Chapter 81: Firepower Unleashed

The train roared to life, its momentum growing as Asgi maintained controlled bursts of fire with the anti-aircraft cannon. Nearby, Feng Yusheng steadied her shotgun, picking off the stragglers that managed to slip past the barrage.

Inside the driver's cabin, Yamada Ryo handled the mounted M240 machine gun with remarkable precision. With a flick of the safety, he chambered a round and opened fire, his movements so smooth that Lambert, who was busy operating the train, could only gape in awe.

As the train began to pick up speed, Shao Ming grabbed onto a support rail and swung himself onto the flatbed. He quickly cut the ropes securing the off-road vehicle, hopped into the driver's seat, and released the handbrake. The car rolled off the train with a thud.

"Manual transmission... of course it's manual!" Shao Ming muttered in frustration as he fumbled with the clutch.

A mutant lunged at the vehicle, its grotesque form slamming into the window.

"Bye-bye," Shao Ming quipped, slamming the accelerator. The car shot forward, overtaking the train and taking position on the track ahead.

With the immediate threat behind them, Asgi ceased firing to conserve ammunition. Shao Ming steered the off-road vehicle into the train depot, plowing through a pair of stray mutants blocking his path.

The earlier firefight had drawn away most of the undead, leaving the depot eerily quiet. Shao Ming rolled down the window and raised his shotgun. Driving one-handed while balancing the gun against his shoulder, he aimed at an approaching mutant.

"Boom!" The buckshot sent the creature flying, though the recoil left Shao Ming's shoulder throbbing. He gritted his teeth and tossed the empty shotgun aside, pulling out his handgun for close-range defense.

Meanwhile, Asgi swung the anti-aircraft cannon toward the platform. The weapon unleashed a storm of firepower, shredding the surrounding area and turning the platform—and the unfortunate mutants on it—into a mangled ruin.

Suddenly, a group of mutants charged from the depot's residential block. Shao Ming swerved the off-road vehicle to intercept them, drawing their attention away from the train.

His erratic driving scattered the horde, allowing the train to safely reverse onto a switch track. Lambert leapt down to adjust the rails, his movements quick and efficient despite the chaos.

By the time Shao Ming completed another lap around the depot, Lambert was back on board. "What's the situation?" Shao Ming asked, pulling up beside him.

"Last switch. Outside the depot," Lambert replied, climbing into the vehicle.

Shao Ming drove them to the final junction, but his face twisted in dismay as they reached the top of a hill. Before them stretched a sea of undead, spilling over the hillside and advancing toward the depot.

"We've got a problem," Shao Ming said grimly.

The mutants had been drawn by the deafening roar of the anti-aircraft cannon, leaving the team outnumbered and vulnerable. To make matters worse, Asgi and Feng Yusheng were still reloading their weaponry.

Shao Ming climbed onto the car roof, using his sniper rifle to pick off approaching mutants. His shots were precise but hardly enough to stem the tide. Meanwhile, Lambert frantically finished adjusting the rails and climbed back into the car.

"Let's go!" Lambert shouted.

The off-road vehicle roared down the slope, narrowly avoiding an incoming mutant. Two creatures latched onto the rear bumper, but the rocky terrain shook one loose. The other clung on tenaciously until a well-placed shotgun blast from Feng Yusheng ended its pursuit.

"Nice shot!" Shao Ming yelled over the chaos, steering the car alongside the train.

Lambert jumped out and sprinted to the train cabin, while Shao Ming rejoined the fight atop the flatbed. The train powered forward, barreling through the horde with Asgi and Feng Yusheng manning the defenses.

"See that?" Feng Yusheng shouted to Asgi as she slammed the butt of her shotgun into a mutant. "I'm not just dead weight!"

The train cleared the valley, leaving the worst of the horde behind. Yet the escape wasn't without cost. The loose tracks shifted under the train's weight, causing the massive machine to tilt precariously before slamming back into place.

Everyone on board held their breath, their survival hanging by a thread. But as the train surged ahead, a glimmer of hope cut through the chaos—a fragile promise of safety beyond the depot.