Air-Raid Siren

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In a basement, the lights glowed dimly. The table was covered with empty cans of premium food, along with several wine bottles drained to the bottom.

Tang Hai sat in a tactical recliner, his expression grave.

"Yuming, I can't shake my unease about those two young Espers we met today."

Feng Yuming sat with his legs crossed, eating canned fruit as he replied casually, "The woman's a bit troublesome, but I watched her. She's actually weak and only putting on a brave face. She shouldn't be much of a threat. Now she's gone into the shelter herself, so she can't get away."

"Is everything ready on Big Yellow's end?"

"Don't worry, Uncle." Feng Yuming grinned. "With equipment from these convoys, we'll be out of this hellhole soon."

Tang Hai's face darkened. "That Black Flood Dragon convoy isn't so simple either. We'll need to be patient tonight."

Feng Yuming nodded. "Uncle, I'll see if I can keep a few women around. They'll give us something to enjoy on the road. The guys have been cooped up too long..."

Tang Hai scoffed. "The prettiest little girl is also the most dangerous. You dare keep her?"

"Tch!" Feng Yuming said disdainfully. "Espers aren't gods. No matter how strong she is, there are only two of them. I'll have plenty of ways to handle her when the time comes."

"One more thing."

Tang Hai's voice sharpened. "There might be other Espers we need to watch out for. That big guy, for instance. He doesn't look easy to deal with."

"I know. Probably a Strength Type. But a machine gun will tear him up just the same." Feng Yuming scoffed, apparently unconcerned.

The uncle and nephew discussed their plans as if everyone else's fate were already sealed. All that remained was to collect the spoils.

Meanwhile, the hundreds of survivors in dozens of vehicles inside the outpost yard were on high alert, unaware that a man-made disaster was quietly taking shape.

Inside the armory, Lin Xian told Kiki what he had just discovered.

"Another backup power source? What does that mean?" Kiki rubbed her bleary eyes.

"That electrical system is independent," Lin Xian said grimly. "It supplies the base's defense system and... the overhead lines of a short railway branch."

Kiki frowned. "A railway branch? You mean Tang Hai's people plan to escape by train!?"

"It's possible. Judging by the power supply and operating voltage, it can't run very far."

"So they don't need to go far." Kiki caught on, her eyes widening. "They just need to get out of the fog, or... reach Beiwan Station?!"

"But if they have that, why would they still..."

Kiki froze mid-sentence, then gritted her teeth. "Oh my God, that bastard. We have to go!"

She started to get up, but Lin Xian grabbed her. His expression was grave.

"Go where? If we leave now, the other convoys will panic too. That'll make things even worse."

"But if we stay here, aren't we just waiting to die?" Kiki asked in alarm.

Lin Xian looked straight at her. "Remember something you said earlier? You were right."

"What was it?" Kiki asked, confused.

"If we flee now, it'll still be dark outside the fog."

"Oh." Kiki looked shaken. "You mean they might make their move before dawn."

"Earlier than that. Which means we still have time."

"Time for what?"

Lin Xian dragged over a filthy sleeping bag. "Sleep."

"Are you crazy?!!"

Kiki stared at him in disbelief. She reached out to feel his forehead, frowning. "Has the stink in here knocked you senseless? How can you think about sleeping at a time like this?"

"You have to sleep."

Lin Xian met her eyes, utterly serious.

"You need to rest first. Once you've got some energy back, you can help me carry out my plan."

Then he pulled Kiki close and told her his daring idea.

Lin Xian figured Tang Hai would not act too early. For one thing, as Kiki had said, he would wait until the night was half over. For another, he wanted everyone tired and off guard. Either way, Lin Xian had to prepare for both possibilities.

Only if Kiki recovered some energy would they have a better chance of breaking through.

Kiki's face changed as she heard his plan. "What about Sha Sha and the others? Should we...?"

Lin Xian shook his head. "We can't worry about them now. Telling them won't help, and it might tip Tang Hai off."

"Enough talking. Go to sleep!"

Kiki frowned, but she listened. Enduring the stench in the room, she leaned back on the sleeping pad and tried to rest.

Lin Xian said no more. He placed a hand on the generator set and activated [Mechanical Devour]!

[Devouring progress: 1%]

Lin Xian watched the progress creep across the display as fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

He had more or less guessed what Tang Hai's people truly intended. Cold sweat broke out as he realized how naive his initial precautions had been...

This was the first time Lin Xian had tried to devour a generator set so massive. Together with its energy storage equipment, the 1,900 kW diesel generator could provide backup power for an entire residential complex. Devouring it would be no small feat.

He had already burned through much of his strength, too. He did not know whether he could hold out until he finished devouring the huge machine.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. Fortunately, [Mechanical Devour] had reached LV2 and was considerably more efficient than before.

Time passed, minute by minute. Soon it was five in the morning.

After days of relentless strain, many of the children and elderly among the survivors had fallen asleep. Even the men keeping watch were losing focus. Some splashed their faces with clean water, while those who could drank coffee to fight the crushing drowsiness.

Fog shrouded the outpost's high walls in the darkness. All around, it was quiet but for the rustle of insects.

Whenever a child cried, their mother quickly hushed them, afraid the sound might draw trouble out of the dark.

Everyone seemed to share the same understanding. They waited in silence for dawn.

Woooo—

Just then, an ear-piercing air-raid siren blared. It grew louder and louder, sending a chill through everyone!

"What's that sound?!"

"An air-raid siren? Fuck!"

"What's going on?!"

"Who did this...?"

On the Black Flood Dragon convoy's side, Qian Yu jolted awake from a light doze. His eyes flew open, and he cursed, "Shit, that bastard!" He snatched up his radio. "Everyone, stay alert!"

"Where's that old bastard?"

"Haven't seen him since last night." On another vehicle, Old Eagle stood up through the roof hatch with a gun, searching for Tang Hai's people. He could not spot a single one.

The siren quickly drew countless Zombies. Howls rose on every side, setting hearts pounding.

"We've been had!" Qian Yu roared. "No wonder he invited everyone into the air-raid shelter. He wanted us to think he was giving us a way out!"

"Should we go into the shelter now?"

"Like hell. It's bound to be locked!"

Qian Yu had been on guard against Tang Hai pulling something, but he had never expected him to go this far. Setting off an alarm in his own refuge? What kind of person did that?

The other convoys began to realize what was happening. Chaos erupted across the yard, along with a chorus of curses aimed at Tang Hai. Engines roared to life.

Survivors from some of the smaller convoys climbed out of their vehicles and ran toward the air-raid shelter.

When the Black Flood Dragon convoy opened the outpost gate, they found the space outside packed with barricades and marble blocks that had appeared sometime during the night. Qian Yu swore furiously. "Clearance team, get those obstacles out of the way!"

Vroom!

The modified heavy truck slowly lowered its steel plow, then roared through the gate with a hard press of the accelerator.

Crash! Crash! Crash! With a series of explosive impacts, the truck smashed open a lane.

"Brother, are we leaving too?"

In the pickup on the other side of the yard, Lou Shasha had been jolted awake. She looked at the chaos among the convoys and called out anxiously.

"They..." Lou Ye looked toward the air-raid shelter, hesitant.

"Should I go get them?!" Lou Shasha shouted.

"Not yet!" Lou Ye caught her arm and looked out the window. "They... have abilities."

Lou Shasha nodded. "Okay. We'll wait for them."

The dozen or so survivors trying to reach the air-raid shelter had barely made it to the iron doors when fire flashed and a massive explosion erupted!

BOOM!

A fireball lit up the entire outpost yard and swallowed the survivors in an instant.

"Oh no!"

"Kiki and Lin Xian?!"

"AAAGH!!"

The shrill howls of the Corpse Tide surged closer. Gunshots rang out all around. Lou Shasha's face went deathly pale as she waited desperately, but Lin Xian and Kiki still did not appear.

Lou Ye made his decision and slammed his foot on the accelerator.

"Brother!!"

"We have to go!"

If they hesitated any longer, neither of them would escape. The pickup's engine roared, and it shot out of the outpost.

Countless Zombies, Strange Corpses, Corpse Hounds, and black centipedes poured through the fog toward the outpost. A van whose engine would not start vanished beneath the Corpse Tide. In the chaos, an SUV struck a concrete block. Its occupants had no choice but to grab their guns, get out, and run toward the air-raid shelter, firing behind them as they went.

They had taken only a few steps when Corpse Hounds lunged from the darkness and knocked them down.

"AAH!!"

"Help..."

"Honey, run! I'll take these beasts with me!!"

The air-raid shelter had been blown wide open. Countless Zombies flooded inside, setting off a wave of screams.

The agonized cries echoed through the valley. In the darkness, a string of headlights cut through the fog as every convoy raced after the Black Flood Dragon convoy. Monsters and Zombies lunged from every direction. One vehicle losing control set off a chain of crashes, and the Corpse Tide swallowed the wrecks.

Qian Yu's armored vehicle followed the truck clearing the road. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Carriage 4! Carriage 4! Respond!"

"Fuck!"

"Wu Songlin, have you found a route?!!"

"We can only get out through the city! We'd have to double back to take that side road!" a younger man shouted over the radio.

"Fuck!"

"Boss, something's not right," the younger man suddenly said.

New author here—please keep reading and recommend this!