"This is the intel they sent over." Wu Yan handed over the file, but his expression was anything but pleasant as he spoke.

Since Fang Tianhe and the others were already assisting in the battle with their Mechas, Wu Yan and Xu Haishui were the only available leaders at the captain-level or above.

However, Xu Haishui had gone to the Blood Carving Mercenary Corps to give pointers on their Gun Technique. So, among the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps’s top brass, only Wu Yan could spare the time to handle communications.

Lin Xinghai took the report and glanced over it, his brow immediately furrowing.

The situation was quite a bit worse than he had anticipated. According to the intel they had sent back, they could have handled a simple Zombie horde, but the Mutated Zombies were not so easy to deal with.

Right now, a "Giant Arm" and a "Hunter" were mixed in with the Zombie horde, eyeing the outpost menacingly.

The "Giant Arm" wasn’t a huge concern. If it dared to get close, Outpost 32 could just greet it with a shoulder-fired missile to take care of it. If it was slow, they could even blow it to bits directly.

But the "Hunter" was another story. This type of Mutated Zombie was a glass cannon, but the problem was its incredible Speed!

For an ordinary person, never mind attacking it, they couldn’t even manage to aim. Even for someone like Lin Xinghai, who had broken Three Genetic Locks and whose dynamic vision was greatly enhanced, it was still a struggle to track with the naked eye. Most of the time, he could only see the "Hunter’s" afterimage.

This was why piloting a Mecha had such a high requirement for Perception Power. In many cases, Perception Power was even more important than one’s own eyes.

And the "Hunter" had used its Heaven-defying Speed, along with the cover of the Zombie horde, to launch a successful sneak attack on Outpost 32.

This sneak attack resulted in two deaths and three serious injuries. More troublingly, it had effectively torn a small hole in the defensive perimeter.

If the military hadn’t reacted quickly, that single attack could have caused immense casualties.

Although they were now on guard against the Hunter, the Mutated Zombies weren’t just sitting idle. According to the intel from Outpost 32, they had lured over a "Blood Worm."

Under these circumstances, the battle would continue to worsen. Without reinforcements, the outpost would likely only be able to hold out for ten minutes at most.

’Another "Blood Worm" showed up... this is going to be tough. And who knows if more Mutated Zombies are on their way.’ Lin Xinghai frowned, deep in thought.

If it weren’t for this "Blood Worm," he could have even risked piloting his Mecha to provide support alone at a critical moment.

But having personally experienced how formidable those Blood-colored Beetles were, he definitely wasn’t going to risk facing that thing alone.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Xinghai first had Wu Yan reply to Outpost 32, telling them they would do their best to draw the Zombie horde’s attention and alleviate some of the pressure.

Then, he issued an order over the communication channel for the convoy to advance toward Outpost 32.

Upon receiving this order, many of the First Level Mercenary Corps Leaders were clearly hesitant. Everyone knew that to perfectly utilize the circular defensive formation’s capabilities, it was best not to move.

This was especially true for a team like theirs that wasn’t proficient with the formation. While on the move, it was highly likely the formation would warp, creating openings.

But since Lin Xinghai had given the order, the Corps Leaders, though hesitant, steeled themselves and passed the command down.

As the convoy advanced, the roar of cannon fire from all around grew more intense and louder. Before, they had been on the outskirts of the Zombie horde. While they had attracted some Zombie attacks, it was only a small fraction.

But now, as they pushed forward, they were truly entering the horde’s range. Densely packed Zombies swarmed them from all directions. This 360-degree, no-blind-spot assault made everyone tense up, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

Even Lin Xinghai’s nerves were taut. Such a sudden spike in pressure could easily lead to problems.

And if a problem arose and wasn’t handled immediately, a small issue could escalate into a disaster.

But to Lin Xinghai’s surprise, his worst fears did not materialize. Perhaps the Mercenary Corps had already gone through a break-in period, because they held up even under this pressure. The convoy advanced steadily along the road.

Of course, Lin Xinghai also knew this situation couldn’t last for long. They were still on the outskirts of the horde, where the Zombie density and Level were not at their peak.

The real crisis would begin after they advanced another eight or nine hundred meters and entered the core of the Zombie horde.

More importantly, they were currently advancing along this main road, which allowed the convoy to maintain its current formation. But after two more intersections, they would have to turn onto a less spacious side road. At that point, the formation would be forced to change, and that was where problems were most likely to occur.

「...」

When the First Brigade began to move, Outpost 32 spotted them immediately.

The tense and oppressive atmosphere there immediately eased. Even the morale of the defending soldiers soared.

"I never would’ve thought the first ones to come as reinforcements wouldn’t be teams from the other outposts, but these Mercenary Corps instead."

"And they even dare to fight deep within the Zombie horde. I doubt even our other reinforcing units would dare to do that!" the outpost’s officer said, his face filled with emotion as he watched the slowly advancing convoy in the distance.

"I just have one thing to say: his reputation is well-earned. I’d always heard how incredible this ’Gun God’ was, and I was a bit skeptical. This time, I’m completely and utterly convinced," the adjutant beside him said, also filled with emotion.

They knew full well what the usual standard of a Mercenary Corps was. What’s more, these mercenary brigades were temporarily assembled. Not even the most brilliant commander from their Military Department could have turned such a makeshift team into what they were seeing now.

"Indeed! After this deep cooperation in Guanghan City, the ’Gun God’s’ name will probably truly resound throughout the entire Star Shield Shelter." After sighing with emotion, the officer asked about other matters. "How much longer until the other two reinforcement teams arrive?"

"They should reach the outskirts of the Zombie horde in about five minutes," the adjutant replied.

"Good. Contact them. Have them pin down the Zombie horde’s attention from the outskirts as much as possible to relieve pressure on us. At our current kill rate, if we can just hold on for half an hour, the horde’s density should be weakened to a manageable level. The crisis will basically be resolved by then."

"Of course, keep a close eye on those Mutated Zombies. They’re the biggest variable," the outpost officer said sternly.

The adjutant was about to nod, but just then, a messenger rushed over and said urgently, "Sir, it’s bad! Another Mutated Zombie has appeared, and it’s a ’Spitter’!"