Chapter 250 The Ultimate Weapon of the Survivors
'Beastmaster?' William thought, frowning.
How could there be such a rare zombie in this horde?
The Beastmaster, like the Witch, formed under very stringent conditions, but once it appeared, it would become extremely powerful.
If the Witch was the epitome of elegance and beauty in zombies, then the Beastmaster was the embodiment of the grotesque and bloody.
The Level-three Beastmaster that appeared had its wrists severed, with chains extending from within, possibly fused with its bones. The chains, covered in dried blood and flesh, had turned a menacing black-purple color.
The four level-two Skin-free Mutant Dogs chained to it had their fur completely stripped off, revealing flesh and blood vessels. Occasionally, dirty blood dripped from their bodies onto the ground.
Their heads were even more terrifying, with all tissues exposed. Their eyes seemed to hang loosely in their sockets, ready to fall out at any moment. Each movement of their eyes sent chills down one's spine, and their mouths were perpetually snarling, with sharp teeth gleaming coldly.
They caused great shock among the survivors. The blood-soaked scene from the Beastmaster's arms to the dogs created a massive visual impact.
The dogs barked loudly, making an astonishing sound. The other zombies, spurred by the barking, moved faster, closing the distance to the main gate to less than 60 feet.
"The Power of Rabies!" William murmured and cursed under his breath. This innate skill was the Beastmaster's support ability, increasing the speed and strength of nearby allies. Although the boost wasn't significant, the sheer number of affected zombies caught the survivors off guard.
Moreover, the previous attacks from long-range zombies had been effective, sometimes even suppressing human firepower.
There was no way around it. Against human firearms, zombies could take dozens or even hundreds of bullets before going down, but humans, once touched by a zombie, would lose their combat ability if not killed outright. Zombies didn't need to dodge, but humans did.
As a result, the zombie horde quickly approached the base's main gate.
Then, several fortifications near the main gate opened fire.
These fortifications were built with cement and concrete, with several small firing ports at heights between 3 and 6 feet. The people inside only needed to extend their gun barrels to create a fierce barrage, hitting the nearby zombies.
Since the fortifications were extremely sturdy, with only a skylight-sized entrance protected by a thick iron door, they remained combat-effective even when surrounded by zombies.
The fortifications' fire caused significant losses to the unprepared zombies nearby. Many zombies gathered around, trying to pull out the humans inside to eat them, but they only left claw marks on the fortifications. Zombies blocking the firing ports were shot dead by the bullets whizzing out.
The fortifications had enough ammunition for two hours of continuous shooting!
Although relatively safe inside, it was still a relative term. If the base fell or special zombies appeared, the people inside wouldn't even have a chance to escape. Therefore, the people in these sturdy fortifications were ordinary folks who had been promised Evolution Elixir by William after the battle, along with priority access to excellent weapons and equipment.
Seeing the situation slightly alleviated, William looked down at Pill, who had started evolving at this critical moment!
It was a good thing, but the timing was unfortunate. Pill's combat ability was among the top in the core team, and his evolution now meant the team lost a strong support.
"Camilla, Mr. Chambers, Ms. Garcia, take it to the back," William commanded.
They were part of the technical team and key protection targets. In such an intense and uncertain battle, it was better to keep them farther away, and they could also protect Pill.
Camilla and David had no objections and immediately called two others to help carry Pill to the back. However, Edna pouted and pulled out a small scalpel from her pocket.
"My skills are better than many others," she said.
William had no time to refuse and let her stay. He turned and fired another shot at the zombie horde, aiming for the Beastmaster, but it was blocked by the sea of zombies. Those zombies were very protective of key members. Except for when the Beastmaster first appeared and some ordinary zombies made way, the Level-three Beastmaster and its four level-two subordinates were always heavily guarded.
After sacrificing over a hundred level-two zombies and one Level-three zombie, the horde finally reached the main gate.
"Charge!" Brian shouted.
He had been waiting for this opportunity. Seeing the moment arrived, he immediately gave the order. The selected vanguard, tasked with engaging the zombies in close combat, charged out from the line. Each wore gray bulletproof vests and carried the base's only shotguns and police-issue shotguns, specially modified by William. William had tested them; even level-two zombies couldn't break through the defense without using their innate skills, and the shotguns could cause widespread damage and knockback.
The vanguard members shouted loudly to boost their morale. Several held shields, led by Cecil. Under the cover of others, they charged a certain distance before quickly retreating.
This seemingly pointless action was actually crucial.
They successfully attracted the horde's attention, especially the high-level zombies at the front. Some vanguard members were killed by surrounding zombies, and the scent and sight of blood instinctively drew the zombies towards these retreating, close-by, fresh targets.
"Immovable Rock!" Cecil roared, activating his professional skills. Then a shield shadow appeared at the front of the team.
The skill was perfectly timed, blocking most of the level-two zombies' attacks. The entire battlefield shook from the impact.
Afterward, the shield shadow shattered, and Cecil was thrown backward, spitting blood.
Although he had become a two-star Evolving person along with Gemma and Lucy, today's attacks were too strong.
However, this move allowed at least half of the team to retreat, and the zombies were successfully lured and gathered together.
"Fall!" Brian shouted.
At this command, many people behind him cut through more than a dozen arm-thick ropes. The grand stone gate at the main entrance crashed down with a thunderous boom.
As one of the most luxurious entertainment venues near Accraville City, Cloud Peak Manor had a grand granite gate. The gate, inscribed with the manor's name, was custom-made at great expense and erected with over a dozen heavy machines. This massive granite gate, with a total volume of nearly 7,000 cubic feet, weighed over 600 long tons!
This stone gate, often overlooked by many survivors, had been undermined by William and his team, held in place by ropes, and now came crashing down.
In the massive tremor of dust and blood, both humans and zombies paused for a moment.
