Chapter 28: Field Investigation
Early the next morning, as the first ray of sunlight finally pierced the clouds, the had already finished its preparations to set out.
On the holographic map, the block representing the was ringed in red. Without a doubt, this place would be dangerous.
After all, the disaster hadn't broken out on a holiday. The zombies holed up in these factories were by no means few in number—and who knew what kind of terrifying existence might have been bred up among them.
[ : 1450]
"We need stronger firepower." Looking at his remaining , that thought flashed through 's consciousness.
He didn't hesitate in the slightest.
[Consume 1,000 . Materialize x2.]
[Consume 100 . Materialize x1.]
Light flickered in the expansion hub of the as two sleek black UAVs and a brand-new security robot quietly took shape.
Their cold metal shells radiated a reassuring aura of power.
[Current : 350]
The account balance was wiped out by more than half in an instant, yet felt a security he'd never known before.
Every bit more firepower meant a bit more confidence to stay alive.
***
At nine in the morning, the power station's main gate slowly opened.
A modified truck drove out. In the cargo compartment, besides the squad members, it carried two Security Units— and .
High in the sky, two Type 2 UAVs, like faithful falcons, silently guarded the little team.
"Tsk, just how much good stuff does this power station have hidden away? These UAVs and robots are like a magic act—one goes missing, and two more pop up."
In the truck's cab, glanced at the lavish escort in the rearview mirror and said with some excitement.
"Shut up and focus on the road." In the passenger seat, was checking the assault rifle in his hands and said without looking up.
In the cargo compartment, , , and were observing their surroundings through the real-time feed relayed by .
This squad configuration had been tailored to the danger, with members chosen based on their combat proficiency.
With the two Sentinel Robots and two new UAVs added in, this was the strongest ground exploration force could currently field.
" , report the road conditions." 's voice rang out.
[The river-crossing bridge is down three kilometers ahead. A detour is required.]
[A new route has been planned. Estimated added time: twenty minutes.]
[ density along the route is moderate. No signatures detected.]
The signature electronic synthesized voice sounded inside the vehicle.
Under 's deft control, the truck left the main road and turned onto a side road.
The scenery along the way grew increasingly ruined: abandoned cars, toppled billboards, plastic bags swaying in the wind—a textbook apocalyptic tableau.
Occasionally, a few wandering zombies were drawn by the engine noise and lunged at them with shrill howls, but before they could get close, a UAV high above sent down a precise laser that vaporized them on the spot.
Twenty minutes later, the truck reached the edge of the .
The towering, scarred iron gate stood open, and the slogan painted on it—"Pioneer and Innovate, Revitalize the Nation Through Industry"—had been torn in half by bloodstained claw marks.
Everyone felt the crushing pressure even before entering the park.
Too many.
Countless zombies in blue work uniforms wandered aimlessly across the broad factory roads.
Their numbers were far greater than anyone had imagined. As far as the eye could see, they nearly filled every inch of space, like a gray-blue, writhing sea.
"Holy shit..." Even , bold as he was, couldn't help sucking in a cold breath. "This is like poking a goddamn nest."
[The target bearing factory is near the west gate of the park. Coordinates sent.]
's voice sounded at just the right moment.
The truck slowly came to a stop behind an abandoned office building—a relatively safe temporary parking spot scouted by the UAVs.
"Disembark. Sentinels front and rear. Stay in a defensive formation and advance alternately." issued the order tersely.
And so, five people and two machines slipped silently into the factory complex, dense with zombies and unbroken howls.
They didn't take the main roads where the zombies were thickest; instead they moved through the narrow gaps and shadows between the factory buildings.
sidled along rusted steel plates, doing his best to step on concrete without standing water.
Ahead of him was , its frame crouched low in stealth mode, the sound-dampening material wrapped around its joints swallowing any metallic friction.
walked in the middle, a shotgun slung across his chest, his palms slick with sweat.
[Thirty meters ahead to the right: two zombies, backs to you.] 's voice was turned down to its lowest volume. [Hold your current pace—they can't hear you.]
The entire park was shrouded in an indescribable oppressiveness. howls rose and fell without pause, yet their sources couldn't be pinpointed.
It felt as though a might dart out of any corner at any moment and lunge straight into their faces.
The squad hugged the base of the wall, edging toward a fork in the path.
Ahead lay an open-air stockyard, where rusted steel was piled into small mountains.
's viewpoint dropped from high altitude, taking in the entire stockyard.
Going around meant an extra two hundred meters; cutting straight through would save half the time—but a dozen or so zombies were scattered across the middle of the yard.
didn't hesitate. He used the UAV's high-energy laser to pick them off with precise shots.
The whole process took under a minute, and and the others seized that window to cross the stockyard quickly before the other zombies could catch up.
After a stealthy advance full of close calls but no real danger, the group finally reached their objective—the .
The huge rolling shutter door had long since warped, and one could easily crawl through the massive gap beneath it.
made a hand signal. entered first, its detection module switched on, feeding the view inside the workshop back to the team in real time via .
Inside the workshop, the floor was covered in dried dark stains, with broken components and shards of glass scattered everywhere.
Several corpses, gnawed beyond all recognition, lay sprawled across the middle of the aisle. Their blue work uniforms were so soaked in blood and filth that their original appearance could no longer be made out.
On 's tactical screen, a three-dimensional structural map of the workshop emerged clearly. Over a hundred red dots representing zombies drifted without pattern within it—their density no lower than outside.
Fortunately, the zombies' paths were fairly concentrated. With sensible route planning, still found a safe line to the production workshop.
" , —once we're there, checking the equipment is on you two." lowered his voice and made a hand gesture.
The five-man squad, in combat formation and anchored by the two Sentinel Robots, moved rapidly toward the designated target, Production Workshop No. 1.
"What the hell—how is there still a freak like this in here." Halfway through the stealth approach, 's low curse came through.
Everyone looked over. Hanging upside down from the ceiling in the corner of the workshop was a with a twisted form.
Its limbs had grown long, thin, and powerful, clinging to the pipes like a spider. Its murky eyes stared fixedly downward, and a hoarse, rattling growl rasped from its throat.