Chapter Sixteen: The Tide of Corpses Approaches!

Night had fallen, but neither Chen Yi nor Chu Yunxi had slept.

Long before entering this place, Chen Yi had already discussed with Lu Kai that tonight would be the night to determine their success or failure.

They had spent the day exploring, gaining a basic understanding of their surroundings. Night was when vigilance slackened, making it the perfect time for covert action.

Chen Yi quietly pushed open the crude wooden door. Outside, he saw a few people patrolling, but their numbers were sparse and their rounds infrequent. It was little more than a show.

At that moment, Chen Yi noticed something unusual. The red mist was appearing once again.

It gathered slowly from above, then began to sink, threatening to engulf the entire factory district.

“Chen Yi…” Chu Yunxi came over to peer outside as well. Her pupils dilated in alarm at the sight, and she worried this change might jeopardize their plans for the night.

But Chen Yi smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. This time, it’s not the Calamity Roulette descending.”

“It’s the first corpse tide.”

He had studied this phenomenon in his previous life. The red mist didn’t always signal the Calamity Roulette—it could also herald a massive gathering of zombies.

If one judged incorrectly, one might rush out in pursuit of the Calamity Roulette’s rewards, only to blunder into a horde of zombies and be torn to pieces.

Only on the first day did the appearance of the red mist guarantee the Calamity Roulette. From then on, each occurrence could mean risking everything for resources.

Now, out on the street, zombies had begun to gather, drifting inexorably toward the factory. Their vacant eyes glowed red with eerie light, and they staggered forward as if drawn by some mysterious force.

As the night deepened, the din outside grew louder—howls and shouts blending into a single chaotic roar.

“They’re coming even faster than I expected,” Chen Yi thought, his mind racing. He intended to use this corpse tide to utterly destroy the stronghold and establish his own authority. Afterward, he would expand his territory.

He waited, watching events unfold, until about two-thirty in the morning.

By then, the zombies had erupted into a full-scale frenzy.

The high walls surrounding the factory were powerless against the relentless onslaught. Hordes of zombies swarmed forward, arms flailing as they hammered against barriers and obstacles. Occasionally, one would scramble atop the increasingly unstable wall, letting out a deep, guttural moan.

Meanwhile, one of Wang Dong’s men burst into his room, breathless with fear. “Boss, it’s bad! The zombies outside are going wild!”

“There’s an endless sea of them, and they’re all headed straight for us!”

Wang Dong was stunned—he hadn’t anticipated anything like this. Timid by nature, he turned pale, but in front of his men, he forced himself to appear composed.

“Why panic? Get everyone out there to stop the zombies!”

“Drive everyone in the storerooms outside—make them hold the line!”

His subordinate hesitated. The people in the storerooms were numerous, true, and not particularly valuable. But without them, wouldn’t they have to scavenge for resources themselves?

“Boss, some are saying this is too much—they’re starting to fight back.”

Wang Dong’s face darkened further. He snatched up a handgun, chambered a round, and barked viciously, “Resistance? Kill them. Once isn’t enough, kill more.”

“If anyone dares defy me, I’ll send them straight to hell.”

Swallowing hard, the underling dared say no more and hurried off to relay the orders—though fear of Wang Dong now took root in his heart.

“We can move now.”

Chen Yi, observing the chaos and Wang Dong’s men’s movements, knew the time had come.

Wang Dong’s forces began rounding up the old, weak, sick, and disabled from the settlement, shoving them outside as cannon fodder.

Cries of agony rang out. Many desperately struggled, some trying to resist—only to be cut down without hesitation by Wang Dong’s men.

“If this goes on, we’re finished. We have to do something.”

“No way—I won’t just go die out there!”

“What else can we do? With so many zombies, going out is a death sentence anyway!”

“It’s still better than being butchered here! I’ve long had enough of this place!”

“Right—this wretched place isn’t fit for survival!”

Their whispered arguments were soon silenced as they, too, were dragged out, their flesh and blood thrown into the zombie’s path. Rage boiled within them, but there was nothing they could do.

The number of people left in the warehouse dwindled rapidly; despair spread like wildfire.

Outside, the streets were a scene of carnage—sweat and blood mingling in the air. It was impossible to tell the zombies’ low growls from the people’s screams of terror.

Just as all seemed lost, Chen Yi moved through the chaos, leading Chu Yunxi and Lu Kai. Their weapons rose and fell without pause.

“Watch your left!” Chen Yi called as he slashed a zombie, always alert.

Chu Yunxi gritted her teeth, swinging the fire axe she’d brought from the school. In that instant, she was no longer the gentle campus beauty, but a warrior fighting to survive the apocalypse.

With a fierce cry, she brought her axe down upon a zombie’s neck as it lunged for Chen Yi, blood spraying before her unblinking eyes.

“I’ll handle this side!” Lu Kai shouted, his battered axe whirling as he split open a zombie’s skull.

The thrill of the fight washed away the frustration of recent days, filling Lu Kai with exhilaration.

“Everyone move—split into waves, don’t cluster together!”

“Flank from both east and west!”

“The rest, follow me and clear a path!”

Chen Yi issued commands, rallying those still able to fight. His blade seemed almost alive, effortlessly severing zombie heads, leaving the creatures stupefied.

Behind him, Wang Dong’s men watched in awe as Chen Yi dispatched zombies with ease.

“This guy’s incredible.”

“He’s a zombie slayer!”

“It’s inspiring—I want to join the fight!”

“With him, we have a real chance to survive!”

Excitement and hope began to stir among them.