Zhang Shi and his three companions witnessed the power of the cannon firsthand and were very satisfied with this powerful weapon.

"Very good, Gong Yi, inform all the engineering corps that they can temporarily put aside their current work and focus all their efforts on manufacturing another cannon."

Gong Yi responded and slowly retreated.

As the sky gradually darkened, Zhang Shi temporarily halted the soldiers' work. In the wilderness, a foul wind suddenly appeared, irritating Zhang Shi's nostrils and giving him a premonition that there might be another tough battle tonight.

Zhang Shi turned to Zhang Dazhuang and gave him instructions.

"Pass down the order: all assault troops are to withdraw to the shelter, temporarily put aside their work, and rest and recuperate."

Afterwards, he went to the cafeteria to ask Xiaomei.

"How's dinner preparation going?"

Xiao Mei and several support soldiers were guarding three large iron pots, in which mutton soup was simmering, and the rich aroma of meat could be smelled from afar.

"Reporting to the lord, everything is ready and we can begin the meal on time."

Zhang Shi nodded, and seeing that everything was arranged perfectly, he turned and returned to the fortress.

The four people sat on the living room sofa, staring at each other. Although they were a little hungry, they tacitly refrained from eating. They all had a premonition that there might be another zombie horde attack tonight, and they were saving their stomachs for potions and attribute-enhancing foods.

“I used to hear people say that wars are about resources, but now I have to add that they also have to compete on stomachs.”

Zhao Feng rubbed his forehead and smiled helplessly. Their attributes were already quite strong at this stage, but they would still be exhausted when faced with the overwhelming onslaught of the zombie horde. If they didn't replenish their energy frantically, they would become completely drained.

Wu Qing stroked the small wooden carving that Shennongjia had transformed into in her hands, and comforted her with a smile.

"No pain, no gain. We've all gained a lot of experience, which is much better than risking our lives to run dungeons."

Mentioning the dungeon, Zhang Shi recalled the events in Huo Family Village. Connecting the various bizarre experiences he had there, Zhang Shi felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being manipulated like a puppet, falling into one carefully orchestrated coincidence after another.

...

As night fell, the blood moon appeared precisely on time.

The soldiers were already mentally prepared, and each of them stood on the wall with high spirits, keeping a close eye on the direction of the dense forest.

A moment later, a blood-red claw parted the bushes, and a mangled head emerged from the forest, sniffing ahead like a wild beast.

Seemingly having caught a whiff of something that piqued its interest, its expression immediately turned ferocious as it roared at the blood moon.

The roar alerted even more zombies.

Soon, more and more zombies emerged from the dense forest as if they had appeared out of nowhere, quickly forming a zombie horde.

The zombies had a keen sense of smell and, upon detecting the scent of humans, charged frantically toward the shelter.

The stream cut across the plain, stopping the leading zombies. The zombies, who had been going berserk, seemed to regain their senses upon seeing the river and stopped, pacing back and forth on the riverbank.

The number of zombies swarmed in, making the riverbank incredibly crowded. Soon, many zombies at the front were pushed into the river, their flesh dissolving in the surging water, leaving only skeletons that sank to the bottom. Drawn by the smell of humans, the zombies at the back continued to surge forward, pushing even more into the river. In an instant, the entire stream was filled with the blood and gore of zombies, turning into a dark red river of blood.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhang Shi shouted loudly.

"fire!"

With a loud "bang," the two cannons fired almost simultaneously.

Seconds later, the shells landed in the horde of corpses and exploded, the powerful impact blasting flesh and limbs into the air. The impact points of the two shells created a vacuum zone, the blood mist dissipating in the wind, leaving nothing but some bone fragments in that area.

"Awesome, I'll blow you up!"

After witnessing the power of the cannon, Zhao Feng jumped up excitedly and began loading the ammunition himself.

After a barrage of bombardment, the number of zombies decreased significantly. Stimulated by the sound of artillery fire, the zombies became even more frenzied and began charging recklessly towards the shelter.

More zombies sank into the river, and over time, the blood, flesh, and bones blocked the stream. The zombie horde used the bones to build a pontoon bridge.

As the zombies continued to approach the shelter, Zhang Shi's expression became serious. He tried to bombard the pontoon bridge, but his attempt backfired, creating numerous gaps in the riverbank and diverting the river's course, making it easier for the zombie horde to advance.

Zhang Shi sighed. He knew that long-range bombardment with cannons alone could not effectively stop this tide of immortality. The upcoming battle would be a double test of their defense system and the soldiers' fighting will.

"Guards, prepare for battle!"

Zhang Shi stood atop the wall, issuing orders to the entire army. At the same time, he took out his composite bow and aimed at a zombie attacking a barricade.

As the horde of zombies drew closer, the air thickened with the nauseating stench of blood and decay. The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes resolute; they knew this was their last line of defense for their homeland.

"Loose the arrows!" With a command, dozens of archers moved swiftly, raining down arrows on the zombie horde and slowing their advance. Then, the throwers joined the fray, launching heavy stones and Molotov cocktails with pinpoint accuracy onto the densely packed zombie areas, causing chaos and explosions.

However, the number of zombies remained enormous; they seemed tireless and insensitive, blindly charging forward. As the first wave of zombies breached the defenses, the battle unfolded in a similar manner to the previous night.

However, the pressure was significantly less tonight. The zombie horde was blocked by barriers, and its numbers were greatly reduced, making it easier for everyone in the shelter to deal with it.

The battle raged into the night. Under the crimson moonlight, flames roared and blood and flesh flew everywhere on the battlefield outside the fortress. Although the number of zombies was decreasing, the soldiers' strength was also being depleted. By the end, almost everyone's face was etched with exhaustion.

After an unknown amount of time, the blood moon faded, and when the bright moonlight pierced through the clouds and shone on this war-torn land, the zombie horde had completely scattered, leaving only a few scattered individuals wandering in the distance. Inside the shelter, the soldiers cheered and celebrated their hard-won victory.

Zhang Shi took out a bottle of purified water and drank it all in one gulp. He clenched his fist, which was trembling from exertion, and took several deep breaths to calm his heart rate down.

A moment later, the system cleared the battlefield as usual, all the corpses disappeared, and even the river that had been diverted by the shelling returned to its original state.

A barrage of beams of light descended, and everyone in the shelter once again gained a large amount of experience. With the boost from his Scholar talent, Zhang Shi leveled up two more times, reaching level 15.

The system notification says, "Congratulations on reaching level 15 and unlocking the job change system. Please complete the job change as soon as possible."