Chapter 227 Evacuation in Death
Gunfire erupted violently over Spring Harvest Granary.
The grain was already in hand; it was time for them to retreat.
Although there was more than one granary here, and several cylindrical granaries filled with loose grain, those were beyond the team's capacity. If he got greedy, the entire team would be doomed.
The Cloud Peak Manor team had a variety of firearms, mostly handguns, some assault rifles, and even some old hunting rifles. Most of these were recently acquired by William from the roulette, some were accumulated over time, and others were traded from Yves.
Although the guns were diverse, the ammunition was relatively sufficient. William had paid a high price for a lot of bullets for this battle, making Yves think that the mysterious leader of Cloud Peak Manor was planning to attack some force.
In the distance, gunfire could also be heard, indicating that the convoy over there had also encountered disturbed zombies, and they were engaged in combat.
Once the gunshots sounded, the surrounding zombie hordes immediately dispersed, significantly reducing the team's pressure.
"Don't panic! Don't panic!" Brian shouted as he walked back and forth among the transport team, directing them forward. Escorted by Evolving persons and warriors, the entire team quickly opened a path towards the convoy.
Each transport team member's cart carried four to five bags of grain. Although some people wobbled while pushing, most walked steadily. After all, besides digging foundations and building walls for Cloud Peak Manor these days, they practiced pushing carts. Thanks to the mutated monster meat William mixed into their food, their physical fitness was much higher than in peacetime, giving them the confidence and conditions to complete this grain transport mission amidst the zombie horde.
Under the assault of firearms, the team successfully reached the granary entrance. Although there were some accidents along the way, such as overturned carts or people stopping to dig for Magic Crystals, overall, it was relatively smooth. Overturned carts were quickly righted by Evolving persons, and those who couldn't be saved were abandoned. As for those greedy for Magic Crystals, they were simply ignored.
The team moved very quickly. Once fell behind, they would be surrounded by the zombie horde within seconds, with no other possibility but death. If someone at the front of the team walked too slowly, they would be beheaded, and their body would be thrown into the zombie horde as bait.
It was a cruel but necessary choice. If these people weren't punished, others might follow their example, potentially causing chaos within the team and resulting in more casualties. How could they talk about grabbing grain then?
However, the team faced the fiercest attack when they reached the granary.
The gunfire had gradually attracted the surrounding zombies. As a result, their numbers hadn't decreased but increased. High-level mutated zombies joined the fray, their presence marked by sudden, violent deaths within the team.
The short, effective range of handguns and slightly weaker firepower allowed the zombie horde to get close, making casualties inevitable.
When the bullets were almost exhausted, the battle entered its most difficult phase. The team's speed significantly slowed, and every step forward came at a cost. Some transport team members even picked up weapons from injured or dead warriors to join the fight when the team stalled.
At this point, being scattered by the zombie horde meant death. They knew this very well. Courage sometimes came from pressure.
William moved to the front of the team, using Flame Blade twice to clear some zombies ahead, allowing the team to continue moving forward.
The ground's vibrations were faintly felt. Ordinary people couldn't sense it in such intense combat, but Evolving persons did. They all looked east, where two shadows slowly appeared.
It was those two monsters!
William frowned slightly. His team tried not to make noise, only using guns during the final retreat, partly to avoid attracting these two beasts. But they were still drawn over.
Due to their high level, their appearance caused some commotion in the zombie horde, but it was quickly replaced by the temptation of fresh food in front of them. They became more violent, knowing that once the two third-level monsters arrived, the food wouldn't be theirs.
The team was in greater danger.
William and the core team members didn't expect that even after attracting so many zombies away, the battle would still be so passive. At this rate, even if they managed to transport the grain out, the casualties would be significant.
Glancing at the third-level monsters some distance away, William decided to use some life-saving items.
The avant-garde mechanic appeared in the team, and William instantly inserted a hundred energy units into it.
"Clear the shooting angle!" he shouted.
With his command, others instantly cleared the robot's attack angle. Two beams shot out, sweeping across about five degrees on either side of the team's path.
This was the edge of William's two attacks.
After putting away the small device in a thirty-hour cooldown, William saw that the path ahead was mostly clear, and the convoy beyond the trench was visible.
After the beams, it really felt as if nothing were left alive.
"Charge! If you want to live, charge and load the grain onto the trucks!" Brian roared.
His eyebrows and beard almost stood up, and his voice was even louder than the occasional gunfire.
The Evolving persons and armed warriors gave their all to protect the transport team, which quickly crossed the wooden planks over the deep trench and reached the waiting convoy. Natalie and a few others spread out to deal with approaching zombies, preventing them from blocking the convoy's exit route.
To protect the grain team's departure, the Evolving persons and warriors had to hold the line, facing much greater pressure than when they were moving. Almost a dozen people were killed by the zombie horde in an instant. If it weren't for William and Pill filling the gaps, the team would have been scattered.
"Cecil!" William shouted.
Cecil immediately moved to the rear, raising a giant white shield!
After the last transport team member crossed the trench, Cecil activated Immovable Rock!
The shield shadow immediately blocked the entire road behind them. The last retreating warriors began crossing the trench, removing the planks as they went, exposing the large trench.
As the zombie horde crashed into the shield shadow, blood instantly flowed from Cecil's mouth and nose. These zombies didn't have high individual attack power, but their collective attack caused him to be injured instantly.
So the immovable shield shadow only lasted a few seconds before shattering.
Cecil, William, and Pill, who hadn't yet left the trench, were completely exposed to the zombie horde's fangs.
