Chapter 14: Report from the Western Wall

As the battle at the wall grew fiercer and more intense, a young man in a tattered uniform ran hastily through the main corridor of the base. His breath was ragged, blood dripping from a gash on his temple caused by shrapnel from an earlier explosion. But his resolve did not waver. He kept running.

Tonny, carrying vital information he had received from Teddy, finally arrived at the front of Steel Door G-1, the main entrance to the Central Command Room. Two heavily armed guards immediately raised their weapons, blocking his path.

"Stop!" one of the guards shouted.

"I have critical information from the western wall!" Tonny said quickly, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

The other guard narrowed his eyes. "Critical information?"

Tonny nodded. "There's something... something strange. A—no, not a person—a zombie… but he's not like the others. He moves like a human. Calm. Not rampaging. And he's being guarded… by four massive zombies that are unlike any we've seen."

The guards hesitated. But at that moment, a deep voice echoed through the local intercom.

"Open the door. Let him in."

The steel door slowly creaked open with a heavy groan, revealing a large semicircular room filled with holographic screens displaying battle maps from various sections of the wall. At the center stood a firm-built man in a grayish-black commander's cloak, short-haired with lines of age etched into his stern face—Commander Bayu Kertanegara.

He held the highest authority in this base. Though not an Arcanist, he was known for his brilliance in military strategy. Several central command generals had once asked him to lead major expeditions, but he had chosen to remain at this base.

Tonny stood upright despite his near-collapse. "Report: Tonny, scout from the western sector."

Commander Bayu gave a calm nod. "What did you see?"

"Among the swarm of zombies… there's a strange figure, Commander. He's not like the others. His movements… were controlled. He even paused to observe the battlefield, as if analyzing it. Stranger still, he didn't attack. He just stood there… guarded by four massive zombies."

Bayu furrowed his brow. "Four massive zombies?"

"Yes, Sir. Like personal bodyguards. They didn't attack at random, only protected that one zombie. I don't know who or what he is, but my gut tells me… he's the cause of all this."

A brief silence filled the room. Commander Bayu walked slowly toward the tactical screen. His fingers tapped the hologram, pulling up the Western Wall map.

"Damn it…" he muttered. "We've been too focused on numbers. Never considered the possibility of a central command…"

He turned to the communications officer. "Transmit this information to all sectors of the wall. Use Tactical Channel 09. Include all active Arcanists and command units. Prioritize delivery to Bara, leader of the Arcanists."

"Yes, Commander!"

Bayu then walked toward Tonny and looked deeply into the young man's eyes. "Good work, soldier. Your information could change the course of this battle."

"Thank you, Sir. But this report wasn't mine alone. My older brother, Teddy, who is also fighting on the Western Wall, helped me gather it," Tonny replied respectfully.

Commander Bayu looked slightly surprised, but then smiled and said, "Young, brave, and humble. Good, good, good... Don't sell yourself short—information only becomes valuable when delivered properly, and you're the one who got it here. That makes your role just as vital."

"You've contributed enough. Now, go to the medical bay. That head wound needs treatment."

But Tonny shook his head firmly. "I'm sorry, Commander… but I can't. I won't sit idle while my comrades are risking their lives out there."

Bayu fell silent. His gaze shifted. From that of a commander… to a fellow fighter. He understood—it was this very spirit that kept humanity standing to this day.

"I understand." Bayu patted Tonny's shoulder. "But make sure you don't die in vain. If your body collapses on the battlefield, your courage becomes a burden."

Tonny smiled, despite his pale face. "I'll be careful, Sir."

Commander Bayu then turned to the entire command team. "Reinforce all sectors. Focus visual surveillance on the target Tonny reported. If that entity truly is the zombies' central command, we take him out—and their forces will fall apart!"

"Understood!"

Immediately, the control room became a hive of intense coordination. Orders echoed, screens swiped, and tactical drone feeds buzzed through the air. Commander Bayu stood before the display, his expression sharp and commanding.

Even without magic, without arcana, this man was the wall that held the base together.

And everyone knew: when Bayu Kertanegara took the field himself… this wasn't just about surviving anymore.

It was time to fight back.