Chapter 493: The Battle Ends

Chapter 493: The Battle Ends

Just as Zhang Yi was about to give up and prepare to retreat with his team, the battlefield underwent a sudden and eerie change.

All the zombies stopped moving in an instant.

It was as if someone had removed their batteries—they completely ignored the humans standing before them, not even making a move to attack.

And then, a second later, they all turned around in unison and sprinted back the way they came.

Bronze Armored Flying Zombies, Bronze Armored Zombies, and even the ordinary undead—

Every single one of them abandoned the battle, despite the fact that just a few more waves of attacks could have completely overrun Tianhai City’s largest human stronghold.

Yet, they didn’t hesitate at all—they turned and fled at full speed.

When they arrived, they surged in like a tidal wave.

Now, they retreated like a collapsing mountain, fleeing in absolute chaos—every zombie racing desperately, their guttural cries filled with urgency, as if something more important than life and death itself was pulling them away.

Xiao Honglian’s face lit up with joy at the sight.

Because she had seen this exact same scenario just days ago.

“Bian Junwu’s team must have found the Zombie King! They’re rushing back to save it!”

The Zombie King, as the commander of the horde, had absolute control over all zombies.

Whenever it was in mortal danger, it would instinctively recall every single zombie to protect it.

The fact that this was happening now could only mean Bian Junwu’s team had successfully located the Zombie King and posed an immediate threat to it.

It was so desperate that it had no choice but to recall its entire army.

The battlefield was eerily silent for a moment.

Everyone was utterly exhausted—except for Zhang Yi, who was still relatively composed.

They had just brushed shoulders with death—one step away from becoming food for the undead.

As the zombie tide receded, the mutant rat swarms were slightly slower to react.

But as creatures that thrived in symbiosis with the zombies, they too were cunning—quickly turning around and following the undead in retreat.

No one dared to pursue them.

At this point, everyone was stretched to their limit—one wrong move, and the horde might turn back to attack.

Only when the zombies disappeared beyond the horizon, their dark forms shrinking into a narrow, endless black line in the distance, did the soldiers finally dare to breathe again. ɽãꞐỌ฿Êṣ

“Haha… Hahahaha! Waaaaahh!!”

“Am… Am I still alive? I’m alive?! Or am I dead?”

Throughout the camp of the Followers of the Snow God, a mix of laughter, sobs, and heavy breathing echoed through the night.

The surge of relief was so overwhelming that even the most battle-hardened warriors broke down emotionally.

Many had faced death countless times before, but never like this—never against something so utterly hopeless.

They could accept dying in battle—but the thought of being eaten alive by zombies and giant rats was a nightmare beyond comprehension.

Xiao Honglian, despite her exhaustion, forced herself to stay alert.

“We can’t relax yet!” she called out.

“You can sit down and rest, but stay ready to fight! There might still be stragglers among the zombies and rats.”

Hearing her warning, the other faction leaders followed suit.

No one wanted to let their guard down too soon.

Even while resting, they kept their weapons close, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

Zhang Yi swept his gaze over the battlefield, noticing that many soldiers looked completely dazed.

This battle had scarred them deeply.

For many, this night would haunt their dreams forever—PTSD was inevitable.

He could only hope they wouldn’t wake up screaming from nightmares of the horde.

Zhou Ke’er clung tightly to Zhang Yi, her body trembling as she finally allowed herself to breathe freely.

Her rapidly rising and falling chest made her distress painfully evident.

Zhang Yi felt it all too clearly.

Before long, Liang Yue, Uncle You, Fatty Xu, and Hua Hua gathered around Zhang Yi.

The three had strictly followed Zhang Yi’s orders—fighting when necessary but reserving enough energy to escape at a moment’s notice.

As a result, none of them had sustained injuries.

Even Uncle You, who had clashed with several Bronze Armored Zombies, remained completely unscathed.

His thick skin, raw strength, and terrifying regeneration ability had made him nearly invincible on the battlefield.

Time felt distorted—no one knew how long had passed.

Had it been hours? Or just a few short minutes?

Each second had felt endless.

Zhang Yi’s gaze swept over the entire battlefield.

The first wave of defenders, those who had held the front line from the start, had suffered an 80% casualty rate.

Tianhai City was in ruins.

This battle had completely shattered its remaining military strength.

Especially in terms of high-level combat power, the losses were beyond catastrophic.

It wasn’t just "devastating"—it was a complete disaster.

But for Zhang Yi, this wasn’t necessarily bad news.

At the very least—

His team had survived.

No one from his group had perished.

That alone made this battle worth it.

And honestly—

If anyone truly deserved to be called "tragic", it wasn’t Zhang Yi, nor the other base factions.

The real tragedy was yet to come.

The true victims of this battle—were the Followers of the Snow God.

Because the war had ravaged their territory.

Now, even the cries of grief had grown faint and scattered.

Of the 5,000 believers in the cult, barely 1,000 remained—

No, maybe not even 500.

That stark reality weighed heavily on the faces of Zheng Yixian and the other high-ranking members of the cult.

Everyone still stood at their defensive positions, their bodies unmoving.

But no one spoke.

Not a single word.

Because after a battle of such unimaginable loss, after witnessing so many lives perish, even the most basic human emotions seemed momentarily paralyzed.

Zhang Yi surveyed the surroundings, his expression neutral, unreadable.

Then, a soft voice broke the silence.

“Zhang Yi, are you hurt? Do you need me to check?”

It was Zhou Ke’er.

Her concern was evident in her gentle voice.

Zhang Yi turned to look at the kind-hearted doctor, but he couldn’t bring himself to smile.

He simply shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Zhou Ke’er then checked on the others, but everyone in their squad was unharmed.

Tightening the strap on her medical kit, she looked at Zhang Yi and asked, “Can I go help the others?”

She was referring to the injured survivors on the battlefield.

Although they had made it out alive, many bore grievous wounds.

Zhang Yi didn’t refuse.

At the very least, for now, they were all on the same side.

And after this battle, the major factions of Tianhai City had suffered such heavy losses that they were no longer capable of forming large-scale forces—let alone posing a threat to Zhang Yi’s group.

In fact, they might even form an alliance to face the greater dangers ahead.

Zhou Ke’er hurried onto the battlefield, seeking out the wounded soldiers, carefully bandaging their injuries and administering medicine.

Her serious expression, her gentle hands, and her skilled medical care caused many of the hardened warriors to suddenly break down in tears.

For the first time since the battle ended, they felt warmth—

A warmth that reminded them they were still human, that they had survived, and that they hadn’t fallen into the depths of hell.

One by one, the various factions retrieved their supplies.

Food, medicine, bandages, blankets, military coats—

Though no one dared to sleep just yet, they were fairly certain the zombie horde wouldn’t return.

The priority now was helping the wounded recover.

From the church, Yuan Kongye emerged, leading the remaining survivors outside.

Throughout the battle, they had been well-protected.

Though there had been a few scares, not a single one of them had died.

Yuan Kongye’s eyes were filled with grief and compassion as she gazed at the devastated battlefield.

Then, she turned to her followers and said solemnly:

“Go and help care for them. They are the ones who fought for us.”

The surviving believers understood—

They were alive only because the front-line warriors had fought to the death to protect them.

So those who could still move rushed to help the wounded, tending to them with what little strength they had left.

Among them were Li Jian, his wife, and Xu Beibei.

As for Li Kaile, his health had been poor since his last incident, and he had yet to fully recover.

So he was ordered to stay inside the church.

Li Jian gazed at the hellish scene before him, his heart heavy with pain.

The neighbors he had once brought to the Followers of the Snow God for safety—

Most of them were now dead, slaughtered in wave after wave of zombie attacks.

A deep sense of guilt settled on his face.

Zhang Jianfang, seeing his sorrow, gently consoled him.

“Don’t blame yourself too much. You did everything you could. In times like these, all we can do is survive one day at a time. This wasn’t your fault.”

Li Jian let out a long, weary sigh, then walked forward to help carry the wounded onto stretchers.

Meanwhile, the young girl Xu Beibei moved through the battlefield, carefully wrapping bandages around the injured and offering them warm water to help them recover.

Author's Note