"Will they break through the first city wall?" Qian Deli asked.
"Probably not." Jiang Yun replied solemnly, "This type of attack is still within a controllable range; as long as no S-Class appears or the scale of the Monster Tide doesn’t expand, it generally doesn’t threaten the first city wall."
"What about those people outside the city?" KIKI spoke up at this mont.
"There’s nothing we can do."
Jian Xuwei said, "In such cases, people in the Outer City District either retreat toward the city walls or disperse, relying on Dawn City’s firepower to mitigate risk; there’s no other way."
"Won’t they open the city gates to let the people outside co in?" Ning Jing frowned and asked.
Jiang Yun shook his head, "Monster Tides are cyclical; we must clear all Dark Marks before we can act. A part of the garrison is stationed outside, and besides the Outer City’s garrison and the Survivor Caravan, the first city wall is basically the last line of defense. Even if one breach occurs, building the first city wall would have been in vain. The wall wasn’t breached even during the last S-Class outbreak, let alone such an attack."
"If it were , I’d rather make a day-and-night rush to the Dawn Center than stay in the Outer City; it’s simply a monster hunting ground with no way out." Monica said with a heavy expression, arms crossed.
Lin Xian looked at her and said, "It’s not that simple. Those caravans are weak forces. They can survive by relying on the firepower of the first city wall. Running outside is a huge gamble for them, one that these ordinary people dare not take."
"Yes, they don’t really have a choice." Jian Xuwei said.
In the distance, the firelight illuminated the rainy night sky. Besides the delayed rumbling of artillery, Lin Xian and his group heard nothing. But one could imagine the fierce situation in that district at that mont.
Lin Xian recalled the endless scene of the Survivor Caravan camping he had seen when entering the city last night, his gaze heavy. When survivors gather in large numbers, death may just beco a statistic.
About ten minutes later, the intense sound of artillery faded, and the surging flas were gradually shrouded by the incessant rain. The first city wall remained intact, and Lin Xian’s group stood here without even seeing a single Abnormal Body, indicating that Dawn City’s city wall defenses were indeed solid.
"Lu Tianye’s troops are over there. As long as it’s not so exceptional monster, the casualties should be minimal. The garrison is relatively trusted among the survivors, better than the Night Patrol Team."
Jiang Yun breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Lin Xian.
"Daybreak is coming. What’s your plan?"
"We’ll go over directly; soone will et us there."
Jian Xuwei then said to Lin Xian, "I’ll assemble the Silver Star team and then et up with you. If Chu Zhaonan takes action soon, we must be ready to relocate at any ti."
Lin Xian nodded, "Alright, synchronize with Jin Hai then. The initial plan is to bypass Dawn City through Zen Gate Qingbo, but everything depends on the situation."
Saying this, Lin Xian took out a communicator and set up a signal frequency to synchronize with everyone.
"Channel 01 for the Infinite Alliance; afterwards, all team coordination will be through here. Channel 02 is our internal channel, mainly for contact within the Dawn City range."
By 10:15, the black veil previously shrouding Night City’s sky receded like a tide, instantly turning into a drizzly morning. The City Defense Guard Camp’s patrol drones disappeared from the sky.
The curfew was lifted.
In the E5 Defense Sector, gray light from the clouds seeped down like diluted molten lead, pouring over Dawn City’s hundred-ter-high steel city wall. An abundance of weapon bases densely lined the top of the massive fortress wall—Electromagnetic Guns, heavy artillery, Artillery, Pulse Cannons—raindrops wetted the various artillery muzzles. Rainwater trickled down trenches marked by monster claw scratches and hideous cracks, forming a murky stream at the bottom that washed over the blackened remnants left by the recent Monster Tide.
Inside the city, the neon lights had not yet fully extinguished.
Survivors stationed in various districts poured out like a swarm; so caravans seed ready, setting out imdiately at first light. Various types of modified vehicles began navigating the narrow streets, heading for the main roads to exit the city. But with many caravans having the sa idea, several main roads out of the city already ford traffic jams shortly after dawn. On the roadside, so small caravans held up signs detailing their situation, hoping to rge or follow other groups.
Lin Xian and Jiang Yun, with several team mbers, boarded a modified off-road vehicle, heading deeper into the Old District. Outside the windows, they could clearly see a grand City Ring hovering in the inner circle of the Double Star Tower in the Inner City. It was originally a high-speed maglev transport corridor in Star City, a landmark spectacle visible even from low-Earth orbit.
But after the Apocalypse Day, the City Ring of Star City had completely died out. One-third of the corridor collapsed, leaving behind a shattered urban galith, recounting the echoes of once-human technology.
More residents appeared along the way. At automatic vending machines accepting Blood Essence Coins, long queues ford. The coin slots were rusty, occasionally jamming a Blood Essence Coin, eliciting a few curses. Street vendors set up rain shelters, selling synthetic protein bars, filtered bottled water, and so unexpired scavenged food supplies. Warm steam rose in the cold rain, mingling with the sll of damp concrete throughout the city.
In the watchtower on the city wall, several guards yawned and rubbed their reddened eyes. On their display screens, apart from the E5 Defense Sector, other areas showed snowy noise in the external surveillance footage. The radar and Spirit Vibration Value scanners detected nothing unusual.
Safe.
The day broke, and at least for today, Dawn City still lived.
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