Chapter 157: The Corpse Driver

“General, the ascent-track hall is ready!”

On the high platform in Area E, an adjutant rushed over to report urgently.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

Under the barrage of gunfire, more and more human-faced Aberrations and other grotesque creatures appeared. These monsters were far more powerful than the zombies, consistently causing widespread casualties.

Boom!

An artillery shell exploded, a missile accurately striking a Mist Spider on a tall building. The massive spider crashed into a skyscraper by the street, its glass curtain wall shattering and cascading down with a deafening crash.

Zhang Dingzhong held a machine gun at the front line, his weapon rapidly harvesting the lives of the monsters.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The immensely long tentacles of the Atmospheric Cloud Jellyfish in the sky slowly descended upon the city, causing a swath of buildings to collapse. When the spaceport’s searchlights shone on it, its full form couldn’t even be seen.

Ang-wom!

A deathly pale light suddenly flashed for an instant.

“General, look!”

“What is that?!”

At this moment, the resisting Iron Guard Brigade soldiers’ faces changed drastically as they looked toward the center of Yubei City in the distance.

Zhang Dingzhong’s firing also ceased. His gaze followed theirs, and his pupils immediately constricted!

In the center of the city, amidst the darkness and fog, a colossal humanoid black shadow slowly appeared. At a rough estimate, the figure was at least a hundred meters tall, with arms that nearly reached the ground and strange, wing-like bone spurs on its back. It stood in the middle of the city, seemingly gazing in the direction of Spaceport One.

“The Corpse Driver?”

Zhang Dingzhong looked at the black shadow, his expression grave. “It’s exactly as the intelligence reports described.”

The giant humanoid figure was like an alien creature, exuding a powerful, chilling sense of oppression.

On the high wall, the Iron Guard Brigade officers, led by Zhang Dingzhong, stared dumbfounded at the colossal humanoid shadow. It felt like a human-like existence from a higher dimension; a single glance was enough to make their scalps tingle.

And ever since the giant Corpse Driver appeared, everyone felt as if the vast number of Aberrations and zombies in the city, even the jellyfish in the sky, were being herded by some kind of ‘keeper’, converging on the spaceport.

“Is its target us?”

“The previous sightings were also on the timeline of the polar night’s coverage…”

An officer exclaimed in alarm, “Is it treating us all as prey, herding us all the way here to be slaughtered?”

“No wonder so many zombies are rushing in one direction.”

Zhang Dingzhong’s eyes flickered as he stared at the massive figure and slowly said, “Don’t you guys think that thing looks like it’s casting a net to catch fish?”

In the fishing industry, several fishing boats cast a net and then drive the fish in a specific direction, the angle of encirclement growing smaller and smaller, finally forcing a large amount of prey into the net before hauling them aboard.

And this sky full of zombies and Aberrations was like a dense, impenetrable fishing net, driven by the ‘Corpse Driver’ along the edge of the polar night, herding humans like insects.

“Now that you mention it, it does seem that way.”

“Fishing?”

An officer said with a grave expression, “We originally thought those monsters just existed in the darkness, hunting everywhere. If that’s the case, then the 13 Starry Abysses on Blue Star…”

“Aren’t they like 13 ever-expanding fishing nets!”

His words brought a suffocating pressure upon everyone.

As the vague realization dawned on them that the polar night seemed to be hunting humanity with some kind of consciousness, a sense of powerlessness and anger began to brew beneath their fear.

“Damn it, they’re treating us like fish!” an officer cursed through gritted teeth.

“To hell with them…”

“Where the hell did these things come from!?”

The crowd erupted in angry curses.

“Looks like we guessed right. After that thing appeared, the monsters became even more frenzied. We can’t hold on much longer. General, let’s retreat!” Ma Xiaotang shouted anxiously at Zhang Dingzhong.

Vroom! Vroom!

The spaceport’s anti-air weapons fired at full power, continuously annihilating the monsters attacking from the sky.

Argh! Argh!

The tide-like army of zombies let out earth-shattering roars.

“Retreat?”

“If the defensive line is withdrawn, these bastards will rush in faster than a tidal wave. Not a single person inside will escape…”

“That’s right, if we retreat, everyone inside is finished!” an adjutant stepped forward and declared.

Zhang Dingzhong watched as countless human-faced Aberrations, black insects, and grotesque monsters charged madly toward the high platform. Below the wall, the corpses were already piled up like mountains.

Boom! Boom!

Another fighter jet fell, burning brightly before their eyes, and crashed into a city street, causing a massive explosion.

Zhang Dingzhong surveyed the tide-like army of zombies and monsters throughout Yubei City, and the colossal ‘Corpse Driver’ standing tall in the city center. His brow furrowed, and he said with a sense of sorrow, “I left when Fengcheng couldn’t be held. I left when Chong’an couldn’t be held. I left when Xinglong couldn’t be held…”

“Today, I, Zhang Dingzhong, am not leaving.”

As soon as he said this, the expressions of all the officers changed slightly, and a hint of determination slowly appeared in their eyes.

“All units!”

“Sir!”

“At all costs, hold the spaceport and ensure the successful evacuation of the people in the ascent hall!”

“Yes, sir!” everyone responded in unison, their eyes firm.

“Ma Xiaotang!”

“Here!” Ma Xiaotang’s eyes shook, but he stepped forward without hesitation.

“Bring out the big firecracker.”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhang Dingzhong walked to the front, looking at the Atmospheric Cloud Jellyfish in the sky and the ‘Corpse Driver’ in the city center. His eyes were sharp as he let out a light chuckle.

“You treat us humans like fish? Then I’ll show you what a torpedo is!”

…

Inside the ascent-track hall, the atmosphere was incredibly tense. Armed personnel in many of the survivor vehicles had taken out their weapons, watching the distant hall entrance, waiting for the supporting Iron Guard Brigade soldiers to withdraw.

Bai Shuang and the members of the emergency response team were also waiting for news from that end.

Beep~

At that moment, Bai Shuang’s communicator rang. She quickly answered it.

“This is the emergency response team, this is the emergency response team. All personnel are ready. You can withdraw.”

Beep.

“Team Leader Bai, General Zhang informs you that all convoys are to immediately enter the ascent track and depart. I repeat, all convoys are to immediately enter the ascent track and depart!”

“Wh-what?”

Bai Shuang’s expression changed drastically. She frantically pressed the call button, only to find that the call had already ended.

Wei Kexue and the others beside her were also stunned by the words.

“They… they’re not evacuating?”

“What does that mean…”

“It hasn’t been two hours yet!”

“Did the Iron Guard Brigade run into some kind of trouble?”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Outside the ascent-track hall, the sky-shaking sounds of artillery fire erupted. Bai Shuang clenched the communicator in her hand, her breathing rapid and her lips trembling. She understood. Her gaze immediately hardened, and she commanded the emergency response team members, “Everyone, get in your vehicles. Prepare for departure.”

Wei Kexue’s expression froze. He took a deep breath and began to operate the controls to disengage the Sky-Lift’s limiters for the spaceport’s ascent passage.

At the same time, the other three trains, Lin Xian, Jian Xuwei, and Shi Diyuan, all received Bai Shuang’s notification.

In 30 seconds, initiate ‘Project Traction’!

“We’re about to depart. Everyone get ready.”

Inside the Infinity, Lin Xian notified the others and the convoys behind them.

“The Iron Guard Brigade… they didn’t come back.”

Chen Sixuan said to Lin Xian, her expression grave.

“I know.” Lin Xian’s expression was very complicated at this moment. He said to Chen Sixuan in a low voice, “You guys… find a place and sit tight.”

The departure notice had been given, which meant that all the ‘passengers’ were now in the ascent-track hall…

Chen Sixuan and Shasha went to car number one and found a safe spot. KIKI also came to the cockpit, ready to help Lin Xian handle any emergencies.

Da Lou and Lu Xingchen sat down in the cockpit of the nuclear-powered locomotive and fastened their seatbelts.

Ding Junyi, however, went to the research lab alone, found a corner with a handrail, and squatted on the floor, waiting for the train to depart.

Behind them, Xu Jin, Shu Qin, Old Mo, Jiang Yun, and the others all gripped whatever they could in their vehicles, the atmosphere incredibly tense.

[30, 29, 28…]

[20, 19, 18…]

[10, 9, 8…]

VROOOOM!!!!!!

In an instant, all the train engines roared. On the tracks, the Horizon Braking Systems slowly lowered, engaging with the rails and emitting a faint glow.

At the same moment, Lin Xian, Jian Xuwei, Shi Diyuan, and Bai Shuang all spoke at once.

“Initiate. Prepare for ascent!”