Chapter 181: The Counterattack Begins

As the explosions continued erupting across the streets, another sound gradually rose above the chaos. The ground began to tremble as dozens of armored vehicles came rushing through the streets, followed by military trucks packed with soldiers. Their mounted machine guns immediately opened fire, sweeping across the advancing horde and cutting down infected that had survived the explosions.

"Focus fire on the front!"

"Infantry, move up behind the armor!"

The arriving soldiers quickly spread out behind the armored vehicles, forming a defensive line as more trucks and transports continued pouring into the sector. What had started as a small group rapidly grew into a large force as reinforcements from the northern wall continued arriving.

Reynold, who had been leading the Special Units’ retreat, glanced back at the incoming forces. A faint sense of relief crossed his face when he saw how many soldiers had arrived.

"Reinforcements are here!" he shouted. "Hold your positions and give them room to deploy!"

The Special Units immediately adjusted their positions, moving to the flanks while the newly arrived soldiers took over the main defensive line.

Another group of armored vehicles came rushing through the streets, followed by several trucks carrying hundreds of soldiers. One of the vehicles stopped near Reynold, and an older man in his fifties with a bald head jumped down.

"Commander Stephen?" Reynold immediately recognized him. Stephen had been in command of the northern defense only moments ago.

Stephen gave him a brief nod. "I redirected the northern units when the horde changed course. We moved as soon as we realized they were heading here."

Reynold glanced toward the massive breach before looking back at him. "What about the northern wall?"

"I left enough forces behind to maintain the defense."

Stephen’s gaze shifted toward the ruined western wall. "Where’s Commander Gordon? He was supposed to be leading this sector."

Reynold’s expression darkened. "Gordon was killed before we arrived. All of the soldiers defending this section were wiped out as well. We haven’t been able to confirm any survivors."

Stephen’s expression hardened for a moment before he looked back toward the advancing horde. "Then we’ll mourn them later. Right now, we have a breach to contain."

Reynold nodded at him. "Agreed. We’ll support your advance from the rooftops and cover your flanks while your troops establish the defensive line."

"Do it."

Reynold immediately fired his Dual Cable Launcher. The hook latched onto a nearby building, pulling him into the air as the other Special Unit soldiers followed. They quickly spread across the surrounding rooftops, preparing to provide cover for the newly arrived forces.

Stephen turned toward the soldiers gathering behind the armored vehicles.

"All units, listen up!" His voice carried across the battlefield. "The western sector has been breached, and the horde is already inside the safe zone. We’re pushing them back before they reach the residential area."

"Armor, advance first. Infantry, stay behind the vehicles and maintain your spacing. Don’t chase anything beyond the line."

He then pointed toward the advancing horde.

"Keep your formation and focus on the front. We’ll push them back."

The armored vehicles surged forward as the machine guns opened fire, sending a storm of bullets into the approaching horde.

The rocket teams quickly moved into position behind the armored vehicles, raising their launchers toward the approaching horde.

"Rocket teams, ready!"

"Fire!"

FWOOOSH!

Several rockets streaked across the battlefield before crashing into the front of the horde.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!

The explosions tore through the mass of infected, throwing bodies into the air and creating a temporary gap in the advancing wave. For a brief moment, the armored vehicles held their ground like a wall of steel, preventing the tide from reaching the soldiers behind them.

But the infected kept coming.

TATATATATATATA!

The mounted machine guns roared again as the soldiers poured fire into the horde.

Just as the pressure began building once more, several helicopters appeared overhead, flying in from the direction of the northern defenses.

"The air support is here!"

The helicopters swept over the battlefield, their Gatling guns opening fire as they passed above the soldiers. Streams of bullets tore through the infected, cutting down entire groups before they could reach the armored vehicles.

Then another sound approached from the opposite direction.

Engines roared as several military trucks came rushing down the street from the southern sector, followed closely by more armored vehicles. The vehicles drove straight into the advancing infected, crushing those that managed to get too close to the soldiers.

The trucks stopped behind the defensive line, and soldiers immediately poured out.

"Move! Get into position!"

"Spread out and reinforce the front!"

At almost the same time, more Special Unit soldiers arrived from the surrounding buildings. They swung between rooftops using their Dual Cable Launchers, joining Reynold’s forces from above. These were the squads that had remained behind to defend the southern wall, but with the situation rapidly worsening, they had finally been redirected toward the western sector.

"Spread across the rooftops!" Reynold ordered. "Don’t leave any blind spots!"

The Special Units quickly divided into smaller groups, securing the surrounding buildings and streets. Snipers moved onto higher rooftops and immediately began picking out targets among the horde.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Infected dropped one after another as the snipers carefully thinned the advancing mass.

"Build a blockage!"

The order came from the ground as several trucks and damaged armored vehicles were driven across the streets and positioned side by side. Their battered bodies formed a temporary barricade, creating another layer of defense against anything that managed to break through the first line.

"Bring another truck over here!"

"Got it!"

More vehicles arrived and were quickly positioned behind the first line. Within minutes, the street had been transformed into a series of defensive positions, giving the soldiers more cover while narrowing the paths through which the infected could advance.

Then another wave of reinforcements arrived. This time, they came from the eastern sector.

Military trucks packed with soldiers poured into the western streets, accompanied by several armored vehicles. Soldiers jumped out before the vehicles had even fully stopped and immediately joined the growing defensive line.

Nearly every available combat unit from the surrounding sectors had now converged on the western sector. More than a thousand soldiers now filled the streets, supported by armored vehicles, helicopters, snipers, rocket teams, and Special Units.

What had once been a collapsing defense had quickly become a massive military formation standing between the horde and the deeper parts of the safe zone and the tide of infected finally began to slow.

Gunfire filled the streets as bodies piled up across the roads, forming mounds beneath the feet of the advancing soldiers. Explosions shook the surrounding buildings while the roars of the infected mixed with shouted commands and the constant thunder of machine guns.

"Keep the line!"

"Reload!"

"Cover the vehicles!"

"Push them out of the safe zone!" Commander Stephen stood behind the armored formation, watching the front closely as the soldiers continued holding their positions. "Advance!"

The engines roared as dozens of armored vehicles began moving forward.

They pushed into the infected, crushing anything directly in their path. Infected slammed against the armor and were thrown aside while the vehicles steadily forced their way through the mass. Behind them, infantry advanced in organized lines, firing between the vehicles and clearing anything that managed to slip past.

"Rocket teams, target the heavy concentrations!"

"Incendiary teams, burn anything trapped between the vehicles!"

Stephen continued coordinating the support units from behind the advancing armor, directing rocket teams, incendiary units, and infantry as the armored formation pushed deeper into the safe zone.

BOOM! Another group of infected disappeared beneath an explosion.

Above the streets, Reynold and the Special Units moved across the rooftops, keeping pace with the advancing formation.

"Keep the flanks clear!" Reynold ordered. "Watch for Crawlers and Variants!"

The Special Units spread across the buildings, providing cover for the soldiers below while the snipers continued picking off targets from higher positions.