Chapter 201: Setting Out

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Setting Out

A little girl clutched a tightly bundled puppy in her arms, trying to carry away the very last trace of "home."

The other group consisted of survivors traveling in the official convoy. They stood in a long line, waiting to have their identities verified at the registration point one by one. With stiff, freezing hands, they handed over their supplies or Crystal Cores in exchange for a seat on a military truck.

In the apocalypse, there was no such thing as a free lunch. The government could only guarantee the safest possible escort along the way, and every perk came with a clearly marked price. A three-pound bag of grain or three Level-One Crystal Cores could be traded for a precious seat on a vehicle bound for a major human settlement.

Survivors boarding the official vehicles were strictly restricted in terms of space and weight. They couldn’t bring too much luggage; each person was allowed only five kilograms of supplies.

In front of the scale at the registration point, many people weighed their options over and over, agonizing over what to keep. They reluctantly discarded non-essential items, keeping only critical medicines, a few articles of clothing, and their most precious personal belongings.

The soldiers in charge of registration checked the weights with expressionless faces. Occasionally, they would remind someone, "The return trip is estimated to take about a week. The government will provide drinking water and heating coal along the way, and a one-kilogram food ration per person will be distributed before departure. Beyond that, you are entirely responsible for yourself for the rest of the journey. Please ensure your supplies will last."

Not far away, medical personnel distributed simple protective gear to the survivors—wristbands and neck guards sewn from thick fabric.

"We might encounter zombie hordes or attacks from mutated plants and animals on the road. These will help protect you from minor injuries," a nurse explained quickly as she handed out the gear. "If you get bitten or scratched, report it to the nearest soldier immediately. Do not hide it!"

With half an hour left before departure, all vehicles were neatly lined up in order. Official military trucks, armored vehicles, various standard trucks, and private cars formed two long, winding lines.

The survivors boarded one by one, their faces filled with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Many stared blankly in the direction of the safe zone. Though crude and simple, it had been their sanctuary in the apocalypse. The journey ahead held unknown dangers, but also a faint glimmer of hope directed toward the Kensington Base.

Military and government personnel did a final headcount and equipment check. The sentries in the watchtowers packed up their binoculars, quickly climbed down, and returned to their units to assemble.

The rumbling ROAR of engines gradually filled the air, shattering the brief silence. An apocalyptic migration, consisting of forty thousand military and government personnel escorting three hundred thousand survivors, finally set off.

The migration convoy was highly organized. Luna Dawson’s family, following several high-ranking officials, drove at the very front, clearing the way alongside the armored vehicles.

Kyle Keith and a group of leaders were positioned in the middle of the convoy, coordinating and managing the overall movement.

Dylan DuPont led the members of the Special Operations Department, firmly holding the rear defense line just as they had on the way there.

Looking out, the convoy stretched as far as the eye could see. Countless vehicles drove out of Corbin’s borders in a massive, imposing procession, winding like a long dragon along the empty road.

The journey was initially quite peaceful. However, when they passed through a large town, the roaring engines startled tens of thousands of zombies.

Fortunately, the convoy was well-prepared. The superpower users quickly unleashed their abilities, and the armed soldiers immediately laid down a dense barrage of suppressing fire. The RAT-A-TAT-TAT of gunfire echoed continuously. The zombie horde was quickly wiped out, allowing the convoy to continue its journey smoothly.

During the drive, muffled gasps occasionally drifted from the middle of the convoy—mostly caused by sporadic attacks from High-level zombies—along with the sounds of coughing from those who had fallen ill in the bitter cold.

Immediately after, the low, warning voices of soldiers would ring out. Throughout the entire journey, no one dared to make a loud noise.

Everyone knew that noise could attract more wandering zombies or fatal threats like High-level mutated animals. No one dared to gamble with their lives.

Fortunately, Luna Dawson had already cleared the roads on their way here. Even though the convoy maintained a slow pace of twenty miles per hour, the ride was much smoother and significantly less bumpy.

Sitting in the passenger seat and engrossed in surfing the web, Lynn Shelby suddenly became excited. He held out his smart bracelet for the people in the backseat to see. "Look, the bombing of the Containment Zone is complete!"

Luna Dawson took the bracelet and looked at the aerial photos of the Containment Zone. Everyone sighed in lament after seeing them.

Kevin Keane spoke up. "The bombing was inevitable. Over the past half month, the Containment Zone has provided enough combat experience for everyone. The government must have also extracted most of the supplies by now."

Aaron Palmer suddenly thought of that mysterious mushroom in the Ninth District and curled his lip. "I wonder if that white mushroom was blown to pieces."

Just thinking about those terrifying parasitic spores gave him goosebumps.

"I haven’t seen any reports of unusual zombies or mutated flora and fauna on the official channels yet," Lynn replied. "They probably won’t announce anything until their research yields some results."

After saying that, Lynn seemed to remember something. He took back the bracelet Kevin handed over, his fingers swiping rapidly across the screen as if looking for something else to show the backseat passengers.

"Wait, I just came across a report from the research institute. It’s absolutely terrifying. This mutated Blue Star really is full of bizarre surprises."

He paused, reading aloud with a solemn tone, "Quantock has fallen. It has become a paradise entirely ruled by plants and animals. A colossal beehive has turned the whole city into its nest. Dozens of reconnaissance planes and bombers sent by the government were all shot down by mutated creatures. Long-range strike weapons are unusable due to the abnormal magnetic field on Blue Star. If a strike deviates from its target, the surrounding survivors and the Porten Base will suffer catastrophic collateral damage."

Upon hearing this, Miles Dawson, who was driving, couldn’t help but curse repeatedly. "Fuck! What the hell are we supposed to do about that?!"

"It’s way too close to the Porten Base!" Lynn replied. "The Porten Base has already sent out an SOS signal, and Kensington is considering assembling personnel to brainstorm a rescue strategy."

This news sent chills down everyone’s spines. They couldn’t help but exchange wary glances, truly realizing that human technology was helpless against such frantically expanding creatures at this point.

The massive migration convoy continued its slow advance. At noon, they had a simple meal right in their vehicles. Just as everyone thought they would travel smoothly for the rest of the day, their path was abruptly blocked by a swarm of mutated frogs.

Looking ahead, the middle of the road was covered by a dense, vividly colored mass. There were at least several thousand mutated frogs, each the size of a basketball. Their vibrant, multicolored bodies looked like a spilled pile of giant Skittles.

One of them was particularly eye-catching, stretching almost a meter long, with five or six half-meter-long frogs scattered around it. They basked lazily in the sun, occasionally flicking out their long tongues to precisely snatch passing insects out of the air.

The mutated frogs didn’t show any signs of aggression, but their sheer, swarming numbers kept the convoy from acting rashly.

The government leaders immediately summoned the owners of mutated pets from both the safe zone and the Kensington Base. They instructed them to bring their mutated animals to the front for a friendly negotiation, hoping to politely ask the frogs to clear the way.

Naturally, Luna Dawson and Kevin Keane also went over, bringing Rollo and Little Sweet Potato with them. After all, no one dared to provoke neutral animals. If they were truly angered, they could summon an army of frogs at a moment’s notice to teach everyone a harsh lesson.

Wiggling its plump, round bottom, Rollo hurriedly greeted Tina and Pax, who had come along. Then, it suddenly leaped forward and planted a massive, sloppy lick right on the largest Pink Frog.