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墨書 Inktalez
Above the fluffy white clouds, a massive silver transport aircraft roared past. This aircraft, nicknamed the Sky Giant, had an effective payload capacity of eight hundred tons, filled to the brim with supplies for the defense of Rome. At the cargo drop door of the plane sat a group of people, huddled together in silence.
After what felt like an eternity, someone finally broke the silence. "Lin Yi, are you still angry?" The voice was melodious, clearly belonging to a young woman. Dressed in combat suits and wearing standard-issue helmets, it was difficult to discern their ages.
"Ying Sa, you should stay on the transport plane and not come down with us!" Lin Yi replied, twisting his stiff neck.
This group was Lin Yi's squad, who had managed to catch a ride on a transport plane heading to Rome. However, when they arrived at the airport, Ying Sa insisted on joining them for reasons unknown. Lin Yi initially tried to pull her away forcefully but eventually relented when he learned that she had connections in Rome that could assist him.
Yet it was evident that Lin Yi now regretted his decision. Throughout the flight, he had pressed Ying Sa for information about her contacts in Rome, but she hesitated and refused to provide any details. She insisted that there would be someone who could help him. Eventually, Lin Yi chose to give her a sidelong glance and fell silent.
"Why not? Now that I'm here, I won't just stay behind!" Ying Sa pouted defiantly.
A suppressed chuckle rippled through the group, causing Lin Yi to cough awkwardly. However, Ying Sa remained stubbornly insistent. Lin Yi couldn't help but think how unpredictable she was.
Due to its heavy load, the transport plane flew at a slower speed, yet it took less than two hours to reach the skies above Rome.
Through gaps in the clouds, they could make out a massive defensive fortress below. Construction on this fortress began as soon as the Zombie Crisis erupted, and when the Corpse Sea Beasts attacked, the entire population mobilized to expand and reinforce it at an astonishing pace.
The colossal Sea Beasts found it nearly impossible to breach this suddenly erected fortress. Often several large Sea Beasts would charge at the walls only to be obliterated by artillery fire before they could achieve anything. However, the sheer number of Corpseified Sea Beasts seemed endless; no matter how many were eliminated, more kept coming.
Surrounding cities had fallen victim to brutal Sea Beast attacks and had become havens for Zombies. Now, all that remained was Rome—a solitary city adrift in a sea of Zombies, poised to be overwhelmed by an impending wave of Sea Beasts at any moment.
The Romans—or those who loved Rome—were fiercely determined to protect this ancient city with its millennia of history. It was precisely because of this resolve that international support continued to flow in steadily. This place served as a bastion against Zombie incursions; it was a stronghold that could not be lost.
To hold Rome meant holding onto humanity's will to resist!
...
In Rome, at St. Mary Major Basilica. The streets that once bustled with tourists were now desolate; lush trees surrounding the area brought not coolness but a sense of melancholic solitude.
Archbishop Augusto stood on the stone steps beneath the church, staring blankly into space as worry etched itself across his aged face. He maintained an upright posture despite his exhaustion; there was much work to be done—he could not simply collapse. The children were on the front lines fighting against the Zombie invasion, pouring their blood and sweat into defending this last sanctuary. As Archbishop, what reason did he have not to contribute? Even though he was old, there was still much he could do.
Not long ago, he received news from Paris that an Aerial Giant Transporter had flown to Rome, delivering much-needed weapons and ammunition, as well as emergency food supplies. Additionally, there were a dozen people on board, but the specific purpose of their visit would only become clear once they arrived. Augustus was grateful for Paris's assistance and did not press for details regarding their need for confidentiality.
The Archbishop rubbed his sore eyes; he had not been resting well, frequently discussing aid with various countries and international organizations, sometimes working day and night. The population of Rome had already surpassed three million, and with a new influx of refugees, the city's population had exceeded five million. However, during the initial outbreak of the crisis, over three hundred thousand people had been evacuated before Rome was completely surrounded. Even so, the daily food requirements for more than a million people were staggering. As a result, aside from combat personnel, rations for everyone else were reduced to a bare minimum. Despite this, Rome's food reserves were nearly depleted, and even with continuous support from the international community, it felt insufficient.
He could not give up; he must not give up. This was the mantra that echoed in the Archbishop's mind every time he went to the front lines. Everything here captivated him; he did not want to leave or watch it turn into hell. That would be a desecration of his faith built over many years, so he would not abandon it.
Rome was now doing everything possible to evacuate the remaining elderly and children; they could not generate enough combat power here. To ultimately defend Rome, even if leaving the city was fraught with danger, it had to be done.
Suddenly, in the vast sky, the Archbishop saw clusters of white flowers blooming. His experience over the past few days told him that aid from Paris had arrived. He was curious about why there would be people accompanying this shipment, but since the plane did not land, he chose not to dwell on it. A dozen individuals, even if they were formidable combat machines, likely wouldn’t make much of a difference in this battle.
The white flowers seemed to be drawn by some force as they descended uniformly towards the ground. Normally, some parachutes would be blown outside the Defense Zone by strong winds at high altitudes, but today they miraculously aligned perfectly as they fell towards the center of Rome.
Augustus immediately contacted the logistics department to prepare for receiving supplies; this was their first batch of materials today. Typically, supplies were transported at night when Zombie attacks were weakest. It was rare for them to receive such a direct delivery during daylight; encountering ghostly Undead Birds was always a possibility.
With assistance from staff members, the Archbishop boarded a low-hover vehicle. This type of vehicle was still relatively common; most families used flying cars equipped with wings.
The hover vehicle sped along in an extremely stable manner on empty streets; there were no civilians around—everyone was busy at their posts.
Minutes later, the unobstructed hover vehicle arrived near Roman Square. Paris had informed Augustus that this precise drop would deliver supplies directly to Roman Square itself. At that moment, the parachutes were descending from several hundred meters above; they could even vaguely see packaging text on the large boxes beneath them.
Augustus directed personnel to clear the area and then awaited the descent of the parachutes.
Suddenly, Augustus felt a slight tremor beneath his feet as if a giant beast were about to break through the ground. Frowning slightly, he summoned a cleric over.
"Your Grace!" said a young man in light white robes respectfully bowing his head.
"They're coming. Go check how many hands can be spared from the church; those children at the front are struggling!" Augustus's voice rang out—aged yet powerful—like resounding war drums that instilled confidence.
"Yes! Your Grace!" The White-Robed Young Man turned and boarded the hover vehicle; this was permitted by Augustus. At this moment of life and death, everything else was merely trivial.
In just a few moments, the parachute had descended significantly. Augustus squinted, trying hard to see what the rescue supplies from Paris were this time. He could tell that considerable thought had gone into the supplies. Typically, to conserve resources, the parachutes deployed are the simplest designs. However, this time not only were the parachutes elaborate, but even the large crates were equipped with numerous directional thrusters.
The ground trembled more violently, and Augustus's expression grew increasingly anxious. The massive Corpse Sea Beasts left a deep impression on him; each one possessed the strength to split mountains. If it weren't for humanity's advanced technological weapons, facing such colossal beasts would leave no chance for resistance.
As the parachute descended, the sky quickly fell into darkness. Augustus focused on the crates that were now within arm's reach, feeling a slight comfort. Without the selfless support from around the world, the Romans would not have been able to hold out for so long. They might have succumbed to starvation before the zombies even breached the city.
"Thud!" A muffled sound echoed as the first crate, nearly two meters high and wide, landed on the ground. However, it was still too dangerous to open it; many more crates were yet to come.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Like war drums, crates continued to fall one after another, their impacts creating a symphony of sound. It resembled a heroic battle song, rallying every soul unwilling to yield to evil.
Half an hour later, over seven hundred crates were neatly arranged in all available spaces of Roman Square. The effort required for such precise control was beyond what ordinary forces could achieve. This only heightened Augustus's anticipation for what lay inside those crates.
"Open the crates!" Augustus exclaimed excitedly; they desperately needed those supplies.
The staff members who had been on standby rushed over with tools toward the nearest crate.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Suddenly, a rapid knocking sound came from one of the crates.
Augustus paused for a moment before recalling something important. "Go open that crate making noise! Be careful!"
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