Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 836 - 373: Underground Base (Part 2)_2

Chapter 836: Chapter 373: Underground Base (Part 2)_2

Snow Egg said, "If someone deliberately caused the destruction, could they have let zombies into the town?"

"There’s that possibility, even if they release the Blood Heart, it would be difficult for zombies to take over the underground base," Shana pointed out. "The residential area has another safe exit located in the park near the apartment buildings. Additionally, there’s a supply channel that appears to lead to the airport according to the terrain."

The main structure of the underground base was beneath Laimeng Town, and there was also a tunnel connecting it to the airport. All living supplies were transported into the underground base through this tunnel.

Lin Meng cautioned, "The surveillance has been flashing."

In front of them was a large staircase that led down to the research area, where they could enter through a security door. Near the security door was a surveillance camera, its body equipped with a red light that was flashing rhythmically.

Lin Wu made a significant discovery on the wall opposite the evacuation map wall, "There’s a Morse code chart here."

"Morse code," Shana took out paper and pen and handed them to Maya, "Please."

Maya nodded, transcribing the red light flashes onto the paper and then translating, "Greetings to the warriors in the epidemic area, this is Fortress Company headquarters."

It basically meant that Laimeng’s underground laboratory had been infiltrated and sabotaged by the Rebel Alliance. They had opened passage B and used sonar to attract the zombies from the apartment buildings into the underground lab. They had also destroyed the Blood Heart defense mechanism.

Due to the emergency situation, the underground base would be completely destroyed after four hours, by which time the collapse would swallow both the apartment area and half of the commercial district.

The players’ task was to transport as many surviving NPCs as possible to the airport exit within four hours. Participants in this mission would receive facial recognition authorization, allowing them future free access to the airport and its services. This included but was not limited to taking a chartered flight to any city and airdrops to any location.

For every NPC saved, players would receive a certain amount of points and rewards of weapons and ammunition. These points were equivalent to Fortress Currency and could be used at the airport. The weapons and ammunition would be airdropped to the player’s base within 24 hours.

Lin Meng became the luckiest person as she would receive her own points for every NPC saved instead of splitting them with others.

After Maya finished speaking, Lin Wu first complained, "Just as expected of a dog, normal people wouldn’t finish translating this information in two hours."

Maya clenched her teeth, "I’m a normal person too."

At this, the camera projected an overhead image of Laimeng Town onto the wall, showing the geography of the town after the destruction. A large hole had appeared in the center of the town, but it didn’t affect the Shadow Base. Also, after the town’s destruction, the left upper edge of the road collapsed, allowing players to head directly to the U-shaped highway via the upper-left road in the future.

Even if they chose to evacuate without completing the mission, it was good news for the players for two reasons: first, there was no need to detour, as they could turn right and be on the highway in just two hundred meters. Second, since everyone’s faces had been registered, they could move freely in Laimeng Town in the future. They could even stuff Su Shi and Stone in the trunk and likely sneak past the Sentry Card.

The bad news was that 70% of the town’s resources would be devoured by the explosion after four hours.

Maya confirmed the timing, "There are 3 hours and 50 minutes left. We will retreat after three and a half hours. Snow Egg, stay behind to secure our retreat. Everyone, get your guns ready, Lin Wu," she gestured forward.

Lin Wu descended the stairs, approaching the security door. The zombies inside immediately pressed against it, and Lin Wu retreated after swiping his card. The security door opened, and a dozen zombies rushed out, only to be met with a hail of gunfire from the prepared others. Lin Wu continued forward, finding two NPCs hiding under a table inside a lab on the left; they had temporarily achieved safety using the lab’s security door.

Maya said, "Ignore the NPCs for now, let’s clear a safe path first. Shana, assist and keep the pace, advance quickly."

Shana and Lin Wu took left and right, shooting down all the zombies they encountered, and the team quickly reached the center where the Blood Heart was located.

Maya commanded, "Switch to automatic mode on your rifles, empty the magazines, and blast it." Although the Blood Heart posed no threat by itself, leaving it there was akin to leaving a time bomb in their path.

Five shots rang out simultaneously, followed by the emptying of a magazine. Blood Heart exploded internally, its color changing from blood-red to deathly ash-gray. Lin Wu stepped forward to loot the corpse, nabbing a backpack with a dual weapon rack just like his own, an advanced medical kit, and an AWN, a .50 caliber sniper rifle with firepower a notch higher than that of the Forest Wolf. However, this excess damage was of little significance. Besides, the only advantage it had over the Forest Wolf was its slightly lower recoil—hardly a difference worth noting.

Lin Wu handed the rifle to Maya, as its 15-kilogram weight was unsuitable for him.

The team of five continued their advance. Lin Wu took on the role of point man, with Shana and Maya covering the flanks, and Little Knife and Lin Meng bringing up the rear.

Perhaps the mission was inherently difficult, but the Shadow unit was armed to the teeth. Not only did they have an astonishing stockpile of ammunition, but they were also equipped with bulletproof vests, forehead guards, night vision goggles, and other high-end gear. They even had a Hunting Dog like Wai, with a full special ops team’s standard combat power.

Maya adopted a cautious, systematic approach to clear the area, and the group quickly advanced to the midsection of the underground base: the living quarters.

On the right side of the living area was a Corridor Bridge. Beyond the bridge lay a 45-degree ramp, through which vehicles could enter and leave the underground base, and travel to and from Leimeng Town. The exit was near a park adjacent to an apartment building.

At the end of the Corridor Bridge, and the beginning of the slope, two flashers emitted intense sonic waves. This was a primary gathering area for zombies. Lin Wu picked up the Silencer and knocked out the two flashers 70 meters away. However, it was of little use, as he soon discovered that the underside of the Corridor Bridge was still festooned with many more flashers.

The living area had twenty two-story buildings, with a road passing through to the second levels of the residences. When off work, employees would walk across the road and quickly turn left or right to reach the second floor of their homes—a collective dormitory, each building housing six to eight occupants.

At that moment, many zombies were on the road, and it was believed that survivors, or NPCs, might be found within the small buildings lining both sides of the road.

After a low discussion, Maya and Shana said, "Lin Wu, deploy Little Fight to blow up the Corridor Bridge."

Lin Wu replied, "That will cut off one of our escape routes."

"Can you blow it up?"

"Let’s try."

The runway posed no problem, but the space had a height of only 80 meters, something Lin Wu had never tackled before. As Lin Wu ran, Little Fight was also launched, flying along the road ahead. Lin Wu reduced Little Fight’s speed, trying to make a left turn but soon realizing the width was insufficient.

Maya, monitoring Lin Wu’s personal computer screen on his arm, said, "Fly low to the ground and execute a return flip."

"Big sis, I’m just setting a target for Little Fight to auto-navigate; I’m not actually piloting it. It seems doable." Lin Wu set a target for the return flip. Little Fight lowered its altitude and executed a 180-degree turn, flipping belly up as it turned around and then straightened out, heading back toward Lin Wu.

Lin Wu locked in the missile drop zone, launching two rockets one after the other. The Corridor Bridge was hit, altering its structure but not collapsing it; only a segment of the railing was destroyed. The zombies, attracted by the explosion, surged onto the bridgehead, and under the pressure of the crowd, many were pushed off the bridge, plummeting into the abyss.

Maya said, "Little Knife, Shana, stay behind. Little Knife, try to take out as many zombies as possible with your bow and arrows. Your job is to hold the bridgehead. If you run into trouble, call for immediate backup and retreat toward Snow Egg in an emergency." The evacuation map didn’t show how far the living area was from the airport, but judging from the ground level of Leimeng Town, it should be about 8 kilometers.

Maya continued to assign tasks: "Lin Wu and Lin Meng, keep moving forward, clear the zombies on the road and inside the buildings, and bring all NPCs to the bridgehead. I’ll go back for the NPCs at the lab."

Shana cautioned, "Maya, all the information indicates that there’s a saboteur inside the underground base. The extent of the destruction suggests that the saboteur is still hiding within, and we can’t rule out the possibility of there being more than one."

"I’ll be careful," replied Maya, then asked, "Snow Egg, how are things on your end?"

"All clear."

"Good, let’s get to work."

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