Chapter 248 Cloud Peak Defense Battle (Part 3)
"From here, we'll get the best view," Sasha said, her gaze fixed on the advancing horde of corpses, deciding to make a move here.
The Hungry Tiger Knights warband was responsible for the frontal assault, while Sasha and her team were tasked with attacking from the rear, weakening the horde as much as possible. Only after the horde broke through the third line of defense would they circle around to the manor's main gate to join the final defense.
Many of her subordinates were busy finishing off the not-quite-dead zombies around them. Some were inevitably pocketing Magic Crystals, but the numbers were small, so neither Sasha nor Gemma bothered to intervene.
Such things were inevitable. For external forces, putting them in charge of the main assault was tantamount to gambling with their lives. So William had to concentrate his main forces at the front, supplemented by Darryl and his dozens of Evolving persons.
Those responsible for attacking and harassing from the rear had to be Sasha's warband. Compared to the Hungry Tiger Knights warband, William trusted Sasha more, whom he had encountered in his previous life, more.
A subordinate, wiping a long knife stained with dirty blood, glanced at Gemma and the pill ahead and whispered, "Ms. Jenkins, there are at least three to four thousand Magic Crystals here, maybe more. That's about thirty to forty bottles of Evolution Elixir. Why don't we..."
He didn't finish, but everyone understood the implication.
They had previously agreed to help Cloud Peak Manor for a reward of just ten bottles of one-star Evolution Elixir. But the Magic Crystals here could yield at least thirty bottles of the elixir. The disparity was vast. With these thirty bottles, Sasha's warband could significantly increase its power. In Accraville City, although they might not dominate, they could certainly become a mid-to-upper-tier force.
So, why risk their lives here? They might as well take the Magic Crystals and leave. The people of Cloud Peak Manor were busy holding off the zombie horde at the front and had no time to monitor them.
If Cloud Peak Manor couldn't hold out, then there would be no burden at all.
The only trouble would be the ugly woman and the level-two evolved dog at the front. But if Sasha's warband collectively decided to leave, they couldn't be stopped. Even if Gemma and Pill were both at level two, they wouldn't pose much of a threat to dozens of Evolving persons.
Sasha's face remained calm as she looked at the mid-level leaders gathered around her and softly asked, "Is this what all of you think?"
Several squad leaders exchanged glances. Aside from the one who made the suggestion, two others hesitated before nodding, while two others looked more cautious.
"We've already promised them. If word gets out, it won't be good for our reputation," one squad leader whispered. He then glanced at Gemma ahead and added, "Moreover, this might seem like a big gain, but it's actually very risky. We're only thinking short-term. What if Cloud Peak Manor wins? They would get a large number of Magic Crystals and could quickly cultivate a batch of Evolving persons. By then, we'd be finished."
The squad leader who had suggested taking the crystals nodded, admitting he hadn't thought it through.
Sasha sighed, "We keep our word. Don't even think about betraying them."
The others exchanged looks but remained silent.
"Not convinced?" Sasha said helplessly. "If things go south, do you really think we can fight our way out with twenty vials of one-star Elixir? Do you think anyone would help us?"
"Oh, well, we can't," one squad leader said awkwardly.
"Exactly," Sasha said, pointing in the direction of Cloud Peak Manor. "Their strength is formidable. Not only can they produce a large amount of Evolution Elixir at once, but they also have plenty of ammunition, which we've all benefited from. Just listen to the continuous gunfire. Do you really think you can take their Magic Crystals? Are you out of your mind?"
Only then did they realize that the gunfire from the other side had never stopped, meaning the bullets had been flying for a long time.
The squad leader who had made the suggestion turned pale, realizing he had almost made a grave mistake.
Sasha continued, "Also, didn't you notice the black spots covering that big dog's Magic Crystal? It's about to evolve into level three. What kind of strength do you think someone with such a Battle Pet has? And that disfigured woman, I've heard she killed Logan in an instant. Can any of us, including me, guarantee that we could take Logan out just like that?"
She said seriously, "Even though it's the apocalypse and everything is about power rather than credibility, we must maintain our credibility. It will bring unexpected benefits. Trust me."
"We trust you!" everyone said in unison.
"Good, the battle is starting. Make sure our people are ready." Sasha ordered. Ahead, Gemma's ears twitched, and the sinister smile on her face faded.
The attacks from behind the zombie horde were highly effective. With ample ammunition, their assaults always managed to carve out a chunk of the horde.
Whenever they spotted zombies turning around or high-level zombies appearing, they would retreat and attack from another direction.
Although their battles weren't as intense as the frontal assaults, their lethality was no less. They didn't have to hold the line, allowing them to fight and retreat flexibly. And with Gemma and Pill around, any small number of level-two zombies would be quickly dispatched by the duo. Their ferocity and swiftness left many in Sasha's warband in awe, especially those who had suggested breaking the agreement, now drenched in sweat.
Also, Gemma didn't let any level-two Magic Crystals slip by, including those from the level-two zombies killed at the first line of defense.
After two hours of fighting, a flare went up, signaling Sasha and her team to head to the base's main gate.
They immediately ceased their attack and circled around from another side.
The second and third lines of defense fell within two hours.
The second line held out for a while and, like the first line, managed to achieve better results before retreating.
But when they tried to hold the third line, the horde suddenly launched a frenzied assault, led by over three hundred level-two zombies!
There were even three level-three zombies among them, causing the third line to fall within five minutes, forcing the survivors to retreat.
Those two defense lines saw nearly a hundred casualties, especially when the third line fell. To hold off the high-level mutated zombies, Evolving persons had to stay behind. By the time they retreated to the main gate's fortifications, over thirty Evolving persons had died.
Among them, Cloud Peak Manor lost twenty, and Hungry Tiger Knights warband lost about ten.
Both William and Darryl were heartbroken by such losses.
Those zombies were truly fighting to the death.
The main gate of the base was the most time-consuming and solidly built fortification. The only road was piled with heavy vehicles, leaving only narrow gaps to pass through, with several strong defensive positions interspersed. The zombies passing through would suffer heavy casualties.
The survivors quickly found their battle positions. Listening to the approaching roars of the horde, everyone knew the final battle was upon them!
