Chapter 55: The Standing Army’s Advance
Having witnessed the battle between the Witch and the Giant, narrowly escaping the Headhunter Wild Dog, and seeing that shocking scene…
Was this the power of monsters?
In less than half a day, everything made me, Zhong Jing, realize: safe movement on this perilous surface was impossible.
In Sector 01A, any monster could kill me. A frail human body, without strong armament, was the bottom of the food chain in this monster-ridden wasteland, capable only of struggling to survive.
Whether leaving Sector 01A or pursuing my decision to explore the crater’s depths for the truth, I faced immense challenges.
The unknown dangers ahead made me hesitate. The deeper into the crater, the stronger the monsters. My luck with the Headhunter Wild Dog wouldn’t repeat.
So, I made a decision: if the surface was too dangerous, I’d go underground.
From Sector 01B to 01A, I’d evaded countless monsters by using the tunnel dug by that unknown creature.
As long as its scent lingered, most monsters would avoid it, too wary of danger. In all of Sector 01A, nothing was safer.
Determined, I acted. After the creature burrowed back underground and moved on, I entered the tunnel through its exit, leaving the surface I’d barely lingered on.
Events proved my choice right. During the long trek, no monsters disturbed me. Even the dangerous black water pool from the previous tunnel didn’t reappear. The smooth journey almost made me feel I’d left Sector 01A for the outer districts.
After about ten minutes, a light appeared at the dim tunnel’s end. Was it another collapsed ruin blocking the path, like before?
The unknown creature didn’t dig based on surface roads or buildings. Collapsing building foundations was common, as I’d experienced, so a blocked path wasn’t surprising.
But as I approached, I saw it wasn’t as I’d thought. The path remained open, but the underground tunnel had become a sunken trench, its ceiling entirely collapsed.
What was this…
Before the junction, I crouched and grabbed a handful of the collapsed earth… no, not earth, but sand. Rubbing it, I felt no roughness, only an oddly fine, comfortable texture.
This explained the ceiling’s collapse. Such a sandy layer couldn’t support itself once hollowed out, collapsing under pressure.
The soil’s desertification told me I was near the crater’s center. After the catastrophe, a desert in the city’s core wasn’t surprising. Ahead lay the truth I sought.
The closer I got, the stronger my curiosity grew, but danger loomed anew.
Sudden footsteps made me duck into the tunnel’s darkness, my gaze fixed upward.
Counting to five, a massive black figure darted across the trench.
What was that? A mutated beast? A walker?
I had no mind to dwell on it. The moment underscored the danger.
The light relieved my eyes’ strain, but without a ceiling, my exposure risk soared. Any monster crossing the trench could spot me.
Confined to the narrow trench, I’d have no chance to flee if discovered.
There was no turning back. Having come this far, retreat wasn’t an option. My swelling desire overshadowed instinctual fear.
Keep moving…
Treading softly on the sandy ground, I hugged the wall’s edge. I don’t know how far or long I walked, but the high walls gradually lowered. The trench’s bottom, once ten meters below the surface, was now four or five.
The ground hadn’t risen—it was the surface sinking. The terrain was dropping, meaning I’d entered the crater zone.
…
‘BANG!!!’
A battlefield explosion rippled outward, echoing to the horizon.
The blast’s shockwave cleared a circle of dust. The vehicle serving as a firing platform jolted, the driver glancing worriedly beneath, concerned the suspension couldn’t handle the strain.
A thick metal armor-piercing round shot out, tearing through the flesh in its path with devastating force.
A Tier 1 Giant Walker’s bloated body, resilient against rifle rounds, was no match for the JC-1001. Its thickest waist was gouged by a third, shredded flesh charred instantly by the round’s searing heat.
Though critically wounded, the Giant Walker didn’t die. Until the Crystal Core in its head was destroyed, no injury could end it.
But the round obliterated its spine, robbing its lower body of support. Its short arms couldn’t move its bulk, leaving it to snarl ‘hiss hiss’ and bare its teeth at the humans it should have devoured.
‘BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!’
A rocket to its head ended its struggle.
Like an overripe fruit, no blood or brains remained, only a charred meat smell in the air.
Clearing the obstacle, the soldiers pressed deeper into the city as ordered.
This elite unit, handpicked from the Standing Army’s strongest First Army, bore an unshirkable mission. Too critical to collect Crystal Cores from slain monsters, their only goal was to advance.
Without tanks or vehicles, their fire support came from lightweight vehicles retrofitted with heavy machine guns and JC-1001s. Originally for city transport, these carried four people and weighed under 600 kilograms.
With tanks unable to navigate the city, these vehicles, hastily armed without even welded armor, were pressed into service out of necessity.
So far, these makeshift weapons handled the monster attacks, allowing the unit to maintain its offensive, acting as the Standing Army’s spear to clear the front.
Not far behind, dozens of supply trucks, laden with disassembled parts, followed the frontline’s cleared path.
“Researcher Han, you didn’t have to risk yourself again…”
In the lead supply truck, Luo Shi, gripping the wheel, glanced at the passenger seat and spoke.
Though distanced from the front, the frequent booms and relentless machine-gun fire told him how grueling the battle was.
He doubted the light vehicles’ reliability and couldn’t accept Han Nianling risking herself again. It made their earlier sacrifices to save her feel… pointless.
“As the plan’s architect, I bear inescapable responsibility. You understand this operation’s significance. Every action to triumph over monsters is vital,” Han Nianling said, addressing his concerns directly.
“But you’re one of Chu Sheng City’s few Senior Researchers…”
“If humanity fails, Chu Sheng City faces unprecedented crisis. Do you think a Senior Researcher would survive its fall?”
Her gaze remained forward, but her thoughts drifted. Per my dream, the Standing Army’s plan to kill the Witch ‘Tyrant’ was simple: set up artillery and rocket vehicles in ambush, annihilating her with overwhelming force.
Now, things were different. The Tyrant wasn’t intercepted or lured but had entered Sector 01A, joined by high-tier monsters. With no preparation, the Standing Army’s options were limited.
The only way was to penetrate the city, setting up artillery within range of the crater zone. Poor roads restricted heavier, more efficient self-propelled guns and limited artillery numbers, hindering devastating coverage. An accurate coordinate was now critical.
And that person… I hope she’s still alive, untouched by the coming assault…