"Boom, boom, boom..." Cannonballs were fired, unleashing a fierce barrage on the beast tide detected on the radar, and as the shells left the barrels, the accumulated water on the ground began to tremble.
Rainwater continuously fell from the dark sky. In the past, this would have been considered bad weather, and on rainy days, most people's moods would be affected. Rain would dampen their clothes, leading to a day of unpleasantness. Humans also yearned for a world of light, and overcast skies that obscured the sun were naturally disliked.
However, at the camp, the situation was the opposite. The rainy season was a time everyone had been eagerly anticipating. While increased rainfall seemed to accelerate mushroom growth, in reality, the mushroom forest's growth had already reached its limit. The arrival of the rainy season would only hasten the decay of the mushrooms.
Everyone in the camp was on high alert, facing the approaching beast tide. They held their rifles, ready to fire at any moment. Although it was raining, firearms could still be discharged even when submerged.
At this moment, the shells landed, exploding violently upon impact. The sharp shrapnel, traveling at extreme speeds, would create bloody wounds upon hitting mutated beasts. Less resilient mutated beasts were instantly killed by the shrapnel, while those with stronger vitality succumbed to excessive blood loss.
After the shells landed, shrapnel was the most dangerous form of attack. Among the mutated beasts, there were individuals with considerable defense, such as mutated pangolins, mutated crocodiles, and even mutated lizards. These creatures naturally possessed protective scales, and after mutation, their defense was further enhanced. Typically, unless a shell landed directly on these well-defended mutated beasts, they would not be killed.
However, besides shrapnel, cannonballs possessed another deadly capability: the shockwave. The blast wave created by the explosion could hurl surrounding soil and rocks, and when it acted upon mutated beasts, it directly attacked their internal organs, a form of assault that the mutated beasts could not resist.
During World War II, doctors discovered that after shelling, many soldiers had no external wounds, with no shrapnel hitting their bodies, yet they were dead. Upon dissection, it was found that their internal organs were shattered, a consequence of the shockwave generated by the exploding shells. Near the shells, shrapnel would pierce through people, while at a closer range, the shockwave would also affect the human body.
"Hmph, now you know how powerful we are? Beasts are always just beasts. No matter how large they become, they cannot compare to us, the most intelligent beings," a forward commander declared triumphantly at this moment.
Chu Chaoyan also stood behind the wall, holding a sniper rifle, ready to fire. Although Chu Chaoyan was an ability user, her abilities were rather special and could not be used carelessly. After all, it was simple to create chlorine gas on the battlefield, but if the wind direction changed on the battlefield, it would inevitably harm their own forces. Especially with Shen Feng not by her side to control the wind direction, friendly casualties would occur under such circumstances.
Witnessing the mushroom forest being shattered by the intense artillery fire, the mutated beasts within the forest appeared before everyone's eyes. Hundreds of mutated beasts perished under the shelling. Modern warfare was like this; whoever had the longer reach possessed a wider attack range and a higher lethality.
The mutated beasts were unable to approach the camp at this moment but had to endure the shelling. If these mutated beasts had not been parasitized, they would have dispersed long ago. These mutated beasts were indeed ferocious; despite heavy casualties from the shelling, they did not retreat, but instead, their formations dispersed.
In the age of cold weapons, the human wave tactic was absolutely effective, as many hands made light work. However, under the current artillery fire, even the mutated beasts understood the principle of dispersion. Clustering together made them pure targets, and there was no hope of breaking through the battlefield to reach the outer perimeter of the camp. Only by dispersing did they have a chance.
The weakest mutated beasts in the beast tide were all fourth-tier mutated beasts. Not only were they tough and thick-skinned, but their sheer size posed a significant threat. Although the camp had established low walls, they were primarily constructed of earth and stone, as reinforced concrete could not be found in the wilderness. Once the mutated beasts charged close, it was conceivable that the low walls would be breached under their onslaught.
After the mutated beasts dispersed, the camp's artillery fire did not cease. However, as the mutated beasts scattered, the lethality of the shells began to decrease rapidly. It was evident that in the coming period, the camp would have to face the charging mutated beasts.
The camp's preparations were already complete. Although only six thousand soldiers remained, their combat effectiveness had been significantly reduced. However, large-caliber machine guns had been mounted on the camp walls. As the beast tide approached, the machine guns began to spew fire, and bullets vanished from sight, while the charging mutated beasts rapidly fell.
The power of large-caliber machine guns was not to be underestimated. Ordinary pigs and dogs would be torn apart by a few bullets, and a graze from a bullet could rip off a human arm. Even mutated beasts were not immune. As the bullets swept past, dust flew everywhere, and when a mutated beast was hit by a bullet, blood mist would erupt in the air. Hit by machine gun bullets, the mutated beasts fell in rows like harvested wheat. As the most intelligent beings, humans naturally had to prove their strength when facing an attack from a horde of beasts.
Chu Chaoyan was also using her sniper rifle to shoot. A sniper rifle weighed over ten pounds, making it difficult for ordinary people to lift, and its powerful recoil was not something just anyone could withstand. However, Chu Chaoyan was an ability user, and even if she couldn't use her abilities at this moment, her physical fitness was superior to that of ordinary people.
Facing the menacing beast tide, Chu Chaoyan could take down one mutated beast with each shot. This was because Chu Chaoyan primarily aimed for the heads of the mutated beasts when aiming. The brain was the greatest weakness of vertebrates, and with the brain destroyed, all animals would die.
The sounds of exploding shells, machine gun fire, roaring mutated beasts, and falling mutated beast corpses continued to echo across the wilderness. The mutated beasts were held back firmly outside the camp. Inside the camp, workers, researchers, and medical personnel were all hiding in tents. Some of the braver ones peeked out from their tents, only to see the front lines ablaze with intense fighting, black smoke and fire continuously appearing, and the explosions never ceasing.
At this moment, screams emanated from the temporary hospital: "Ah, let me go! Let me go..."
The temporary hospital was mostly filled with parasitized soldiers, and most of these soldiers had mushrooms growing on their heads. Medications were difficult to treat them with, as fungi had taken root in their brains. Even surgery could not remove these fungi. The ultimate fate of these soldiers was to lie in bed after losing consciousness. To prevent the soldiers from being controlled, each of them had been restrained, and their feeding was done through nasogastric tubes, which were inserted through the nostrils into the esophagus, not through the mouth.
However, the soldiers who had lost consciousness were now regaining their senses and becoming frenzied, constantly screaming. Furthermore, in addition to their incessant screams, these parasitized soldiers were struggling violently, seemingly trying to break free from their restraints.
Nurses and doctors were stunned by the commotion in the temporary hospital. They had never seen these soldiers appear so terrifying, as if even the restraints couldn't control them. The soldiers' eyes were red, veins bulged on their foreheads, and their fists were clenched tightly. They uttered indistinct words, but their demeanor suggested they wanted to fight anyone.
"Quickly report to superiors, there's an incident in the hospital. We need someone to guard the hospital, otherwise, the camp will descend into chaos," the director shouted loudly upon witnessing the scene. He had never imagined that these soldiers would become uncontrollable during the battle, which was simply unimaginable.
Upon hearing about this matter, the leaders in the camp immediately felt a sense of foreboding. This was a critical period, and all the combat-ready soldiers were fighting on the front lines. If they were to withdraw the front-line soldiers now, what would happen if the camp was breached?
However, the chaos in the temporary hospital could not be ignored. After much deliberation, the leaders finally devised a plan: to mobilize the workers in the camp to go to the temporary hospital and control these rampaging soldiers.
Initially, asking workers to control soldiers was an unrealistic idea, as soldiers were trained personnel and could not be easily subdued. Compared to soldiers, workers' combat effectiveness was clearly inferior. However, there was no other option at this moment. Fortunately, the number of workers in the camp was sufficient, so controlling the soldiers could be achieved through sheer numbers.
The soldiers were their own people, and it would be too cruel to kill them. Therefore, the best option was to subdue them.
The workers did not hesitate upon receiving the leaders' orders and rushed to the temporary hospital. Some soldiers had already broken free from their restraints and were causing havoc in the hospital. Doctors and nurses were constantly retreating, not daring to approach the out-of-control soldiers.
The workers were also very fearful. These were professional soldiers. Although they worked hard every day and possessed strength, their professions were different. These soldiers had learned killing techniques, and in a real fight, they were likely no match.
The workers hesitated for a moment, and then someone shouted, "Brothers, let's go together, they are outnumbered."
This call was met with support, and a group of them immediately charged forward. They had initially worried about not being a match for the professional soldiers, but when they actually started fighting, they found themselves easily overpowering the soldiers.
The soldiers who had broken free were a minority, while most of the soldiers were still tied to their hospital beds. The workers were numerous, typically ten to twenty people confronting one parasitized soldier. As the saying goes, one cannot fight against many. The workers simply relied on their numerical advantage to achieve victory. Upon receiving this report, the leaders finally breathed a sigh of relief, as long as there were no internal disturbances, things could be managed.
At this time, the doctors speculated, "It must be that during this past month, the soldiers have not been training, and their nutritional intake has been ordinary. Under these circumstances, their muscles have atrophied, which is why the workers' physical strength has formed an overwhelming advantage."
At this moment, the sound of artillery fire on the front lines began to gradually subside. For cannons, the barrel was very important. Once the barrel overheated, it would inevitably affect its lifespan. Even in rainy weather, the barrels became scorching hot, and clouds of steam rose as rainwater fell onto the barrels.
Fortunately, the number of mutated beasts on the front lines was also gradually decreasing. As the artillery fire weakened, the machine guns could supplement the damage.