Chapter 171: Kill
[Kill the humans. Eliminate the humans hiding five hundred meters northwest of your current location.]
Hina’s heart skipped a beat. ’What?’
She immediately straightened her back. ’A system that orders someone to kill humans?’
Her expression changed. She quickly looked toward the northwest.
A disturbing possibility suddenly occurred to her.
’Could it be that the zombies have systems too?’
However, she immediately shook her head.
"What kind of absurd thing am I thinking?" she murmured.
Still, she couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility.
She continued staring in the direction mentioned by the voice, watching for any suspicious movement.
Minutes passed and then an hour. However, nothing unusual happened.
The surrounding forest remained silent. Eventually, Hina heaved a sigh of relief.
’Maybe I’m just exhausted.’
She continued her watch until the next mercenary came to replace her.
...........................
The following day, the group gathered to discuss their destination.
Since they had successfully escaped Swan Base, they needed to decide where to settle next.
Hina turned toward Jamie Hallmark.
"Madam Hallmark, which base would you like us to escort you to?"
Jamie remained silent for a moment.
Originally, she and Ling Dong had planned to move to Burning Star Base.
Ling Dong had always spoken highly of that settlement.
According to him, Burning Star Base was one of the most developed and self-sufficient bases in the region.
It possessed strong defenses, advanced facilities, and a relatively stable living environment.
He had believed that if they settled there, they could finally enjoy a peaceful life.
They had even discussed having a child.
Ling Dong had been convinced that their future child would grow up safely within Burning Star Base’s protective walls.
Remembering those conversations made Jamie’s heart ache.
After a long silence, she finally answered. "Burning Star Base."
The mercenaries exchanged glances.
Burning Star Base was quite far from their current location.
Considering their limited supplies and exhausted condition, reaching it wouldn’t be easy.
Hina looked at Jamie seriously.
"What about food and other supplies? The journey could take quite some time."
Jamie weakly waved her hand.
"Don’t worry. One of my husbands is carrying most of our belongings."
She lowered her gaze. "We have enough for now. Let’s just go."
Seeing her determination, Hina didn’t try to persuade her otherwise.
The group resumed their journey.
For the first part of the trip, they continued traveling on foot.
Eventually, they discovered an abandoned vehicle with a small amount of gasoline remaining in its tank.
The vehicle was old and covered in dust, but its engine still worked.
Unfortunately, the interior could accommodate no more than six people.
After discussing the situation, they decided to let the injured and exhausted passengers sit inside.
The remaining members climbed onto the roof and secured themselves as best they could.
The additional weight increased the vehicle’s fuel consumption considerably.
Nevertheless, everyone was relieved.
At least they wouldn’t have to walk the entire distance.
The vehicle managed to travel approximately ten kilometers before the fuel supply became a concern.
Along the way, they encountered several groups of zombies.
Some were ordinary infected creatures, while others displayed signs of greater intelligence.
Fortunately, the mercenary team was experienced.
They managed to eliminate or avoid the zombies without suffering further casualties.
After another stretch of traveling, the group eventually arrived near the outskirts of Yanni Hills.
They had taken a longer route to avoid the larger zombie hordes, but their detour had unexpectedly brought them close to this dangerous region.
Yanni Hills was notorious among survivors.
Very few people dared enter the area.
After examining their surroundings, Max suggested changing their route.
"If we go around the entrance, we’ll have to travel another ten kilometers, but it should be safer than crossing the hills directly."
The others considered his suggestion.
Although the detour would take longer, nobody wanted to risk entering Yanni Hills unnecessarily.
They eventually agreed.
However, just as they were preparing to change direction, something strange caught their attention.
Several zombies were wandering near the outer slopes of Yanni Hills.
Hina frowned and leaned out of the window. "Why are there zombies here?"
The others were equally confused.
Yanni Hills had always been considered dangerous precisely because of the mysterious threats hidden within it.
However, one of its most unusual characteristics was the complete absence of zombies.
Ordinary infected creatures rarely approached the region.
Yet now, several were moving freely along its outskirts.
Max’s expression became serious.
He immediately took out a small portable computer from his backpack.
The device had a reinforced black casing and a compact screen displaying several detection readings.
He switched it on and connected it to a specialized radar module.
After adjusting the settings, he began scanning the surrounding area for abnormal energy fluctuations.
The device was capable of detecting anomalies that ordinary equipment couldn’t identify.
Very few people knew about its existence.
In fact, Max had been the first person to discover the approaching disaster at Swan Base.
The detection equipment had originally been developed by his father.
It contained highly advanced programming and specialized mechanisms designed to identify unusual energy patterns and other hidden dangers.
Using this device, Max had detected the abnormal activity that eventually developed into the zombie tide.
He had immediately informed his mercenary team.
After receiving the warning, his companions began preparing to leave Swan Base.
They gathered their belongings and made the necessary arrangements.
However, just as they were about to depart, they encountered a serious problem.
Their savings were insufficient.
They didn’t have enough food, money, or resources to survive comfortably in another base.
Even if they managed to reach a safer settlement, there was no guarantee that they would be accepted as permanent residents.
Without sufficient resources, they might be forced into dangerous jobs or used as disposable fighters on the front lines.
The thought was frightening.
They had spent years risking their lives as mercenaries, yet they still didn’t have enough savings to secure a stable future.
After discussing their options, the team made a difficult decision.
They would remain in Swan Base a little longer and accept one final high-paying escort mission.
Wealthy survivors like Jamie Hallmark or Romeo, who possessed considerable resources, would likely be willing to pay generously for protection during an evacuation.