Chapter 303: I've Got You, Retreat!

Chapter 303 – I Shall Lead You to Safety!

On April the second, on this unremarkable day, the history of Zhuolu City met its end upon the wasteland.

Most civilians perished under the monsters' onslaught, while the Chaplains' Guard prayed as they charged the beast tide, offering their final loyalty to the Holy Trinity.

The lord of the city fell while shielding the civilians' escape.

His entire body was corroded by the monsters' acidic bile; swelling and blood blisters rendered his corpse unrecognizable, just like every other body, lying unremarkably on the road heading south.

A hundred‑plus souls who had narrowly escaped sprinted southward, plunging into the dense forest.

When kin and faith could no longer shield them, nature itself extended its last sanctuary.

Three hours later, the beast tide that had been sweeping south razed Qicheng.

Having learned of Zhuolu's fall in advance, Qicheng's Chaplains' Guard evacuated the civilians early; at the brink of death, the will to survive drove them to betray their creed.

Yet they, too, found no refuge.

They could not go north, for monsters prowled there.

They could not go south, for the Holy Army held that direction.

They could not go west, where an impenetrable thicket grew upon the plains.

They could not go east, for there lay no supplies to sustain their massive host.

Their only option was to press southwest.

That was the direction of Hanwater City.

If fortune smiled, perhaps in a fortnight they would reach Hanwater City and find aid from the “other traitor.”

Such a trek was destined to be perilous.

Many were fated to die upon the road.

But they had no other choice; that distant, unattainable Hanwater City was their sole hope.

Eight hours later, the monsters arrived at Haozhou City.

Six hundred members of the Chaplains' Guard who remained there fought a desperate, last‑stand resistance.

More than twenty heavy cannons were hauled onto the battlefield; all superfluous prayers were discarded, and the white plume spewing from the barrels shrouded much of Haozhou City.

Every weapon at hand was brought into service, and the reinforced walls endured blow after blow.

Rain of shells and falling steel momentarily halted the monsters' spearhead.

—

But it was only a fleeting instant.

Soon the defenses of Haozhou fell, and the Guard became entangled in a brutal melee with the beasts.

Facing those massive, varied monsters, the Guard, bereft of effective light or high‑damage arms, exchanged lives for the creatures.

Without rocket launchers, they rushed to the monsters' feet and hurled grenades.

Lacking automatic rifles, they gathered the rifles of fallen comrades, pairing two men to fire at the beasts one after another.

Some even strapped bombs to their bodies and leapt onto the monsters to detonate.

The blast of black powder could not instantly slay a beast, but what if many men did the same?

As six hundred guards fell before the monsters' feet at a visible pace, a portion of the still‑trapped civilians hopelessly marched toward their own end.

Clumsy with the weapons left by the Guard, they launched a final charge against the beasts.

In that moment, no one could say whether they fought for a hollow faith or for the families fleeing behind them.

Yet death, in any case, dealt its hand equally.

When death fell upon them, the city was declared lost.

Over a thousand perished in the clash with the monsters, but because of their bravery, the beast tide left behind more than ten colossal corpses.

Zhang Tao’s plan seemed to be taking effect.

If there were a dozen more cities like Haozhou, perhaps he could severely blunt the tide before it reached the Xuyi defensive line.

But it was clear that Haozhou was a singular case.

After all, the city had once been reinforced by the Holy Army.

Its stubborn stand aimed to force the beast tide to veer into the encirclement of the Xuyi line.

Haozhou’s mission was fulfilled.

And after stepping over Haozhou’s wreckage, the beast tide moved unimpeded.

Wuhe City fell.

Mingguang City fell.

The forward line at Ziyang Town collapsed.

Two hours later, the beast tide reached the shores of Nüshan Lake and began to gather there.

“Our plan is working,”

From the Xuyi line, the Archbishop peered through his telescope at the massing tide and said to Zhang Tao, who sat beside him commanding personally:

“The tide has turned; they will certainly linger at Nüshan Lake.”

“This is a vital water source; many aquatic monsters must rest and recover here.”

“From here they will most likely follow the waterways eastward, straight into the net we have set.”

“All the giant cannons are ready and calibrated.”

“The artillery priests and mechanized servitors are in position.”

“Once the tide enters range, they will suffer massive casualties.”

“In fact, because of the terrain advantage, the results we achieve may even surpass those the Huaxia forces claimed near Bang Lake.”

“You seem so confident,”

Zhang Tao’s expression bore a hint of gravity.

He then spoke:

“I am not that optimistic.”

“The scale of the tide did not exceed our estimates, but its specifications are far beyond what we anticipated.”

“I have already sighted at least five familiar monsters, two of which are the second‑grade beasts we encountered before.”

“That one is the original Qin‑yuan mother.”

“We must eliminate it first.”

“Otherwise our defenses will become terribly vulnerable.”

“Understood.”

The Archbishop nodded slowly.

“I will issue an order that all the giant cannons prioritize firing at the Qinyuan Mother.”

“Moreover, the ‘Sun’ of the Holy Trinity is already prepared.”

“As soon as the beast tide enters the blast radius, we will detonate at once.”

“Even if the Sun’s devastation cannot annihilate the entire tide, it will at least sap their strength enough to halt their advance.”

“And when that moment arrives, it will be our time to strike back.”

“Are you certain we can also raise the Sun?”

Zhang Tao’s face was full of doubt, yet the archbishop radiated confidence.

“If the Chinese army can achieve it, why should we not?”

“In truth, the weapon dubbed ‘nuclear bomb’ is not as mysterious as it sounds.”

“At its core it is merely a gigantic bomb fashioned from a more potent powder.”

“According to the Holy Trinity’s oracle, to ignite the powder one must employ another kind of powder.”

“I have wrapped those nukes in layers of explosives; when the outer shell’s powder erupts, the Sun will rise as usual.”

“Understood.”

Zhang Tao exhaled a heavy breath.

“Then give the command to our brothers.”

“The final battle is at hand.”

“This war will decide our shared destiny.”

“For the Holy Trinity!”

“For the Holy Trinity!”

On the other side, the southern flank of the Banghu defensive line.

Yu Qian spat the frothy blood from his mouth, a searing pain in his chest making him realize he could not hold on much longer.

Moments earlier, he had led the remaining warriors of the interleaved Company Five to fell three straggling monsters; with ammunition nearly spent, he used a rocket launcher to close in on the final beast.

The rocket’s super‑heated metal jet pierced the creature’s fragile keratin without hindrance, pinning it firmly to the ground.

Yet almost simultaneously, a tentacle swung by the monster struck his chest, hurling him several meters backward.

His body collided with a sapling as thick as a wrist, the tremendous impact first searing his lower back, then flooding his chest with a violent suffocating pressure.

His sternum collapsed, ribs shattered.

He forced his mouth open to gasp, each muscular tug twisting the flesh of his face in agonized contortion.

Yu Qian struggled to sit up, staggered toward the nearby Warrior vehicle, and tossed the emptied sniper drum onto the rear seat.

He then swapped the last magazine from his Type‑191 rifle, snatched a grenade from the ammunition crate, and slipped it into his pack’s pocket.

Against a colossal monster, such grenades are almost negligible in effect.

Yet one cannot deny that, should you wish to meet a beast on honorable terms, this is the finest recourse.

Yu Qian breathed laboriously, feeling a faint sting with each inhalation. After a moment, he reached a conclusion.

The broken ribs were likely already grazing his fragile lungs; persisting in strenuous activity would probably condemn him, as the “Fuxi” in his headset warned, to a closed‑pneumothorax.

So, what exactly is a closed‑pneumothorax?

Does the bone pierce the lung?

Framed that way, it becomes easier to grasp.

He never imagined he would meet his end for such a “strange” reason.

A wry smile tugged at Yu Qian’s mouth.

In that instant, thoughts of his two children far away in Jinling New City resurfaced.

They should have already taken shelter inside Base 011, right?

His son had once told him that beneath the mountain of Base 011 lies another world—a dreamlike realm, unlike the wasteland, almost like heaven.

Whenever he mentioned it, his son would describe the place with bright excitement.

It seemed the novelty of entering Base 011 outweighed even the danger of seeking refuge.

Such is the nature of a child’s heart.

Even now, he could not fathom the brutal combat his father endured; he only imagined that after slaying the monsters, he would return and hear his father recount the stories of the base.

That thought was comforting.

He would never see the true visage of Base 011.

Yet as long as they did, it would be enough.

Yu Qian slammed the Warrior vehicle’s door shut with a bang, then circled to the passenger side, contorting his body as he climbed aboard.

Driver Liu Qi had long been waiting in the driver’s seat; Yu Qian drew a few shallow breaths and issued his orders:

“Move out.”

“The next supply point is marked on the map, four kilometers away.”

“The road is rough, but we must arrive within thirty minutes.”

“After resupplying, we head east.”

“Section Three is coordinating with the tanks for a final strike against the beast tide on the Banghu line.”

“Once that assault ends, we can withdraw.”

“Have we received the retreat order?”

A flicker of joy crossed Liu Qi’s eyes.

“Yes.”

Yu Qian spoke with great effort:

“The commander has confirmed that the beast tide from the northwest has crossed Anqing City.”

“The window for the two tides to merge has passed; our mission is complete.”

“Good.”

Liu Qi nodded heavily.

“That’s a relief.”

He floored the accelerator, the forward thrust slamming Yu Qian against the seatback; he drew a ragged breath of cold air, and Liu Qi immediately eased off the gas.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“It’s alright.”

Yu Qian waved his hand.

“I won’t last much longer. When I’m gone, you must take my place and bring the comrades back.”

“You only have six left; you must make it back alive.”

“Don’t utter such defeatist words!”

Liu Qi slowly turned the steering wheel, the Warrior gliding smoothly onto the paved road, following the narrow trail marked on the map straight toward the supply point.

A crushing fatigue swept Yu Qian into a brief slumber, though perhaps “coma” would be a more fitting description.

Coma.

He lost all consciousness, and when he awoke again, the world was filled with gunfire and Liu Qi’s shouts.

“Bang bang bang bang—”

“Hold the line! Three per squad! Rotate cover!”

“Conserve ammunition!”

“We’re running low on ammo!”

“Someone, step up!”

“Go bring the squad leader out!”

“We’re moving into the woods!”

“Less than a kilometer to the supply point!”

“Reinforcements must be there; we have to hold!”

Yu Qian forced his eyes open and saw a comrade sprint toward the vehicle’s door, repeatedly trying to yank it open in vain.

Then he drew a dagger from his waist and swung it down with brutal force; a gush of blood erupted as a massive tentacle twitched and recoiled, and the door gave way.

“Hold on, squad leader!”

“We have to move!”

Yu Qian was hoisted out of the vehicle by the newcomer, his right hand still clutching the 191 rifle with its lone remaining magazine.

Not far ahead, several water wraiths emerged from the lake, brandishing crude weapons at the battered armored squad, while behind them a twisted monster rose from the marsh beside the lake, its tentacles dragging the Warrior deeper into the mire.

Depleted of ammunition, the Warrior activated the vehicle’s laser anti-missile system, draining its last reserves in a futile attempt to scorch the monster’s tentacles.

Yet it was destined to be in vain.

The vehicle sank deep into the swamp, and the squad lost its final cover.

“Cover the squad leader!”

“Quickly!”

Bullets whizzed over Yu Qian’s head.

He raised his rifle with one hand, aiming at a vague silhouette ahead and fired.

“Bang bang bang bang—”

The lurking water wraith collapsed instantly; the recoil sent the rifle from his grasp, and Yu Qian instinctively flung the comrade who had been supporting him aside, falling to the ground

onto the earth, retrieving his rifle anew.

He then dropped prone, taking aim at a farther horror.

“You all, move quickly!”

“I’ll cover you!”

Yu Qian shouted with every ounce of strength.

He knew he could not escape.

After the Warrior was dragged into the mire, the monster writhed out, pursuing its prey at a pace that, while not swift, left no chance of evasion.

“Take the squad leader away!”

Liu Qi turned and shouted.

“Don’t you damn tell me what to do! This is an order!”

Yu Qian coughed up a mouthful of blood, then pulled the trigger, firing the last burst from his rifle’s chamber.

“Bang bang bang bang—”

“Click.”

A wisp of blue smoke rose from the muzzle.

Yu Qian finally let go of the gun.

He rolled over, lying on his back upon the ground.

The monster behind him loomed forward.

Its twisted, repulsive form was now within arm’s reach.

“Goddamn disgusting.”

Yu Qian fished a grenade from his pocket, yanked the pin with a swift pull.

There was no time left.

Yet it was worth it.

Yu Qian closed

his eyes, quietly waiting for the final outcome.

——

Yet in that very instant, a massive explosion roared.

“Boom!”

He was drenched head and face by splashing liquid.

When he opened his eyes again, a towering figure crouched beside him, bending down.

Afterwards, that man pressed

against the grip, snatched the grenade from his hand and tossed it far away.

“Boom!”

The explosion sounded.

The man spoke:

“Grab the tow line.”

“I’ll get you out!”

(End of Chapter)