Volume One Mutation Chapter Twenty The Arrival of the White Serpent!

“Captain! The number of zombies is increasing, and it’s not just on our side. The other two sides of the city wall, the ones not against the mountain, are also swarmed with corpses. Should we open fire?” A soldier ran up to Zhao Meng and reported urgently.

Zhao Meng glanced up at the thick clouds gathering overhead and cursed, “Damn it! Building the safe zone against the mountain made sense at the time, but who could have guessed that what was once our shelter has become a curse? The mountain traps the rain clouds here, and now every monster from the surrounding cities is being drawn in! Open fire! But assign one platoon to focus on the birds overhead. Everyone else, aim at the densest parts below!”

“Yes, sir!”

Soon, word spread to the troops stationed along all three walls, and gunfire erupted in unison. In an instant, the night blazed with firelight as a hail of bullets collided head-on with the tidal wave of undead. Gaps were torn into the mass at the base of the wall, only to be filled in moments later by the relentless press of more corpses. The war between humanity and the mutant creatures had truly begun.

Rows of rifle barrels extended from pre-cut firing slits, transforming the once-smooth city walls into a bristling forest of blackened steel. As the guns fired, their muzzles flashed in an overlapping dance of flame, sending a rain of bullets slicing into the zombie horde. The first ranks of the undead were instantly riddled and fell back, collapsing atop one another.

The heavy machine guns performed with devastating effect. Their rounds often punched through several zombies at once; a shot to the head or limb meant instant death or crippling damage. Countless corpses piled up before their relentless barrage.

But no matter how many they felled, the vacancies were instantly filled by the seemingly endless tide pressing from behind. This wave of the undead far surpassed anyone’s worst fears.

“Clear the zone with fuel!” Zhao Meng ordered, his voice steady.

In the next moment, the minefield buried at the base of the wall detonated with a thunderous roar. Explosions rolled forward in waves, sending not only fire but entire mutant creatures flying into the air. When the final line of explosives went off, the area two hundred meters beyond the wall was wiped clean, leaving only a carpet of mangled mutant bodies.

The explosions ceased. High-pressure nozzles were raised above the walls, arcing black gasoline in graceful curves over the ground. The remaining zombies surged into the fuel-soaked area, slipping and falling in droves, writhing grotesquely as they struggled to rise, only to be buried by the swarm behind them.

Soon, the fallen corpses filled the entire anticipated kill zone. The grotesque figures sprawled in a heap while the mass behind pressed forward, trampling their fallen kin in a desperate urge to “cross the river.” When the bodies had piled high enough, Zhao Meng shouted, “Fire!”

Hundreds of incendiary rounds ignited the gasoline-soaked ground, and the flames soared skyward. The mound of abominations became a blazing barrier—the undead themselves forming a solid wall of fire. Large numbers of zombies found themselves trapped behind this inferno.

The soldiers cheered at the sight, and inside the safe zone, the residents watched the live broadcast with tears of joy, embracing and congratulating one another.

District Chief Zhou reclined in his wide armchair, but the victorious scene could not bring him relief. The T1-level mutants were relatively weak, and the concentrated gunfire could keep them at bay. Their numbers, though vast, were not unmanageable with the military stores prepared in advance, and some heavy weapons remained unused. What truly worried him were the T2-level creatures lurking in the rear ranks of the horde.

Why did the Sword Immortal of Huaxia become a legend? It was because with a single stroke, he had slain a T2 mutant wolf—a beast impervious to conventional arms. After a year of cataclysm, everyone knew that T2 mutants were nearly invincible to ordinary weapons: agile, massive, with formidable defenses. Only specialized armor-piercing rounds could pierce their hides, and even then, the wounds were rarely fatal.

Most troubling of all was that colossal white serpent. In a modern world with convenient transportation, a hundred meters might seem trivial, but if it were a building, that would mean a thirty-story tower. When that massive snake reared up, it was as tall as twenty or thirty floors—a monstrous presence capable of freezing all who laid eyes upon it with mortal terror.

Zhou silently prayed for the Sword Immortal Liu to arrive soon.

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Though the burning pile of zombies formed a high barrier, the agile mutants could not be held back for long. More and more of them clambered over the wall of fire, leaping from the corpses of their own kind. One humanoid zombie was the first to vault the flames, charging the wall like a beast reborn, driven wild by the scent of flesh. But a bullet struck it squarely in the forehead, sending it tumbling to the ground, lifeless.

The flaming barricade did its work, slowing the tide enough for the soldiers to pick off each zombie that made it across, creating an ideal killing field.

Zhao Meng stood atop the wall, shouting orders, when he spotted several calf-sized mutant cats bounding forward from the rear. With a single leap, they cleared more than ten meters, moving with uncanny agility like monsters from some feverish film.

In no time, the huge cats reached the fire wall. They sprang up, clearing the burning mass with ease, their jaws wide and fangs gleaming. Zhao Meng gritted his teeth and roared, “All heavy machine guns, concentrate fire on those mutant cats!”

Despite their enhanced physique, the cats were still beasts of low intelligence. The black water had made them stronger but had not dulled their instincts. Seeking to advance quickly, they leapt over the corpses, exposing themselves mid-air—making them perfect targets for the gunners. They could not change course; they could not dodge.

Each monstrous feline was caught in the deadly crossfire, torn apart before they could even land. Only two reached the base of the wall; one was quickly dispatched, but the other managed to leap onto the parapet.

The prize was within reach! The cat, larger than a man, snapped its jaws around a soldier still firing his rifle, tearing off a leg in a single bite, then flinging the rest of the body from the wall. The sight ignited fury in every heart.

The mutant cat, however, was not here to feed. Its crimson eyes gleamed with cruel playfulness as it bounded into the thick of the troops, seizing another soldier before anyone dared fire for fear of hitting their comrades.

Reveling in the chaos, it leapt from one cluster of men to the next, fully aware of the soldiers' hesitation. Zhao Meng's teeth ground with rage as he watched his men played like fools. Suddenly, he saw his chance—the cat had turned its back. He sprinted over, leapt, and grabbed a fistful of its long fur, hauling himself onto its broad back.

The beast tried time and again to shake him off, but when it failed, it dropped to the ground and swung its head back to bite. Zhao Meng had been waiting for this. He yanked the pin from a GB grenade, shoved the bomb into the cat’s gaping maw, and let himself fall away.

With a muffled explosion, the mutant cat staggered, then collapsed, motionless.

A cheer erupted from the furious soldiers; their eyes shone with new respect for Zhao Meng.

“Don’t celebrate yet! Back to your posts—this war has only just begun. We have only one outcome: victory. Defeat is not an option!”

“Yes, sir!”

Fortunately, the T2 mutants were not numerous. As weaker creatures before their transformation, few had survived the first wave of catastrophe, giving humanity a chance to breathe.

Boom!

Thunder crashed overhead, tearing through the sky that, absent human pollution, had grown clear once more. The immense sound battered the hearts of those huddled within the safe zone, making their pulses falter.

Every household gathered around their screens, watching the battle unfold beyond the walls, praying for the rain to pass and the war to end.

But the sky was unkind. Another flash of lightning illuminated the land, announcing with dreadful grandeur the arrival of something monstrous—a colossal silhouette appearing at the rear of the corpse tide, visible even from over a kilometer away.

The immense white serpent moved with deceptive speed, its massive body crushing the zombies beneath it, its once-gleaming scales now streaked with blood. In mere moments, the serpent’s belly was painted red from its passage.

Suddenly, the giant snake reared up, raising half its body to a dizzying height—enough to stun all who saw it. Its great head flicked out a long tongue, and it unleashed a thunderous roar, proclaiming its arrival to the world.

Zhao Meng stared, dumbfounded. How could they possibly fight this?

“Look!” cried a soldier.

All eyes followed his pointing finger. In the other direction, chaos erupted at the back of the horde. Something moved rapidly into the mass of undead, smashing aside anything in its path. Wherever it passed, zombies were sent flying in all directions—a scene at once comical and surreal.

As the figure drew closer, everyone in Safe Zone 16 finally saw the unexpected intruder—a young man in casual clothes, standing atop two off-road vehicles, which were plowing through the mutant horde one after the other.

At that moment, everyone instinctively wondered—what make are those cars? How can they run so fast and take such a beating?