Armor-piercing bullets don't believe in carbon-based monsters

Chapter 303 I'll lead you away!

Chapter 303 I'll lead you away!
On April 2nd, on this seemingly ordinary day, the history of Zhuolu City came to an end on the wasteland.

Most civilians perished in the monster attacks, and the Guardians of the Church prayed as they charged towards the horde of beasts, offering their final loyalty to the Holy Trinity.

The city lord died while covering the evacuation of civilians.

His entire body was corroded by the monster's acid, and the swelling and blood blisters made his corpse unrecognizable. Like all other corpses, he lay unremarkable on the road south.

The group of over a hundred people who managed to escape fled south and hid in the dense forest.

When neither their own kind nor their faith could protect them, nature offered them their final refuge.

Three hours later, the beast tide that had been heading south destroyed Qicheng.

Having learned of the fall of Zhuolu City in advance, the Qicheng Protectorate Army evacuated civilians ahead of time. In the face of life and death, the desire to survive ultimately led them to abandon their faith.

But they also had nowhere to go.

They cannot go north; there are monsters there.

They cannot go south, for there lies the Holy Army.

They cannot go west, where dense, impenetrable forests grow on the plains.

They also couldn't head east, as there were no supplies available for their large force there.

They could only head southwest.

That's the direction of Hanshui City.

If they are lucky enough, they might be able to reach Hanshui City in ten days or so, where they can receive aid from "another traitor".

Such a journey is destined to be arduous.

Many people are destined to die on the road.

But they had no other choice; the distant city of Hanshui was their only chance of survival.

Eight hours later, the monster arrived in Haozhou City.

The 600 Christian defenders who remained put up a fierce resistance.

More than 20 heavy cannons were deployed to the battlefield, all unnecessary prayers were omitted, and the white smoke spewed from the cannons even obscured most of Haozhou City.

All available weapons were deployed, and the reinforced city walls withstood repeated assaults.

As bullets rained down and steel rained down, the monster's advance was indeed halted for a fleeting moment.
-
But it was only for a moment.

Subsequently, the defenses of Haozhou City were breached, and the Christian army and the monsters engaged in a fierce battle.

Faced with those enormous monsters with diverse characteristics, the Guardians of the Faith, lacking effective light, high-lethal weapons, were essentially trading human lives for the monsters.

If you don't have a rocket launcher, rush to the monster's feet and throw grenades.

Without automatic rifles, they collected all the rifles from their fallen comrades and then worked in pairs to shoot the monsters one by one.

Some people even strapped bombs to their bodies and jumped onto the monster to detonate them.

The explosive power of gunpowder is unlikely to cause a direct fatal injury to a monster, but what if there is more than one person doing so?

As 600 friars died one after another at the monster's feet at a visible rate, some civilians who had not yet evacuated also faced their fate in despair.

They were not very skilled at using the weapons left behind by the Guardians, but they launched a final charge against the monster.

At that moment, no one knew whether they were doing it for their so-called faith or for their families who were fleeing for their lives.

But in any case, death is always equal.

When death descended upon them, the city fell.

More than a thousand people died in the clash with the monsters, but because of their bravery, the horde also left behind more than 10 enormous corpses.

Zhang Tao's plan seems to be working.

If there were a dozen or so more cities like Haozhou, perhaps he could really weaken the beast tide's momentum before it reached the Xuyi defense line.

But it is clear that Haozhou City is unique.

After all, this city itself had been reinforced by the Holy Army.

Its refusal to retreat was aimed at forcing the beast tide to turn around and enter the encirclement of the Xuyi defense line.

The mission of Haozhou City has been accomplished.

After traversing the ruins of Haozhou, the beast tide moved unimpeded.

Wuhe City has fallen.

Mingguang City has fallen.

The advance defense line of Ziyang Town has collapsed.

Two hours later, the beast tide arrived at the shore of Nüshan Lake and began to gather there.

"Our plan has worked."

On the Xuyi defense line, the archbishop looked through his binoculars at the gathering beast tide in the distance and spoke to Zhang Tao, who was personally commanding the operation:

"The beast tide has shifted, and they will definitely stop at the shore of Nüshan Lake."

"This is an important water source, and many aquatic monsters must rest and recover here."

"Next, they will most likely head east along the waterway and enter the encirclement we have set up."

"All the giant cannons are ready and have been adjusted."

"The artillery priests and mech servants are all in position."

"Once the beast tide enters the firing range, they will inevitably suffer huge casualties."

"It could even be said that, due to the advantage of the terrain, the results we achieved may be even greater than those achieved by the Chinese army near Banghu."

"Are you that confident?"

Zhang Tao's expression was somewhat solemn.

Then he began to speak:
"I'm not that optimistic."

"The size of the beast tide did not exceed our expectations, but its scale far exceeded our expectations."

“I have seen at least five familiar monsters, two of which are level two monsters that I have seen before.”

"That Qinyuan mother body."

"We must eliminate it as a priority."

"Otherwise, our defenses will become extremely vulnerable."

"clear."

The archbishop nodded slowly.

"I will issue orders requiring all giant cannons to fire first at the Qinyuan Mother Body."

"In addition, the 'Sun' of the Holy Trinity is also ready."

"We will detonate it immediately once the beast tide enters the blast radius."

"Even if the damage caused by the sun cannot completely wipe out the beast tide, it can at least render them unable to continue advancing."

"And that will be the time for us to launch a counterattack."

Are you sure we can raise the sun too?

Zhang Tao looked suspicious, but the archbishop was full of confidence.

"If the Chinese army can do it, why can't we?"

"In reality, this weapon known as the 'nuclear bomb' is not as mysterious as it seems."

"It is essentially a giant bomb made of more powerful gunpowder."

"According to the oracle of the Holy Trinity, to detonate gunpowder, one type of gunpowder is needed."

"I have wrapped those nuclear bombs with layers of explosives. When the gunpowder on the outer shell detonates, the sun will rise as usual."

"understood."

Zhang Tao let out a heavy sigh.

"Then give the orders to our brothers."

"The final battle is about to begin."

"This battle will determine our common fate."

"For the Holy Trinity!"

On the other side, south of the Banghu defense line.

Yu Qian spat out the blood and foam in his mouth. The intense pain in his chest made him realize that he might not be able to hold on for much longer.

Just now, he led the remaining soldiers of the Fifth Platoon of the Infiltration Company to kill three stray monsters in succession. With ammunition almost exhausted, he used a rocket launcher to fire at the last monster at close range.

The high-temperature metal jet generated by the rocket penetrated the monster's fragile keratin layer without any hindrance, pinning it firmly to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, the monster's waving tentacles struck his chest, sending him flying several meters away.

His body even snapped a small tree as thick as a wrist. The enormous impact first caused him severe pain in his lower back, followed by a strong feeling of suffocation in his chest.

The sternum collapsed and the ribs were broken.

He gasped for breath, his mouth agape, and with each contraction of his muscles, his face contorted in agony.

Yu Qian struggled to sit up, staggered toward the Mengshi vehicle parked not far away, and threw the sniper grenade, whose drum magazine had long been emptied, onto the back seat.

Immediately afterwards, he replaced the last magazine of his 191 rifle, grabbed a grenade from the ammunition box, and stuffed it into the pocket of his carrying gear.

When facing giant monsters, these grenades are so ineffective that they are almost negligible.

But you can't deny that if you want to die a dignified death with a monster, this is definitely the best option.

Yu Qian was breathing heavily, carefully sensing the subtle stinging sensation as he breathed. After a moment, he came to a conclusion.

The broken ribs may have touched my fragile lungs. If I continue with high-intensity activities, I may die from closed pneumothorax, just as "Fuxi" in the earphones said.

So, what does closed pneumothorax mean?
Was the lung punctured by a bone?
That makes it easier to understand.

I never imagined that I would die for such a "strange reason".

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Yu Qian's lips.

At that moment, he thought of his two children, who were far away in Jinling New City.

They should have already taken refuge inside 011, right?

My son once told me that there was another world beneath the mountain at Base 011, a dreamlike world that was completely different from the wasteland and seemed like paradise.

Every time the topic comes up, my son excitedly describes everything about that place to me.

It's as if the danger of seeking refuge is less important than the novelty of entering the 011 base.

That's just how children are.

Even now, he could never know what kind of brutal battle his father was going through. He could only fantasize that when he returned after killing the monsters, his father would tell him the story of the base.

That's good too.

He would never see the true appearance of Base 011.

But as long as they see it, that's fine.

Yu Qian slammed the door of the Mengshi vehicle shut, then went around to the passenger side and climbed into the car with contorted movements.

Liu Qi, the driver, was already waiting in the driver's seat. Yu Qian took a few breaths and gave the order:

"Let's go."

"The next supply point is marked on the map, it's 4 kilometers away."

“The road is difficult to travel, but we must get there within 30 minutes.”

"After resupplying, we will continue eastward."

"The third squad is coordinating with the tanks to launch a final attack on the beast tide on the Banghu defense line."

"After this attack is over, we can retreat."

"Have you received the order to retreat?"

A hint of joy flashed in Liu Qi's eyes.

"Yes."

With difficulty, Yu Qian began to speak:
"The commander has confirmed that the beast tide from the northwest has crossed Anqing City."

"The window of opportunity for the two beast tides to converge has passed, and our mission is complete."

"it is good!"

Liu Qi nodded emphatically.

"That's good!"

He slammed on the gas pedal, and the forward thrust slammed Yu Qian hard against the backrest. He gasped in pain, and Liu Qi quickly slowed down.

I'm sorry, I...

"It's ok."

He waved his hand dismissively, indicating he had some spare money.

"I can't hold on much longer. After I die, you must take my place and lead the comrades back."

"There are six of you left. You must get back alive."

"Don't say such discouraging things!"

Liu Qi slowly turned the steering wheel, and the Warrior smoothly drove off the paved road, following the path marked on the map, heading straight for the supply point.

The overwhelming fatigue caused Yu Qian to fall asleep very quickly, or perhaps, more accurately, to say that...
coma.

He lost consciousness, and when he awoke again, all he could hear were gunshots and Liu Qi's shouts.

"Bang bang bang bang -"

"Hold the line! Three men per group! Take turns providing cover!"

"Save bullets!"

"We're running low on ammunition!"

"Someone come here!"

"Go and carry the class monitor out!"

"Let's go into the woods!"

"Less than a kilometer to the supply point!"

"There must be reinforcements there. We must hold on!"

Yu Qian barely opened his eyes and saw a comrade rushing towards the car door, trying several times to open it but failing.

Immediately afterwards, he pulled a dagger from his waist and swung it down hard. As blood gushed out, a thick tentacle twitched and retracted, and the car door opened with a thud.

"Hold on, squad leader!"

We have to go!

Yu Qian was helped off the car by the people who came, and he was still carrying the Type 191 rifle with only one magazine left in his right hand.

Not far in front of them, several water ghosts crawled out of the water and were firing at the small squad of broken cavalry with crude weapons. Behind them, a twisted monster was emerging from the swamp beside the lake and dragging the Mengshi vehicle into the depths of the swamp with its tentacles.

Having exhausted all its ammunition, the Warrior activated the vehicle's laser anti-missile system, consuming its last bit of energy in an attempt to burn away the monster's tentacles.

But this was destined to be in vain.

The vehicle was deeply stuck in the swamp, and the team had lost their last cover.

"Cover the squad leader!"

"quick!"

The bullet flew over Yu Qian's head.

He raised the rifle with one hand and fired at the blurry figure in front of him.

"Bang bang bang bang -"

The lurking water ghost instantly fell to the ground, the recoil causing the rifle to slip from his hand. Yu Qian instinctively shook off his teammate who was helping him up, fell to the ground, and picked up his rifle again.

He then lay down and aimed at the demons further away.

"You guys leave quickly!"

"I'll cover you!"

Yu Qian shouted with all his might.

He knew he couldn't leave now.

After the Mengshi vehicle was dragged into the swamp, the monster had already crawled out and was chasing its prey at a speed that was not fast, but one that it absolutely could not escape.

"Take the squad leader away!"

Liu Qi turned around and shouted.

"Leave me fucking alone! That's an order!"

Yu Qian coughed up a mouthful of blood, then pulled the trigger, firing the last burst of bullets from the chamber.

"Bang bang bang bang -"

"Click."

Smoke rose from the muzzle of the gun.

Yu Qian finally released the gun from his hand.

He rolled over and lay on his back on the ground.

The monsters behind them were already pressing in.

Its twisted, repulsive body was already close at hand.

"That's fucking disgusting."