Chapter Seventy-Nine: Still Far Too Softhearted

11 p.m.

Tonight, Fang Xia once again took personal command, even relocating the battlefield back to the villa. The unease in his heart made him tense. It shouldn’t be like this—no matter how long the zombie rain lasted, his own strength ought to be enough. Where had he gone wrong?

As midnight approached, Fang Xia’s anxiety grew. “Brother Fang, the statistics are in. Of the forty newly-upgraded girls, three have the Tenacity ability, and two have the Flame ability,” said the young girl. Her words eased Fang Xia’s worries somewhat. The Flame ability wasn’t particularly powerful one-on-one, but in group combat, especially against mindless zombies, it was exceptionally effective.

At the stroke of midnight, based on his experience from his previous life, tonight should not bring another zombie rain. Elsewhere in Dawn City, everyone stared anxiously at the sky.

In the east of the city—

“Chen Qingli, if the zombie rain continues tonight, won’t everything we did during the day be wasted?” The Lone Wolf gazed upward, another man by his side. If Fang Xia’s memory had been sharper, he might have recognized this man, but last time, he hadn’t found the so-called second-in-command. After all, he was just a minor character—Fang Xia had only glanced at him briefly, hardly enough to remember.

“Brother Wolf, it’s not wasted. Nobody knows we did it, so even if we’re blamed, it’s worth it to disgust them a little. Besides, if the rain stops, the other factions will also suffer a fair bit,” the man replied.

In the south of the city—

Dressed in white, a solitary figure stood atop a rooftop, staring at the sky, with members of the Blood-Clad Group below.

In the west—

Chen Gang sat inside, facing a middle-aged man across a game board. “The rumor is the zombie rain will disappear. Did you hear?” Chen Gang asked.

“That little wolf actually started thinking for himself—it’s rare. But regardless of the truth, strength decides everything. As long as we stay in the city, who can get the tobacco? Besides, it’s midnight.” The man pointed outside. Chen Gang turned to look—a familiar crack appeared once again.

“Brother Fang, so many second-tier zombies—and even third-tier ones!”

“Hurry, wake everyone on rotation. Quick!”

Fang Xia was already standing, eyes fixed on the sky. This wasn’t merely an extension of the zombie rain—it was a third wave following immediately after the second.

“Hurry, stay calm, prepare for battle.” Fang Xia commanded from the center, directing the girls with precision. The first zombie finally landed, followed by a dense swarm.

Fang Xia and Bai Xing took the initiative, prioritizing the third-tier zombies falling in the courtyard. The girls who should have been resting were quickly summoned. From the beginning, when Fang Xia decided to move the battlefield back tonight, everyone sensed something was wrong. No one slept; all waited in tents, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

“Liu Rui, you take command.” Fang Xia handed over leadership to Liu Rui, then took up his blade and joined the fray.

“Li Xiaochun, take two Tenacity girls to hold the first wave.” Li Xiaochun had been ready, stepping to the front at once.

“Li Yi, you and another Tenacity girl guard the flanks.”

“Li Qianwan, you two stay out of the fight for now—wait for my signal.” Li Qianwan was one of the two with the Flame ability.

“Whether we withstand tonight depends on you two. Don’t run off, understood?” Li Qianwan nodded firmly, choosing to stand beside Liu Rui.

“Stay calm. Each team leader, focus on holding off the third-tier zombies.”

The zombie horde launched its attack. After a week of battle, the girls were highly skilled—there was no panic; they followed Liu Rui’s arrangements exactly.

“Kill!” Li Xiaochun was already engaged, and with her strength, second-tier zombies were no match. Her ferocity boosted the morale of those around her, who cheered in response.

“Left side, third-tier,” Liu Rui ordered coolly.

Two girls stepped forward from the crowd, confronting the third-tier zombie directly.

“Front right—third-tier, two of them.” Instantly, four girls emerged. These were the ones who had already advanced to third-tier.

Bai Xing had joined the battlefield—even third-tier zombies couldn’t escape her deadly strikes, greatly easing the pressure on the girls. Fang Xia, after clearing the courtyard, moved to the rooftop, eyes scanning ceaselessly.

Third-tier zombies were a challenge for the girls, but fourth-tier zombies were deadly. Fang Xia’s unease lingered, as if watched by unseen eyes in the darkness. He knew it must be that fourth-tier zombie.

If third-tier zombies possessed animal-like instincts, then fourth-tier zombies were the most intelligent of the animal kingdom. They were not only more alert, but also more patient; without sufficient certainty, they would never risk exposing themselves.

Like venomous snakes lurking in shadow, you never know when they’ll strike.

The battle in Dawn City had reached a fever pitch.

Even Fang Xia’s team, with their high quality, had suffered casualties; the other factions fared even worse.

The Lone Wolf Group’s casualties had surpassed a thousand, and the endless swarm of zombies showed no sign of stopping.

The Blood-Clad Group was smaller, but their quality was higher. Even so, they had lost over a hundred members.

Dawn City had the most people and the widest defensive line; by now, thousands of bodies littered the ground, and the defenses had been forced to contract.

Lacking top fighters, when faced with high-tier zombies, the masses could only try their luck—hoping to exhaust them to death.

As for the opportunistic loners, their deaths could no longer be counted.

“Second team, plug the gap—don’t hesitate. If you don’t kill her, she’ll kill you.” Liu Rui’s voice was hoarse. By now, eleven girls had died.

Eight of them perished because one girl hesitated when her companion was bitten by a zombie, unable to bring herself to kill her; as a result, she died alongside her friend, taking six more with her.

If Fang Xia hadn’t intervened in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The bloody lesson was clear. No one dared hesitate again—if anyone was found scratched by a zombie, they were killed immediately.

“If this happens again, whether or not you become a zombie, the whole team is out,” Fang Xia said coldly, staring at the girls before him. The unease in his heart refused to fade, and at such a critical moment, someone was still making the most basic mistakes.