Chapter 29

"Commander, this won't do. In a few more minutes, those monsters will reach our position. When that happens, our soldiers will have no strength left to fight back," a staff officer in military uniform said to Yuan Jianze.

Yuan Jianze frowned deeply, this being the most difficult battle he had faced in the past two days. After all, there were too many of these monsters, so many that the firearms could hardly be effective.

"Rapid fire! Don't conserve ammunition; we must break through this light barrier. I have a feeling that our hope for survival lies within this light barrier," Yuan Jianze said with a strange glow on his face. This middle-aged man in his forties exuded a strong fighting spirit.

"But... what if..." the staff officer hesitated.

Yuan Jianze replied, "There are no 'what ifs.' Since the damned apocalypse began, we have already used up half of our ammunition. If we don't find another way out, we might end up fighting bare-handed. Do you think we have the strength to face those monsters?"

The staff officer straightened his face and said, "Yes, Commander!"

The staff officer then went to relay the order, and the gunfire around the light barrier intensified.

The advantage of the machine guns was fully demonstrated at this moment. None of the initial-stage mutated creatures could break through the machine gun blockade.

After more than half an hour, most of the mutated beasts were killed on the spot. If Cheng Yang saw this, he would certainly cry out in waste. These were all spirit energy points, and if killed by these unclassed people, they would gain no benefits.

However, at this moment, the faces of Yuan Jianze and the other military leaders did not show any signs of victory; instead, they became even more serious. They saw that behind the scattered mutated beasts, there was another group of larger mutated beasts standing there. A rough estimate put their number at no less than two hundred. They seemed to be preparing something.

Yuan Jianze was already quite familiar with the identities of these mutated beasts. They possessed much greater strength than ordinary mutated beasts. The most troublesome thing was their speed; ordinary soldiers could hardly aim at them.

"Quick! Have the snipers prepare in the back. Ten snipers to deal with one, eliminate them as soon as possible," Yuan Jianze immediately gave the order.

After the order was relayed, the best thirty snipers in the military district were divided into ten teams and began to pick off the mid-stage mutated beasts from a distance on the high ground.

These snipers had been trained for several years and worked in perfect coordination. Each shot was almost simultaneous, and they used armor-piercing bullets, each of which could deal significant damage. With ten people working together, they could kill one mid-stage mutated beast.

In just over ten seconds, seven or eight mid-stage mutated beasts were picked off. At this point, the mutated beasts could no longer hold back. After a deafening roar, they charged toward the human defenses.

The distance of over two hundred meters was just a dozen seconds for these mutated beasts, putting great pressure on the human side.

"Fire blockade! Don't let them get close!" Yuan Jianze held a rifle and, with his precise shooting skills, fired at the charging mutated beasts.

At this moment, humans realized how insignificant their attacks were against these mid-stage mutated beasts. Even if they hit, it was hard to make the beasts pause.

The leading mutated beasts were picked off by the snipers, but the number of snipers was too small, and their impact was limited.

The machine gunners caused even greater casualties. Although it was difficult for them to aim at the mid-stage mutated beasts, the dense web of machine gun fire made it impossible for the beasts to avoid being hit. More mutated beasts fell to the random gunfire than to the snipers.

After more than twenty seconds, the first mutated beasts finally broke through the human defenses, and a frenzied slaughter began.

Blood splattered, and limbs flew everywhere...

These soldiers had never felt so weak and powerless. Their resistance seemed so futile against the mutated beasts.

In just a few breaths, hundreds of soldiers had died, including some military officers.

Under the protection of several guards, Yuan Jianze quickly retreated a short distance. Seeing the chaotic scene ahead, his expression turned cold, and he said, "Order the troops to eliminate those monsters at all costs."

The others sensed the tremor in Yuan Jianze's voice and could guess how reluctant he was to give this order. The execution of this order would inevitably result in many soldiers being killed by their comrades, which was not what Yuan Jianze wanted to see.

But they had no other choice. If they did not make a decision immediately, the entire army would be buried here, and Xiangcheng City would become a dead city.

The gunfire sounded again, and many soldiers shed tears as they fired, unsure whether they were hitting the damned monsters or their comrades-in-arms.

The snipers played a crucial role at this moment. When the mutated beasts and the army became entangled, they could clearly see the beasts through their scopes and quickly shoot them down.

When the last mutated beast fell, the scene was unbearable to look at.

Of the nearly twenty thousand soldiers, fewer than ten thousand remained. They had paid a heavy price in this battle. Moreover, their remaining ammunition was less than a third of what they started with. If there were another such battle, they would surely fall.

Yuan Jianze stood silently among the pile of bodies for half a minute, then raised his right hand and saluted firmly, muttering, "Brothers, rest in peace! We will protect Xiangcheng City."

After speaking, Yuan Jianze walked toward the light barrier, accompanied by a group of guards.

The remaining soldiers began to clean up the battlefield. They did not want to leave their comrades in the ruins, as they did not know when they might face the same fate.

As Yuan Jianze stepped into the light barrier, a thought appeared in his mind, and he seemed to instantly understand the purpose of everything within the barrier.

Understanding was one thing, but for a man in his late forties, accepting such a reality was incredibly difficult.

"What kind of world is this!" Yuan Jianze looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with confusion.

The staff officer said, "Commander, it seems the world has truly changed. This is probably a disaster that has affected the entire world. In the face of this disaster, humans will either be destroyed or reborn from the ashes."

Yuan Jianze suddenly found something in his consciousness, and the strong fighting spirit gradually returned to him. He said, "Xiao Chen, you're right. We need rebirth, not destruction."

The staff officer said, "I am willing to follow the general and assist in leading Xiangcheng City to rebirth."

Yuan Jianze nodded and said, "Good! Let's make a difference in this chaotic world. We cannot determine the situation nationwide, but the most urgent task is to rescue the people of Xiangcheng City. I hope it's not too late."

With that, Yuan Jianze approached the statue of the warrior, placed his hand on it, and a light barrier enveloped him.

PS: Here's the extra chapter, thanks everyone...

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