Chapter 197 Buy Time

197 Buy Time

"Alan needs more time; we need to hold them back!" Vicky asserted, taking command in the tense situation. Her eyes scanned the group, trying to instill determination in each member.

However, her words were met with defiance from Ruth, the young female Redneck. She crossed her arms and spoke firmly, "With this number? No fucking way!" Her skepticism resonated with a few others, and worried murmurs spread through the group.

Wyatt, the other young rednecks, suggested they should leave while the horde had not yet completely surrounded the garrison. He was nervous, and his eyes darted to the looming threat outside. "We.. we need to go now!"

Merle, trying to maintain a sense of calm, took a deep breath and said, "No, we cannot leave... we will stay and help." He looked at Vicky, his expression determined. "What's the plan?"

Vicky quickly responded, "We abandon the wall and take our stand here at the fort entrance."

She knew there was a back tunnel prepared as an exit strategy, so to make Alan's plan successful, they only needed to hold the fort itself, not the wall or any of the buildings in the yard.

Merle nodded in agreement. "Good, but it's not enough," he remarked, his eyes narrowing as he thought. "The objective is to hold out as long as we can, so we should buy more time."

Being a seasoned veteran, Merle had more than a few tricks up his sleeve, and he swiftly began to outline his plan. He gestured toward the gate and said, "We can set up barricades here and funnel the undead. We'll use the limited resources we have as effectively as possible. Those with ranged weapons should stay up top."

Vicky's face lit up with determination as she listened to Merle's plan. It was a desperate situation, but they were going to give it their all to buy Alan the time he needed. "We need two of our best runners!"

The crimson gunner scrutinized the small gathering in front of him, and after a moment's consideration, two names rose to the top.

[Daniel: Agility: C]

[Ruth: Agility: C]

Ruth smirked at Daniel, her competitive spirit shining through. "Huh! Just don't drag me behind!" she teased, acknowledging that they both had the same agility level.

Merle laid out the final elements of the strategy. They would split into two fronts. Vicky, along with the three NPC allies, would hold the fort entrance as initially planned. Meanwhile, the two runners, Daniel and Ruth, would lure as many undead as possible across the walls and lead them on a chase around the fort's yards. This diversion would allow the ranged team to take positions on top of the fort and provide cover fire.

"Remember your job is to run!" Merle emphasized, ensuring that Daniel and Ruth understood their crucial role in buying time for the others. With the plan in place, the group quickly realized that the undead were already closing in on the walls. As Daniel and Ruth reached the gate, they could see some skeleton warriors leaping over it. Reacting swiftly, Daniel shouted, "Over here!! Come and get us!!"

Ruth, armed with her two revolvers and the [Rapid fire] ability, joined in, drawing more attention from the approaching undead. As one of them drew closer, Daniel unsheathed his two-handed axe and executed a swift [cross slash], dispatching the target in seconds. The undead horde began to swarm over them, and Daniel asked with urgency, "Should we run now?"

Ruth, displaying her characteristic grit, retorted, "Not yet! Don't be a fucking pussy!!"

Suddenly, a barrage of bullets erupted from behind them, originating from the rednecks positioned atop a building in the distance, as well as Rose, perched on top of the fort, 200 meters away. Their combined firepower provided crucial support and pushed back the encroaching undead.

CRACKKK!!!

The sound of splintering wood and the eerie moans of the undead filled the air as the wall gate finally gave way. Dozens of undead streamed inside, their hollow eyes fixed on the fort.

Ruth, with her revolvers at the ready, shouted, "Now!!" and sprinted towards the east side of the yards. Her agile form weaved through the ruined houses, deftly leading the pursuing undead on a chaotic chase. Daniel, closely behind her, took a slightly different route towards the west side, skillfully drawing the attention of another group of pursuing horrors. The two successfully lead a great number of undead further away from the main street and the fort itself. As for some who still stay on their path toward the fort, Vicky stood resolute at the entrance ready to welcome them, flanked by the three champion NPC. She gripped her superior sword, one she received from bravely defending teh fort yesterday.

[Ruby Sword]

[Type: Sword Weapon]

[Rarity: Superior]

[Attributes: Damage 40 - 60]

[Effects: Speed increase 30%]

[Equipment Rating: 33]

[Able to Bring Outside the Game: No]

[Remarks: A sharp sword shining purplish like a gem]

Vicky also has Alan's [Strength Gauntlet] adorned her hand, granting her a significant damage boost. Adding the [minor blessing] spell on herself and the NPC, created an aura of divine protection that bolstered their defenses.

"90!! Just 10 more to go!!" Vicky exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with determination. She hacked and slashed at the approaching undead with precision, each strike bringing her one step closer to her goal. The fort entrance had become a battleground, where the living fought fiercely to hold the line against the relentless tide of the dead.

As minutes passed, the relentless advance of the undead horde filled every inch of the yards. The rednecks, save for Merle, had retreated inside the fort's walls. Positioned beyond the fort wall, they unleashed a barrage of gunfire upon the encroaching undead, attempting to thin their numbers. Merle, however, had something else prepared. Armed with a few dynamites in hand, he strategically detonated some of the houses, each explosion decimating several undead, burning the houses, and disrupting their relentless march.

Despite their efforts, the undead continued to pour into the garrison, and the situation grew increasingly dire. The two runners, Daniel and Ruth, found themselves running out of space to lead the undead away. It was then that Merle ordered them to return to the fort, as it became evident that their current strategy had reached its limits.

However, only Daniel managed to make it back to the fort's relative safety. A sense of urgency filled the air as the question hung heavy: "Where is Ruth?"

Ruth had been backed into a corner, her once-advantageous C rank agility and [Reptile bloodline] which granted her a 10% boost to speed, now failing to outpace the relentless undead horde.

"Get the fuck off me!!"

Amidst the chaos and the relentless onslaught of undead, Ruth found herself overwhelmed. She didn't even have the time to reload her revolver as the relentless tide of undead closed in on her. Her ammunition had run dry, and her situation was growing increasingly dire.

But just when it seemed that all hope was lost, in a surprising turn of events, Daniel arrived on the scene just in the nick of time. He burst through the ranks of the undead, his two-handed axe cleaving through their decaying forms with a fierce determination. Without hesitation, he scooped Ruth into his arms, lifting her off the ground and carrying her to safety.

Ruth, bewildered by Daniel's sudden intervention, couldn't help but blurt out in disbelief, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just hang tight!" Daniel responded with determination as he began to run with all his might. Drawing upon his experience as a former football player, he skillfully dodged, weaved, and even tackled the undead that charged toward them.

Ruth couldn't help but marvel at Daniel's speed, which seemed inexplicably faster than her own despite their similar attribute ranks. Unbeknownst to her, Daniel possessed an uncommon skill called [Athletics], which he had diligently upgraded twice, reaching the Expert level.

This skill granted him a 30% increase in speed and stamina specifically for running and jumping activities. Additionally, it bestowed upon him an active skill called [Quick Evasion].

[200% boost in movement speed for 2 seconds, changing trajectory only]

[Cooldown 30 seconds]

With the help of [Athletics] and [Evasion], Daniel skillfully navigated the storm of the undead and successfully carried Ruth back into the safety of the fort.

"We are saved!" n-(o)/V-/e/-l-(b./1-.n

However, they were far from safety, as suddenly everyone felt a tremor under their feet, "What is that?"

Everyone turned their attention toward the source of the disturbance, and their hearts sank at the sight that met their eyes. Rising above the battlefield, a grotesque monstrosity stood tall and menacing—a towering undead giant, easily ten meters in height.

The creature's body was a gruesome patchwork of stitched-together limbs, and it clutched a massive wooden mace in its hand. As the creature drew closer, it gained momentum, charging toward the fort and smashing through the wall with terrifying ease.

[Abomination]

[Type: Inhuman]

[Rank B-]

This unholy behemoth posed an insurmountable threat and was Alan's reason why defending the wall against such a formidable foe would be futile.