CHAPTER 259: FINAL MARCH BEFORE NIGHTFALL

The hours passed much faster than I expected. Last-minute training, meals and preparing for the upcoming horde brought people together. Of course, not everyone wanted to fight. Some people lost themselves to fear and terror.

"I don’t want to die!"

A desperate shout came from the courtyard.

Many people with green dots on the map apprehended the orange dot and detained him. A few non-combattants were close to turning hostile right now.

Because of the situation, we moved to an apartment closer to the first wall, and Jiang Siwan and her father seemed reluctant.

As if they saw me as some kind of hidden weapon or something, but I told them that saving lives through slaying zombies was more critical to our survival.

Though Siwan asked me to meet her father before nightfall.

"I’ll be back soon."

Mu Qinglan and Shen Yifei lay on our shared bed panting, their bodies illuminated under the setting sunlight, a beautiful dark red.

"Nn..."

"Whatever....."

Both of them insisted, and I could only give in before it was too late.

***

I leaned back against the cold door.

The compound felt strangely calm for what was coming.

Wind carried a dry scent across the opening, dust, oil and a distant decay. The smell grew as the winds picked up like a building storm.

Around me, guards ran drills along the eastern and northern gates, while groups of recruits hauled crates of ammo into towers and sandbags against the doors. Metal clanked against concrete, accompanied by grunts and half-shouted orders.

I stood amongst them all, arms crossed and scanning the courtyard.

"Everything is going well, at lest for now."

Out of nowhere, a jeep screeched to a halt, and a tall woman in leather boots leapt from the open window with a clack, her feet hitting the ground.

Siwan?

Jiang Siwan stepped beside me, arms neatly behind her back, hair tied in a soldier’s knot. Her black and blue uniform jacket clung to her waist, crisp and clean, which contrasted with the popped buttons around her chest.

"You look exhausted." I said, glancing sideways with a wry smile.

She exhaled before taking out a black star cigarette and lighting it with the snap of her silver military lighter. "I’ll sleep after the horde." A sexy and grainy voice, before she took a deep drag of the cigarette.

A golden flare lit up the darkening sky.

"John... phew.... Do you think we can win?"

The question wasn’t shocking, honestly. Without the System, I might have fled. To think a group of five hundred at most would be facing off against more than ten thousand zombies that kept growing.

Though there were many people in the base, the number who could fight the coming tide was low, and without me, those soldiers would still be Stage One. The cost was high, and my investment was intensive for the 200 men.

"Take care of yourself, get some sleep before it starts."

I pulled up the status interface hovering near the top-right of my vision, and noticed that Jiang Siwan hadn’t improved since we last met. Stage Four - Early.

Her attributes are nearing the threshold for advancement. But not strong enough to fight the Stage Four zombies and above without significant danger.

Did she give everything to her father?

"Where’s your father?"

"Helping the engineers reinforce the eastern chokepoint. He insisted on overseeing the secondary fallback routes personally." She smiled faintly. "I think he likes your style."

I didn’t answer, but knew that the old man wanted to tie me to this base.

Despite everything, the Jiang family hadn’t just accepted me—they’d invested in me. My relationship with Roulan and Siwan wasn’t just physical or political anymore. When she looked at me, there was a quiet flicker or something else. Trust.

"I just spoke with Tang Wei, and she’s helping the others patrol and look for any weak spots." Siwan continued.

"Qinglan and Yifei are taking a rest and should be fresh for their time of arrival."

The eyes of Siwan flashed with a strange glow when I mentioned their names. She took another drag of the bitter stick with a long sigh. Then tossed it before crushing it under her boot.

Jiang Siwan nodded again before stepping closer, brushing her fingers along my wrist. "We’ll survive," she said. "I know it."

She didn’t ask for more than this. Not even a kiss or grand promise. Just stood quietly beside me while the sun crawled toward the horizon.

Far off, a deep sound echoed—like bone grinding against stone.

A reminder to everyone that time was running out.

***

Time passed whether I desperately tried to grasp it or let it slip through my fingers like sand. The wind changed, and the heat from a few hours ago from the bodies of my beloved women faded.

A bitter cold, dry and sour.

I opened the System shop from memory. The interface flickered to life, humming quietly behind my vision as lines of gear scrolled past. The glowing [ZKP Balance: 39,914] wasn’t high, but it was enough to make a difference in a moment of desperation.

With a flick, the combat gear tab opened.

Then, I filtered from Tier-3 to Tier-5 equipment, and I decided to prioritise those without anything special to help them survive.

Tang Wei came first.

She’d already reached Stage Five, her Earth-type cultivation refining her body into something absurdly stable, so armour and other items weren’t ideal.

I found interesting shells that carried the same name as her cultivation technique, and tapped the more info button.

The [Seismic HE-ARP Shells – Type: Earth] popped up on the list. A small box of 12 rounds for 600 ZKP. Each shot would detonate into compressed shockwaves upon contact—ideal for clusters or tearing through armoured variants.

The large box, which contained 50 shells, cost less than the smaller boxes. Instead of 2,400 ZKP, I only paid 10,000 for 250 shells. As for her rifle, Qinglan and Roulan already bought tens of thousands of bullets for those weapons.

[Purchase confirmed]

The shells materialised in a matte-black case, already engraved with Tang Wei’s name. Efficient as ever.

Next: Li Ya.

Although not my lover, she was a pure melee fighter right now, though she could shoot; her sidearm wasn’t suited for continuous fire. Instead, she wielded a Desert Eagle.

At Stage Four, she needed all the help I could, being a melee fighter.

[Black Halberd of Ruin]

Rarity: ★★★★Type: Heavy Melee – Flame ConductiveWeight: 127kgEffect: Increases burn radius on all flame-imbued attacks.Minimum Strength: 8

Requires:

• Strength: 5

• Physique: 12Cost: 14,000 ZKP

[Purchase confirmed]

The halberd dropped beside me with a loud clang against the steel floor. Thick, angular, brutal. Its obsidian-colored shaft shimmered faintly with gold veins that pulsed when touched. It was heavy enough to split a car in half.

And it would feel like a feather in Li Ya’s hands.

Last... a Spear.

The most essential item for Liang Mei was a shortbow, but she also asked for a weapon that could help her fight in close combat, too. With an Agility stat of 24, this spear didn’t need to be heavy or overpowered.

Instead, it needed speed. So I filtered by "mobility" and "Burst" until I found the spear that suited her.

[Azure Streaker]

Rarity: ★★★

Type: Lightweight SpearEffect: Grants +30% movement speed for 3 seconds in a forward thrust.Cooldown: 15 seconds.Cost: 7500 ZKP

Not quite as strong as Shen Yifei’s Glaive of the Fiery Vixen, but the speed burst would make Liang Mei dangerous, bringing her Agility to 30 as she charges forward.

A flash of blue light materialised the spear. It was sleek, silver-blue, with a ridged core and faint runic trails glowing near the sharp, bladed tip.

Perfect for aggressive repositioning and a devastating stab.

The last of my points burned away as the interface dimmed.

That was all I could give them.

Just as I lifted the halberd to bring it to Li Ya, a familiar voice called from the stairwell behind me.

"Hey, babe." Tang Wei approached with a confident smile while dripping with sweat, her bodysuit open, dressed in combat gear, and her shotgun slung low. She glanced at the black crate near my feet. "That for me?"

I nodded. "Shells. High-explosive and armour penetrating. You’ll like them."

She knelt, popping the case open. Her eyes lit up. "You’re the best..." She looked back at me and then made a particular gesture with her mouth and hand while pushing her cheek out with her tongue. "How about it, want a reward?"

Before she could say more, Li Ya appeared behind her, wearing the bodysuit with the top unzipped, revealing her black training bra and body covered in beads of sweat. She smiled at me with a towel draped around her neck, dripping with sweat. "Something for me too, or just the lewd bitch offering a blowjob?"

"Ya-Ya!"

"Hmph... should I get on my knee’s too?" Li Ya chuckled, her affection too high for me to take it as a complete joke.

I grabbed the heavy halberd and flung it towards her.

"Whoa!?"

She staggered after gripping it with one hand, her tight abs and muscles all bulging as they tensed the moment she did. I couldn’t help but enjoy the sight, only for Tang Wei to his my stomach with the but of her shotgun.

"Don’t ignore me."

"Shit... this thing is so awesome!" Woosh! When she swung it, a flame burst in the night sky, almost burning Tang Wei’s case of shells. "Thank you for the gift~ John!"

Tang Wei rolled her eyes. "He didn’t gift it. He’s just investing in his frontliners."

"That’s still sexy," Li Ya said, already swinging the halberd with experimental spins.

I turned toward the wall’s edge, watching the last of the sun vanish below the distant hills.

The sky was darkening.

My team was ready.

And soon, the enemy would come.