The Roar of Origin

 "Attention! They're here!" After a tense wait, Lion's voice crackled over the radio, breaking the silence. Machine guns roared to life, spitting long bursts of flame, signaling the start of the battle.

"Come on, you worthless scum! Taste grandpa's bullets!" Tiger's shout soon echoed, followed by sporadic gunfire from the distant office. The brutal battle erupted instantly.

Yang Tian gripped his P90 submachine gun, caliber: 5.7mm, magazine capacity: 50 rounds. It was the gun Tiger had given him, and it was the largest capacity firearm they currently had in their supplies. Tiger held his "wife," a Destroyer MG3 with a 200-round capacity, but he wasn't spraying wildly, clearly trying to conserve ammunition. Python had an MA41, with a heavy Barrett slung across his back, the barrel glinting silver.

"Hold through this wave! We'll have a few minutes to rest!" Tiger kept shooting in bursts, occasionally sweeping the area. The narrow safe passage was soon filled with the bodies of fallen zombies. Due to the passage's limited width, only four or five zombies could attack at a time, so for now, they had no intention of retreating. They could hold the line, even as the zombies pushed forward inch by inch.

"Rest time?" Yang Tian was confused, not understanding Tiger's confidence.

"Haha, you disconnected puppet! I just fed them an extra meal. When the explosion went off, it meant that many of the zombies' vanguard had already passed through. So... there will be a temporary break in their assault." Tiger chuckled.

Python's slender fingers rested on the trigger, each shot striking a zombie between the eyes, dropping them to the ground. Their lifeless eyes still seemed to dream of their prey. Python said coldly, **"Seven or eight channels converge into three. Even if there's a break, it won't last long. Most importantly, if that mother zombie loses control, it would be even better."

Chapter 2: Call for Backup

Suddenly, a frantic voice came through the radio: "We need support! Requesting support!"

The words stunned everyone. They'd only just begun, and already there was a call for backup?

"Hound? What's happening?" Lion yelled, and the machine gun's roar could still be heard through the radio.

"The Mother! The Mother is coming our way!" Hound's voice trembled with a mix of urgency and fear.

"What?!"

"Fk!!"** Tiger and Lion cursed almost simultaneously.

"Python! Puppet! You two, go support them! Now!" Lion shouted.

"But boss... what about Tiger?!" Yang Tian looked at Tiger, who had shifted from controlled shots to sweeping bursts. Worry filled his heart.

"Go now! Let him hold the line alone! If that position falls, we're all finished! There's no way two of them can handle the Mother!" Lion paused before adding, "Python, the Mother... it's all on you!"

Python's eyes turned icy as the memory of locking eyes with the Mother earlier flashed through his mind. Without another word, he picked up the MA41 and headed straight for the office. Lion's voice came through the radio once more: "Python! Puppet! Hurry! Tiger and I will hold on here! Whether we make it through the next 47 minutes is up to you!"

Yang Tian glanced at the silent Tiger. His face was hardened and resolute. This was the toughest of the three defense points, and now, only Tiger was left to hold it. No one knew what the outcome would be.

Chapter 3: The Retreat and the Counterattack

The closer they got to the office, the more intense the gunfire became, occasionally accompanied by the deep thud of grenades exploding.

"Damn it! Fall back! Quickly! There are too many of them!" Hound shouted as he fired while retreating. Snow Leopard continued to shoot each bullet steadily as they both moved back step by step. In the distance, a green-haired zombie kept disappearing into the zombie horde, reappearing several meters ahead each time.

Gunfire was abundant on the battlefield, but what was missing was the sound of backup—no other teams were providing support.

Hound turned to see Python and Yang Tian joining the fight, their guns firing bursts into the horde. A grenade flew out, blasting a group of zombies off their feet. Another figure appeared—it was Silver Fox! He had come too, which meant that each of the other defense points was now down to one defender.

"Roar!" The Mother zombie's howl echoed from the distance, stepping over the bodies of fallen zombies as it advanced.

"Damn it! It's too fast! I can't hit it! If it gets close, we're done!" Hound shouted in panic, retreating rapidly.

Python leapt onto a desk, his fingers brushing the Barrett on his back. He pressed his cold gaze against the scope, squinting slightly.

"Roar..." A series of hoarse, low growls sounded as zombies were suddenly thrown into the air, flying toward the mercenaries positioned dozens of meters away at the top of the stairs.

If the zombies reached the stairway, the office would be overrun in no time.

Thud! Thud! The zombies hit the ground but soon staggered to their feet, right in front of the defenders.

Silver Fox drew a sharp breath. The zombies weren't just surviving the impact; they were using it to quickly get closer.

Bang, bang, bang... A series of shots rang out, and the zombies, whether still on the ground or halfway up, were brought down again. But more and more zombies were being thrown their way.

"Boom!" The heavy sound of the Barrett rang out.

A hint of frustration flickered in Python's eyes. He expertly pulled the bolt back and fired again two seconds later.

Still no use.

Python, known for her lethal accuracy, a sniper feared for her long-range kills, was now faced with a foe that rendered her skills useless—an elusive Mother zombie, blending into the horde, too fast, too cunning, almost impossible to predict.

"Oh, shit!" Snow Leopard yelled as a zombie hurtled toward him. He shot it mid-air, riddling it with holes, but the body still slammed into him.

Snow Leopard quickly pushed the zombie off, only for another to come flying at him.

"We can't hold on any longer!" Seeing the growing number of zombies, Silver Fox reluctantly grabbed his radio, yelling, "Tiger! We're going to lose this position! Fall back to the rooftop!"

"What?! Fall back?!" Hound's sharp hearing caught the order. He quickened his steps, retreating even faster. Within seconds, he had moved behind Yang Tian.

"Fall back!" With zombies flying in from all directions, Silver Fox pulled the pins on his last two grenades and threw them into the horde.

As everyone retreated, the tall figure standing atop the desk fired one more shot.

Boom! The heavy report of the Barrett echoed, followed by an agonized scream.

"Roar, roar, roar!!! Aaaargh!" The familiar voice of the Mother zombie echoed, filled with pain.

"Did we hit it?!"

"Holy shit! Python, you're amazing!"

Standing atop the desk, Python—Jessica—squinted, the corner of her cold lips finally curling up in a faint smile.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. In the distance, the Mother zombie's body was bleeding, but its crazed eyes burned with even greater fury, filled with limitless hatred.

At the same time, an ordinary zombie hurtled through the air, aiming straight at Jessica.