Chapter 223: Zombies Hidden in the Sand?
Hector Grant wasted no time and immediately announced his decision to the group.
"All Space Ability Users, fall back to the room behind us. The rest of you, split into two groups on either side according to your Superpower Level. Everyone, be ready. If any zombies or mutated animals charge in, attack with everything you’ve got."
Hector Grant’s gaze swept over each person, his eyes sharp and his tone exceptionally grave.
"I need you all to understand something. What you’re about to do isn’t for me, or for anyone else—it’s for yourselves. In this apocalypse, no matter how high your Superpower Level is, your Superpower isn’t endless. It will eventually run out. It’s nearly impossible to survive by fighting alone. If you want to live, if you want to make it back to Subterra safely, you have to work together. So, don’t hold anything back. Give it everything you’ve got!"
It had to be admitted that Hector Grant’s speech was quite moving, and many were genuinely swayed.
But there are always those who are impervious to reason.
Sierra Sullivan clearly saw some people sneer as Hector Grant spoke, obviously dismissing his words.
Hector Grant might have noticed, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
Once all the preparations were made, Hector Grant walked to the door and began to open it once more.
This was already the third time Hector Grant had opened the door.
The first time he opened the door, everyone had been relaxed and cheerful.
The second time, there had been anticipation, curiosity, and even some disdain.
Now, on the third time, only tension and anxiety remained.
Regardless of how everyone felt, Hector Grant opened the door.
Hector Grant took a deep breath before yanking the door open, using its momentum to retreat to the side, hiding himself completely behind it.
As the main door swung open, light from outside streamed in.
It was quite a bit brighter than before.
No sand or wind blew in, which was a small mercy.
With no sandstorm brewing, visibility would at least be better, so they wouldn’t be completely blind to the situation outside.
Even if they did end up fighting zombies or Aberrant Beasts, they wouldn’t be at a complete disadvantage.
Everyone was on edge, braced for the zombies outside to charge in at any moment.
Yet, time ticked by, and there was no movement at the doorway.
No zombies charged in.
It was so quiet that it felt as if everything that had just happened was merely a hallucination.
If it weren’t for the severed zombie hand lying silently on the floor—a stark reminder of what had just occurred—they might have actually believed it was safe outside.
In a situation like this, the calmer it was, the more dangerous it was.
This meant the "mastermind" outside was very intelligent.
It had already figured out their plan and was even using the same tactic against them.
They wouldn’t go out, and it wouldn’t let the zombies charge in.
It was a stalemate, a waiting game to see who would break first.
Hector Grant’s brow furrowed tightly.
He had anticipated this kind of scenario.
But now that it was actually happening, he couldn’t stop the anxiety from welling up inside him.
’Do I really have to send someone out as cannon fodder to draw its attention?’
’No!’
’Absolutely not!’
The thought had barely surfaced before Hector Grant suppressed it.
’There has to be another way to break this stalemate.’
’I just need time. I’ll definitely think of another way!’
...
Sierra Sullivan watched the quiet doorway, then carefully shifted her body to get a different angle, trying to see more of what was outside.
There were no other buildings around the warehouse.
Besides the thick layer of sand on the ground, there was no cover whatsoever.
Even though only one door was open, limiting her view, Sierra Sullivan shifted to several different angles and still couldn’t see a single zombie.
’Something is obviously wrong.’
’Where are the zombies hiding?’
’They can’t all just happen to be standing in my blind spots, can they?’
’What are the odds of that?’
’Or maybe... the zombies are actually some distance away, which is why I can’t see them.’
’But if that’s the case, why did a zombie immediately charge over whenever someone poked their head out before?’
’Are the zombies really that fast?’
’No matter how I think about it, this whole thing is bizarre.’
’Unless...’
Sierra Sullivan’s gaze fell on the thick sand on the ground, and a theory began to form in her mind.
’Could the zombies be hiding in the sand?’
Once the idea appeared, she couldn’t suppress it.
Zombies aren’t human.
They don’t need to breathe, so staying buried in the sand wouldn’t be a problem for them.
’If that’s true, then this situation is absolutely terrible!’
’Who knows how many zombies are hidden in the sand?’
’If we go out, we could be swarmed by countless zombies...’
"Sierra!"
Jayce’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
Sierra Sullivan looked at Jayce. "What’s wrong?"
Jayce looked worried. "What’s wrong with you? You look pale."
Sierra Sullivan didn’t hide it and shared her recent theory.
Her voice wasn’t quiet, so it wasn’t just Jayce who heard her; the others standing nearby heard as well.
Hector Grant had also been wondering where the zombies were. When he heard what Sierra Sullivan said, his eyes widened in an instant.
He had just been thinking that the zombies might have lost patience and left, and was debating whether to go out and check.
Now, hearing Sierra’s guess, Hector Grant was filled with nothing but relief.
He was thankful he hadn’t acted rashly.
Otherwise, he didn’t even want to imagine what state he’d be in right now...
Hearing Sierra Sullivan’s words, one of the men grew even more anxious.
"If what you’re saying is true, then what are we supposed to do? Are we just going to stay in here forever and not go out?"
The man’s tone was anything but polite.
Sierra Sullivan could understand his anxiety, but that didn’t mean she was going to coddle him.
After giving him a cold glance, Sierra Sullivan said flatly, "If you don’t want to stay here, you’re free to go out right now."
"You!"
Sierra Sullivan raised an eyebrow. "What about me? Was I wrong?"
"You—how can you talk like that? Don’t think that just because you’re a woman, I won’t do something to you. You talk to me like that again, and believe me, I’ll—"
"Heh," Sierra Sullivan let out a short laugh. "Believe you’ll what? What is it you want to do?"
Jayce said nothing, but simply shot the man an icy glare.
Being stared at by both Sierra and Jayce with the same look, the man felt goosebumps erupt all over his body, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
This sense of danger was even more intense than when he faced zombies and Aberrant Beasts.
The words that had been on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.
He turned his head away, feigning composure. "I’m not going to stoop to your level."