I called the management team for an emergency meeting. First, I ordered the people to excavate a moat to the west of the wall facing the Great Plains. "We can't let the bodies pile up like last time," I said. "Prepare large rocks to throw on their heads when they come close to our defenses."
After giving the orders, I decided to enhance our preparations further by searching the store for anything useful. After a long time of browsing, I found a Mortal Ninth Grade Defensive Shield for 100 FP and a Mortal Ninth Grade Energy Explosion for the same price. After purchasing them, I felt much safer.
Throughout the day, the preparations were progressing steadily. Rocks were gathered on the wall, and a one-meter-deep moat was being dug outside. Yue Fei was also preparing his men for the battle the next day.
Seeing that everything was going according to plan, I decided to return home and cultivate for the rest of the night.
The next morning, after preparing myself, I went to the battle zone and observed the two distinct groups of people. The first group, those from the initial batch of summoned individuals, exuded confidence. The second group, however, showed fear in their eyes as they glanced at me. "It will take time, but once they integrate, they'll follow the flow," I thought.
I approached Yue Fei for his report. "The spearmen are ready," he said confidently. "All of them have reached the Mortal First Step, and the more talented ones have already advanced to the Second Step."
I then turned my gaze to the Great Plains, awaiting our foes, when the system appeared again:
[Time remaining until Last Wave: 1 hour]
[Last Wave can be upgraded to Special Last Wave. The more you kill, the better the rewards. Do you wish to proceed?]
Reflecting on all the preparations we had made, I chose to upgrade. Playing it safe wasn't an option; those who confront danger today will surpass those who hide tomorrow.
As the timer hit zero, a large black mass appeared on the horizon. As it approached, I could make out their forms—zombies. Lots of zombies. I didn't need Yue Fei to confirm what my eyes told me, but he spoke anyway. "Around 1,000 of them, with an average strength of the First Step."
Breathing deeply to calm my nerves, I ordered, "Preserve the rocks. Let the spearmen do their work." Yue Fei, understanding this would be a battle of attrition, lined his men into two groups of fifty, rotating them when they grew tired.
The zombies, sensing the force of life within the city, charged in a chaotic stampede. As they began to climb over each other, the spearmen focused their strikes on their heads. "Aim for their heads!" someone shouted after landing a killing blow.
The first fight went relatively smoothly. The zombies had numbers, but the difference in strength was too significant. After the last one fell, Yue Fei devised a new method to defend the walls. He ordered civilians to gather firewood from the storeroom and saturate it with processed animal fat.
Not long after, another black mass appeared—again, 1,000 zombies, but this time with an average strength of the Second Step. I felt a growing unease. "If this pattern continues, how will we face 1,000 Third Step zombies? Or Fourth Step ones?" Pushing my worry aside, I refocused on the battle. The zombies repeated their previous tactics, and the fight progressed quickly.
Before the next wave, I surveyed the area, and what I saw deepened my concern. The confidence in my people was waning. They were exhausted. The spearmen's hands were bleeding, the rock reserves were nearly depleted, and the ever-growing pile of bodies was creating ramps for the monsters to climb. The soldiers had to spread out more, leaving gaps in the defenses. I knew we couldn't hold out much longer.
The next wave arrived before I could dwell on these thoughts. 1,000 Third Step zombies and 200 Second Step skeleton archers.
"My lord, we can't reach the archers. They'll destroy us from afar! What should we do?" Yue Fei asked, his face dark with worry.