When the zombie army attacked, Matthias refused to retreat. He led his troops into a full-scale counteroffensive, deploying tanks and artillery against what he saw as nothing more than monstrous corpses.
In his mind, even bulletproof zombies couldn’t possibly withstand tank fire. A single shell could flatten solid iron, so what chance did the undead stand?
The idea sounded solid in theory, but reality was completely different because there were simply too many zombies.
When tens of thousands swarmed in from every direction, there was no way to hold them back.
These zombies were fearless and would never back down as they charged straight into tank shells and artillery fire, as if they meant nothing to them.
The military’s defensive fortifications were utterly useless against the zombies. Bullets had no effect, as if the creatures were immune to gunfire.
Tanks and artillery could tear their bodies apart, but the problem was efficiency. When facing tens of thousands of zombies, dozens of tanks could hardly reduce their
overwhelming numbers.
Even with limbs blown off, the zombies continued to advance. Only total obliteration could stop them, which usually demanded multiple direct tank rounds for each creature.
Initially, Matthias’s counterattack achieved some success in wiping out part of the horde. But once the zombies closed the distance with his forces, he finally realized the scale of the threat.
Speed, strength, and unnatural durability were only part of the problem. Their real danger lay in the virus they carried, as anyone bitten or even scratched would turn into one of them within seconds.
The real horror began when swarms of zombies jumped into the trenches. In close combat, even elite soldiers were helpless.
Even after emptying an entire magazine, it couldn’t bring the zombies down. Instead, the creature would lunge forward and sink its teeth into the nearest soldier. Moments later, the fallen soldier would rise again and become one of them, then turn on his own comrades.
Under this kind of assault, where every casualty became a new enemy, Matthias’s so-called well-trained army proved useless. They didn’t stop the outbreak, but instead helped the zombie virus spread faster.
“Damn it! What the hell are these monsters? Why do they keep multiplying, no matter how many we kill?” Matthias snapped.
From a distance, he scowled as he looked through his binoculars toward the trenches. His voice was sharp with frustration and disbelief.
At first, he had felt confident when he saw tanks blast zombies apart. He thought he was being bold, decisive, and made smart tactical decisions.
But once the zombie horde reached the trenches, the battlefield became a massacre, and Matthias was left stunned by how fast his advantage disappeared.
He never expected his army to collapse so easily, like they were made of glass the moment contact was made. Or maybe the truth was worse-the zombies were far more terrifying than he had ever imagined.
“Your Highness, we have to pull back,” Neville urged him. “If this goes on, you’re just sending them to die.”
He had been staying close to protect Matthias so he could clearly see the situation unraveling. The army that Matthias had assembled were nothing but sitting ducks. If they kept pushing, there wouldn’t be a single man left standing by nightfall.
“Where are the cannons? Bring out all my artillery and blast these monsters to pieces, “Matthias roared as he clung to the hope of a final stand.
“Your Highness, all the cannons have already been deployed,” Neville said frantically. “There are too many of them. We can’t kill them fast enough. If we don’t retreat now, we’re all going to die here.”
He could already see several unusually aggressive zombies charging toward them. These were different as they leaped more than 30 feet at a time, moving with terrifying speed. Even direct artillery hits barely slowed them down. Whatever they were, they weren’t any ordinary zombies.
“There has to be another way. I can’t lose to these creatures. Not like this,” Matthias muttered as he paced back and forth while desperately trying to think of a solution.
He had led armies through countless battles and rarely tasted defeat. However, he’d never encountered a situation like this before.
“Your Highness, the defensive line has collapsed. We can’t hold them anymore,” Neville shouted, drenched in sweat.
That brief moment of hesitation had already cost them dozens more lives. The defensive position they had fought so hard to maintain had collapsed entirely.
The soldiers fought bravely and refused to back down, but ultimately, they were no match for the overwhelming tide of zombies.
“Retreat! Everyone, fall back now!”
Matthias finally gave the order when it became clear the situation was beyond saving.
“Retreat and sound the horn!” Neville barked. Upon hearing that, the few remaining soldiers broke ranks and scattered in a desperate attempt to flee.
Unfortunately, the zombies were too fast and the soldiers couldn’t outrun them.
Within moments, all the retreating soldiers had fallen victim to the zombie swarm.
When he witnessed his men get torn apart by the undead, Neville felt a crushing sense of helplessness. As a general, standing by while his soldiers were slaughtered without being able to save them was unbearable.
If they had retreated earlier, they could have saved some lives. Even saving just one more person would have been worth it.
“You damn beasts! I’ll kill every last one of you,” Neville roared. Consumed by rage, he drew his steel blade and was about to charge toward the zombie horde.
“What the hell are you doing? Do you have a death wish?” Matthias snapped. He reacted quickly and grabbed Neville’s arm.
Even though Neville was a grandmaster martial artist, his strength meant little in the face of thousands of zombies. No matter how many he could cut down-ten, or 100-it wouldn’t change the outcome. Once his stamina ran out, death was the only end waiting for him.
