five seconds, and after confirming that it was safe, he reopened the protective plate. The scene before him comforted him a little. Most of the zombies that rushed in had fallen, temporarily alleviating the crisis. He quickly put down the protective plate and turned to run north. He knew that was the real battlefield. Opposite Tweed Court, a few blocks away was the Federal Court. According to the zombies' linear movement pattern, a large-scale attack was very likely to be launched from the north.

At this time, the fire wall had been torn open by the zombies, but Moon Hyo-ri's timely sweep relieved the pressure. Jiang Sheng seized this precious opportunity, quickly replaced the ammunition belt, and continued to fire accurately with the assault rifle. However, in this tense battle, he had an ominous premonition in his heart - the zombie leader had not appeared yet, which made him feel very uneasy.

"Have you seen the big one?" Jiang Sheng couldn't help but ask. He needed to confirm whether the biggest threat really did not exist.

"I didn't see it." Moon Hyo-ri's answer was calm and brief. She was focused on the battle in front of her and her eyes never left the sight.

At the moment when these words fell, a sudden change occurred at the fire wall in the distance. A scrapped school bus suddenly crashed into the fire wall like an out-of-control beast. The huge impact force not only knocked a big hole in the fire wall, but also the school bus itself was like an uncontrolled cannonball, rushing towards their residence with blazing flames. This sudden change made everyone's heart rise to their throat. Obviously, the wisdom of the zombie leader was far beyond their imagination. It was launching an unprecedented offensive in an unprecedented way.

"It's finally here!" Jiang Sheng seemed to have thrown the word fear behind him at this moment. He quickly opened the protective plate, pulled out two grenades from his waist, calmly pulled the safety, counted to three seconds, and threw them at the out-of-control school bus without hesitation. This was not a simple physical superposition, but a collision of wisdom and courage. The collision between the school bus and the grenade instantly erupted with huge energy, and flames shot up into the sky. The school bus seemed to be suddenly lifted up by an invisible hand, and then fell heavily to the ground. The fragments of the explosion were like a deadly rain of arrows, tearing the high-level zombies hidden in the dark into pieces.

The shock wave gradually dissipated, and Jiang Sheng did not stop for a moment, immediately picking up his machine gun and mercilessly shooting at the zombies that were disturbed by the explosion and tried to take the opportunity to break through. Each of his bullets landed accurately on the target, effectively curbing this group of "suicide squads" composed of high-level zombies and strangling their offensive in the cradle.

Moon Hyo-ri witnessed Kang Seung's heroic performance from the east window, and she could not help but have a new understanding of him. Before this, her attitude towards Kang Seung was somewhat complicated. In addition to using him as a potential victim, she had also considered sacrificing him at a critical moment to obtain the mission reward. Women's emotions are often more delicate and changeable. After a night of warmth, her murderous intention towards Kang Seung has decreased, but in her heart she still thinks he is a "weak chicken" with mediocre combat effectiveness.

However, Kang Seung's courage and bravery this time completely overturned her image in Moon Hyo-ri's mind. His fearless spirit made Moon Hyo-ri identify with him from the bottom of her heart. Both psychologically and physically, she began to truly regard him as a trustworthy partner.

"Well done!" Moon Hyo-ri praised sincerely, with a hint of admiration in her tone.

Perhaps it was the passion for battle, or perhaps it was to relieve tension, Jiang Sheng laughed out loud and said confidently: "I proved it last night."

Moon Hyo-ri's face, which was slightly tired from the battle, broke into a rare smile. She replied in her usual sarcastic tone: "Haven't you heard that there are only cows that die of exhaustion, but no fields that are plowed to death?" Hearing this, Jiang Sheng's eyes sparkled with a playful light, and he teased: "Really? How about going back and giving it a try?"

"Come on, I'm not afraid of you!" Moon Hyo-ri responded without showing any weakness. The atmosphere between the two became relaxed and subtle in the intervals between the tense battles.

"Da-da-da-——" The gunshots rang out again. As the advanced zombies who knew how to use cars as cover were eliminated, the ordinary zombies on the periphery seemed to have lost their command and quickly dispersed like the tide receding, leaving only a pile of broken limbs and a few zombies still struggling. This sudden crisis was resolved by the joint efforts of Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli, but in this doomsday world, danger will never be far away, and the relationship between them has quietly changed in the repeated hardships.

While Kang Seung and Moon Hyo-ri were nervously discussing the next countermeasures upstairs, Neville walked out of the basement slowly with his loyal companion, a dog who accompanied him in the doomsday. He looked around and asked in surprise, "What's going on?"

Jiang Sheng complained silently in his heart: "You are really good at pretending. You even used grenades outside, and you still asked what happened?" But on the surface, he just answered calmly, still holding the assault rifle tightly in his hand: "A large group of zombies just came over, but they were temporarily repelled."

Neville's face immediately showed a nervous look. He walked over quickly and asked with concern: "Are you okay?"

"Nothing." Jiang Sheng replied casually, and then turned to ask the question they were most concerned about: "How is the research on virus antibodies going?"

Hearing Jiang Sheng's question, Neville shook his head helplessly, with a trace of worry between his brows: "We are still testing the pathogens in the zombies, and the results will not be available until tomorrow at noon."

Jiang Sheng understood that the answer to this question was not important, what was important was whether they could hold on until that moment. He understood that as long as they could hold on to the zombies' attack, Neville would have a chance to develop virus antibodies, otherwise, all efforts would be in vain.

In order to let Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli relax a little, Neville offered to help guard and let them replenish their energy. During the short meal, Wen Xiaoli analyzed with a serious face: "If nothing unexpected happens, the previous wave of zombies should only be a tentative attack. I estimate that the zombies will launch a general attack in the second half of the night."

Jiang Sheng nodded and said, "Okay. Take some time to rest and I'll be on guard."

Moon Hyo-ri did not refuse. She knew that in such an environment, it was very important to maintain physical strength and a clear mind. She simply nodded and fell asleep quickly on the sofa downstairs, holding the assault rifle.

Seeing Moon Hyo-ri fall asleep so quickly, Jiang Sheng rolled his eyes helplessly and thought to himself, "She is so careless." Then, he picked up his gun, walked firmly to the window, and began to perform his guard duty.

Just as Moon Hyo-ri expected, since the wave of attacks at eight o'clock, until after ten o'clock in the evening, the zombies outside remained unusually quiet and did not launch any attacks. Jiang Sheng stood by the window, always alert to possible crises.

While Jiang Sheng was on high alert, Moon Hyo-ri, who was sleeping on the sofa, slowly opened her eyes and sat up, as if she realized something. "You're awake!" Jiang Sheng noticed her movement and asked with concern.

Moon Hyo-ri simply responded: "You go and rest." She knew very well that at a time like this, taking turns to rest was the key to maintaining combat effectiveness.

Jiang Sheng didn't say much, as he knew that every moment of rest was extremely precious. He quickly walked over and lay on the sofa where Moon Hyo-ri had just slept, which was still warm, ready to take over the next round of vigil. In this doomsday night, everyone is working hard for survival and holding on to hope in their own way.

Jiang Sheng had not felt tired in the intense battle before, but once he relaxed, the pain came like a tide, especially in his two arms which were almost numb from the recoil of operating the machine gun for a long time. He secretly vowed that if he could escape by chance this time, he would exchange a bottle of physical strengthening liquid in the magic cube system so that he could become an omnipotent super soldier like Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator".

In this way, he slept for two hours in a daze with his tired body. In between being half asleep and half awake, he seemed to have traveled back to the old world, which was full of flowers, applause and endless praise, surrounded by beautiful women, enjoying luxury houses and luxury cars, as if he had reached the pinnacle of life in an instant. This dream was so beautiful that he almost didn't want to wake up.

"Fang, wake up!" Moon Hyo-ri's hurried call brought him back to reality from his fantasy. He wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth due to his dream and asked in a daze, "What's wrong?" What answered him was the fierce gunshots and the tense fighting atmosphere outside.

Instantly, Jiang Sheng woke up and realized the environment he was in. He quickly jumped off the sofa and rushed to the north window. Unlike the previous attack at 8 o'clock, this time in the general attack at dawn, with the assistance of Neville, the battle seemed to become much easier. They first wiped out a wave of vanguard troops composed of high-level zombies, and then the zombies retreated like a tide, as if they were brewing a bigger offensive.

Just when they were slightly relieved, something unexpected happened. The roof suddenly broke, and the terrifying zombie leader that had terrified them during the day appeared in the air like a ghost, drawing a sharp trajectory and rushing straight towards Jiang Sheng.

"Be careful!" Moon Hyo-ri's warning voice penetrated the sound of gunfire. Jiang Sheng reacted very quickly and grabbed the shotgun on the windowsill almost reflexively. At the moment when the zombie leader was about to hit him, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

With a loud "bang", the zombie leader was blown away by the powerful shotgun force when it was about to touch him, but its sharp nails still left a deep scratch on Jiang Sheng's chest. Blood immediately oozed out. The pain made Jiang Sheng sober instantly. The cruelty of the battle once again reminded him that this was doomsday, not the paradise in his dreams.

The police bulletproof vest made of Kevlar material became Jiang Sheng's lifeline at this critical moment. Despite this, the zombie's sharp nails still tore three 10-centimeter blood grooves on his bulletproof vest, and the blood quickly seeped out and dyed the collar red. In this life-and-death moment, Jiang Sheng endured the severe pain and did not choose to escape. Instead, he showed amazing perseverance and quickly reloaded the gun. After two consecutive "clicks", he fired several shots at the zombie leader again.

"Bang", "Ka-ka", "Bang", the sound of gunfire and the sound of loading guns echoed alternately, forming a tense and fierce battle melody. Moon Hyo-ri and Neville also joined the battle, the guns in their hands were like tongues of fire, pouring angry bullets at the zombie leader. The gunfire in the house was as dense as frying beans, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Without the help of his subordinates, the zombie leader was forced to retreat to the stairs. Facing the dense rain of bullets, he was unable to break through the defense line built by human firepower. Especially the huge wound on his chest caused by the shotgun, the green blood splattered everywhere, adding a bit of horror and despair.

"Ouch~~" The zombie leader roared angrily, as if unwilling to accept the defeat. It showed amazing flexibility, jumped up with the help of the stair railing, escaped from the hole in the roof, and disappeared into the night.

The battle came to a temporary end. Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli each held a gun and walked carefully to the second floor. After carefully checking and confirming that the zombie leader had indeed left, the two of them felt relieved and sat on the ground helplessly. The pressure brought by the zombie leader was not only physical, but also mental. Its speed made it difficult for them to catch its trace. If it were not for the intensive fire suppression, they would probably have died long ago. Even with such a favorable environment, the cunning zombie leader still escaped.

Moon Hyo-ri noticed Kang Seung's bloody chest and asked with concern, "How is it, is the wound serious?" Her tone was full of worry.

"You won't die!" Jiang Sheng answered like a tough guy, but Moon Hyo-ri's reminder made him realize the seriousness of the problem. If a zombie scratches you, if not handled properly, the risk of infection is extremely high, and they currently don't have any spare antiviral serum.

Thinking of this, Jiang Sheng immediately put away his relaxed expression. He knew that the next priority was to treat the wound and prevent possible viral infection. Wen Xiaoli quickly found a first aid kit and helped him clean the wound carefully. Every move was extremely careful, for fear of touching the wound and causing unnecessary pain or infection.

In the doomsday world, every little negligence can lead to fatal consequences. Jiang Sheng and Wen Xiaoli know that they can't be careless, because in this world, the price of survival is constant vigilance and struggle. This incident once again sounded the alarm for them, making them realize that in the fight against zombies, in addition to courage and strength, wisdom and caution are also indispensable.

Moon Hyo-ri walked down the stairs slowly with weak legs and feet, and remained highly alert, while Neville quickly led Kang Seung to the basement to treat his wounds scratched by zombies. In such a doomsday environment, every member is an indispensable part of the team, and they must abide by the principle of not leaving the front line with minor injuries. Neville carefully cleaned Kang Seung's wound with disinfectant, and then bandaged it with a simple bandage to ensure that the wound would not be further infected. Kang Seung endured the pain and stood on guard with Moon Hyo-ri again, and Neville also picked up his SSG3000 sniper rifle and joined them to jointly protect this hard-won safety.

(End of this chapter)