CHAPTER 69: SECOND WAVE

The cries of the distant survivors grew quieter. Perhaps they had begun to understand. But Ling Yu did not care. Her mind was only on the next pile, on the next ignition point, in the next step in the chain that would prevent the second wave from swallowing the city.

Ling Yu never paused until twenty minutes were left in hand. The fire hunters worked alongside her with almost religious zeal.

Ru Feifei remained as the human shield, quieting the frightened people, and preventing interference, ensuring order in chaos. The students’ earlier hesitation had faded, replaced with a grim understanding. They were part of something bigger, something that would not wait for sentiment. They were fighting not with swords or magic but with fire and willpower, under the eye of the one person who had already demonstrated she could stand against hundreds of monsters and survive.

Some of the more reckless students wanted to take shortcuts and move the piles too quickly, burning them indiscriminately, but Ru Feifei’s glare kept them in line. Ling Yu’s presence alone, her aura of lethal precision, ensured that mistakes were minimized.

Finally, the last pile of corpses remained with a mixture of shattered monsters and human corpses that had been partially concealed by debris. Ling Yu’s hands tightened on her sword hilt for a moment. The risk here was higher because there were partially cursed monsters, lingering necrotic energy, and unstable bodies.

She exhaled sharply and set the final pile alight herself, her awakened aura stabilizing the flames, ensuring they burned thoroughly. Sparks flew into the air, drifting like tiny stars over the ruined city. The system acknowledged her achievement immediately:

[Hidden Condition Activated: Corpse Purge Completed]

[Reward: Mass Zombie Threat Neutralized

+ Bonus Experience +

Title: Flame Guardian of the Fallen]

She did not pause to read the reward. There would be time to do that later. Right now, the second wave was waiting to start anytime soon, and her mission was not yet complete.

She turned briefly to the students and fire hunters who had assisted her. Her eyes were sharp, unyielding.

"If any of you think the danger is over, you’re wrong. The second wave will not stop at hesitation. Stay alert, and if you want to survive, listen carefully. If you fail, the dead bodies you ignored will rise, and you will join them soon."

There was no malice in her voice, only the absolute certainty of someone who had stared at death more times than she could count and lived. The students shivered in fright, but they listened to her words anyway.

Ru Feifei approached and whispered, "Yu’er... thank you. For... all of this."

Ling Yu nodded once. "There’s no time for thanks. The world doesn’t stop for kindness. Keep moving and surviving."

"Wait, what? Why would you say that? Where are you going?"

Ling Yu had completed what she needed to do here. With steady hands and an expression carved in stone, she burned the corpses of both monsters and humans alike. The thick, acrid scent of charred flesh lingered in the air, mingling with the blood-stained dust that refused to settle.

Every scream, every cry of grief, and every curse thrown her way had been nothing more than background noise. She had ignored them all, pressing forward with single-minded determination. The work was ugly, but it was necessary.

Since her task was complete, Ling Yu wiped her soot-stained hands and glanced at Ru Feifei. "Take care of yourself," she said in a rare moment of softness, though her voice was still edged with the coldness of resolve.

Then, without allowing herself to linger or feel the weight of farewell, she turned and walked away. Her figure grew smaller and smaller, disappearing into the fractured ruins of the city, swallowed by shadows and smoke.

Not long after, a sudden voice echoed in every survivor’s ears, the mechanical, detached tone of the System.

[Ding! System Announcement]

[Countdown Complete.

Warning: The Second Wave has now begun.

Difficulty has increased by 300%.

Zombie mutation rate: Elevated.

Monster hostility: Enhanced.

Special Condition: Nightfall will last for 72 hours.]

The announcement, which should have brought relief, instead filled the air with dread. All around, the corpses that had not been burned twitched. Bones cracked, skin split, and eyes clouded over with a milky white haze. One after another, the dead began to rise. Grotesque and mindless figures staggered to their feet, releasing guttural howls that pierced the silence like blades.

"Ahhh! Zombies—!" someone screamed.

"Get ready! Everyone who awakened, come forward and defend!" He Xun’s roar rang out like a battle horn, pulling people out of their panic.

Ru Feifei quickly followed, her commanding presence anchoring the others. "Do not scatter! Hold the line! Protect the weak at the back!"

Awakened survivors rushed forward, forming a shaky but determined wall. Fire flared, ice shards shot through the air, and blades of wind tore at the undead. The clash between humans and the newly risen dead began in earnest, filling the battlefield with chaos.

At first, their coordinated effort managed to hold back the swarm. But it was only a matter of time before the sheer numbers overwhelmed them. The line wavered, then cracked, and finally broke. Screams erupted as zombies poured into the gaps, tearing into the unprepared. The once-thin threads of order snapped, spiraling into desperation.

Ru Feifei found herself cornered. Her blade cut down two zombies, but a third one lunged from behind, its mouth gaping wide, reeking of rot and blood. She spun too slowly. The icy realization of death’s approach froze her chest.

And then...

A streak of silver cleaved the air.

A sword whistled past her, faster than her eyes could follow, cutting through the zombie before its claws could touch her. Its body split cleanly in half, collapsing into a heap of blackened ash before it even hit the ground.

The battlefield stilled as everyone was in awe, turning their head to see who it was.

Ru Feifei turned her head, and her breath caught in her throat.