Chapter Forty-Six: The Assault on Lan Island

From a bird’s-eye view, Orchid Island resembles a snow pear, lying serenely across the vast azure expanse of the Southern Sea. Its main axis stretches from northeast to southwest for over two hundred kilometers, while its shorter axis, running northwest to southeast, measures approximately one hundred and twenty kilometers. With an area of 26,400 square kilometers, it is the largest island in the waters surrounding the Southern Continent.

Geographically, Orchid Island is remarkably well-formed: mountains occupy the central region, encircled by hills, plateaus, and plains in concentric layers. The island’s average elevation is 120 meters. Mountains exceeding 500 meters cover a quarter of its area, while two-thirds of the island are occupied by plains and plateaus over 100 meters high.

Its climate, too, is enviable—a land of perpetual blossoms and endless summer, untouched by winter. The island enjoys a tropical oceanic monsoon climate, with average annual temperatures between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius. Even in January, most areas remain above 19 degrees, while July sees averages between 28 and 32 degrees. Annual rainfall exceeds 1,600 millimeters, peaking in August and September, when heavy downpours and occasional typhoons visit the island. Verdant all year round and ever in bloom, Orchid Island is a haven for travelers in any season.

On paper, this island should be a paradise for tourism. Yet, the sparse population of the Southern Continent limits its appeal. Despite its pristine ecology, Orchid Island lacks distinguishing features—there are many islands as lovely or lovelier. Its fame is modest and seldom draws visitors from afar.

Most tourists are locals, drawn by affordable prices. Compared to the famous tourist islands, admission is cheap. Still, for Guo Lang and his companions, the crowds feel overwhelming—no, not crowds, but a veritable tide of corpses!

Even in his previous life, Guo Lang had rarely witnessed such a spectacle: tens of thousands of living corpses surging forward, not the sluggish zombies of old, but swift, agile revenants. The sight of so many sprinting toward them was so shocking that even the usually unflappable Alice took two instinctive steps back.

“Stay calm!” Thomas commanded. “Our warship is several kilometers offshore. It will take them time to swim out. We’re armed with powerful torpedoes. Even if surrounded, we can withdraw at will. This warship’s speed is 150 kilometers per hour—we could break through easily if needed. Let me repeat: we are in no danger. Keep calm, everyone!”

Abel glanced at Thomas and said, “Your hands are shaking. Want me to take over?”

Thomas shot him a glare, not bothering to reply, and continued giving orders. “All units, remain alert. Submarine crew, monitor the number and distance of corpses entering the water, and report immediately!”

Their first test site was just south of the port, the island’s main landing point. According to the map, the population density within fifty kilometers of this entrance was the highest on the island, since most hotels and reception centers were located there. The island itself had no permanent residents; it was purely a tourist destination, leased to a company called Steller Tourism Group, with no administrative towns. Most people stayed in hotels on the periphery, concentrating roughly half the island’s living dead in this area.

Of course, the island’s excellent ecology also attracted explorers and picnickers into the interior, but their numbers were far fewer than those along the southern coast.

This meant that clearing the corpses at this entrance would eliminate half the threat. The rest, scattered throughout the island’s interior, would require different tactics.

“Report: After the second missile launch, large numbers of corpses began entering the water!” David’s voice came over the intercom.

“Kerry, how’s the drone decoy working?” Thomas asked, frowning.

“Smoothly!” Kerry replied. “Five drones are dropping high-explosive grenades in a radius of several kilometers, drawing the corpses toward the bay. The farthest ones will arrive in about five minutes.”

Thomas peered through his binoculars at the bay, a smile spreading across his face. “Excellent—timing is perfect.”

Usually, living corpses lose interest in non-living targets quickly. If lured by a single drone, they might chase it for a few kilometers, then return to their territory. So the trick was to start attracting them at the bay.

The living corpses were capable of basic communication, something Guo Lang’s team had already confirmed. Though their intelligence was low, they could share simple information. What truly sparked their interest? Explosions helped, of course, but nothing attracted them like living prey.

Bombs might startle them, but only the presence of prey would draw them together. Sending a person out as bait was out of the question—even Alice would be lost in such chaos. Thus, Guo Lang and Thomas devised a plan.

First, they launched missiles in a circle around the port to startle the nearby corpses—the densest population. Soon, over ten thousand gathered at the bay, peering out to sea. The warship anchored at the edge of their line of sight, just visible to them.

The corpses, wary of the ocean and uncertain because of the haze, merely roared and watched from the port. Then the drones began, starting at the port and moving outward kilometer by kilometer to agitate more corpses, returning every ten kilometers to lead them back to the bay. The gathering corpses transmitted the message—living humans were nearby—piquing the interest of others, who ignored the drones and headed for the shore. This relay continued, with each group signaling to those behind: humans by the sea. Eventually, all would ignore the drones and run for the coast, though the range of this tactic was limited to about fifty kilometers.

This, however, was the optimal result for Guo Lang.

“The farthest corpses will reach the bay in about two minutes!” Kerry reported excitedly.

David, watching the bay, sounded alarmed: “They’re swimming over!”

“Don’t panic!” Thomas watched from afar. These corpses really could swim, and not slowly either—two thousand meters in under a minute!

“All escort boats, prepare to fire torpedoes!”

Their boats were armed with lightweight torpedoes using focused, directed explosions. Each carried forty kilograms of explosives, delivering a blast equivalent to two hundred fifty kilograms.

With a series of deafening blasts, the tranquil sea exploded into chaos. The shockwaves whipped the water into a frenzy. The warship, solidly built, withstood the turbulence, but the living corpses were not so fortunate. Many were obliterated by the explosions; others were shredded by the waves, or dragged under and drowned, never reaching the ship.

Guo Lang stood at the bow, relaxed and confident. Swim across in flesh and blood? Absurd! With just this level of biological force, they had no hope of breaching modern naval defenses. Even if tens of thousands attacked at once, it would be a massacre, not a reversal of fate. Unless they were the sea-battle-hardened Naga, and even then, only a third-tier unit could withstand such firepower. These shoddily made, virus-born corpses simply had no chance. Their evolutionary ceiling was what Alice had witnessed before—nothing more.

As the soldiers observed, their tension eased. These monsters were not as terrifying as imagined—yesterday’s encirclement and today’s battle at the bay both proved it. Morale soared.

“Kerry, deploy the incendiary bombs!”

“Yes, sir!”

With a roar, five drones dropped high-compression incendiaries across the bay. Instantly, towering flames swept the area, painting a thousand meters of sea blood-red. The firestorm spread for dozens of kilometers, flames surging nearly ten meters high—a scene as hellish as a battlefield of demons.

Countless corpses writhed and howled amid the blaze. The sight was both horrifying and strangely poignant; in the deepest recesses of any living being’s instincts is a resistance to such wholesale destruction—though, of course, there are exceptions. Abel, for instance, was dancing about the deck like a crazed monkey; such a man is destined to be either a soldier or a bandit, but never a peaceful soul.

Everything was going better than expected. Guo Lang exhaled in relief and nodded to Thomas.

Thomas nodded back and spoke into the intercom: “Kerry, have the system operator use the drones to target any corpses escaping the fire with machine guns. Those who make it through such chaos will be the strongest—take them out now and save us trouble later.”

“Understood!” Kerry replied crisply.

“All units, as soon as the flames subside, land in three-man teams, backs together, and clear out the remaining corpses. The warship will close to five hundred meters. David, take the sniper team and provide heavy fire support. Understood?”

“Understood!” came the resounding reply from both warships’ one hundred fifty soldiers.

After all their efforts, Guo Lang allowed himself a satisfied smile. At last, they had taken their first step.