Chapter 29: The Sandworms Reappear

The situation grew increasingly dire. The zombies swarming around the *Thorn* had abandoned their mindless, headlong charges, now opting for a new tactic: self-detonation.

To evade the screeching incoming Crusher rockets and suicide blasts, the *Thorn* was pushed to its absolute mechanical limits. Zhang Jun and the students were pale with terror. Zhao Qiang and the rest of the team were faring slightly better, but under these conditions, aiming was impossible, let alone sniping the most dangerous Crushers from a distance.

"Bang!" A crisp gunshot rang out. It was Saber who had fired. With the crack of the rifle, a Crusher tumbled head-first off the roof of the office building.

Zhao Qiang prepared to ask how Saber had managed the shot, but the words died in his throat; he stared, transfixed, at Saber’s performance.

The *Thorn* was bucking violently, and as the vehicle swerved repeatedly, the center of gravity inside shifted constantly. Saber was no exception, yet despite the violent tossing of both the vehicle and himself, the PSG-1 in his hands—a German-made rifle touted as the most expensive sniper weapon in the world—remained as steady as if it were welded to the chassis.

The PSG-1 had a five-round magazine. By design, it guaranteed that at 300 meters, all fifty rounds would strike within a circle the size of a baseball; its 1 MOA precision was exactly what made it so costly. Saber’s expression was intensely grave, yet his body was remarkably relaxed. His breathing was so slow it was nearly imperceptible, but his hands moved with unwavering grace. He treated the rifle as tenderly as one would a beloved woman, pulling the trigger only after long intervals. Even so, his hit rate remained at roughly fifty percent.

Finally, through their collective efforts, the *Thorn* temporarily broke free from the Crushers' bombardment zone, charging in one breath to the entrance of the air-raid shelter.

The shelter, once built into the natural terrain, had vanished, leaving behind nothing but piles of rubble. Most of the zombies had shifted their focus away from the shelter toward the arrival of the *Thorn*, leaving only a few Crushers frantically clearing the debris blocking the entrance.

"Damn it!" Zhao Qiang swore, unconcerned by the presence of outsiders. "What the hell are these bastards trying to do?" He was cursing the Crushers that, undeterred by the *Thorn*, continued to excavate the ruins. It was clear: the zombies intended to exterminate every living soul in the base.

They couldn't let them continue. Watching the Crushers effortlessly heave massive boulders and toss them aside, Zhao Qiang worried that it wouldn't take long for the zombies to clear the wreckage caused by the initial explosions. If they succeeded, the people hiding inside the shelter would be doomed.

Without waiting for an order from Zhao Qiang, Chen Ergou unleashed the remaining dozens of rounds from the robotic turret mounted on the roof. The 12.7mm bullets struck the stones, throwing off sparks, and tore the laboring Crusher clean in two.

"Zhao Qiang, go take out the Brains! Tiger and I will hold this position!" Saber commanded. The zombies had no intention of letting the survivors in the bunker escape. The Brains were hidden deep and their numbers were unknown; if the squad failed to eliminate them in time, the outcome would be thousands of survivors trapped with no retreat and no room to maneuver, facing tens of thousands of horrific zombies.

Zhao Qiang did not refuse, nor could he. The mental shockwaves emitted by the Brains upon death had a distance limit. As long as he took them out from a range of about twenty meters, the shock would only leave him dizzy for a few seconds.

Having exhausted much of his ammunition during the rescue of Zhang Jun and the others, Zhao Qiang had to draw his "dogleg" machete and charge into the zombie horde. The zombies brandished their weapons, "welcoming" the fearless living man with fervor.

The number of zombies was unnaturally high, and countless more were pouring in like a rising tide. Zhao Qiang was like a tiny, stubborn boat in a gale, hacking his way forward against the wind and waves. He gritted his teeth; the quality of the zombies' attacks was improving, and many had already learned how to properly use the weapons they held.

He had charged less than fifty meters when the ground began to tremble violently. Zhao Qiang froze, his expression shifting to one of horror. He hadn't encountered that monster in a long time, but the memory of the subway tunnel incident remained vivid: that massive, terrifying, flesh-colored creature—a total nightmare. "Sandworm attack!" Zhao Qiang turned and sprinted back toward the Tiger squad. This Sandworm was undoubtedly being controlled by the Brains to bolster the zombie assault.

The team's light weapons were incapable of inflicting any damage on the Sandworm, and the heavy machine gun was out of ammo. Aside from the few hand grenades the members carried, there was nothing to stop the creature’s advance.

Saber and the Tiger squad members felt the strange vibration from the ground as well. Before they could react, the massive Sandworm burst from the earth, its gargantuan body launching nearly ten meters into the air. Concrete, dirt, and gravel rained down like a storm on the team, who were sent flying by the sheer force of the creature's emergence.

The situation spiraled downward. The appearance of the Sandworm tipped the scales of battle decisively in the zombies' favor. Zhao Qiang could only watch as the immense creature uncoiled in mid-air before diving back into the ground.

"Is everyone okay?" Zhao Qiang shouted, his twin blades relentlessly reaping the lives of any zombie daring to block his path.

"Cai Jiashu, still alive."

"Saber, alive."

"Chen Ergou, alive."

...

One by one, reports of safety came through the radio. No casualties. A small mercy in a sea of misfortune.

"Everyone, get in the vehicle!" Zhao Qiang roared. Although the *Thorn* might be crushed by the Sandworm, it was still far more mobile than human legs.

The Sandworm burst from the ground again, ignoring the accelerating *Thorn*. It let out a piercing shriek and charged toward the ruins at the shelter entrance.

"Ram it!" Zhao Qiang gritted his teeth. The only way to deal with the Sandworm was to use the steel spikes on the *Thorn* to draw its attention.

The *Thorn* was much faster than the Sandworm's terrestrial movement. It quickly caught up, driving parallel to the beast for a few seconds before swerving. The massive creature emitted a mournful wail; where it had made contact with the *Thorn*, thick, viscous fluids pooled on the ground. The intense pain sent the giant creature into a violent, thrashing frenzy.