Chapter 156
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: The Distant Bridge, Allermider (4-1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Time passed. The situation hadn't changed. 「Survival Instinct」 offered no 「Insight」 whatsoever. Even though both were at the threshold of genius-level. Winter considered upgrading one, but he remembered this had happened before. For now, he'd hold off. It was better to keep some leeway. They might have to break through head-on. In that case, one more level in a combat skill would be precious.
"Water's all gone."
The same gloomy voice. Tan Guosheng turned his canteen upside down and shook it. Just a few drops came out. They'd been using it heavily, so even finishing one wasn't enough. He might cry endlessly and use more. He'd wept until his tear ducts ran dry.
They were sitting right by the water tank. Looking around, he spotted the hatch. No lock on it. He approached and opened it. Shining his flashlight inside, he grimaced.
"Fuck..."
A stench wafted out. Water that hadn't been changed in ages. If it had been sealed, it might've been okay. City water had trace chlorine. But the tank had a vent. The chlorine evaporated, leaving the water perfect for rotting.
Winter, who had drawn near, offered his canteen to the officer. Tan Guosheng shook his head with a sigh.
"Keep that for yourself. I guzzled it down like an idiot."
Winter didn't press. He just missed having purification tablets. He peered into the tank. It was filled right up to just below full capacity. In the dim light, the black water was a stagnant abyss.
Could he smash the tank to create chaos? The sudden idea was half-baked. But another thought followed. This amount could shallow-flood the entire rooftop. If only briefly.
"Major Tan. I have a plan."
"A plan? What kind?"
"Look over there."
Winter pointed to the row of solar panels. More precisely, the equipment room between them.
"All the wiring converges there. Transformers and batteries inside, right? If we somehow break the tank here and flood it out..."
"Ah! You mean electrocute the reverse ghouls?"
Ground fault circuit interrupters often failed against flooding-induced shorts. Most setups didn't even have batteries.
The shout of realization stirred the hungry things below briefly. Tan Guosheng shrank back. He watched the ladder warily. No sign of anything climbing up. A beta ghoul could leap and cling in one bound at that height, but any attack would wait for dark. They understood humans.
Winter and the officer exchanged low voices. The naval major raised an objection.
"But equipment like this usually has core functions isolated from ground level, no? Even our base had minimum standards. Stuff that could weather rain and wind outdoors. Look at that equipment room—elevated, but not much. Assuming I'm right, you'd need at least a handspan of water depth for a reliable short. Americans sue over every little thing. Even dumping all this water might not cut it..."
"If flooding isn't enough, I'll have to go cut the wires myself."
"No, that's too reckless..."
"No better way. Major Tan, just cover me. Can't put the VIP in danger. If you have another idea, I'll follow it."
With a sigh, the major slowly agreed.
First, check the tank's durability. How thick was it? Winter gripped the crowbar tight. He swung it high and smashed down. Crack! Plastic shards flew. The pry end sank in fully. Twisting the handle, cracks spiderwebbed left and right through the insulation.
He yanked it out and struck again. Clang! Metal rang this time. Peeling back plastic and insulation revealed stainless steel inside. Tan Guosheng poked a hand into the tear, looking baffled. His spread fingers fit entirely. Even without the plate, it was thick enough for serious gunfire.
"Five millimeters of stainless and half a handspan of plastic—how do we break this?"
No point prying from above. Had to smash the side or bottom. Hard to maneuver inside the tank. Even for Winter, punching through steel plate underwater with raw strength was tough.
"Better try shooting the outer drainpipe first."
The naval major frowned at Winter's suggestion.
"A pipe holding this pressure would be high-tensile cast iron..."
Then he shook his head wildly.
"No, damn it. We try and see. Where's the drainpipe?"
Getting to the edge was risky. Projectiles aside, a leaping ghoul could grab an ankle. Winter stepped up again. Tan Guosheng didn't apologize.
The ones below howled at the boy. The drainpipe was easy to spot. Dodging thrown debris, he lined up his sights. Nearby variants raised arms to shield vitals and scattered. One even used a door as a shield from somewhere.
Rat-tat-tat! Three-round burst from the Garand. Sparks flew, ricochets pinged. A bullet bounced off the curve and hit a nearby variant. Grahk, grahk. It vomited blood. Couldn't comprehend its own death. It collapsed, gasping with an indignant look. Blood spurted from the chest hole in a long arc—higher blood pressure than humans.
The thick pipe just had a shallow scratch.
Winter fell back for now. The watching officer prodded.
"How'd it go?"
"Failed. With plenty of ammo, I'd try more, but..."
Hard to gauge how many shots it'd take. His magazine already felt light. Tan Guosheng counted his rounds, muttering a quiet curse.
"Not confident, but guess we calculate. How wide was the pipe?"
"At least 10 centimeters. Maybe 12."
"12? Thick one. So how big is this tank we're on?"
He planned to calculate pressure on the drainpipe, then back-figure required thickness and strength. Peering inside the hatch showed a depth gauge. Eyeball tank's length and width, multiply by gauge, get volume. Mass from there was simple.
The mental math got tricky; the naval major drew his machete. He scratched numbers on the tank surface underfoot. Scrape, scrape. Calculations grew complex. Winter watched, thinking it fit a technical officer. As navy, expertise in pressure-resistant steel made sense.
Done. He stabbed the machete into the equation's answer. Irritated.
"No good. Thickness near 2 centimeters. Rifle fire won't penetrate."
Rifle was the Chinese term for small arms.
Winter asked,
"Even multiple shots in the same spot?"
"Surface is streamlined, and the water and pressure inside absorb impact. Tough as an armored car. Armor-piercing might work, but with what we have? Dumping all remaining rounds might barely do it."
Bullets varied by purpose. Armor-piercing had penetration but was shunned against variants. It punched clean through. Or left small wounds if not. Regular rounds that fragmented or mashed on impact were better for killing variants.
That was why Winter and Tan Guosheng only had regulars now.
One more thing: too close. From experience, max penetration needed distance. At least 100 meters. Closer, and the bullet's energy made it brittle.
"Li, how many grenades you got?"
"Just one. You, Major Tan?"
"Me too. Damn, nothing works."
Grenade lethality came from shrapnel. Hard on pipes or tanks.
"Wait, underwater blast might work. Tie two and detonate inside..."
Tan Guosheng's words trailed into mutter. How much TNT in a grenade? 110 grams? Newer ones less? He muttered, drew machete for more calculations.
Winter knew the principle. Underwater explosions differed from air. Dense medium shrank blast radius but boosted power. Repeated expansion-contraction hammered narrow areas with shocks.
Calculations didn't take long.
Winter handed over his grenade. Tan unbound straps, tied the two together. Pulled some strap loose, scanned for a weight. Variants helped—broken brick chunk from earlier tosses.
Prep done. But Tan Guosheng lost confidence.
"Hey, Li. Is this really smart?"
"No other way."
"Sorry, but I can't be sure of my math. It was sloppy all around! Might need more than two, or total waste! Crack might be too small! Maybe better to frag their heads and fight with remaining ammo..."
Fear-fueled hesitation didn't stop.
"And even if it works, then what? Batteries still good? Charged enough? Transformers? Untouched for over a year?"
"It'll be fine. Emergency power was indoors."
U.S. cut power and gas to contaminated zones long ago. Accident fears. So emergency power tied to building's grid. Winter saw no other power sources besides solar.
'Might be a separate generator, but no fuel left now.'
Winter held out his hand.
"Hand it over."
Tan Guosheng sighed, gave brick and grenades. Winter asked the major to watch, knelt by hatch. Pulled both pins. Had to release together. Three, two, one. Snap! Levers flew. Enhanced hearing caught fuses hissing.
He hurled the weight toward the near wall's surface. Splash. Filthy water sprayed ceiling. Winter retreated fast. Then again: three, two, one.
BOOM!
At the blast, the water tower's corner blurred. Like a shaky photo. Fierce vibration. Naval major nearly fell. Roar faded to rushing water.
Winter at the edge checked flow.
It worked.
"Success!"
"Really?"
Tan Guosheng brightened.
Winter had worried the leak might drain fully into scuppers. But this was good. One whole panel from the tank wall gone. Jagged insulation edges rusted—unseen before.
Torrent swept variants. One flailed near east scupper. Winter aimed at its head. Crack! Forehead shattered, it convulsed. One drain plugged.
Flooding was instant. Variants scattered like startled beasts.
But no sign of electrocution.
Multiple scuppers; water would drain soon.
"Major Tan! Suppressive fire forward, please!"
"What? Starting now?! Might just be delayed!"
"Risk we take! I'll jump once fire stops!"
Winter sprayed rounds too. Not precise kills, but bullet walls to make them dodge. Human-like monsters scattered from the beaten zone. Crouched, hid, took cover. No fear per 「Insight」. Beasts waited for ammo depletion.
Good. Gap opened, even including scattered by flood.
Ditching empty mag, Winter leaped.
"Going! Cover me!"