Chapter 529: Destroy The Tower

The road outside was still empty, but the distant ground had begun trembling.

The zombies were not close enough to be seen. However, the vibration was already passing through the earth.

"Little Wolf," Leng Pan called.

Shade emerged from behind Lu Hao.

The wolf had remained near the group while the survivors evacuated, but the moment Leng Pan spoke, he understood what she wanted.

He raised his head and released a long howl.

The sound spread through Qinghe Base.

The controlled survivors hesitated.

It only lasted for a second, but Leng Pan felt the command network weaken.

Little Vine reacted as well. Its leaves rose, and the roots around Leng Pan’s arm pointed directly toward Captain Wei.

"The controller is using his ability core to strengthen the signal," Leng Pan said. "If we separate him from the network, the others might stop."

"Do not kill him unless necessary," Commander Han said. "Captain Wei has served this base since it was established."

Lu Zhen did not promise anything. He looked at Ouyang Jin and Lu Hao. "Keep the affected survivors away from the gate. Leng Pan and I will take the carrier."

Captain Wei seemed to hear him.

He slammed one hand against the ground, and the entire street rose between them.

Lu Zhen grabbed Leng Pan around the waist and jumped onto the moving stone.

Fire exploded beneath his feet, carrying them over the newly formed wall.

Captain Wei attacked before they landed.

A stone spear shot toward Leng Pan’s chest.

Lu Zhen burned it to ash.

Leng Pan sent a stream of compressed water toward Captain Wei’s legs. He raised a stone shield, but the water cut through it and struck his knee.

The man staggered.

Little Vine shot forward and wrapped around the metal device on the back of his head.

The moment the tendril touched it, the entire plant trembled.

A harsh sound filled Leng Pan’s mind.

It was not a voice. It was thousands of commands repeating at the same time.

Open the gate.

Protect the anchor.

Recover the core.

Eliminate resistance.

Leng Pan’s vision blurred.

Captain Wei grabbed Little Vine and pulled.

The force dragged Leng Pan forward because the vine was still connected to her wrist.

Lu Zhen caught her before she fell. Flames wrapped around Captain Wei’s arm, forcing him to release Little Vine.

"Are you alright?" Lu Zhen asked as he kept one arm around her.

"I heard the network," Leng Pan replied while shaking off the dizziness. "It knows the purification core is here."

Captain Wei attacked again.

Stone spread over his body, forming a thick layer of armor.

Lu Zhen’s flames struck his chest, but the stone continued regenerating.

"He is drawing energy from the amplifiers," Leng Pan said. "We need to destroy them first."

Commander Han heard her through the communicator. "The tower is less than two hundred meters north of your position. I will send a team."

"No," the alien prisoner said quickly. "If ordinary soldiers approach the amplifiers, the particles could enter their bodies."

Commander Han looked at him. "Then who can go?"

Little Vine released Captain Wei and turned its leaves toward the tower.

Leng Pan understood its intention. The plant had consumed the parasite queen and absorbed part of its ability. It might be able to resist the command particles.

"Little Vine can destroy them," she said.

The plant jumped from her wrist and grew as it struck the ground.

Roots spread beneath the road, breaking through concrete as they travelled toward the western communication tower.

Captain Wei suddenly stopped attacking Leng Pan.

His head turned toward the tower.

Then he slammed both hands against the ground.

A stone blade cut through the street and followed Little Vine’s roots.

The plant withdrew just before the blade could sever them.

Captain Wei’s body shook.

More black veins spread across his face.

Blood began flowing from his nose and ears, but the controller continued forcing energy through his ability core.

Commander Han’s voice came through the communicator. "Captain Wei! Fight it!"

For a moment, Captain Wei’s expression changed.

His stone-covered hand trembled.

He looked toward Commander Han, and his lips moved with difficulty. "Destroy...the tower."

The metal device behind his head flashed.

His eyes became empty again.

The street exploded beneath Leng Pan and Lu Zhen.

Lu Zhen pulled Leng Pan against him and surrounded them with fire. Stone fragments struck the flames before turning into molten drops.

Captain Wei was no longer trying to drive them away.

The controller had ordered him to kill them.

Lu Zhen looked at Leng Pan. "Can you protect him if I break the stone armor?"

"I can."

Lu Zhen released her and disappeared in a flash of fire.

He appeared directly in front of Captain Wei and punched the stone armor covering his chest.

Flames entered the cracks.

The outer layer exploded.

Before Captain Wei could rebuild it, Leng Pan wrapped his body in water. She left his face uncovered but sealed his arms against his sides.

Captain Wei struggled.

The ground continued shaking beneath them.

"Little Vine, go!" Leng Pan shouted.

The plant sent its roots underground again.

This time, Lu Hao released electricity into the earth while Ouyang Jin raised several metal barriers around the controlled survivors.

Captain Wei tried to cut the roots, but Leng Pan lifted him away from the ground.

Without physical contact with the earth, his control weakened.

The roots reached the western communication tower.

A second later, the ground beneath it broke apart.

Six black containers were pulled into the street.

They opened before Little Vine could crush them.

A cloud of silver dust escaped.

The particles moved like smoke, but instead of dispersing, they flew toward the nearest survivors.

Little Vine expanded its leaves.

A powerful suction force appeared.

The silver particles changed direction and disappeared into the plant.

The alien prisoner’s eyes widened. "That organism consumed the control machines."

Lu Tao glanced at him. "It has eaten worse things."

Little Vine crushed the first container.

Then the second.

Each destroyed amplifier weakened the sound inside Leng Pan’s head.

Captain Wei’s movements became slower.

When the sixth container broke, many of the affected survivors collapsed.

However, some remained standing.

The western gate also remained open.

"The network is still active," Leng Pan said.

Captain Wei lifted his head.

His eyes had regained some awareness.

"The containers...were not the main controller," he said weakly. "Colonel Deng placed something beneath the command centre."

Commander Han froze. "The command centre controls every defense system in the base."

Captain Wei coughed, and blood ran from the corner of his mouth. "He said...when the western gate opened...the device would activate the core signal."

A loud mechanical sound came from the center of Qinghe Base.

Every alien communicator lit up at the same time.

The holographic map changed.

The location marker that they had programmed to drift toward the quarry stopped moving.

A much stronger signal appeared beneath the base’s command centre.

[ENERGY BEACON ACTIVATED.]

[UNDEAD UNITS ACCELERATING.]

[TRANSPORT VESSEL CHANGING COURSE.]

The alien prisoner stared at the screen before slowly looking toward Commander Han. "The marker was only a distraction. Colonel Deng installed a beacon inside your command centre."

Commander Han’s face darkened. "Can it be shut down?"

"If it has fully activated, destroying the outer device will not stop the signal. Its core will continue transmitting until the stored energy is exhausted."

"How long will that take?"

The prisoner studied the information on the screen. "Nine hours."

They did not have nine hours.

Assistant Yao’s voice suddenly came through Lu Zhen’s communicator. "We are approaching Qinghe Base. I can see the first zombie army."

Lu Zhen turned toward the western gate. "How far?"

"Less than twenty kilometres."

The ground beneath them trembled more strongly.

Assistant Yao became silent for several seconds before speaking again. "There is something else moving beneath the zombies."

Leng Pan looked at the alien prisoner.

His face had become pale again.

"What is beneath them?" she asked.

"I do not know," the prisoner replied too quickly.

Little Vine wrapped around his neck.

He raised both hands and corrected himself. "The transport vessel might have released a burrowing unit."

"What does it do?"

The prisoner looked toward the partially open western gate. "It does not attack the walls."

A deep cracking sound came from beneath Qinghe Base.

Buildings shook.

Several survivors screamed as new fractures spread across the streets.

The prisoner swallowed before finishing, "It creates a path underneath them."

The ground near the center of the base suddenly collapsed.

A cloud of dust rose above the buildings.

Then a roar came from deep underground.

It was too loud and unnatural to belong to any ordinary zombie.

Leng Pan looked at the frightened survivors still trying to reach the shelters.

The enemy had never intended to break through Qinghe Base’s walls.

It had already entered beneath them.