LRAB Chapter 117 Supplies
Chapter 117 Supplies
Chapter 117 Supplies
Regardless of how many doubts and wariness Xu Mo harbored about the desolate F district, the gears of time continued to grind forward at their inherent, cold rhythm.
Four or five days later, the zombie horde receded again, with most of the zombies leaving the Red Star Industrial Zone. It was during this relatively "clean" window of opportunity that the large-scale supply operation promised by the Jiangcheng Shelter was finally fully launched.
The procedure was consistent with the A-02 notification, with unified scheduling by the command center and specific resupply times communicated to each fortress via encrypted channels. Fortress C-07, where Xu Mo was located, was scheduled for 3 PM on the third day.
And so, this deathly silent sky began to be dominated by another sound—the roar of helicopter rotors tearing through the air. They came from the direction of Jiangcheng, like busy worker bees, shuttling back and forth above this steel jungle.
The roar of the engine came from afar and then receded into the distance. Each rise and fall represented the continuation of the lifeline of a certain isolated fortress, and like invisible drumsticks, they struck heavily on the already taut heartstrings of all the observers.
In the past few days, Xu Mo has been practicing the Thirteen Protectors Horizontal Training more frequently. The blood and qi in his body are like gradually heating lava, tirelessly washing and nourishing his bones and fascia again and again.
Xu Mo could feel that the barrier of the cowhide realm was getting thinner and thinner, and the tingling and faint throbbing from deep within his bones beneath that tough membrane became increasingly clear.
The gate to the Iron Bone Realm was right before him, needing only one final burst of power, or perhaps a single opportune moment, to burst open. The profound meaning of inheritance and release flowed through Xu Mo's mind; he needed a real test of pressure to unleash this accumulated power completely.
On the afternoon of the third day, Xu Mo checked the hydraulic sealing device on the top of the fortress in advance and confirmed that it was in good condition. Around three o'clock, the familiar rumbling sound rang out on the horizon right on time, getting closer and closer.
Xu Mo took a deep breath and moved closer to the largest observation port. Although the field of vision was limited, it was enough to capture the scene in the air. A dark green transport helicopter, like a sturdy iron bird, was flying towards the C-07 fortress, with a huge, camouflage-painted cube-shaped supply package suspended from its fuselage by high-strength cables.
Instead of dropping the bombs directly, the helicopter began to circle above the fortress, its enormous noise waves shattering the surrounding silence like pebbles thrown into a stagnant pool.
Soon, the "residents" who had been standing still or moving slowly like statues in the shadows of the ruins below were startled. They raised their rotting or broken heads, their turbid eyes looking toward the source of the sound, making meaningless noises in their throats, and then instinctively, staggeringly began to chase after the scent of life in the sky.
This is the standard "luring" procedure. The helicopter skillfully adjusts its attitude, sometimes lowering its altitude and sometimes changing its direction, successfully attracting most of the scattered zombies within a radius of several hundred meters from the fortress and leading them to an open area away from the fortress.
About two or three minutes later, estimating that the horde of corpses had been lured away enough, the helicopter suddenly accelerated and dove down. The huge thrust allowed it to instantly shake off the slow pursuers on the ground, drawing a sharp arc and quickly turning back.
With a "click," the cable hook automatically released, and the supplies bundle paused slightly in mid-air before crashing heavily onto a relatively flat open area next to the fortress with a muffled "bang," kicking up a small cloud of dust.
Right now.
Xu Mo moved swiftly, opening the hydraulic seal, crawling out of the fortress, grabbing the tow strap on the supply pack, and dragging it towards the entrance.
The package was heavy, clearly filled with various supplies for survival, but the weight was nothing to Xu Mo.
After stuffing the supplies into the fortress, Xu Mo looked back and saw that the zombies that had been lured away earlier had fallen into chaos again because of the helicopter's departure.
After returning to the fortress and sealing off the entrance, Xu Mo prepared to take stock of his supplies. However, a short while later, he heard the roars of zombies coming from nearby. It was clear that these zombies had returned to the vicinity of the fortress because of the zombies that were targeting him.
"Go ahead and yell, you won't touch a hair on my head." Xu Mo ignored the commotion outside and prepared to go downstairs to check the supplies.
Xu Mo used a rope ladder to bring the supplies upstairs, then retracted the ladder and sealed the entrance to the passage.
After doing all this, he officially checked the supplies in the package, which was enough for another two months of living necessities.
The package was opened, and the supplies inside were categorized, mainly food and daily necessities.
A large quantity of individual self-heating rations, packaged with the Jiangcheng Shelter logo, are available in flavors such as potato and beef.
Mushroom and chicken nuggets, pickled mustard greens and shredded pork—these kinds of dishes get bland after a while, but they're key to maintaining physical strength. There's also some compressed dry rations, and several large bags of fruit hard candies; the latter are a rare touch of sweetness in this gray world.
In terms of daily necessities, the main items were toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, and high-efficiency water purification tablets. In addition, Xu Mo noticed a separately packaged, rather heavy small parcel. Upon opening it, he found two boxes of bright yellow 7.62mm intermediate-power rifle cartridges, 30 rounds per box, for a total of 60 rounds, to match the AK-47 in his hand.
The quantity was small, clearly a standard ration replenishment from the logistics department based on his previous weapon reports. For Xu Mo, this amount of ammunition was better than nothing, but at least it showed that Jiangcheng had a record of it and that the supply had been provided without Xu Mo's request.
Finally, there was a sealed manila envelope containing a stack of the latest zombie observation record forms.
In addition, there were several paper versions of internal newsletters, mostly filled with morale-boosting platitudes and vague notices about certain policy adjustments within the shelter, without mentioning any specific threats to the forward fortress.
The supplies were standard and "official," enough to ensure his survival for the foreseeable future.
But Xu Mo's gaze went beyond these routine supplies, landing outside the observation port, as if trying to pierce the wall and look towards the desolate F area.
However, after being lost in thought for a while, Xu Mo brought his gaze back and began to organize the supplies. Only after the supplies were organized did Xu Mo truly breathe a sigh of relief.
The commotion of the zombies outside seemed to have subsided, perhaps because they had lost their clear target and gradually dispersed.
Xu Mo picked up a compressed biscuit and chewed it, but his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the small observation hole. The world outside the hole was still that gray, lifeless steel ruin.
The supplies have arrived, which means the first phase of the mission is about to end.
Jiangcheng attempts to control this chaotic land with order, but will the source of this land, the secret hidden in the core of the Red Star Industrial Zone, really follow the human calendar?
The faint mist that appeared when I approached the core area that day, the level 2 zombie I killed, and the two angry roars I heard—it seemed that many secrets were hidden in the core of the industrial area.
The faint roar of helicopter engines seemed to come from overhead again. It was the zombie aircraft heading to other fortresses being repeatedly disturbed, lured away, and then gathered again, with invisible pheromones permeating the air.
After the supplies were inventoried, the fortress returned to its orderly state. Xu Mo leaned against the wall, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the ground, making a rhythmic tapping sound, while his brain worked at high speed, connecting the information he had just received with the known clues.
"The supplies reached Zone C on the third day," Xu Mo muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the neatly stacked supplies in the corner. "At this rate and efficiency, the supplies should cover Zone F by the sixth day."
The moment this thought crossed Xu Mo's mind, his eyes sharpened instantly. Sector F, that area that loomed over his mind like a shadow. The observers at F-10, F-11, and F-12 had confirmed the problem, and A-02...
Their feigned response is the best evidence. Therefore, this supply operation targeting Area F is definitely not just a simple matter of delivering resources.
"We need to replenish supplies, and we'll probably also need to bring in new observers," Xu Mo muttered to himself, his brows furrowing.
This is undoubtedly an extremely dangerous move. If the loss of contact with those three fortresses is due to some kind of entity capable of breaching their defenses, then newcomers entering would be like lambs to the slaughter.
"What will Jiangcheng do?" Xu Mo tried to deduce Jiangcheng's response strategy by putting himself in their shoes. "Sending new recruits directly is too risky. The safest way," a knowing glint flashed in Xu Mo's eyes, "is to send out another team of ability users before and after resupply to conduct a thorough cleanup and reconnaissance of Sector F, especially around those three fortresses."
This is the most logical course of action: utilizing the formidable strength of the superhuman squad to preemptively eliminate potential threats and ensure the safety of supplies and personnel deployment. After all, in previous communications, A-02 mentioned that superhuman squads periodically entered the depths of the industrial zone to carry out cleanup missions. Now that such obvious anomalies have appeared in Sector F, it is not surprising that elite forces have been dispatched.
"In a few more days, at most by the sixth day when supplies are replenished, we should be able to find out the specific situation of those three fortresses," Xu Mo thought to himself.
At that time, information will eventually be revealed, whether through new call signs appearing in the observer network, through announcements that A-02 may issue, or even through the commotion that may occur during the operation of the superhuman squad.
Xu Mo carefully considered the two possible scenarios: "If the fortress itself suffers structural damage and can no longer provide effective protection, then the new observers will certainly not be able to move in smoothly. Jiangcheng may choose to temporarily abandon the project." This scenario indicates that the attackers are extremely destructive and can threaten the safety of the fortress itself, which is undoubtedly worse news.
"But what if the fortress remains intact?" Xu Mo's fingertip paused for a moment. "Then, the newcomer can go in. Perhaps, I'll even have a chance to exchange a few words with the new observer."
"The sixth day," Xu Mo memorized this time. The blood and qi in his body continued to circulate steadily, impacting that invisible barrier.
Xu Mo stopped thinking about it, calmed his mind, and immersed himself once again in the cultivation of the "Thirteen Protectors Horizontal Training".
No matter what is hidden in Sector F, no matter what will happen in a few days, strong personal strength will always be the greatest reliance for survival in this apocalypse. Inside the fortress, only his long and powerful breathing could be heard.
Just as Xu Mo had refocused his mind on cultivation, the military walkie-talkie beside him suddenly emitted a rapid "buzzing" sound, followed by the voice of A-02, this time directly calling his code name.
"C-07, C-07, this is A-02, please reply upon receipt."
The sudden individual call startled Xu Mo again; such direct naming was uncommon in the frontline fortress network.
A subtle premonition swept through Xu Mo's mind. He immediately grabbed the walkie-talkie, pressed the call button, and replied in a steady voice, "A-02, this is C-07, signal is clear."
Hearing a barely perceptible half-second pause on the other end of the walkie-talkie as Xu Mo replied, A-02's voice sounded again. In that flat tone, Xu Mo could vaguely detect a hint of relief: "C-07, you're safe. Have the supplies been received?"
"The supplies have been received and inventoried; nothing is missing or damaged," Xu Mo replied succinctly, but the strange feeling in his heart only intensified. A-02 made a special call just to confirm this?
"Received. Report as required after confirmation of receipt. This is a new instruction," A-02 explained. But what he said next made Xu Mo instantly understand the reason behind this "new instruction": "During the resupply process over the past three days, we lost an observer. He was attacked and killed by a level one zombie lurking in the shadows of the ruins while leaving the fortress to receive supplies. Fortunately, the supply helicopter was still nearby and witnessed the whole thing, transmitting an alert. Therefore, command requires that all fortresses that have completed resupply must report a safe status."
A-02's voice remained calm, but the information revealed in his words sent a chill down Xu Mo's spine: an observer had been killed by lurking zombies during a resupply.
"To reiterate, all personnel must be highly vigilant when receiving supplies and ensure the surrounding environment is absolutely safe before taking any action. Over," A-02 emphasized in conclusion.
A brief silence fell over the encrypted channel. Then, the observers from the various fortresses seemed to recover from their shock and began to respond: "A-11 received."
"B-04 understands."
"D-08 received."
Replies rang out on the walkie-talkie, each carrying a different degree of heaviness and solemnity.
Xu Mo replied in a deep voice, "C-07, I understand," and then ended the call.
Xu Mo slowly lowered the walkie-talkie, his fingers unconsciously tracing the cold metal surface. A-02
The report was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples all around.
"A hidden Level 1 zombie—" Xu Mo repeated the keyword in a low voice. This was definitely not the kind of zombie that gathered and attacked based on sound and instinctive anger; it was more like a hunter.
Xu Mo's thoughts were instantly pulled back to his days in Qingsongling Town, when he had dealt with a strength-type mutated zombie and was then ambushed by an agility-type zombie. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he probably would have been killed on the spot.
"Lurking, waiting for the right moment, striking with deadly precision—" Xu Mo muttered to himself, a flash of realization crossing his eyes. "Isn't this just the hunting instinct of a wild beast?"
Therefore, it seems that Level 1 mutated zombies are probably not simply those whose physical attributes have been enhanced. They may have begun to awaken a kind of extremely primitive intelligence based on survival and hunting instincts.
This kind of wisdom may still be rudimentary, not reaching the level of human thought, but more like the cunning and patience possessed by some top predators. They have begun to understand how to utilize the environment, how to hide themselves, and how to choose the most advantageous time to attack, rather than simply relying on numbers and mindless charges.
If this deduction is correct, then I will need to be more cautious if I plan to go abroad again in the future.