Chapter 167: Hunter the Leader
At one medium-sized base with a population of over 10,000, the leadership, driven by fear, locked onto Zack and the Avalons with anti-aircraft missiles. "Sir, we're being targeted," Ego informed him.
Zack's response was dismissive. "Drop an aerial bomb. A warning should suffice."
Boom. A cloud bomb detonated in an open area near the base, the fiery explosion sending a mushroom cloud skyward. Zack deliberately lowered his altitude as he passed over the settlement, ensuring everyone got a good look at him. Down below, the base's leader—a wiry man—stared in disbelief. "Boss... was that... a nuclear bomb?" he stammered.
No one answered. The entire base had fallen silent, paralyzed by fear. Even as Zack's convoy disappeared into the horizon, the leader finally snapped out of his daze, muttering angrily, "Who did I offend? What kind of psycho drops a bomb as a greeting?"
The journey continued, flying over both small and large survivor bases. Finally, Zack reached the Yangtze River Delta. Ego's voice chimed in. "Sir, the coordinates have been uploaded."
"I see it," Zack replied, his sharp eyes locking onto the target. Below was a heavily fortified survivor base surrounded by high walls. Faded billboards on the walls revealed that this place had once been an industrial park belonging to a major e-commerce company. Now, it was a Vanguard Organization branch base.
Zack hovered in mid-air, surveying the base with a cold gaze. "It seems the Vanguard Organization really did abandon this place," he muttered before diving down toward the base.
The three Avalons followed suit, shifting into landing mode as they descended. "Look out! An unidentified aircraft is approaching!" On the high wall surrounding the base, a group of scrappy survivors, armed with makeshift weapons, shouted in alarm. Their fear was palpable as they scrambled to respond.
Zack landed with a loud thud in the open center of the base, the impact cracking the concrete beneath him. The sound startled the nearby survivors, who hurriedly pointed their improvised crossbows and guns at him, their hands shaking.