Since arriving at the base, Jason didn't want to waste any more time. He led an attack team to clear out a complicated area outside the university.
Argh!
The distinctive howls of walkers echoed outside an apartment building, and dozens of them moved forward, heading up the first flight of stairs at an unusually fast pace.
When there are too many walkers, some would fall due to the tricky climb, but they would quickly get back up and continue ascending the building.
Jason, silently waiting for all the walkers to be drawn into the building, listened carefully to the commotion outside. He walked toward the staircase and then gave a signal for the team behind him to get ready.
"Remember, ammo is important. In a situation like this, running out of bullets would force us into hand-to-hand combat, which would be a huge disadvantage since we have no way out!"
"Understood, sir!"
Jason pulled the assault rifle from the side of his backpack, chambered a round, aimed at the hallway where the walkers were emerging, and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets flew out of the chamber, all aimed at head level, and some even hit the legs of the walkers up front, splattering dark blood to the sides.
The walkers shot in the legs had their bones shattered from within. As a result, the ones at the front of the small horde couldn't stay on their feet and fell forward, knocking down several others behind them.
One by one, the walkers dropped, and their advance slowed. The soldiers in front of Jason fired slowly and carefully, taking down many walkers—some with a single shot that pierced their rotting heads. This helped minimize ammo usage significantly.
Seeing this, Jason kept firing. After emptying his magazine, he turned and shouted, "Reloading! It's your turn, gentlemen!"
"Yes, sir!"
As Jason stepped back, several nervous-looking soldiers replaced those who were changing their empty magazines, ensuring the shooting never stopped.
While changing his own magazine, Jason looked at the walkers crawling on the ground. He drew his silenced pistol and shot each one in the head without exception.
After dealing with the walkers on the ground, Jason looked at the group behind him and said, "Time to move forward. Remember the movement rules and stay alert to any changes."
"Understood!"
As they advanced, Jason gauged the distance to the targets ahead and silently calculated how long it would take for him and his team to eliminate them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Reloading! Take my place!"
"Zz... Commander…"
Just as Jason was getting into the rhythm of the cleanup, a voice crackled over the radio in his ear. It came from a soldier stationed outside the building.
After eliminating a few more walkers, Jason's team moved down the staircase filled with corpses, clearing the path without any casualties. Seeing that the area was relatively under control, Jason pressed a button on his chest and asked, "Zzz... What's going on?"
In addition to the movement and sound of gunfire in the apartment building, their activity had drawn the attention of many nearby walkers, and they began to converge on their location.
"Zz... Sir, there are at least dozens of walkers surrounding the armored vehicles. More are being drawn in due to the growing horde."
As Jason moved downstairs, he saw many walkers on the street, and they were all quickly being cleared out. The soldier in the armored vehicle thought Jason would lose patience over this unexpected development, but he underestimated his commander, who led the entire group without a hint of fear on his face.
These small actions by Jason, often done unconsciously, inspired every soldier around him to keep going. Who wouldn't be proud to see their leader out there on the battlefield?
"Switch to melee weapons and finish off the remaining walkers in a circle! Two of you keep watch for any enemies in the surroundings!" Jason shouted as he pulled a machete from his back.
"Understood! Carter and Charlie, check for enemies on top of the armored vehicles!" shouted a soldier from the team who served as the squad captain.
From his perspective, he was learning a lot from Jason's example. At first, he had thought this commander wouldn't be anything special—but unexpectedly, Jason proved to be full of knowledge and capable of fighting the infected head-on.
Raising his assault rifle, the captain struck an approaching walker with the butt of the weapon, knocking it to the ground, then crushed its head with his boot.
Everyone drew melee weapons and began finishing off the walkers without wasting more ammunition. Each had learned the proper techniques in different ways to avoid injury, knowing how to handle crisis situations.
Most importantly, humans are faster and smarter than walkers, so it's almost impossible for one to bite someone in a squad of ten to fifteen people.
And what about hordes?
In normal situations, there are effective methods to stay unnoticed. There are protocols to follow, even in the event of a walker attack on the base. That's why the walls are tall and sturdy—impossible to climb or destroy under ordinary circumstances.
Now, over time, it has become harder for a large horde to pose a major threat. Even if they do, there's enough equipment available to eliminate massive numbers of walkers. Also, once winter arrives, large-scale cleanups will be carried out around the base using melee weapons.
Frozen walkers are much easier to kill, and with those advantages, everything is currently going smoothly. There are weapons, military vehicles, and helicopters at every base, so the walker threat isn't as concerning as before.
It's true that walkers wiped out entire armies and countless soldiers. But now, the surviving soldiers and people have become formidable fighters who can be relied upon.
Back at the base, Jason shared some of the things he had observed at the site. He also pointed out that there was a large stadium nearby that could be used to grow crops. All vital areas must be put to use without delay.
Urban bases are the most dangerous, but also the ones with the greatest opportunities to gather resources. There were factories, pharmacies, hospitals, stores, and many other structures that would make survival easier—and offer the central base a stable supply of materials.