Chapter 254 Let's See Who Dies First
Two electric sounds rang out, and two bright rays almost formed a single bright line, hitting the level-four Throat Seizer.
Those rays, capable of easily punching large holes through level-three evolved creatures, drew the attention of nearly everyone on the battlefield.
They all understood. The Throat Seizer, leading the horde, and William, a beacon for the survivors, were the linchpins of their respective sides. Their duel was a microcosm of the larger battle, a clash of wills that would determine the fate of them all.
If one side lost, the represented force would collapse.
Perhaps the fighting would continue for survival, but at that point, it would be purely an instinct for survival, not the soulful battle it was now.
When the light and sound from the two rays were seen and heard by everyone, both humans and mutated zombies awaited the result of this strike.
As the light gradually faded, everyone saw a figure still sitting on the shoulder of the Corpse Ape.
The hearts of the humans collectively sank.
Anyone could see that the two powerful rays were William's strongest attack, but now it was clear that they had not been effective.
Darryl, squeezed together with his subordinates and desperately fending off the surrounding zombies, slightly opened his mouth, a look of pain flashing in his eyes.
"Boss, it looks like we're going to die here today," a subordinate said, his nose turning sour. He had mocked those who cried and begged for mercy in the face of death countless times, but when he faced the same moment, he suddenly realized he was not much stronger than those people.
"Let's break out, as many as we can. Darryl, we'll cover you!" a subordinate suggested, pulling Darryl, who was still in a daze.
The zombie horde continued heading towards the main building, with most having already passed the Evolving person. Now, if they broke through the mutated zombies in the opposite direction, there was still a chance to escape.
More than half of the remaining dozen or so members of the Hungry Tiger Knights warband agreed with this idea.
Darryl hesitated, looking at the golden figure on the Corpse Ape and then at the man holding the white Warblade nearby. For a moment, he almost agreed to his subordinates' request. However, when he looked back and saw the fallen subordinates around him and the broken gray spear in his hand, he remembered his initial promise and made his decision.
"This is how it ends? After all we've lost?" he roared, hurling the useless spear at the nearest infected. "If we die today, we die fighting! We die killing these monsters!"
Sasha's warband, though larger than the Hungry Tiger Knights, had also suffered heavy losses. Nearly twenty of their number lay dead, their bodies trampled beneath the feet of the relentless horde.
The promised reward of ten vials of Evolution Elixir seemed paltry now, a pittance compared to the price they had paid.
Many suggested breaking out and leaving.
"Do you still think we're fighting for those few bottles of Evolution Elixir?" Sasha retorted, wiping the blood off her face, some of it hers, most of it zombies'.
"No, now this is a battle between humans and zombies, nothing else. It's a war to defend our race. In the future, there will be more battles like this. If I run away today, what about tomorrow? The day after? If we leave, even if we survive, don't you think something will be lost forever? In the future, when facing these zombies, when facing danger, we will lose the courage to fight to the death and become cowardly weaklings. Even if we live, it will be a miserable existence!" Sasha announced, slashing a charging zombie, her arms already sore, unable to ensure every strike hit the zombie's head.
"Anyway, I won't leave today. If you want to leave, I won't blame you. I'll stay. I want to try and see if I can kill all these filthy things," Sasha declared.
Her subordinates looked at each other, some shaking their heads, some sighing, some smiling. However, without exception, they all swung their weapons at the zombies in front of them.
Sometimes, one had to choose between left and right. On this day, both the Hungry Tiger Knights warband and Sasha's warband made a choice that would make them smile whenever they thought of it in the future.
Meanwhile, the level-four Throat Seizer had activated its innate skill—The Gilded Form—just as the rays were about to hit it.
It was a skill that significantly increased its defense.
William and the Throat Seizer stared at each other.
Large cracks appeared on the Throat Seizer's body; the rays were not so easily blocked. Those things were the product of Devil's Gamble.
Moreover, each shot consumed fifty units of energy, adding to its power. Now, the level-four Throat Seizer was severely injured.
William was not in good shape either. His body and wrists were under immense pressure. The Throat Seizer's strongest ability was its two tentacles. Although they hadn't found a chance to wrap around William's neck, they were trying to strangle his body and wrists.
Blood began to gush from William's mouth, and the pressure on his wrists was unbearable, but his eyes were incredibly bright.
The Throat Seizer, like the Three-Tailed Demon Frog, was also level-four. However, the latter was a monster with more powerful innate skills and occupied the Crystal Range, allowing it to borrow immense power from the crystals. So, when facing the Three-Tailed Demon Frog's skills, William could only resist with the Staff of Nature.
But apart from the Throat Lock skill, the Throat Seizer had only shown the Gilded Form so far. William guessed that after its evolution, it only had those two skills, one of which was defensive, giving William a chance to win the battle.
If evolution levels were the only factor, this apocalypse would have been over before it began.
William moved his hand, and a card appeared from the space. After a bright light, a monster warrior holding a long knife appeared.
The Quell Card summoned a level-three Hellhound!
The fully recovered Hellhound immediately displayed its strength, swinging its long knife and cutting the level-two Corpse Ape in half, causing the Throat Seizer to fall off.
William, whose hands were about to be strangled, pointed again. In the next second, a Metal Osmium Giant appeared, smashing down its fist on the head protected by the Gilded Form.
The Hellhound's long knife also swung again, targeting the Throat Seizer's head!
Both sides were now in a stalemate. Either the Throat Seizer would strangle William, making the two summoned beasts disappear, or the two summoned beasts would break through the Gilded Form's protective shield and end the battle!
