The steel rod's air-tearing shriek abruptly ceased.
Li Mingyu's bloodshot eyes were fixed on his elder brother, who was just three inches away from the tip of the rod, which was aimed directly at Li Zhenguo's throat!
Under the activation of his Buli (Brute Force) ability, his muscles were like red-hot branding irons, engorged blood vessels pulsed wildly beneath his skin, and sweat mixed with grime rolled down his forehead.
Anger, grievance, and the pain of betrayal gnawed at his reason like venomous snakes. Why?! Why did his brother fire that damned signal flare?! Why did he attract all these monsters?!
Li Zhenguo did not dodge. He stood tall, his back straight, like a mountain, allowing the cold tip of the rod to press against his Adam's apple.
His gas mask had long been removed, revealing a face covered in gunpowder and fatigue, yet still resolute. He looked at the raging anger and deep-seated fear in his younger brother's eyes, at the bleeding bandages beneath his tattered school uniform, and his heart felt as if an invisible hand had tightly squeezed it.
He wanted to explain that the signal flare was for positioning, for subsequent rescue, for… saving them. But under his brother's fiery gaze, all words seemed so pale and powerless.
“Xiaoyu…” His voice was hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor, “Put down the rod… Listen to your brother…”
“Listen to what?!” Li Mingyu roared, the steel rod trembling slightly from the force. “Do you know how many of those things that last move could attract?! Tell me how you forced us all into a dead end?! It’s all those things outside! Listen! Listen!”
As if to confirm his roar, the shrieks and thudding of ghouls from outside the corridor crashed against the doors and windows like a furious tsunami!
The tables and chairs blocking the door trembled under the violent impacts, unable to bear the strain, and sawdust sprinkled down!
The terrified screams and cries of the students rose again, and the atmosphere of despair, like a cold tide, instantly drowned the glimmer of hope that had just ignited with the arrival of the army!
“It wasn’t us…” Li Zhenguo had just begun to speak.
“Shut up!” Li Mingyu abruptly cut him off, his Buli (Brute Force) ability erupting again!
The steel rod, carrying all his anger and strength, thrust forward with a vengeance! It wasn't aimed at the throat, but slammed hard into Li Zhenguo's left shoulder! He wanted to make this brother, who had “killed” his comrades, taste pain too!
Bang!
A dull thud!
Li Zhenguo grunted, his body staggered back two steps from the immense force, and a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder! But he endured, not falling, his eyes filled with pain and disbelief.
His younger brother… had truly attacked him!
“Mingyu! Stop!” Wu Tao cried out in horror!
“Li Mingyu, are you crazy!” Sun Qiang roared, trying to intervene!
Just then!
“Crack—!!!”
A teeth-grinding, glass-shattering crisp sound suddenly came from the window at the end of the corridor!
It finally cracked.
Immediately after!
“Boom—!!!”
That huge floor-to-ceiling window, which was tightly blocked by debris and desks and directly faced the playground, burst inward under the frantic impact of several ghouls, along with the blocking debris, as if hit by a cannonball!
Broken glass scattered like sharp blades! Twisted aluminum alloy window frames and heavy desks were flung by the immense force, slamming into the walls and crowd inside the corridor!
“Ah—!!” Several students near the window let out piercing screams, instantly struck by glass shards and flying debris, bleeding profusely!
A cold night wind, mixed with a strong stench of corpses and blood, carrying countless frantic roars, surged in like a breached dam!
“Roar—!!!”
“Ow—!!!”
Several ghouls, with abnormally bulging muscles and nearly two meters tall, like devils from hell, crashed through the flying fragments and debris, roaring as they rushed into the corridor! Their crimson eyes gleamed with madness in the dim light, viscous drool dripped from their mouths, and sharp claws swung like scythes, directly pouncing on the students closest to them!
It is worth mentioning that there were no blood patterns at the corners of their eyes, of course, carefully selected by Ling Chen.
The defense line! It was breached!
“Open fire! Free fire! Protect the students!”
Li Zhenguo's pupils constricted, instantly waking from the intense pain of the brotherly standoff!
A soldier's instinct overwhelmed all emotions! He roared sharply, simultaneously pulling out the QBZ-19 assault rifle from his waist! The suppressed muzzle instantly spewed deadly tongues of fire!
Puff, puff, puff, puff!
Dull and rapid gunshots rang out! The heads and chests of the two strength-type ghouls charging at the front instantly burst into several blood flowers!
The enormous impact caused their forward momentum to sharply halt! But the bullets hitting their bulging muscles seemed to sink into tough rubber, failing to cause fatal wounds! They merely swayed, letting out more enraged roars, and continued to pounce!
“Aim for the head! Hit their heads!” Li Zhenguo roared while accurately firing in bursts! A bullet precisely penetrated a ghoul's eye socket!
Splatter!
Red and white splattered out! That ghoul crashed to the ground!
But more ghouls were frantically pouring in from the broken window! Like a black tide!
Normal ghouls, speed-type ghouls, and even a few mutated beasts on all fours, like hounds! The entire corridor instantly turned into a bloody slaughterhouse!
“Ah! Help!”
“Don’t come over! Get lost!”
“Shoot! Shoot quickly!”
The students screamed in terror, scattering and fleeing!
A few boys mustered courage, brandishing crude weapons to try and resist, but they were like Mantis trying to stop a chariot before the ghouls! One boy's chest was easily torn open by a ghoul's sharp claws! Another was sent flying, slamming hard against the wall, his fate unknown!
“Anvil! Suppress the window with fire! Dove! Release interference! White Dove! Save people!” Li Zhenguo roared while changing magazines! His movements were swift and precise! He had to stop this flood! Otherwise, everyone would die!
Wang Lei stood in front of the crowd like an iron tower!
The anti-materiel sniper rifle in his hand let out a dull roar! With every gunshot, a ghoul charging at the front was blasted backward, its body exploding with huge blood holes! But there were too many ghouls! They were fearless!
He was quickly entangled by several ghouls, their sharp claws scraping against his thick bulletproof vest with a grating sound!
Zhao Xiaowen's face was pale, her fingers sliding rapidly across the tactical terminal!
The “Night Bat” drones circling in the air emitted even sharper high-frequency sonic waves! Several nearby ghouls suddenly halted their movements, clutching their heads in pain! But the sonic wave's range was limited and could not cover the entire entry point!
Zhou Xiaoyu gritted her teeth, weaving through the chaotic crowd, her medical kit quickly stopping bleeding and bandaging injured students! But her strength alone was too small! Screams and cries rose one after another!
Li Mingyu looked at the bloody hell that had instantly erupted before him, watching his former classmates die tragically under the ghouls' claws, watching his brother, whom he had injured, fearlessly blocking the front, frantically pouring bullets into the ghoul tide… The anger in his eyes was instantly replaced by immense fear and bewilderment!
He… what had he done?!
“Li Mingyu! What are you staring at! Help!” Sun Qiang roared, rushing to his side, his metallic arms fiercely blocking a pouncing strength-type ghoul!
Heavy metallic fists slammed into the ghoul's chest like a pile driver, making a dull thud! The ghoul was sent reeling backward!
Li Mingyu suddenly woke up! He watched as Sun Qiang was pounced on from the side by another ghoul, its sharp claws fiercely grabbing at his metallic neck! His joints! Those were the few weaknesses of 【Iron Wall】!
“Sun Qiang!” Li Mingyu's eyes were splitting with rage! His Buli (Brute Force) ability erupted again! He roared, and the steel rod in his hand, tearing through the air with a shriek, like a cannonball, slammed hard into the head of the ghoul that was ambushing Sun Qiang!
Bang!!!
A dull thud like a watermelon bursting! Red and white splattered all over Sun Qiang! The ghoul's headless body fell limply!
“Thanks!” Sun Qiang growled, turning to pounce on another ghoul!
Li Mingyu gasped, his hand gripping the steel rod trembling slightly.
He looked at the bloody slaughter in the corridor, at Li Zhenguo's figure fighting valiantly, at those terrified and helpless classmates… A huge sense of regret and responsibility surged in his heart! Now was not the time for internal strife! Survive! They must survive!
He roared, charging into the ghoul horde like a mad tiger!
His Buli (Brute Force) ability erupted without reservation! The steel rod became a blur of afterimages, slamming hard into those hideous monsters! Every swing carried all his anger and strength! The sound of bones shattering and flesh splattering was incessant!
In the chaos, Ling Chen still leaned “weakly” against the wall, his hat brim low, as if stunned by the bloody scene.
But his Panhun Yu Po (Soul-Solidifying Jade) was operating at high speed, his cold will like the most precise radar, scanning the entire battlefield.
His gaze swept over the surging ghoul tide. Strength-type ghouls… speed-type ghouls… and a few mutated beasts mixed among them, moving unusually swiftly, their claws and fangs gleaming with a faint blue light… Very good.
The number was sufficient, the threat was significant, it might cause casualties, but it would not cause crippling damage to this team, preventing them from returning.
His gaze fell on Li Zhenguo. Li Mingyu's elder brother was indeed a tough man, with accurate marksmanship, clean and decisive tactical movements, and composure in crisis.
Unfortunately… he was just an ordinary person. Before ghouls, flesh and blood were ultimately fragile.
His gaze then swept over Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang.
The two fought fiercely in the ghoul horde, like two sharp daggers. Li Mingyu's Buli (Brute Force) was indeed dominant, with blood and flesh flying with every swing of his rod. Sun Qiang's steel skin defense was astonishing, enduring several ghoul bites, leaving only a few white marks on his metallic skin.
The pressure was not enough yet. Although the military reconnaissance team was in a sorry state, relying on their excellent equipment and tactical cooperation, they barely managed to withstand the ghoul tide's impact.
Especially the strong man codenamed “Anvil,” that anti-materiel sniper rifle was immensely powerful, almost one shot, one kill, posing a significant threat to the ghouls.
Needs… another push.
Ling Chen's thoughts stirred slightly.
On his shoulder, three dark purple bats flew up, silently merging into the dim shadows of the corridor. They did not attack the ghouls but, like ghosts, flew towards the depths of the corridor, to those few classrooms that had previously been infested with ghouls and were now relatively quiet.
Squeak, squeak—!
The bats emitted extremely faint ultrasonic chirps, like invisible keys, penetrating the tightly closed doors.
A few seconds later.
“Roar—!!!”
“Ow—!!!”
From those previously silent classrooms, a more furious, more chaotic roar suddenly erupted!
Immediately after, the doors were slammed open from the inside! More ghouls, like venomous bees whose nest had been poked, frantically surged out!
They did not rush towards the window's entry point but directly pounced towards the middle of the corridor—the flank and rear of the military reconnaissance team and Li Mingyu, Sun Qiang, and others!
Attacked from front and back!
“Behind! There are some behind too!” Zhao Xiaowen's scream rang out, filled with unprecedented terror! Her drone monitoring screen was instantly engulfed by crimson light points!
“Damn it!” Li Zhenguo's face drastically changed! He abruptly turned his gun, but it was too late! Several extremely fast ghouls, like phantoms, pounced from the side and rear, their sharp claws aiming directly for his back!
“Captain, be careful!” Wang Lei roared, trying to turn back to rescue, but he was tightly entangled by two ghouls!
Just at this critical moment!
“Get lost!”
A hoarse roar, as if using all his strength, rang out!
Ling Chen, who had been leaning against the wall, “faintly,” had somehow struggled to his feet! His face was as pale as paper, blood still hanging from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes gleamed with a nearly insane determination!
He suddenly grabbed a broken steel table leg with a sharp fracture beside him, and with all his might, hurled it fiercely at the ghoul pouncing on Li Zhenguo's back!
Splatter!
That rough table leg, as if it had eyes, precisely penetrated the ghoul's temple! Black blood and brain matter splattered out! The ghoul's movements abruptly ceased, and it fell to the ground!
Ling Chen also “overexerted” himself, suddenly spitting out a mouthful of blood, his body going limp as if all his bones had been removed, falling backward heavily, crashing to the ground! Kicking up a cloud of dust!
“Chen Xue!” Chen Xue let out a piercing scream, pouncing over regardless of anything!
Li Zhenguo suddenly turned his head, saw Ling Chen on the ground, and then looked at the ghoul whose head had been pierced by the table leg, his pupils sharply constricting!
This student… this seemingly severely injured, dying youth… had actually saved his life at a critical moment?! And… that precise throw… was it a coincidence? Or…
“Cough, cough… Quick… Block them…” Ling Chen lay in Chen Xue's arms, struggling to raise his hand, pointing to the ghoul horde surging from the side and rear, his voice as faint as a wisp of smoke, yet his eyes were filled with urgency and… an undeniable resolve!
This scene was etched like a brand into the eyes of Li Zhenguo and all the surviving soldiers!
A severely injured student, at the brink of life and death, disregarding his own safety, used a crude table leg to save their captain!
Hmm, it seems the effect is not bad. Ling Chen nodded in satisfaction in his heart.
He definitely couldn't let them leave. Once this “probe” returned, it would indicate that the ghouls at Linghui Academy were not that strong, and four people could swagger in and still return.
Moreover, his action of making the ghouls retreat seemed too deliberate, which would instead arouse suspicion.