Chapter 158: An Increasing Number of Zombies

If we fail to reach the human survivors' gathering place before dark, the crisis will be far more severe than it was back in Chencheng.

In Chencheng, you could hardly spot two Tier-3 zombies, but here, Tier-3s are practically rampant, appearing almost at regular intervals.

"Ruirui, take a squad up and relieve Bai Xiaochun."

Liu Rui acknowledged the order and moved out immediately. Soon, Bai Xiaochun returned covered in blood, muttering under her breath that she hadn't had enough fun hacking through them.

Ever since leaving Dawn City, she hadn't had many chances to fight because the zombies were simply too weak.

Now that she finally had a good opportunity, she was called back after just over an hour.

It felt like the foreplay had just ended and the main event was about to begin, only to be told time was up.

It was utterly frustrating.

"Get some rest; there will be plenty of work for you later."

Fang Xia saw right through Bai Xiaochun's thoughts with a single glance.

This girl looked quiet and gentle, but once she picked up her blade, she never wanted to stop.

Hearing Fang Xia say this, Bai Xiaochun quieted down. She took some snacks from the little girl, eating as she walked to replenish her stamina.

With fresh troops replacing the vanguard, the marching speed picked up significantly once again.

At this pace, they should arrive around Dongguan by three or four o'clock.

This was the advantage of having high overall team strength.

If Fang Xia's team had been full of Tier-1 fighters, they might not have arrived until midnight just to accommodate their slow pace.

By that time, anyone foolish enough to run around outside in such numbers would undoubtedly have turned into zombies.

The journey continued in silence; everyone pushed hard along the road. Shaocheng had already been passed by, leaving them no choice but to push further down.

By past three o'clock in the afternoon, the vanguard units had been rotated batch after batch, and they had even encountered several blocked routes.

Fortunately, the team was well-prepared, and everything turned out safely despite the close calls.

At last, Fang Xia spotted the directional sign for the next intersection: only twenty-seven kilometers left to Yangcheng.

The Southern Metropolis referred not to a single city, but to two: Yangcheng and Pengcheng.

The two cities were extremely close to each other, and alongside another municipality directly under the central government, they constituted the four major ultra-first-tier cities prior to the apocalypse.

Two such metropolises lying in such close proximity was the very reason Fang Xia had always wanted to come here.

Of course, it was also because the distance wasn't particularly far; otherwise, he would have preferred to visit the Capital.

Not long after, the vanguard ahead suddenly came to a halt.

Because the road was straight, Fang Xia could not see what was happening ahead and could only wait quietly.

Soon, someone came running back from the front.

"Brother Fang, there are so many zombies."

Yangcheng was right before their eyes, but now the question was how to cross over.

Fang Xia had already reached the very front of the formation, accompanied by Bai Xing and the others.

Before them lay a broken road, spanning a gap of over a dozen meters visually, across which they stood facing the zombies on the opposite side.

"Brother Fang, we'll have to find a way around."

Liu Rui stood nearby, staring at the dense horde of zombies not far ahead. If not for the massive chasm blocking their way, the creatures would likely have already charged across.

Find a way around?

Fang Xia scanned the surroundings. Although there was no ready-made road, cutting a path through wouldn't be too difficult.

"Is anyone here familiar with this route?"

Soon, a middle-aged man from Guo Yu's team stepped forward.

"Brother Fang, before the apocalypse, he was a cargo truck driver who frequently ran this route. He's very familiar with it."

Fang Xia nodded and turned his gaze to the man.

"If we want to detour, are there any other routes?"

The middle-aged man thought for a moment and nodded.

"There are side roads, but we can't be sure how many zombies might be on them."

Fang Xia was not overly concerned about zombies; as long as they headed in the right direction, there was nothing to fear.

Before coming here, he had already prepared himself to face massive hordes of zombies.

Much like Dawn City, the surroundings were perpetually surrounded by vast numbers of zombies, and even the cleared spaces formed after a zombie siege would quickly be filled by new ones.

Ordinarily, if possible, cutting straight through the highway exit would have been much more convenient.

But now, the road was broken.

Whenever they encountered such a situation previously, they would build a bridge to cross.

Yet at present, countless zombies on the opposite side were watching like tigers eyeing their prey. Crossing one by one under those conditions would be no different from serving themselves up as a meal.

"Why don't we build a bridge and let the zombies come over instead?"

Liu Rui proposed an idea.

Build a bridge, lure the opposite zombies across, and then eliminate them one by one—that way, there would be zero risk.

"It's getting late; it'll be dark soon."

Fang Xia checked the time.

If it were still morning, he certainly would have agreed, but it was already past four o'clock.

In just over an hour, night would fall.

After dark, human capabilities were restricted even further, whereas zombies could leverage their exceptional hearing to maximize their advantages.

With Fang Xia's single sentence, everyone understood that time was running out.

"Let's take the detour. Even if it's further and there are more zombies, we have no other choice."

Without lingering hesitation, Fang Xia made his decision immediately.

The formation was readjusted once more, and the two groups merged together again. Everyone drew their weapons, ready to plunge into battle at a moment's notice.

Guo Yu personally stepped forward, hacking through the highway guardrails on both sides with a few swift strikes to create a gap.

Because the commotion was somewhat loud, it immediately drew the attention of zombies outside the fence, prompting them to attack.

"How far is it if we go through here?"

Fang Xia didn't even look at Guo Yu's direction; those few zombies weren't enough to pose a threat to Guo Yu, especially with so many people around him.

"Leader Fang, taking this route means a detour of about four or five kilometers."

This distance wasn't very far; marching at full speed, it would take no more than a dozen minutes.

While Fang Xia was asking, Guo Yu had already finished clearing the area.

Taking the lead, Fang Xia stepped out through the highway guardrail first, and the others followed sequentially, leaving the highway one by one.

"Move out, keep the noise down as much as possible, and finish fights quickly even when combat breaks out."

Fang Xia drew his own twin blades as well; at a time like this, he could not afford the slightest carelessness.

Should a Tier-5 zombie suddenly leap out, that would spell genuine trouble.

Detouring from the highway to the provincial road did not take much time.

There weren't too many zombies along the way, and the entire team swept through like a steamroller.

Yet when they finally reached the provincial road, the crisis finally manifested.

A large-scale battle erupted without warning.

In an instant, humans and zombies plunged into a fierce, white-hot clash.

Meanwhile, from all around, a continuous stream of zombies came rushing toward the scene.

"Don't get bogged down in prolonged fights; push through toward Yangcheng!"

Fang Xia shouted at the top of his lungs to remind everyone.

If they kept fighting in one place, the danger might be lower, but they wouldn't reach Yangcheng even if they fought until tomorrow.

Only by carving a path through could everyone survive.

This time, Guo Yu's team was no longer at the forefront; Fang Xia's women's squad took the vanguard, led by Bai Xiaochun.