Chapter 117: New Armor
Leaving the biology lab, Zack stepped into the dark night. Outside, in the Mansion area, countless manufacturing bugs worked tirelessly, their glowing outlines moving with purpose. "Ego, how's the progress on the upgrades?" Zack asked, his tone steady but firm.
"Sir," Ego's voice responded immediately, calm and efficient, "all Avalons and armors have been equipped with anti-electromagnetic and anti-magnetic devices. Nearly 70% of the Ant and Spiders have been upgraded as well. The rest are on schedule and expected to be completed by 4 a.m."
After experiencing the devastating effects of an electromagnetic pulse bomb attack, Zack had issued a strict directive to upgrade all mechanical equipment in the base with anti-electromagnetic and anti-magnetic capabilities. These upgrades would now be the standard for all future creations. "Good," Zack replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. He strolled toward the high wall surrounding the community and looked out at NYC in the distance.
The skyline, once alive with lights, was now an eerie steel jungle. The high-rises stood in complete darkness, no signs of life or the familiar, haunting roars of zombies—just an unsettling silence. "Has the city been fully cleared?" Zack asked, breaking the quiet.
"The port along the river where the Tyrant Beast was last seen was the final area to be cleaned," Ego answered. "With the Tyrant Beast eliminated, the operation has been completed. NYC is now 100% cleared." Ego continued, "Over eight million zombies have been eliminated, their corpses destroyed. During the operation, we lost 21 mechanical dogs and 75 spiders. All recoverable materials from them have been salvaged. Ammunition consumption was significant."
"Eight million zombies..." Zack muttered, exhaling slowly. "The total population of NYC was about eight million. That means nearly the entire population—close to 100%—turned into zombies." He shook his head, his expression grim.
"Starting tomorrow, have the Ant and Spiders patrol the perimeter of NYC around the clock. Prioritize repairing the city's main power and water supply lines. Deploy manufacturing bugs to assist," Zack instructed, his voice decisive. "Also, install more laser interception devices to ensure the Sky Defense System covers the entire city. Any abandoned or dangerous buildings should be demolished. Recycle any useful materials." He paused briefly before adding, "Oh, and find people with driving experience. Train them to operate construction vehicles. We need a defensive line outside the city."
Ego's voice chimed in, "Sir, this is a large-scale project, and we may face a manpower shortage."
Zack smirked, as if anticipating the concern. "Ego, you're overthinking this. Building a defensive line doesn't mean constructing a massive wall. Even the strongest wall can't hold back a massive zombie horde." He continued, "The goal isn't to stop a tidal wave of zombies—it's to manage the day-to-day. Set up sentry towers at regular intervals around the city and equip them with automatic machine guns. They'll handle stragglers or small groups. If we face a full-blown zombie wave, we'll take the fight to them with the mechanical army."