Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 98: Fourth Wave Begin

As the clock struck 8:30 PM, the portals flared.

Dark energy surged through the Necrotic Fog as multiple gates stabilized at once, larger than before and far heavier in presence.

Then, the zombies began to appear.

This time, it wasn’t just a wave, it was a flood.

Zombies poured out endlessly, filling the ground faster than before, their numbers overwhelming even at a glance.

Isha didn’t rely on estimates. Her eyes sharpened, and green light wings formed behind her, created purely from her will.

The next moment, she vanished.

"THUD—!"

She landed near the portals, her gaze sweeping across the battlefield with perfect clarity. Her mind began calculating instantly, numbers, types, distribution.

Within seconds, she had the count.

One thousand normal zombies.

Among the elites, there were approximately twenty-five Berserker Zombies, fifteen Armored Zombies, around thirty Leaper Zombies, ten Screamer Zombies, and twenty Rot Spreader Zombies.

In total, one hundred elite zombies had appeared.

And then, there were the Apex Zombies. One was the familiar Hulking Zombie. The other one was something worse.

A bloated, decaying figure, its body leaking dark mist, its very presence spreading corruption into the surrounding air.

The Plague Bringer.

Isha’s expression hardened seeing this.

"Too many..." she murmured. In a flash, she returned to the wall.

"Listen carefully," her voice rang out. "This time, don’t waste your power on normal zombies. Directly eliminate the elite zombies."

Her tone was absolute. She began assigning targets instantly.

"James, focus on Berserkers. Don’t let them close the distance."

"Yes, Captain."

"Deepak, support Raghav and Imran. Break the Armored zombies."

"Yes."

"Raghav, Imran, Neha, you handle the Armored types."

"Yes, Captain!"

"Vikrant, the Screamers are yours. Suppress and disrupt them continuously."

"Understood."

"Pooja, burn every Rot Spreader you see."

A dangerous smile appeared on her face. "Gladly."

"Once the elites are cleared, everyone regroup and assist against the Apex zombies."

"Yes, Captain!" Everyone responded in unison.

Seeing that, she nodded.

Imran picked up a massive shield along with a reinforced gun. Arjun took a sharp blade enhanced by Deepak’s ability, finally now he was going to show real use of his ability.

Pooja equipped armored protection, her flames already flickering around her. Others chose advanced firearms suited to their roles. Raghav even lifted a short launcher-type weapon, resting it on his shoulder.

One by one, they jumped down from the wall, landing in front of the gate and forming a solid defensive line.

Behind them, the support units remained on the wall Ayesha, Rohit, Sana, and Kavya, watching, supporting, and covering from above.

Isha glanced once toward Vikram, then spoke calmly, "Don’t let him get injured."

"Yes, Captain," Sana and Kavya replied together. "We won’t let a single scratch reach him."

"Take care," Isha said softly. Then she moved and in an instant, she appeared at the front line, standing before the gate and facing the incoming horde.

"Arjun, clear a path for me toward the Apex zombies."

Arjun stepped forward, gripping his weapon, his eyes already scanning the battlefield. "Of course, Captain."

Ahead of them, the thousand-strong wave advanced, led by two Apex monsters. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

---

On the front line, Raghav, Imran, and Neha took position, while Deepak stood slightly behind them, providing heavy support.

The Armored Zombies came first, fifteen of them, moving like slow, unstoppable walls. Behind them, hundreds of normal zombies pushed forward, crashing into each other and filling every gap.

"Hold the line!" Raghav shouted.

"Of Course," Imran slammed his shield into the ground.

The first Armored Zombie reached them. "GRAAAHHH!!"

It swung its massive arm.

"THUD!!" Imran blocked it. The impact pushed him back half a step, his boots grinding against the ground.

"Clear it..." He shouted.

Before the zombie could swing again.

"BANG!" Neha fired. The bullet struck the joint of its shoulder, and a crack appeared. The arm staggered.

Seeing that, Raghav moved instantly. His punch landed on the cracked joint. The armor fractured, but didn’t break completely.

The zombie roared and headbutted forward.

"THUD!!" Raghav was forced back this time.

Behind them, Deepak fired. Reinforced bullets slammed into the same spot Neha had targeted. The crack deepened, and fragments chipped off.

Another shot hit the same point and the joint was broken.

Seeing this, Raghav stepped in with full force. And punched it on the same spot. The armored zombie’s arm shattered completely..

Imran didn’t waste the chance. He dropped his shield, grabbed its neck, and slammed it down.

"THUD!!" Then he crushed its head with his punch. The first Armored Zombie was down.

But there was no pause. The second and third Armored Zombies were already upon them, and this time they came together.

"Split them!" Raghav shouted.

But it was too late. One slammed into Imran while the other rushed at Raghav.

Imran blocked, but this time he was pushed back harder. His feet slid, and the shield trembled under the impact.

Meanwhile, Raghav punched the second zombie, but it didn’t even flinch, his armour held it.

"Damn it!"

"Left side joint!" Neha shouted, already firing.

"BANG! BANG!" Two precise shots, one hit, one missed, because a normal zombie suddenly jumped in front.

"GRAAAHH!!"

It lunged toward her. Neha twisted and dodged, but she lost her timing.

The Armored Zombie grabbed Raghav, and slammed him down.

"BOOM!!"

"Raghav!" Imran shouted, but he couldn’t move, he was still holding the other one back, and this one was stronger.

"Deepak!!" Neha called.

"I see it!"

"BRRRRT!!"

Deepak switched aim instantly. A burst of reinforced bullets hit the zombie pinning Raghav. The armor cracked slightly, then Neha fired it and shattered his joint.

"GET UP!" she shouted.

Raghav gritted his teeth, grabbed the zombie’s arm, and twisted.

"CRACK!!"

And a full-force punch to its head, and it collapsed.

Meanwhile, Imran was struggling. The zombie in front of him was pushing him back step by step, its strength was overwhelming.

"Damn... it’s stronger than before!" It raised both arms and slammed down.

"BOOOOM!!" The shield dented slightly. Imran’s knees bent down. For the first time, he felt real pressure.

"Neha—!" He shouted.

"I’m coming!" She slid into position and aimed. "BANG!"

The bullet hit its knee joint. It staggered, and Imran pushed him forward.

"GET BACK!!" He slammed his shield into its chest, then followed with a punch.

"BOOM!!" Raghav joined them instantly. And attacked on the same point.

His armor war cracked, seeing that Deepak fired again, and finally, its chest shattered, and the zombie dropped.

But they were breathing harder now. Their movements had slowed slightly, because this time it wasn’t just elites. The normal zombies never stopped coming. They kept interfering, breaking rhythm, forcing mistakes.

And ahead, more Armored Zombies were still advancing.

Neha reloaded quickly, her voice steady but tense, "...This is not like before."

Raghav wiped blood from his lip, "...Yeah."

Imran tightened his grip on the shield, "...This wave... is different."

Behind them, Deepak adjusted his weapon. Even his expression had turned serious.

Seeing that they had only managed to kill three Armored Zombies in these ten minutes, and that there were still twelve left, Raghav wiped the blood from his lip and looked toward Imran.

"We’re wasting time like this," he said. "Let’s use our combination."

Imran glanced at him, then nodded. "Yeah... let’s finish this properly." He looked toward the incoming Armored Zombies. Others were still advancing, pushing through the horde like moving fortresses.

Without another word, Imran shifted. He slung his gun aside, and Neha caught it instantly without even looking. Then Imran gripped his massive shield with both hands, stepped forward, planted his feet, and raised the shield in front of him.

"THUD!" The ground cracked slightly under the force. But it became solid like a wall.

Behind him, Raghav moved into position. He lifted the launcher-type weapon onto his shoulder, adjusting his stance and aligning his aim over Imran’s shield. On the side, Neha positioned herself, now holding two guns. Her eyes scanned rapidly.

"Neha," Raghav said steadily, "handle the normal zombies. Leave the Armored ones to me."

"Got it," she nodded.

The Armored Zombies closed in. Thirty meters. Twenty-five. Twenty.

"Ready..." Imran muttered.

The first Armored Zombie raised its arm and slammed into the shield.

"BOOOOM!!"

The impact echoed, but the shield didn’t move, not even an inch. Imran held it firmly, while ordering Raghav, "Now."

Raghav exhaled, his finger tightening.

"THOOM!!"

The launcher fired. A heavy projectile shot forward with a deep roar and struck the first Armored Zombie.

"BOOOOOOOM!!!"

It wasn’t just impact, it was obliteration. The zombie didn’t stagger. It didn’t fall. It disintegrated. Its armor shattered, its body torn apart into fragments that scattered across the ground. Nothing remained.

"ONE!" Raghav shouted.

The second came immediately, slamming into the shield.

"THUD!!"

Imran grunted slightly. "Next!"

Raghav fired, "THOOM!!"

The second Armored Zombie exploded apart, chunks of its reinforced body flying in all directions, crashing into nearby zombies and knocking them down.

Meanwhile, normal zombies rushed in from the sides. But Neha took care of them, she fired dual shots. Each bullet pierced through the skulls cleanly. One jumped toward her, she sidestepped. And again fired.

"BANG!" It dropped. Another tried to reach Imran’s side. "BANG!" She shut everything down, no one got through.

"Third!" Imran shouted.

Another Armored Zombie reached them and pushed harder. The shield trembled slightly, but he held it.

"FIRE!" "THOOM!!"

The third one was blown apart mid-step, its upper body completely erased while its legs collapsed uselessly beneath it.

Sweat formed on Raghav’s forehead. The launcher was heavy, but he didn’t stop.

The fourth came faster. Its impact was stronger this time. Imran’s feet slid back slightly.

"Imran!" Neha warned him, seeing him staggering.

"I’ve got it!" He pushed forward again, locking his position.

"NOW!" "THOOM!!"

The fourth Armored Zombie vanished in an explosion.

The fifth Armored Zombie roared and charged harder than the others. Its speed was slightly faster, its strength higher.

"Hold it!" Raghav shouted.

"TRYING!!"

"BOOOOM!!" The impact hit harder than before. The shield dented slightly. Imran’s arms shook. For the first time, he struggled.

"RAGHAV—!"

"I SEE IT!" Raghav steadied his aim, locked onto the center mass, and fired.

"THOOOOOOM!!!" The projectile slammed directly into the zombie’s chest.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!"

A massive explosion, louder and stronger than before. The entire upper body of the Armored Zombie was blown apart, fragments scattering across the battlefield.