On the streets of Atlanta, large numbers of abandoned cars were parked haphazardly, while wandering Zombies gathered in groups of two or three. They pricked up their ears, bared their teeth, and kept watch over every disturbance on the road.
Any hint of life was enough to stir them into action.
Garbage, corpses, wreckage, and all kinds of other things obstructed traffic, turning what had once been spacious roads into rough, difficult paths.
The closer they got to the city center, the worse the situation became. In this city, it was already difficult to find a road suitable for vehicles.
Driving a Military Truck he had found outside the CDC, Leon held a cigar between his lips and gripped the steering wheel with one hand while constantly marking locations on the map with the other.
He had no intention of venturing deep into the city. The roads there were blocked and impassable.
Instead, he chose to follow Interstate 83 through the suburbs, keeping close to the city's edge and circling around the dangerous downtown area.
Leon drove slowly along the way, carefully recording information about the surroundings: where the Zombie hordes were, where the stores were, where large quantities of supplies might be found, and where an Outpost could be established.
This was a long-term task. It couldn't be completed overnight. There was still plenty of time in the future, and sooner or later, they would explore this place and scavenge its resources.
But that was a matter for later. Leon had only two objectives this time: the Quarry in the southern suburbs of Atlanta and St. Joseph's Nursing Home on the southern edge of the city.
Both places might contain groups of survivors.
The Quarry was where Shane, Daryl, Rick's wife, and the others had set up camp.
As for St. Joseph's Nursing Home, that was where the group who kidnapped Glenn at the beginning of the story had been based.
The people at the Nursing Home should be relatively easy to find. They had stayed there ever since the disaster began. As long as he went there, he would find them.
The Quarry, on the other hand...
There was still a month before the story began, and Leon wasn't sure whether Shane and the others had already set up camp at the Quarry. They might still be somewhere else.
But it didn't matter. He planned to check every possibility. He would know the actual situation once he saw it for himself.
The Quarry was about five kilometers from the urban area. Referring to the map in his hand, Leon soon reached the vicinity.
It was a small valley surrounded by trees, with flat ground, a lake, and woods. It was secluded but not far from the city, making it an excellent place to set up camp.
However, there were no structures here and no defenses. There was nowhere to hold. If the Zombies launched a surprise attack, they would have to form a defensive line with their own bodies, making it extremely dangerous.
Without rushing in, Leon chose a concealed high ground and carefully surveyed the area from above.
Beside a lake surrounded by trees, he was pleasantly surprised to discover traces of many cars and tents.
There was no need to guess. That was definitely Shane and the others' camp.
My luck is incredible. I found them so easily. Could this be the protagonist's fortune?
Still, it made sense. Human survival depended on water, and with most buildings now without running water or electricity, a natural reservoir like this would inevitably be the survivors' first choice.
Having found his target, Leon no longer hesitated. He returned to the truck and connected the Communicator to the nearest signal source.
It's showtime again. Come to think of it, I really might have some talent as an actor.
I performed quite well when negotiating with Dr. Melpha.
He cleared his throat, then spoke in a relaxed tone:
"Hello!"
"Is anyone there?"
"This is Leon Castor."
"Please respond if you can hear me."
He called out three times before there was finally a response.
Static crackled through the Communicator. After seven or eight seconds, a woman's voice replied excitedly twice, though he couldn't make out what she was saying. A few seconds later, it was replaced by a deep male voice that answered clearly:
"Hello."
"This is Officer Shane Walsh."
"Mr. Leon, can you hear me clearly?"
The corners of Leon's mouth curled upward, and his voice carried a hint of pleasure.
"I can hear you very clearly, Officer."
After receiving a response, Shane sounded somewhat excited.
"Good, Mr. Castor."
"May I ask where you are now?"
"Is your location safe?"
"I'm perfectly safe, Officer Shane," Leon replied.
"And I'm in Atlanta."
The other side of the Walkie-Talkie fell silent for several seconds before the voice asked strangely:
"You're in Atlanta too?"
"Yes, Officer Shane."
"Our Umbrella Corporation base is here."
"Umbrella Corporation? What's that?"
"You have a base?"
"Heh, that's a good question, Officer Shane, but it's somewhat complicated to explain," Leon said.
"You can think of us as a self-rescue organization."
"Can we discuss this in person?"
"I'm near the Quarry."
Shane's voice immediately turned wary.
"You're here?"
"How many people do you have, and what are your intentions?"
Leon chuckled and replied:
"Don't worry, Officer Shane. I'm alone."
"I only contacted you by radio because I discovered your camp."
"Look in the twelve o'clock direction."
"About one kilometer due north. Do you see that camouflage truck beneath the large tree?"
"That's my vehicle. I'm there."
"Rest assured, I come in peace. I won't act rashly."
From a distance, Leon saw what appeared to be a small commotion at the camp. About two minutes later, Shane's deep voice came through the Walkie-Talkie again.
"Mr. Leon, don't come over yet."
"We'll come to you."
Leon didn't mind. In times like these, caution was the right course of action.
"All right, Officer Shane."
"I'll wait here."
Seeing how agreeable Leon was, the voice on the other end became much friendlier.
"Thanks for cooperating, Mr. Leon. Please wait a few minutes. We'll be there shortly."
About three minutes later, Leon saw two cars slowly moving toward him from the Quarry.
They continued forward until they were about fifty meters from Leon's camouflage truck, then stopped.
Shane got out first, carrying a black Shotgun.
Behind him, five armed men also climbed out of the vehicles and followed close behind him.
As soon as they got out, they heard a clear male voice from across the way. A tall, powerfully built man stepped down from the camouflage truck.
"Hey, Officer Shane. We meet again."
"I'm Leon Castor. Do you still remember me?"
Hearing the voice, Shane looked up and saw a somewhat familiar figure. His pupils contracted slightly.
The man had dazzling short blond hair and a tall, muscular build. He wore a brand-new, high-end black suit, with a Military Truck-grade heavy bulletproof jacket over it.
He was extremely handsome, with deep, dark green eyes and what seemed to be a calm, confident smile always hanging on his face.
A gleaming black automatic assault rifle rested across the man's chest. His camouflage combat belt carried a pistol, magazines, fragmentation Grenades, and other lightweight weapons, all barely visible. His equipment was excellent, and his presence was tremendously intimidating.
Shane sounded hesitant as he asked uncertainly, "Dr. Castor? Is that you?"
Leon nodded, his smile unchanged.
"That's right. It's me."
"However, Officer Shane, I'm no longer a doctor. I'm now the manager of Umbrella Corporation."
Behind Shane, a man in a leather jacket with a weathered face and the appearance of a thug spoke up:
"Umbrella Corporation? What's that supposed to be, the army?"
Leon recognized him. Merle Dixon, Daryl's brother—a scumbag, but also a good brother.
"Heh, the army?"
A mocking smile appeared on Leon's handsome face. Based on his memories, he had already identified all six people opposite him: former Officer Shane, the old thug Merle, the Korean deliveryman Glenn, the good-natured Dale, the Black T-Dog, and the good father Morales.
He stared at Merle without the slightest courtesy and examined him with an indifferent air.
"Sir, there is no army anymore. Every army has been defeated by the Zombies."
"New York, Los Angeles, Washington—the government, the military, the police... every official organization has already failed."
He paid no attention to the shock on the faces of the six people and continued:
"No one is coming to rescue us. If we want to stay alive, we can only rely on ourselves."
"Impossible. You're talking nonsense. How could you possibly know that?"
Morales suddenly cut in. His face had turned ashen, and upon hearing Leon's words, he instinctively assumed they were lies.
"Half a month ago, I still heard on the radio that the army had established a refugee camp in Alabama. They had soldiers and food, and they would take in refugees. There's no way they could have failed so easily."
Leon shrugged indifferently and said:
"Believe it or not, that's up to you. The information I received was that ten days ago, all twelve refugee camps deployed by the military across America were overrun by Zombies."
"The command system was destroyed, and large numbers of soldiers and civilians were slaughtered. Only a small number of survivors escaped."
"Throughout America, there's no longer a force capable of confronting the Zombies head-on."
"How could that be!" Morales's face changed from ashen to deathly pale. He stood there in a daze, muttering to himself.
The others were much the same. Their faces were grim as they gathered together, discussing Leon's information in low voices. Some believed him, some doubted him, and some were furious.
Shane did not join their discussion. He had already suspected as much. With a dark expression and furrowed brows, he snarled impatiently:
"So what? You still haven't said what Umbrella Corporation actually is."
Before you continue