Chapter 80: Defend!
After Shane confirmed from Cloud about the situation outside and sensed the position of his subordinates, he gave a series of commands.
"Anna, assist Leo at the back of the forge! He needs help! Tell him to use these daggers!" Shane said as he handed the Crawler Fang Daggers to Anna.
Leo had the physical strength to wield it, and since they were only dealing with Walker and a few Runner Zombies, Leo should be strong enough to wield the dagger.
After that, Shane rushed to where Gene was fighting alone… "Gene, move back! Just move closer to those Super Soldiers!"
At the same time, Shane utilized his Firearm Mastery!
With incredible precision, Shane shot the head of the Walker Zombies! It even passed through their heads and hit three or four zombies in each shot!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
This was the benefit of not using the Special Effects of the Revolver; the penetration was incredibly powerful!
"Harper, go back and assist Leo and Anna! Some Walker and Runner Zombies had entered through the fence behind the forge!" Shane commanded.
The survivors sprang into action, moving with a purpose without questioning Shane's decision.
Shane then emptied his bullets and killed a bunch of Walker Zombies and Runner Zombies before he pulled out his Master-Grade Hatchet!
They could not continue falling back! Shane planned to get themselves followed by the Zombies so the damage in the estate wouldn't spread…
***
Graarrrgggh~
Outside, the night was alive with the groans of the undead in the Springriver Manor. Walker and Runner Zombies, their eyes hollow with hunger, swarmed towards their Shelter!
The Walkers lumbered forward. They were relentless in their advance as they stretched out their arms to take a hold of the living humans they could see and smell.
On the other hand, the Runners darted about with terrifying speed!
Nonetheless, Shane and his Super Soldiers met them head-on. The metal pipes, simple yet deadly in the hands of the enhanced warriors, swung through the air with devastating force. Each hit landed with a bone-crushing impact, halting the undead in their tracks!
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Cassius and Mara remained strong amidst the swarming Zombies, but Shane knew that they couldn't keep this up forever!
Shane had to lessen the burden on their side!
"Haa!"
Shane's Hatchet then showed its might, using both its Ice and Fire effect, cleaving through rotting flesh with each swing.
Luckily, the Fire Effect was able to easily spread as the Zombies had articles of clothing that could easily catch fire!
Cassius and Mara didn't miss this opportunity as they dispatched the zombies with ruthless efficiency! Their metal pipes had already started bending because of the sheer strength of their strikes!
At this time, Shane also confirmed that the traps that had claimed the lives of the three unfortunate souls who had led the horde to the Shelter continued to serve their purpose.
There were still many zombies stumbling into pitfalls and snares, their numbers dwindling under the combined might of Shane's leadership and the survivors' resolve.
"Haha! Come!" Shane's eyes lit up as he was still filled with strength. It seemed that just by staying in the Fairy Realm for so long, his stamina had gotten a lot higher!
With a battle cry that pierced the night, he charged into the fray, his Hatchet descending in a wide arc.
Splat!
The blade met the skull of another Walker with a sickening crunch, sending shards of bone and frozen brain matter spraying into the air!
Behind him, Cassius and Mara wielded their metal pipes like staffs of war, their movements were synchronized as they followed Shane's movements!
Clangk~
Cassius's pipe connected with a Runner's head, the impact resonating with a metallic ring that signaled the end for the creature.
Mara spun, her pipe sweeping low to shatter the kneecaps of another, sending it crashing to the ground where she finished it with a swift blow.
Their metal pipes were truly used to their limits!
"They just keep coming, huh… Cassius, Mara… Just stay behind me!" Shane shouted as he continued killing.
[ You have eliminated a Walker Zombie. ] [ You have eliminated a Walker Zombie. ]
[ You have eliminated a Walker Zombie. ] [ You have eliminated a Walker Zombie. ]
[ You have eliminated a Runner Zombie. ] [ You have eliminated a Runner Zombie. ]
These messages continued appearing in his peripheral vision, but Shane just ignored them as he felt that he was in a trance!
He didn't feel like this, even in the Zombie Wave! Perhaps it was because of Cassius and Mara who could keep up with him and watch his back.
"Hmph!"
The zombies pressed on, their numbers seemingly endless.
Shane lost track of the time as his arms worked tirelessly, and his Hatchet continued to strike down one zombie after another. Each swing was a perfected strike thanks to his Axe Mastery Skill and also because he was already too familiar with the sense of severing the heads of these zombies!
The ice effect of his weapon left a trail of frozen corpses, while the fire effect ignited the night with flashes of searing heat.
***
Soon, Anna, Harper, and Leo had already finished the few zombies who had attacked them from the other side of the estate. They were all not in good condition as they also barely defeated the zombies.
They were lucky that Shane handed over the two daggers, which could easily cut through the zombies like pieces of cake!
Perhaps if they had a bit more experience using the dagger, they wouldn't be in such a difficult position.
"I think they don't need our help…" Harper muttered after seeing the carnage being caused by the three.
"Yes… It would be a problem if we attracted some of the zombies instead." Leo muttered as he also noticed Gene cleaning up the strugglers or the zombies who were already as good as dead, but because their brains were still active, they were still considered alive.
Gene's job was to ensure that all those zombies were killed!
"Very well… Since we're not really trained for combat, let's just cover their backs." Anna agreed with a nod.
They watched as Cassius and Mara fought back-to-back. They realized that these two Super Soldiers with enhanced physiques were truly monstrous. They could react with superhuman speed!
They saw a Runner Zombie lunge at Cassius, only to be met with a pipe to the throat, its momentum used against it as it was flung aside. Mara's pipe whistled through the air, finding its mark time and again, as she seemed to only strike the joints and vital parts of the zombies to ensure their quick deaths!
However, there were also times when they would use brute force without caring about what part they were hitting… It seemed that this only happened whenever they were falling behind Shane!
Anyway, Anna recalled something as she returned to the church quickly to reload their Revolvers… Leo and Harper did the same, and as soon as they came out fully loaded, they manned the barricades. Their gunfire provided cover for Shane and the Super Soldiers.
Bullets whizzed past, finding their targets but not enough to kill them since they couldn't really properly aim… They'll just point at the crowd of zombies, hoping that it would down a couple or even three Zombies in each shot.
***
[ You have eliminated a Walker Zombie. ] [ You have eliminated a Walker Zombie. ]
[ You have eliminated a Runner Zombie. ] [ You have eliminated a Runner Zombie. ]
Despite their valiant efforts, the sheer number of zombies threatened to overwhelm them.
"When is this going to end!" Shane felt the fatigue creeping into his muscles, but he pushed it aside, driven by the need to protect his people.
Perhaps they have already killed more than a hundred Walker Zombies and more than fifty Runner Zombies!
Although Shane was happy since he would get plenty of resources and he might even level up after this, he still couldn't help but complain!
'Just how did those three unlucky people gather this many zombies!'
With a roar of defiance, he redoubled his efforts. His Hatchet may have stopped emitting Ice and Fire effects, but it had become faster and Shane focused his mind on slicing the Zombies in front!
The battle raged on, the ground becoming slick with the blood and matter of the undead.
Luckily, Shane's stamina was incredibly high after coming out of the Fairy Realm and soon, the tide began to turn. The zombies' numbers dwindled, their advance halted by the combined might of the Shelter's defenders.
As the last of the undead fell, silence reclaimed the night, broken only by the heavy breathing of the living.
The Springriver Manor had withstood the assault! Shane surveyed the aftermath, his gaze lingering on the fallen zombies. The threat was over, for now, but the night's events were a stark reminder of the ever-present danger lurking beyond the Shelter's walls.
However, Cloud's sudden alert stopped Shane from celebrating!
[ Three Survivor-Type Zombies have been detected. ]