Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 101: United We Stand (6k)

In Licheng, the security zone is located north of the city center. Beyond that long, winding wall, extending into the city, stands a 34-story residential building.

At the top, Wang Peng, who had just become the squad leader, war correspondent Cheng Lu, and several militiamen were guarding this observation post.

The nearby floors that might have obstructed the view have been demolished by explosives. This place offers an excellent view, and using the underground lines from before the cataclysm, they installed a landline telephone here to contact the command center.

Having put so much effort into this observation post, its main task is to monitor the movements of zombies in the city.

The military jokingly refers to this place as a modern-day beacon tower.

However, in reality, this place is safer than the beacon tower. The sturdy reinforced concrete building has been sealed off layer by layer. Inside this building, a few living people are tiny targets and are difficult for zombies or anything else to detect.

As long as they don't expose themselves, they can survive for a long time in this place with plenty of supplies. Even if they are exposed, this multi-story building, which is over a hundred meters high, is not so easy to breach.

Of course, the situation here is much more severe than that at the beacon tower. If a zombie horde really breaks out, this place will be a dead end outside the safe zone, and it will be difficult to break out on its own. It can only wait for rescue from the safe zone.

"So, have you got the situation in the safe zone? Any new missions?" Wang Peng asked, looking at the soldier who had just hung up the phone.

"The report has been sent. The rear command instructed us to continue monitoring, report any abnormalities as they arise, and wait for the battle to end."

"We will notify you separately if there are any changes. Also... the command center has instructed us to ensure the safety of reporter Cheng."

"understood."

The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief; it was a reasonable order, meaning they could take a short break.

They didn't even need to report on the zombie horde's movements; their main task was considered complete once they observed the zombie horde gathering in the distance.

The plans formulated within the safe zone for this anticipated battle were largely redundant and did not require these few individuals to undertake any dangerous tasks.

Although the group had come prepared to die in battle, it was still better than not having to risk their lives.

Preserving our bodies is essential for building safer zones in the future.

With a sudden sense of relief, and the atmosphere in the observation post no longer as tense as before, Wang Peng looked at Cheng Lu, who was fiddling with the film camera in her hand, and smiled: "Reporter Cheng, is this your first time outside the safe zone?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you afraid? Our outpost is the furthest from the safe zone. You don't need to go this far."

"What's the point of me, a war correspondent, just staying in the safe zone taking pictures of walls and construction sites? Of course, I have to go to the front line."

Cheng Lu, with her neat short haircut, put down her camera and then set up her monoculars to look at the distant scenery.

The soldiers looked at the young girl, who was even younger than them, and smiled kindly: "Don't be afraid when the zombies come later."

"What's there to be afraid of? I was the one who discovered the situation over there first."

Cheng Lu turned her head and glared at the group: "You guys just love to act like male chauvinists."

"Alright, alright, we'll admit it. Reporter Cheng has done a great service this time."

The soldiers laughed even harder, but said nothing more.

These people were selected to go to this isolated island because they had carried out search and rescue missions deep in the city. They knew best the horror of those zombies who were completely unafraid of death.

"However, I heard that Commander Su is fighting real monsters in Haiqu, the kind that are hundreds of meters tall on their own."

"I've heard about it too. Wow, a monster hundreds of meters tall. I wonder how they fought it over there."

"Don't you understand? Our commander-in-chief is incredibly strong. All the superhumans have to call him Principal. Those mutants, he killed them one by one with a single slash, just like that."

"This... one cut, one kill?"

"Nonsense, he clearly uses a sword. Don't you know the Commander-in-Chief can fly on a sword?"

"That's complete nonsense. My comrade has a friend whose classmate's older brother works as a doctor in Haiqu. He's seen the commander-in-chief with his own eyes. He's clearly three meters tall and has two hearts and three lungs..."

Several soldiers were arguing, and Wang Peng turned to Cheng Lu: "Reporter Cheng, your newspaper has more information. What's the situation in Haiqu?"

Everyone looked at her, and Cheng Lu replied with just two words.

"Secret."

"cut--"

"Keep it a secret, keep it a secret. Even a fart from the leader is a secret."

"I said the commander-in-chief is good in every way, except that he is too cautious. If we had listened to our superiors back then, we would have been able to fight our way back to the city by now."

Seeing that the topic was getting more and more off track, Wang Peng quickly coughed a few times to stop the discussion among the militiamen.

"Shut up, all of you. If you have nothing to do, keep an eye on the situation at the front. There might be new orders coming up soon."

"You have absolutely no sense of confidentiality or basic awareness. You all need to learn a thing or two from Reporter Cheng in this regard, right, Reporter Cheng?"

"Reporter Cheng?"

Receiving no response, Wang Peng turned his head and saw that the girl's brows were furrowed, her hand gripping the binoculars tightly, and her eyes were fixed on the direction of the city through the lens.

"They're here so fast? Quick! Turn off the lights!"

As the room grew darker, Wang Peng approached the balcony, picked up another pair of binoculars, and looked into the distance. Then, he instinctively held his breath.

Scenes they had never seen since the Great Cataclysm unfolded before them.

The first thing that caught my eye was a patch of crimson light, like fireflies dancing on the horizon. Those were the red pupils unique to mutated zombies, accompanied by a dark mass of figures like a tidal wave.

The earth seemed to be writhing, and the blurry, undulating shadows were like the city itself decaying and churning. The towering buildings standing in the darkness now became tiny reefs blocking the black and red tide.

Unstoppable! Inescapable! This was the first impression that popped into Wang Peng's mind. Everything on the ground seemed to be submerged by this tidal wave. The small gardens scattered in the city, the abandoned vehicles parked on both sides of the street, and the small river blocking the path of the zombie horde were almost as if they did not exist. They were covered and filled in just a moment.

Upon first sight of them, the already pervasive stench of blood seemed to intensify, and even before they reached them, the group felt as if they could already hear the city-shaking roar.

Even the soldiers who had seen life and death countless times in recent days were inevitably captivated by this scene, and an almost suffocating fear spread through the small observation post.

Behind that vast and mighty black tide, the group seemed to be able to see a real, crimson tide, sweeping in from all directions.

Is that really a crisis that human power can overcome?

"Click——"

Wang Peng, still in a daze, was almost startled by the noise around him and jumped up. He turned his head and saw Cheng Lu holding a camera. Her hands seemed to be trembling a little, and she was not as steady and skillful as the 'old masters' Wang Peng had seen. But she still stubbornly controlled herself and used the lens to record everything in front of her.

"It's too dark...it's too dark, I can't get any pictures!"

Seeing Cheng Lu's anxious frown, Wang Peng took a couple of breaths to calm down and then comforted her, "Don't worry, it won't be dark in a little while."

Wang Peng glanced at the dark, forward-moving line, following its direction as if anticipating something.

Reality did not disappoint them. When the zombie horde covered a street, a thin steel wire, completely invisible at their height, was touched. Then, with a loud bang, flames burst in the horde. The mutated zombies at the forefront were thrown into the air in large numbers, like sand dunes blasted open by firecrackers.

At the same time, a flare rose into the sky from that location.

This means that the zombie horde has just reached a point 20 kilometers outside the safe zone.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Safe zone, city defense command post.

Although many information technology devices are no longer usable, many of the habits of system-based operations have been preserved after more than ten days of operation.

Several people stood in front of the sand table, watching as the staff officers placed various marks on the map.

"Report: Flares triggered at points A11, B6, B7, and B14; zombie hordes observed at outposts 5, 7, and 9!"

Messages were transmitted to the brain of this battlefield, adding more realistic details to the map. A tide, replicated by arrows and lines, gradually took shape on the paper.

Zheng Yuan has been here for almost ten days, during which time he has had many disputes with the local commander, but the outcome of these disputes is in line with expectations.

He wasn't involved in command. Everyone has their own expertise, and Zheng Yuan knew nothing about actual combat. At this moment, he was sitting to the side, holding an enamel mug, watching several local officers discuss their plans.

He had suppressed the fighting will of the Licheng military for ten days, and now, everything was ready. This war machine, which had been building up its strength for a long time, was ready to be set in motion.

In the direction his gaze was fixed, an operations staff officer had already offered his opinion: "I think the artillery group in Sector B can be activated."

"Yes, we can fire a round of incendiary bombs into area B7 first. Judging from the speed of the zombie horde, this area is currently a densely populated area of ​​zombies."

The commander of the Licheng defense battle, named Cheng Rui, was a young general. He pointed to the map and issued orders.

He had once been one of the commanders who supported the plan to quickly counterattack the city, but now, as he pointed his finger at the waves, there was no contempt in his eyes, only cold calculation and a deep pain.

He was not unaware of the threat posed by zombies; on the contrary, he was very aware of it. He had studied the survival manual repeatedly, and that was why he hoped to stabilize the situation as soon as possible.

However, precisely because of this, when Zheng Yuan brought the commander-in-chief's opinion, he did not hesitate to stand up and join the other veterans in stopping them. Having carefully studied the manual, he understood that the commander-in-chief had a better understanding of the current situation, and his suggestions must have a deeper meaning.

Now, the battle has finally begun. The cold, impersonal map accurately reflects the battlefield situation, and the command he just issued is marked as a red circle on it. Every time he uses such power, it reminds him of the terrible price humanity has paid for survival, and the terrifying nature of this inhuman threat before him. Those who were wiped out in an instant were once living, breathing people.

However, he also knew that the dead would eventually have to make way for the living.

More instructions were issued and relayed to the front lines one by one.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On the fence.

There was still no sign of zombies, but the artillery positions behind them were already booming, with shells streaking overhead like flying sparks as they sped into the distance.

As the soldiers gathered for the last time, a voice rang out among them.

"Comrades, I know very well that you have the determination, courage and ability to complete this mission, but there are some things I need to emphasize to you again."

The person who spoke was Yu Kai, an ability user who came here with Zheng Yuan from the Taimeng base. He was originally a key member of the military and was now temporarily in charge of the defense of this section of the wall.

Unlike when he was comforted by Su Xun with tears in his eyes, he now seemed to have returned to the confident and decisive demeanor he had before the Great Cataclysm, giving a final pep talk to the soldiers who had been transferred here.

"Comrades, I know very well that many of your relatives and friends were lost forever at the moment of the cataclysm, and so was I."

As soon as he said this, many people's eyes began to redden. Yu Kai walked a little further forward, joined the soldiers, and continued to speak.

"This matter is something we can't let go of, something we can't get over. It's stuck in everyone's heart, in your heart, and in mine."

“I know that some comrades have been in great pain and suffering lately, and even feel that their mission has lost its meaning.”

"But! Comrades, please look carefully! Those zombies, those that have taken over the bodies of your relatives, friends, and comrades, are enemies, they are aliens that have desecrated the bodies of our compatriots!"

"This is a blood feud, a fight to the death, a racial war with no way out!"

"Now they're here, and they're going to use the bodies of our fellow countrymen to tear this line of defense apart, to tear you apart, and then rush into the safe zone, into hospitals, schools, and factories!"

"You can probably already imagine what will happen!"

Yu Kai pointed to the brightly lit safe zone and said loudly:

"Your ammunition was carried up box by box by 20,000 militia comrades in charge of logistics. Right now, the seven military factories in the safe zone are still producing weapons non-stop."

"This wall was built by 50,000 people organized by the safety zone, working day and night. Comrades, didn't they feel any sorrow in their hearts?"

"Why are they doing this? Of course, it's to save their own lives and for the safety of this place, but they're also trying to minimize or eliminate your sacrifices!"

"Look at the wall beneath your feet, look at the flag behind you. This is the people, this is the mission entrusted to us by our motherland!"

"Those who die in battle are honored, those who live in dishonor are disgraced. The time has come to serve our country!"

"We swear to live and die with the safe zone!"

A soldier shouted, and Yu Kai raised his voice: "No, we can only survive, not perish!"

"Ten days ago, Haiqu faced a wave of zombies. We had ten more days to prepare than Haiqu. This is Licheng's first major battle against zombies. After this battle, our safe zone will be established here, and our home will be rebuilt by us!"

"Comrades, what should we do?!"

"Use me in the first battle, and victory is assured!!"

"Use me in the first battle, and victory is assured!!"

"Use me in the first battle, and victory is assured!!"

"Report! The zombie horde is approaching the warning line!"

"Return to your combat positions and prepare to engage the enemy!"

"Prepare to engage the enemy—!!"

On the wall, wind-elemental ability users were also shouting in drawn-out tones. Heavy machine guns had already begun to roar, and splashes of light fell in large numbers behind the zombie horde's front line, which was still a kilometer away. Groups of zombies fell down like wheat being harvested.

However, these long-range firepower did not completely halt the horde's advance. The zombies approached the first line of defense at an extremely fast speed—a row of tanks, like a breakwater standing outside the wall.

The anticipated scene of zombies overwhelming the armored formation did not occur, because those steel behemoths opened fire.

With a deafening roar, just how many cannons fired in that instant? No, we don't know, we're not sure. All we could see was that the entire horde of zombies near the shelter was blasted into a blank space.

After such a long battle, people have found a weapon that is extremely suitable for the current situation—cannon-fired shot!
This weapon shone brightly at the end of the Battle of Haiqu, but its overall stockpile is indeed insufficient compared to armor-piercing or high-explosive fragmentation rounds. Currently, several factories in Licheng are ramping up production.

Countless fragments of steel balls erupted from the 125mm smoothbore cannon, instantly reducing the mutated zombies, oblivious to life or death, to blood and gore that were no longer discernible.

"Hurry! Reload! Machine gun cover! We can fire directly at the tank! Your bullets can't penetrate the armor! Quick!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Thunder rumbled, flames roared, smoke billowed, fire burned everywhere, and the booming sound echoed across the entire battlefield. The surging, burning smoke danced wildly in the sky like the tentacles of a giant beast.

Wang Peng was right. The surroundings were soon no longer dark. Flames and incendiary bombs illuminated half the city and dyed the entire night sky red. Cheng Lu held her camera but didn't know what to photograph.

How many zombies surged from this outpost towards the safe zone? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Once the numbers reach a certain level, people will lose their sense of perception.

There were only endless zombies, hordes of them, surging over the high-rise building like a tide.

They failed to notice the small, silent 'food' lurking among the buildings hundreds of meters above their heads. However, after Wang Peng and the others received a phone call, they began to stare intently at their surroundings.

Is the phone still connected?

"It's working!"

"We're almost there...we're almost there...!"

Wang Peng muttered to himself, his heart filled with anxiety. He checked the communication status every few minutes. Although the telephone lines were buried underground, no one could guarantee that there would be no accidents on a battlefield of this scale.

His gaze swept between the smoke and fire, when suddenly, a signal flare shot out from another building in the distance and crashed into a horde of zombies.

"Quick! Microphone, quick!"

Wang Peng immediately urged them on, picked up the binoculars with his other hand, and carefully measured the position using the scale inside the lens.

"This is sentry post number one. This is sentry post number one. Please respond if you hear me. Please respond if you hear me!"

"Target spotted! Target spotted! Bearing 271, distance 1200, repeat, sentry post 1, bearing 271, distance 1200! Area C16, it's in C16, moving towards C15!!"

Not long after he finished speaking, the sky was torn apart!

The earth trembled once more, and the dark wound covering the city seemed to have been completely ripped open by a scalpel. The hurricane, carrying the stench of blood, poured fiercely into the guard post whose glass had already been shattered.

"Get down!"

Wang Peng, his voice hoarse, pulled Cheng Lu back from taking pictures and yelled in her ear, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Open your mouth and put your hands on the ground!!"

Even from over a thousand meters away, the ground continued to shake. The group felt the entire building swaying and the explosions continuing. They didn't know what the safe zone had thrown at them, only that the endless darkness had been illuminated.

The thunderous roar gradually subsided, and Wang Peng raised his head, panting heavily. He leaned towards the window and looked in the direction where the report had just been given.

The area was charred black, with craters upon craters, and not even corpses could be seen on the ground. The two areas designated as C16 and C15 had been completely plowed up.

As their gaze gradually shifted back, they noticed that the zombies below the building were no longer running in the same direction with a clear purpose, but were instead circling around. This was actually more dangerous for the people on the observation post, as a large number of zombies were now stuck at their feet.

But Wang Peng just grinned and chuckled.

"Won!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The battle lasted all night, and the smells of blood, burnt food, and gunpowder from explosions could be smelled almost everywhere in the entire safe zone.

As dawn broke, the sound of artillery fire gradually subsided. Cheng Rui, Zheng Yuan, and others went up to the wall to observe the battlefield situation.

Countless corpses lay scattered outside the safety zone's walls, dark red blood flowed like a river, and billowing dust almost obscured the sun.

The scene before them was enough to show how fierce the fighting had been that night, but the blood that stained the earth only reached the vicinity of the front-line armored formation before stopping abruptly, as if this huge wave had crashed into an indestructible cliff. The cliff was not touched, but the wave was shattered.

Letting out a soft breath, Cheng Rui asked, "What's the casualty situation? How are the soldiers?"

"Report to the Commander! Outpost 091 was slightly affected by stray bullets, with no casualties! All combat units report stable status and high morale!"

The communications officer quickly replied. Cheng Rui pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Notify the logistics support department to immediately organize battlefield cleanup and environmental disinfection! The medical team is on standby, ready to deal with possible subsequent pollution and accidental injuries! All defense units should remain on alert and take turns resting. Don't tell me morale is high; no matter how high morale is, the body isn't made of iron."

"Notify all armored units to rest for one hour, and then..."

"Advance in stages, provide cover for each other, and retake the occupied area!"

(End of this chapter)