Chapter 190: Arrival
The rest of the journey went quite smoothly. Perhaps because the team had three Fourth Rank users, basically no High-level Creatures dared to approach. With Luna Dawson clearing the way, their overall speed increased. By the afternoon of the fourth day, everyone entered Corbin’s borders.
Along the way, they found numerous road signs at regular intervals. Through Francis Grant, Luna learned that Corbin’s temporary safe zone was a pre-apocalyptic military base. It was a certain distance from the city, but not too far, so many survivors spontaneously fled to the military base seeking refuge. Moreover, after clearing the zombies inside the base, the military base’s supreme commander, Major General Thomas Dalton, dispatched troops to search for survivors in the vicinity. Over time, this temporary shelter became a makeshift beacon for nearby survivors.
The walls and power grids surrounding the base had been heightened and widened by Gold Element and Earth Ability Users. Buildings and trees within a one or two-kilometer radius had all vanished; Major General Dalton had ordered the area bombed to create a buffer zone. In the freezing temperatures of negative twenty-odd degrees Celsius, the ground in the buffer zone was frozen solid. Stepping on it produced a loud CRUNCH, CRUNCH. The freezing wind, carrying swirling flurries of snow, swept wildly across the open expanse, stinging their eyes so badly they could barely keep them open.
Once the convoy drove into the buffer zone, it was already under the base’s surveillance. Many troops were waiting at the entrance to welcome them. Wrapped in heavy military overcoats with a layer of white frost forming on the brims of their cotton hats, their exhaled breaths instantly condensed into mist in the frigid air.
Kyle Keith’s convoy had also pulled up to the front, and he went up alongside Francis Grant to negotiate. From a distance, Luna and the others couldn’t tell who was who. They simply didn’t bother looking; after all, Sunset Squad was only there to execute the mission. Trivial matters were none of their business.
Half an hour later, everyone in the convoy got out of their vehicles to undergo inspections by the soldiers at the gates. After confirming no one was infected with the zombie virus, the vehicles slowly drove into the base, heading toward the Military Command. As soon as they stepped out of the cars, the biting wind poured down their collars. Everyone subconsciously wrapped their clothes tighter.
Upon entering the base, rows of temporarily constructed prefab houses, tents, and even RVs came into view. These vehicles and shelters were packed densely together. The freezing wind seeped through the cracks in many of the prefab houses, and most of their door curtains were made of tattered cotton quilts, completely unable to block the bitter cold of negative ten-plus degrees. Inside, people were huddled together in groups of twos and threes, including the elderly and children. Most of them wore thin, somewhat ragged clothes. Some were wrapped in scavenged plastic sheets, shivering violently from the cold. They held steamed buns as hard as rocks, struggling significantly with every bite they took. Their cheeks and noses were purple from the cold, their lips chapped, and their collective exhaled breaths formed a continuous cloud of white vapor. Some of the elderly huddled in the corners of tents, tightly embracing children whose faces were flush from the cold and whose noses were running profusely. Their eyes were numb, yet held a trace of yearning for warmth.
There were several teams on the road. Squads of twenty to thirty armed people patrolled and stood guard. Dressed in thickened winter gear, complete with cotton hats, gloves, and kneepads, they were still so cold they constantly rubbed their hands and blew on them for warmth. A thin layer of ice had formed on the metal components of their weapons. The patrol teams wore a mix of uniforms—firefighters, armed police, inspectors, and regular police were all blended together, striving to maintain the stability of the entire temporary safe zone.
Many survivors already knew that Kensington Base had sent people to coordinate with the military base’s troops and transfer them all to an official base. Hearing the roar of military trucks and armored vehicles, many poked their heads out of their shelters to watch, shrinking their stiff, freezing necks into their collars. Some relatively warmly dressed people ventured out in groups to watch the commotion, tucking their red, freezing hands into their pockets and constantly muttering, "We’re finally saved." The sounds of discussion, sniffling, and chattering teeth filled the air.
Children running around playing would proactively step aside when they saw the convoy, not daring to delay the vehicles’ progress. Wearing ill-fitting, thick clothes that made them look like round little dumplings, they stared at the vehicles and the people inside with longing eyes. They were likely envious of the warmth inside the cars, shielded from the biting wind. Of course, there were also many looks of greed and resentment directed at the convoy. These people were mostly dressed in rags and shivering uncontrollably. Seeing the convoy’s neat equipment and the relatively thick clothing of the team members, their eyes were full of jealousy. If it weren’t for the patrols around them and the soldiers holding guns on the vehicles, they looked as though they would rush up and swallow the people in the cars alive.
"Luna, you guys will rest behind the Military Command later. The temporary safe zone has taken in a lot of tough survivors, and order isn’t entirely stable yet. I’ll liaise directly with you regarding any matters. You don’t need to pay attention to anyone else," Francis Grant instructed from the lead car.
"Okay, understood," Luna Dawson agreed.
Soon, the convoy arrived at the military parking lot. Luna and her team got out. Barely having gained their footing, they shivered violently from the freezing wind. She hurriedly stored the two vehicles directly into her space.
Two soldiers by Francis Grant’s side—one named Jean Sterling, the other Joshua Shaw—jogged over to Sunset Squad. Their cheeks were bright red from the cold, but they still maintained a perfectly upright posture as they led the group toward the neat rows of buildings in the distance.
Luna thanked them. "Thank you. Sorry for the trouble."
"It’s... no trouble at all..." Joshua Shaw scratched his head shyly, his fingertips stiff from the cold. "Colonel Grant and Captain Kessler both went to liaise with the base personnel. Captain Dawson, you and your team can go rest at the family residential buildings for now."
Luna nodded. "It looks nice here. Truly worthy of being the people’s army, taking in so many survivors. You two just need to bring me to that open space over there. I’ll stay in my own house."
Hearing this, Jean Sterling’s eyes lit up as he asked tentatively, "Is it the same house you all stayed in for the past two nights?"
Luna looked back at him with an amused expression. "Yes. Housing looks pretty tight here, so I won’t fight everyone else for it."
"Understood. Colonel Grant gave instructions that your villa can be placed in the small courtyard next to the house he’s staying in."
As they chatted, the group walked for about ten minutes. The freezing wind remained piercing, but there were more patrolling soldiers around, and the order was notably better. They arrived in front of neatly planned multi-story buildings. The houses here were visibly better sealed, and traces of heating equipment could be seen around them. It looked very peaceful. Taking a few turns, they arrived in front of a six-story building with a large front yard. Luna looked it over and guessed this was the place.
Jean Sterling opened the yard gate, looking at Luna expectantly.
With a shift of Luna’s will, a two-hundred-square-meter light steel villa materialized in front of them.
"Holy shit, that’s amazing!"
Jean Sterling’s shocked voice rang out, his freezing, trembling tone filled with disbelief. He marveled at how Space Superpower Users were practically like gods.
Even Joshua Shaw, who looked quite composed, was very curious. "Captain Dawson, in this negative ten-plus degree weather, does the villa’s water and electricity still work?"
Miles Dawson chimed in proudly, "Of course! The villa has a fireplace and heating, and the water tower has an insulation layer. Brother Finn can provide electricity. Showering and using the toilet are no problem at all. It’s warmer than anywhere else here!"
"Wow!"
"That’s so nice!"
The two soldiers’ eyes grew brighter and brighter. This was just too convenient! In the freezing negative ten-plus degrees Celsius weather, having a warm place to stay and access to hot water was an absolute luxury. They figured that once their comrades with Space Abilities in the military leveled up in the future, they’d definitely have the Colonel arrange a few of these villas for them to stay in too.