Chapter 37: Repositioning

A commotion rang out near the urban fringe center as a horde of zombies broke against the barricades.

Crowbars pummeled their bodies.

The hammers bashed their heads.

And the axes cut them in halves.

Melee weapons collided against the zombies, helplessly slaughtering their rotten bodies.

At the heart of the formation stood a man nearly two meters tall. Blood filled his eyes as he scanned the battlefield, smoke pouring from his nose and mouth.

“Garven, you little mink….” he growled, “I will tear your apart the same way I tear through these animals!”

His muscles swelled, ripping the biker outfit apart. The fabric shredded violently, snapping outward as his body surged in strength.

“Boss!”

“The boss has engaged. Everyone, watch out!”

His subordinates scuffled into the rears as he charged into the horde, tearing zombies apart with raw force.

He seized a stone on the side and smashed it hard in front of him. Blood splattered. Limbs burst out.

The zombies lunged at him, but his body twisted and slipped past their reach. He gripped his fists and drove it forward, exploding heads and crushing torsos.

Corpses piled at his feet, torn and broken all over. With a roar, he grabbed a cluster of zombies and crushed them together, collapsing into a pool of blood.

Silence ensued. The horde was no more.

Everyone stared at the monstrous human bathed in dark murky blood. Their throats thumped, swallowing the fear rising in their hearts.

Their eyes glowed in admiration—a frenzied loyalty established through terror.

A low growl rumbled from the man’s chest as he slowed, deep breaths calming his racing heart. As the throbbing sensation soothed out, his enlarged body deflated like a balloon.

He stood there once more, unchanged in shaped but surrounded by death and ruin. A few people grunted at the scene but held it in, shivering.

“Yunera!” he shouted, veins sticking on his face.

“Yes, boss!”

A woman somersaulted in the air, her heels landing upright on the ground. The men instantly flicked their heads to the sides, not daring to stare long at her long legs donning thin stockings.

“Get some men and find that damned Garven. I want him back here half-dead, half-alive!”

The man turned around, hurrying back to the metal fortress behind. A charming smile formed on the young woman’s face, those red eyes slithering like a snake.

“As you wish, boss. Hehe.”

A small of team soon formed, dashing through the hollow buildings under the soft glow of the moonlight.

In the distant highway, a black armored SUV rode through the asphalt. Dmitri held onto the steering wheel, guiding the vehicle back to their base.

Adrian, on the side, savored the beautiful view of the night sky. Smoke puffed out of his mouth as the cigar burned between his fingers.

On the rear were two army soldiers and three conscripts, silently pondering unknown thoughts in their minds.

Roger’s head leaned on the window, faint snores coming from his hanging mouth.

The four apartment buildings soon emerged. Its loud roaring reverberated across the complex, alerting everyone.

The guards at the gates quickly opened the gate and let the armored SUV in. Dmitri parked it on the lot behind the apartment and shut the engine off.

“Everyone, take a rest. Adrian, come with me.”

The squad parted ways. Dmitri and Adrian arrived at the Commander’s Room, standing before Hans.

“How did the initial exploration go?”

Dmitri stepped forward and spoke first.

“Urban fringe entry is blockaded by wrecked cars. We suspected that humans have done it. The roads on the southern area were cleared. Buildings all empty aside from unwanted scraps.”

Adrian continued without waiting, “There are two factions we currently know—one led by a ragtag group of college students and another by a violent and tyrannical warlord.”

“That sounds like you have encountered them already.” Hans’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Yes, Commander.” Adrian replied, “Our squad encountered the group of college students. They’re wary of us, but they’re not close-minded. The warehouse is occupied by them. The base was decent but nowhere as good as ours.”

“The warlord’s forces are equipped with walkie-talkies.” Dmitri added, “They aren’t a small group. Their actions are very organized. The subordinates are loyal to death. We have no information other than these.”

“Is that so? Be cautious of the warlord and his people then. What about the bank?” Hans asked.

“Zombies swarm the bank, Commander.” Dmitri answered, “The alarm might be functional. Access routes are bad. Too exposed to breach with gunfire or distractions. Silent entry is the only possible way.”

Hans was quiet for a moment. Breaching the bank was his most important objective. His Gold resources had run dry to train the rest of the army soldiers, attack dogs, and scouts.

Only 2 more pair left, and I will be done with the Rank 2 promotion.

He also wanted to build the virtual Radar building. The emergence of other human factions prompted his need of map vision to locate enemies, opportunities, and other points of interest.

“How many days will it take?” Hans questioned.

“Three days, at most, Commander.”

Hans exhaled slowly, “The warlord might expect us. The zombies can wait all they want.”

He tapped the map once, “Continue with the plan.”

He looked at Adrian, “Establish friendly relations with that refugee group. Do not let them take over the entire warehouse. We can expand our base of operations into the inner city through that location.”

Then to Dmitri, “Establish an outpost near the bank. I will reinforce that area with more soldiers. Tighten the perimeter with an overwatch. If the warlord’s forces appear near us, I want our side to know and react to it.”

He clasped his hands and anchored his head above it, “Prepare for the alarm in case it activates. Traps of any sort must be rigged where the zombies may approach. I do not want any heroics when things get rough, do you understand?”

“Yes, Commander!” The two scouts saluted.

Hans did not consider starving the bank of electricity as that might lock his soldiers out of the bank.

Having more soldiers to hack and slash will increase the clearing speed and reduce the margin of error.

Once the alarm also trips, the amount of ammunition held by such a large force could be enough to wipe an entire population of urban fringe zombies.

If the warlord also schemed to jump into the party, a group of soldiers would intercept. They would do their best to entertain the warlord and his subordinates for a while.

“Do you two have any more questions?” Hans leaned on his chair.

“No more, Commander.”

“Dismissed.”

The meeting ended.

Hans had issued his orders. Now, it was time to execute them.

By the next morning, a long column of soldiers marched out of the apartment complex.

Dmitri led the platoon, Rex pacing silently at his side. Adrian, with his own buddy, Vex, two scouts, and a pair of attack dogs flanked him.

“This is going to draw some attention. You sure the Commander ordered for this?” Adrian was confused.

“The warlord is already aware of our presence,” Dmitri replied, “Hiding or being elusive in our movements will not change that.”

“A show of force, you say?” Adrian grinned, quite excited to see the warlord’s reaction.

“Either he’ll be scared or he’ll be intimidated.” Dmitri shrugged, “Most people rethink their choices when dozens of guns come down staring at them.”

“And what if he is a superhuman?” Adrian hinted at the half-transformed thief from before.

“There is nothing in this world that a bullet cannot solve.” Dmitri snorted, “If there is, fire another round more.”

Adrian laughed, “I do agree about that. So, how about it? How do we split now?”

“Your squad will remain as is. I will command the rest.”

“Fine.” Adrian waved him off and moved ahead. Another long day. Another boring day to him.

“Prepare for a full march!” Dmitri called out. “Our destination is several kilometers ahead.”

Chatters died instantly.

The soldiers stood in attention. Their bodies straightened, anticipation rising in their hearts.

All eyes locked onto Dmitri.

“Soldiers, move!”

The formation surged forward as one.

To the survivors watching from the surrounding apartment buildings, the sight was overwhelming.

Just how many soldiers did this young Commander, this young man had?! This was no longer a small group of soldiers.

This was a platoon!

This was security!

This was survival!

Their hearts beat in synchrony as the boots silently thumped on the ground.

Marco’s eyes squinted, peering through the open window. Some of these soldiers were faces he hadn’t seen before!

“There should be less than 60 of them… how come there are more than that now?!”

His understanding of the Commander collapsed. It had become enigmatic, his mind floating in the vast depths of the void.

Roger had long adjusted in seeing random new soldiers every day. Startled as he was before, he quickly brushed it off and shifted his eyes back to the engine in front of him.

“The Commander will need more vehicles soon. If only we can salvage a truck…”

His oil-slicked fingers tirelessly worked on the components, giving his best to bring this car back to life.

Nurse Lira worriedly glanced at their departing figures. No soldier has approached her for injuries before.

Now, the scale of this operation surpassed her previous expectations. Wounded soldiers may finally step in—blood pouring out of their wounds, limbs torn into angles. Countless possibilities flashed into her mind.

“May all of you return safe and sound, dear soldiers.” she muttered, clasping her hands together.

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