Chapter 347: Airdrop? The Decision to Go and Investigate

Chapter 347: Chapter 347: Airdrop? The Decision to Go and Investigate

Countless gazes turned toward the direction of the explosion.

"That roar just now... was definitely not from an ordinary zombie,"

"It might even be stronger than the Butcher Zombie we killed!" Sean Chandler suddenly spoke up.

Julian Shaw’s gaze was intense as he looked at the others.

"The source of the explosion and that roar is likely a special zombie—or possibly something even more unique. Should we go check it out?"

The allure of a special zombie was immense.

It was the key to completing Mission Three and Mission Four.

It could also mean substantial potential rewards or critical information.

This world couldn’t possibly contain only viral zombies.

Their very origin was a mystery in itself.

Seraphina Sullivan didn’t answer right away, her brow furrowed in thought.

Staring at the still-burning crash site in the distance, she suddenly spoke.

"Don’t you all think... this plane’s appearance is a bit too convenient? A bit too deliberate?"

At her words, everyone turned to look at her.

"On the first day, we didn’t see a single living soul. The entire city was clean, with nothing but zombies left, as if it had been deliberately cleared out."

Seraphina Sullivan continued slowly, "At dawn on the second day, just as we were starting to feel a little more adjusted, a clearly abnormal plane appeared."

"It was carrying what sounded like an extraordinary monster, crashed right before our eyes, created a world-shaking commotion, and then drew every zombie in the city over to it..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone.

"This feels less like a random accident and more like a deliberate deployment or a calculated maneuver. It feels like... there’s an invisible hand behind the scenes, controlling the pace of this instance, or perhaps... testing something."

This speculation instantly sobered up the eager Trevor Tanner and Coco Sullivan, sending a chill down their spines.

Julian Shaw and Dustin Sullivan also fell into deep thought.

"It’s only the second day. There are too few clues to be certain."

Dustin Sullivan said after a moment of contemplation, having also realized something was amiss.

"But your theory is highly plausible. If that’s the case... then this Zombie Kingdom civilization trial isn’t just about survival and hunting."

His gaze deepened. "This means we might be facing a ’chess game’ on a much higher level. The System, or the rules behind this instance, could be consciously setting up stages, introducing variables, and even... observing and screening Players’ reactions and Abilities. The plane crash is the ’bait,’ the zombie horde is the ’pressure,’ and all the Players are just Chess Pieces swept into the game."

If Dustin Sullivan’s theory was correct,

then the complexity and danger of this instance would far exceed their previous estimates.

Proactively heading to the explosion site might mean more than just hunting a special zombie.

It would mean stepping right onto a pre-arranged "stage" or into a waiting "trap."

In the distance, the fire had not died down, and thick smoke billowed into the sky. The roars of the zombies rolled in continuously, like a tsunami.

Dawn finally tore through the darkness, but because of this sudden "plane crash incident," the city had been plunged prematurely into a state of even greater frenzy and uncertainty.

To go, or not to go?

This was no longer just a simple calculation of risk versus reward.

It was a critical choice about how they understood the fundamental nature of this instance.

And a key decision on how to seize the initiative within a manipulated "chess game."

"There’s no use overthinking it now."

"If we want to know what was on that plane, what made that roar, and whether there really is a ’mastermind’ behind all this, the only way is to go see for ourselves."

Seraphina Sullivan reined in her racing thoughts, her voice firm once more.

In the apocalypse, waiting passively often meant losing the initiative.

"Yaaawn—" Julian Shaw gave a huge stretch, shaking off the last remnants of sleep.

"Can’t sleep anyway, might as well go stretch our legs. What do you say, everyone? Go check out the commotion? We have to complete the System’s missions regardless, and it’s bound to be a party over there."

His tone still held its usual nonchalance, but his eyes had sharpened.

"No objections."

"Agreed."

"Might as well take a look."

Dustin Sullivan, Trevor Tanner, and Sean Chandler voiced their agreement in turn.

Coco Sullivan was already raring to go.

With the decision made, the group immediately began to ready their gear.

Seraphina Sullivan focused her will.

She recalled all her pets—Chubbs, Tubbs, Moe, and Ruby—into her [Scavenger’s Farm] Space.

This would ensure they could rest safely while also preventing them from drawing unnecessary attention or consuming Energy.

Julian Shaw clapped his hands. "Everyone ready? I’ll use my Ability to fly us over. It’ll be fast, and we can avoid the horde below to save ourselves from needless fights. Just relax and don’t resist my Force Field."

Seraphina Sullivan nodded in understanding.

However, before they left, she remembered something and suggested, "Before we head out, let’s use the Player [Friend Communication List] to add each other. That way, it’ll be easy to stay in touch if we get separated, and we can even share basic location info."

With her [Eye of Resume], Seraphina Sullivan had already seen that Dustin Sullivan, Julian Shaw, Trevor Tanner, and Coco Sullivan had all reached Level 3, which met the requirement for adding friends.

In an instance like this, reliable, real-time communication was crucial.

Dustin Sullivan and the others didn’t hesitate, as this was indeed a necessary foundation for cooperation.

Soon, Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler successfully friended the other four, and a temporary team communication network was quietly established.

Coco Sullivan then looked expectantly at Flora Sullivan and suggested, "Flora, let’s add each other as friends, too! We can chat later and trade tips on raising pets!"

At this, Flora Sullivan shook her head.

Her reply, conveyed through Seraphina’s mental link, was tinged with regret. "Coco, I’m still only Level 2. The Player System’s friend function seems to require Level 3 to fully unlock. So... I can’t add you yet."

"Oh, is that right..." Coco Sullivan sounded a little disappointed, but quickly added reassuringly, "That’s okay! You’re so strong, I’m sure you’ll reach Level 3 in no time! We’ll add each other then!"

"Yeah!" Flora Sullivan nodded vigorously.

Seeing that preparations were complete, Julian Shaw wasted no more time and called out, "Alright! Everyone’s accounted for. Let’s move out!"

The moment he finished speaking, Seraphina Sullivan felt a gentle yet firm, invisible force envelop her.

Her body grew light, and her feet lifted off the ground, hovering steadily in the air.

It wasn’t just her. Sean Chandler, Dustin Sullivan, Trevor Tanner, Coco Sullivan, and Flora Sullivan—all seven of them—were simultaneously lifted about twenty meters into the air under the precise manipulation of Julian Shaw’s [Gravity Control].

This altitude was high enough to clear most buildings but low enough to avoid making them a conspicuous target.