Chapter 656 Fight, Guides!

As the population moved, large numbers of mutants gradually arrived near the four major bases, forming waves of black energy.

The outposts on the perimeter of the base were still on duty and detected the disturbance immediately.

Soon, the Operations Department and the Security Department jointly dispatched 5,000 sentries to the front line, partly to receive those returning or seeking refuge, and partly to resolve the crisis brought about by the monster tide.

The city gates opened.

One after another, transport vehicles carrying soldiers and ammunition supplies rushed to the front lines, accompanied by fifty guides.

This is the order from the base commander.

After nearly a century, the guide has finally returned to the front lines.

Yuan Lan sat upright, her hands resting steadily on her knees, only her slightly trembling eyelashes betraying the turmoil in her heart.

The once bustling and noisy city has become deserted.

She could feel the restlessness and determination emanating from the countless sentinel images inside and outside the carriage, like burning thickets of thorns scorching the edges of her senses.

She had just completed her trial mission not long ago.

To accommodate the guide, one team chose a trial mission in a two-star contaminated area.

Despite her thorough preparations, once inside, aside from helping her teammates with their mental well-being, she offered almost no assistance in advancing the mission.

After returning to the base, Yuan Lan seriously considered whether she was suited for this path.

Before she could even submit her formal application, the trajectory of the world suddenly changed, and humanity faced an even greater crisis.

The roar of the transport trucks sounded particularly jarring in the oppressive silence.

Yuan Lan viewed this trip as proof of the guides' return to the historical stage, and her attitude was extremely serious.

The guide... must be the strongest support.

Sitting opposite Qin Zhiyi, she presented a different state.

After driving for less than an hour, Qin Zhiyi picked up her binoculars and looked down the winding mountain road through the observation window. She could already see the distant horizon moving.

It resembled black waves undulating along the earth, or thick, churning asphalt that boiled the entire wasteland.

As the distance closed, the grotesque details of the waves became clearly visible.

Tens of thousands of monsters.

Some of them run and leap on all fours like hunting dogs, moving so fast that they leave afterimages.

Some use their arthropods or tentacles to nimbly climb and swing through complex terrain, flanking from the sides; others run while spraying corrosive mucus from their twisted mouthparts, whistling as they crash into the fleeing convoy ahead.

Seeing this, many guides who were leaving the base for the first time turned pale.

Yu Shu, who was sitting by the car door with her gun in her arms and her eyes closed, suddenly said, "If you're scared, you can go back."

Many combat units have not yet returned.

Captain Yu of the 10th Operations Team was ordered to escort the group of guides and ensure their safety.

Despite her fear, Qin Zhiyi firmly refused, saying, "I came out with the determination to fight to the end, and I will not go back."

The beginning of this life-or-death battle is also an opportunity for them to hone their skills.

No one can predict the outcome.

Is it the final echo of human civilization, or... a spark rekindled on the ruins of destruction?

Regardless of the final outcome, at least they tried their best and have no regrets.

Fang Chengye's face was frighteningly pale, but he gritted his teeth and said, "That's right! Now that we've come out, we never intended to desert."

His words, like a stone thrown into stagnant water, stirred ripples in the hearts of the other guides.

An older guide stood up and said to the other guides, “Remember our duty: stabilize the barrier, foster empathy, and we are their strongest support! If even we retreat, what will happen to the sentries fighting on the front lines?”

A complex glint flashed in the guides' eyes.

There was fear, there was shock, but more than anything, there was a sense of relief at finally facing the real world, and a stubborn refusal to be 'domesticated' any longer.

Yu Shu lifted her eyelids and glanced at the faces that, though still filled with tension, had already dispelled any hint of retreat.

She simply reached out and opened the trunk door.

The guides looked up.

Under the dim sky, below the mountain road, as far as the eye could see, were the figures of monsters, rapidly closing in on the human fortress.

The dust kicked up as they moved cast an ominous, dark yellow veil over the boundary between heaven and earth.

"Remember, the mutants outside are different from the monsters in the contaminated zone that are bound by the gatekeeper's rules."

Yu Shu's voice drifted into the car with the sound of the wind: "They have no formation, no rules, just the most primal instincts. Once they spot their prey, they will relentlessly pursue it until they die."

"So, fight on, guides!"

At that moment, a sound came from the ranks ahead.

The first shot in the defense of the human base has been fired...

*

The Dangcheng refuge camp in a high-altitude area.

Upon learning that darkness was about to return, several local factions, in an extremely rare move, put aside their differences and united as one.

Six hours to go.

Yang Li, Wu Kui, and others, along with their children and supplies, gathered at the Dangcheng refugee camp.

The refuge camp has been heavily reinforced, with surrounding ditches and protective netting completed.

Batel led two teams of sentries to conduct a final check along the perimeter.

They were too far from the four bases, and when they received the notification they only had one day to prepare, which was far from enough to support people traveling to the major bases for refuge.

Fortunately, the Dangcheng refuge camp is located in a remote area with sparse population, and the number of mutants and contaminated areas is not large.

Confident they could stop them, they discussed the matter and then abandoned their migration plan.

At this point, for these small bases with limited strength and resources, survival itself is a victory.

Batel walked around the outer wall three times, and after confirming that the newly built fortifications were in good condition, he looked at the busy people.

He raised his voice: "Keep your eyes peeled! Hold your weapons tighter! There aren't many monsters around here, but if anyone dares to come..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face, whether filled with fear or determination. "Then let the monster know that the people of the Northwest have bones as hard as the rocks on this plateau!"

There were no grand declarations, only the simplest resolve.

In this seemingly forgotten corner of the world, the atmosphere of preparation for war is like a slowly freezing layer of ice, silent yet containing the power to shatter any intruder.

On the other side.

The refuge camps in Qixia and Qinhuai, located far to the southeast, also made the same choice.

—They will not migrate; they will defend their homeland to the death.

The situation they faced was far more dangerous than that in Dangcheng.

After the contaminated area collapsed, the surrounding area was full of monsters, and they had nowhere to retreat.

Upon receiving the news, Qin Huai Camp immediately raised all bridges leading to the base to prevent the mutants from entering.

But Zhuang Wan made another decision.

That is to go and rescue Qixia Camp before darkness falls again.

“Their camp is in an abandoned area, surrounded by contaminated zones on three sides. If we don’t rescue them, even if the camp isn’t breached by monsters, they will be trapped inside and die due to lack of resources.”

Zhuang Wan said, "In times of crisis, humanity should unite. If the four major bases cannot hold them off, then our small place will have no way to survive."

"Since that's the case, why not give it a shot?"