Chapter 202: Next Garrison

Re: Apocalypse Game

The group continued their sprint westward for a mile, their footsteps echoing against the ancient stone walls of the Roman walls. The night was shrouded in an eerie darkness, pierced only by the distant glow of flames and the haunting moans of the undead.

As they drew nearer to the garrison, they could see that the once-mighty fortifications had suffered severe damage. Smoke billowed into the night sky, blotting out the stars, and the walls were filled with hordes of undead creatures. The defenders on the walls fought valiantly, but the relentless onslaught of the undead seemed never-ending.

"The main gate hasn't been reached yet," Rose remarked. Her words brought a sense of relief to the group, but Alan couldn't share in that feeling. Behind them, a thousand undead were still in pursuit, with thousands more approaching from the north, and thousands engaged in battle at the garrison ahead. Alan knew that even more undead would come, and their situation remained precarious.

The tension in the air was thick as a dozen Cairo players confronted Alan's group. Youssef, the Egypt minister's son, stood at the forefront, his irritation evident in his expression as he took in the sight of the pursuing undead.

"Why are you all bringing those undead here? We're already in enough trouble!" Youssef exclaimed, his frustration clear. He then turned his gaze to the Thailand players and demanded, "Where is your general?"

Chatri, the young veteran and second in command, stepped forward and began recounting the events that had transpired, explaining how General Dunapol had fallen and their only option was to retreat. "They're just a few minutes behind us," Chatri pleaded, "we have nowhere else to go. Please, let us enter the garrison."

Alan was well aware of Youssef's character from his past life, knowing that the man might not hesitate to leave the Thailand players to fend for themselves outside the garrison. With time ticking away and the undead horde closing in, Alan decided not to waste any more precious moments.

"We don't have time to argue," Alan said firmly.

Alan's ultimatum left Youseff, the minister's son. "You have two choices," Alan declared, pointing towards the relentless horde of undead behind them. "Let us fight together in the garrison, or we retreat west, and you can deal with them yourself."

The threat in Alan's words effectively compelled Youseff to make a reluctant decision. "If you dare to retreat, I will make sure to hunt you all down myself," he declared with a stern and determined expression.

With the eastern gate finally opening to allow Alan's group inside, they wasted no time in joining the defense efforts. The garrison was already a hive of activity as players prepared to hold off the undead onslaught. As they moved into position to defend the eastern front and assist in repelling the undead threat from the north, they quickly realized why the main gate had yet to fall.

A formidable figure, Amon the two time veteran of the game, one with a face adorned with tattoos, stood tall at the gate, wielding a shield and sword alongside a dozen Egyptian veteran players. The scene was further punctuated by the sight of three Abomination corpses lying nearby. Alan could see that Amon possessed a legendary weapon and employed high-level defensive skills, making him a stalwart guardian of the garrison's main gate.

Amon's defensive capabilities were impressive, and he used a skill called [Sentinel Defense] that granted him a defense rating of 100 and a 30% damage reduction to himself. What made it even more valuable was its ability to provide half of the effect to every player within a 10-meter radius when his shield stood on the ground. This skill had a duration of 5 minutes and a cooldown of 10 minutes.

Amon's presence and skills were the main reason why 500 Cairo players had managed to survive the night thus far. With Alan's group of Thailand players joining them, the garrison now boasted a solid number of 800 defenders. However, the situation took a grim turn as the attack came from two fronts this time.

The battle continued relatively smoothly for an hour, but it soon became evident that, unlike the previous night when the number of undead had started to decline close to dawn, this time their numbers were steadily increasing instead.

Three hours before dawn, a sense of dread washed over all the players as they witnessed the approach of another massive wave of undead. This time, the horde was accompanied by a dozen revenants, a few Abomination and combined forces from both the north and eastern sides of the garrison.

Youssef, growing increasingly anxious, couldn't help but ask Alan, "Where is the reinforcement? Where are the Americans?"

Gaston, the communication officer, found fragmented messages reporting that the Wolverines were heavily engaged in the central garrison battle and wouldn't be able to provide assistance anytime soon.

The battle turned even more intense, with players falling one after another, including Alan's Fey warriors. Thankfully, Merlin possessed a mass healing spell that helped prevent them from succumbing to death. However, the group's stamina was rapidly declining, and the odds seemed stacked against them.

As the battle raged on, Youssef's concern for their lives grew more pronounced. He couldn't help but voice his fear in the midst of the chaos. "Fuck!! Should we retreat?!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with anxiety.

Just when it seemed like a decision had to be made, a thunderous sound pierced the air from the south. Alan's eyes widened as he turned to see a column of 500 Roman cavalry knights charging into the fray, their leader none other than Axel, the French nobleman. The sight of this long-awaited reinforcement sent a surge of hope through the beleaguered defenders, though it was accompanied by a complex mix of emotions.

With the 500 cavalry knights joining their ranks, the tide of the battle began to turn decisively in their favor. The combined might of their forces pushed back the relentless undead horde, and as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, the enemies began to retreat, their dark forces dissolving in the face of the sun's rays.

[You have passed the sixth night]

[1 more night to survive]

Amidst the elation of victory, Alan noticed something unusual about a group of players near Axel. Zancher and four others were adorned in dark knight armor, bearing a distinctive symbol that indicated a special job class: [Death Knight]. Realization dawned on Alan, and he fixed his gaze on Axel, his expression a mix of shock.

"Axel, what have you done?!"