Thanks to this methodical effort, the zombie popution was dwindling at a visible pace. Block after block was decred zombie-free. Over a million undead had been eliminated, and supplies were being hauled back to the steel mill and Tribeca by the truckload.

  Survivors entered during the operation were carefully sed. Young adults and women were moved to the industrial zone, while the elderly, sick, and disabled were taken to the prison. Those found guilty of ibalism or resisting authority were executed on the spot. With these measures, the popution of the industrial zone had swelled to over 1,100 people—more than 800 women and just over 300 men. Meanwhile, the prison housed more than 300 of the old, weak, and infirm. Under Antonny’s guidahe prison had started to achieve self-sufficy. Meical dogs protected the area, while prisoners cultivated fields surrounding the facility.

  Surprisingly, despite the apocalyptic circumstances, certain ao thrive in NYC’s urban ndscape. Leafy greens like kale and spinach, along with root vegetables such as radishes and carrots, had been carefully cultivated in rooftop gardens and repurposed urban lots. These crops were chosen not only for their adaptability to smaller spaces but also for their shrowing cycles and high nutritional value.

  Wheumn harvest arrived, these urban farms would provide a sustainable source of fresh produce. The leafy greens were particurly effective at growing in hydroponic setups inside abandoned skyscrapers, where trolled enviros allowed for sistent yields. Root vegetables thrived in shallow soil beds built in repurposed parks and pygrounds, their resilieo variable soil ditions making them ideal for post-apocalyptic farming.

  NYC was rapidly transf into a massive survivor base. However, its core purpose wasn’t what it seemed—it was essentially a rge-scale produ hub, ing out resources to serve Zack’s ambitions. Supplies flowed endlessly into his hands, being steel armor, Ant and Spiders, bullets, and missiles.As the Ant and Spiders tiheir systematic sweep of the city, Zack’s ultimate pn was nearing fruition. Ohe city was fully cleared, he could harness its resources and bring his wild vision to life—moving his base into the sky.

  But just as things seemed to be progressing smoothly, an ued development occurred. At the city’s warehouse, a se yet to be cleared by the Ant and Spiders, thousands of zombies of various shapes and sizes had gathered in the warehouse district. The se was horrifying—mutant zombies were crammed into tainer-filled warehouses, with Lord spotted throughout the horde.

  They seemed drawn by something. Inside one of the rgest warehouses, a thick, uling fog lingered in the air. At the ter of it all was a grotesque tumor-like structure, resembling a twisted tree trunk, with tless tentacle-like roots stretg in all dires. If Zack were there, he would’ve reized it instantly. This was no ordinary tumor—it was a high-level zombie embryo, simir to the one he found at the nuclear power pnt. However, this one had grown signifitly, pulsating with a life of its own. From ihe Sara came a muffled thumping sound, like a heartbeat, and through its translut surface, a massive humanoid figure, three to four meters tall, could be seen struggling to break free.

  The surrounding zombies were transfixed by the tumor. As if responding to an unspoken and, they cwed and bit at its surface, tearing away ks of decayed flesh with manic fervor. Meanwhile, a squad of Ant and Spiders arrived he area, methodically eliminating zombies in the area. The steady craae gun fire filled the air as bullets tore through the undead. When a Ant and Spider ran out of ammo, it would retreat to a supply truck driven by workers, reload, and head bato the fray.

  This grueling cycle had been ongoing for days. Ant and Spiders were destroyed, only for reinforts to arrive and tihe fight. These relentless maes had proven their value over the past two weeks, capable of taking down any type of zombie, even lord, using crossfire tactid tungsten-core armor-pierg rounds. As the meical squad pushed closer to the warehouse, one of the meical dogs, equipped with a life detector, sed the building. It immediately detected thousands of strong biological signals inside. “132XX1, 51XX1: Mutant creature gathering poied. Requesting fire support.”

  The meical dog transmitted its findings to the rest of the work. unicatioween the maes was seamless—sileronic signals exged at lightning speed. “Execute tactics. Crossfire bombing. Switch ammunition: armor-pierg rounds.”

  The response was swift. The meical squad split into two groups. One group moved back to higher ground, seg elevated firing positions and deploying missile unchers. The sed group advaoward the warehouse, switg to tungsten-core bullets. Other nearby Ant and Spiders finished clearing zombies in their sectors and began verging on the area. “Arrived at firepower point. Initiating bombardment.”

  Four spiders and a meical dog advao within 20 meters of the warehouse. As they closed in, a signal was sent. “Missiles ready. Laung now.”

  The five Ant and Spiders stationed on the high ground responded instantly, firing a barrage of miissiles into the sky. Like bzing arrows, the missiles streaked toward the warehouse’s steel roof. Boom! Boom!

  The first two missiles puhrough the roof, creating gaping holes. A sed wave of missiles followed, rainiru into the warehouse below. Boom-boom-boom-boom!

  Explosions ripped through the structure, engulfing it in fmes. A massive fireball erupted, redug the warehouse to a burning inferno. Mutant zombies inside were ied or bloart, their charred remains scattered across the area. “Life signals detected. Engage!”

  Even before the fmes died down, the meical dog issued the and. The heavy mae guns roared to life, unleashing a releorrent of tungsten-core bullets into the bzing wreckage. Through the fmes, The Zombie Lord—its body engulfed in fire—let out a thunderous roar and charged forward. The Ant and Spiders didn’t flinch. Their trated guore through the creature’s defenses, bringing it down before it could close the distahe life signal persists! Keep firing!”

  The meical dog, still sing the area, detected multiple strong life signals in the fmes. Among them was one signal that bzed brighter than all the others. “Reloading!”

  The five Ant and Spiders closest to the warehouse paused to replenish their ammunitioreating to supply trucks. Simultaneously, the beasts on the high ground pleted their missile reload and unched another devastating volley. Dozens of miissiles screamed through the sky, raining down like a hailstorm onto the burning warehouse.

  As the sed wave of explosions rocked the area, new figures emerged from the fmes. Several Lords and a massive silver-backed zombie roared in defiaheir forms silhouetted against the fire.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The explosions came oer another, shaking the ground and filling the air with thick smoke and the acrid stench of burning chemicals. The warehouse tainers caught fire, adding to the chaos as fmes climbed higher, ing everything in their wake. Several fighters, already battered and bruised, couldn't withstand this relentless bombardment. Their massive bodies were torn apart, leaving behind only scattered, charred remains. Yet, despite the destru, there was no st of blood—only smoke and the bitter tang of burning materials.