The rain was heavy, and when the wind blew, it was like knives, like stones, striking faces with pain.
The path to this Water Tower was a narrow iron staircase. These Zombies, under the sun, couldn’t have been agile enough to climb.
But after the storm, they gained the ability to climb. Although clumsy and stiff, indeed, they could handle climbing steps.
As these Zombies climbed the stairs, Li Tie and the others above observed this scene, yet they weren’t very anxious.
Because if these Zombies could only come up via this iron staircase, which could accommodate only one Zombie at a time, the pressure on them was minimal.
The first Zombie to climb up was ragged, its clothing color unrecognizable, eyes sunken, with bones exposed under the rain’s wash, shockingly smooth and lustrous.
Black bones with bits of decomposing flesh reached out, clawing their way up the Water Tower’s platform.
Atop the Water Tower, Li Tie and others drew their spears, waiting for these Zombies to ascend.
The Water Tower was surrounded by iron railings to prevent people from falling.
Just at this entrance, there was a latticed door that could be opened or closed. Dapao and Li Tie each held a spear, waiting for the Zombie to climb up.
More Zombies were following, climbing the staircase bit by bit.
The rain kept pouring down.
A gust of wind suddenly blew past.
The Zombies on the stairs, already extremely clumsy, were swept away by the strong wind, several tumbling down.
However, the Zombie at the very top, swaying, was not blown away.
Instead, it continued to climb upwards, Li Tie saw Li Gang next to him and said, "Go tell dad about the situation here, Zombies have climbed up."
Li Gang didn’t speak, heading directly towards the small platform in the center of the Water Tower.
There, in the middle of the platform, Third Uncle and Qin were changing out of their drenched clothes, about to put on dry ones, when they saw Li Gang rush in.
This space, just over fifty meters, held more than thirty people, each with less than two square meters of space, cramped.
Between people, some sat or leaned against the wall.
After Li Gang came in, he told his father, "Dad, the Zombies below are climbing up the stairs. Xiao Tie and Dapao are resisting with spears."
"What!?" Third Uncle exclaimed in surprise.
He hadn’t expected these Zombies to be able to climb. It had never happened when defending against Zombies at the Big Camphor Tree Base.
But indeed, the Big Camphor Tree Base didn’t have an iron staircase for Zombies to climb.
Third Uncle simply took off his dry clothes. The rain was heavy outside, and he would get soaked again if he went out. Better not to wear them, and put them on again after returning.
Third Uncle walked out just as Li Tie poked downward with the spear in his hand.
At Li Tie’s side, the leading Zombie was only one step away from the platform top.
Suddenly, a sharp spear stabbed towards the Zombie’s skull.
The Zombie’s head was pierced, motionless. Li Tie forcefully pulled the spear back, and Li Tie, beside him, pushed the Zombie with a stick, causing it to fall backward.
It fell to the ground below, splashing water.
Third Uncle, watching their actions, couldn’t help but say, "Tie your waist with ropes, like we did at the base, to prevent Zombies from grabbing your weapons and dragging you down."
After saying this, he peered down to see that the falling Zombies had pulled down a couple more that were climbing. One of the implicated Zombies didn’t get up again, while another had broken limbs but its head still bellowed a roar.
He immediately understood that if these Zombies fell to the ground and their heads weren’t fatally hurt, they wouldn’t die. It seemed necessary to kill them on the platform before pushing them off.
Lao Lv and others heard Third Uncle’s reminder and took out the protective ropes, then secured Li Tie, Dapao, and another person near Qin.
One end tied to their waists, the other end to the column in the small house at the center.
The reinforced concrete column, despite a diameter less than 10 centimeters, was sturdy enough to bear their weight.
They worked in groups of three, a necessary compromise due to the entrance’s tight space, preventing more from positioning there.
But behind them was a crowd ready to step forward and assist at any moment.
Zombies, like items on an assembly line, rhythmically climbed up incrementally. But as soon as a head appeared, it was stabbed to death and then fell down.
A few seconds passed, and a dull sound echoed.
The trio’s moves were straightforward: a Zombie’s head appeared, one person would stab the Zombie’s skull, pull back, and if the Zombie fell, there was nothing for others to do.
If it didn’t fall, and the Zombie grabbed the stairs, another person used a stick to force the Zombie down.
The third person was there in case the stabbing met with an unexpected situation, ready for an emergency aid.