Chapter 336, Modernized Underworld Army
Arriving at Shanaila's residence, Wu Heng knocked lightly on the iron gate.
Soon, a small gap opened in the door.
A stern-faced female steward peered out. "Deputy Steward Wu Heng!"
"Is Madam Shanaila home?" Wu Heng asked directly.
"Please wait a moment," the steward replied before closing the gate again.
Shortly after, the gate fully opened. "The Madam invites you in."
Wu Heng nodded and entered with his two maids.
The flowerbeds were in full bloom, butterflies and bees buzzing about.
The entire courtyard was filled with a faint floral fragrance.
They walked into the main building.
The living room's arrangement had changed somewhat since the last visit.
Sculptures and paintings had been replaced with new designs.
The sound of footsteps echoed.
Shanaila descended gracefully from the upper floor, wearing a pale yellow gown. Seeing the trio, her face lit up with a bright smile. "What brings you to me today?"
"I came to see you," Wu Heng replied.
Minnie chimed in, "Master said he hasn't seen you for several days and was worried something might've happened."
"You're so concerned about me, huh?" Shanaila teased, looking at Wu Heng.
"Of course," Wu Heng replied.
At that moment, several maids approached with tea and snacks.
A variety of desserts were placed on the coffee table.
Once the maids had left, Wu Heng asked, "What's been keeping you busy lately? I haven't seen you around for a while."
"Just the usual trade business," Shanaila replied, sounding a bit exasperated.
"Trouble?"
"Not really, nothing serious. It's resolved now," Shanaila said with a smile before asking, "Are you staying for dinner? I've brought in two new chefs recently, and some of their alchemy-based dishes are quite good."
"Alright, I'll impose on you then," Wu Heng replied politely.
Minnie leaned closer in surprise. "Sister, you change chefs just like that? Isn't that a bit extravagant?"
"Not really, chefs in trade caravans are rotated as needed," Shanaila explained, then instructed the steward, "Prepare dinner."
"Understood, Madam," the steward replied before leaving to arrange it.
The group continued chatting in the living room.
...…
After some time,
the steward returned to announce that dinner was ready.
They took their seats at the long, ornately carved dining table.
Shanaila and Wu Heng sat on one side, Minnie and Andviel on the other.
After eating most of the meal,
Shanaila smiled and asked, "Is there a lot going on at the Guild?"
Wu Heng was about to reply when he felt a soft hand slip into his beneath the table, fingers interlacing with his.
He turned to look, only to see Shanaila smiling brightly, giving a quick wink.
Surprised by her boldness, Wu Heng glanced at the steward standing behind Shanaila.
The steward remained perfectly composed, eyes straight ahead, as if oblivious to the situation.
Seeing that Shanaila was unbothered, Wu Heng relaxed as well, holding her hand as he replied, "It's mostly pirate-related issues."
"Oh, please be careful. You've achieved so much at such a young age as Deputy Steward; there's no need to overwork yourself," Shanaila said gently, tilting her head to look at him.
"I'll take care," Wu Heng assured her with a smile before asking, "When will my order arrive?"
Shanaila glanced at the steward behind her.
"According to the schedule, it'll take another four days," the steward replied.
"Are you in a hurry?" Shanaila asked.
"Not really, just thought to ask," Wu Heng replied.
"Will you be placing more orders later?"
"Probably."
"Let me know when you do. I'll calculate a discount for you. These two recent transactions were quite large, so future orders will come with some benefits."
"Alright."
Holding hands tightly, the two continued chatting about matters on the island.
Once dinner was over,
they discreetly released hands and returned to the living room to chat a while longer.
As night fell,
Wu Heng took his two maids and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he said, "You should come over for dinner sometime."
Shanaila smiled and nodded. "Sure."
...…
Back at his residence,
Minnie flopped onto the sofa, patting her stomach and complaining about being too full.
The little owl flew in from the balcony, chirping incessantly.
Andviel retrieved some meat strips from her space ring and fed the owl while saying, "Master, Madam Shanaila seems to care a lot about you."
Wu Heng sat down nearby, neither confirming nor denying it. "Our relationship is good."
Andviel continued, "She's so gentle, beautiful, and wealthy—just perfect."
Minnie nodded. "Yeah, and she's an elf. She can live for so long."
Wu Heng chuckled, "Everyone has their strengths. You two are great too, no need to envy her."
"Master, you're so sweet," Minnie said.
Andviel added, "Go prepare the bathwater for the master."
"I'm too full to move!"
"You'll feel better after moving. Go on." Andviel urged again.
Reluctantly, Minnie went upstairs to prepare the bathwater.
The three of them bathed together and then went to rest.
...…
The next day, in the zombie world.
By dusk, the convoy returned to the old factory, surrounded by a mass of skeletons.
Early that morning, Wu Heng had led the skeletons out along the main road toward the bus station, clearing zombies along the way.
Using the skeletal dragon to drop bombs and spear formations to sweep the area,
the pace of battle was greatly accelerated.
At the current rate,
another three to four days of clearing would fully connect the two bases, eliminating the need for long detours.
Transporting goods would also become more convenient.
Meanwhile, the increasing number of skeletons and the experience gained from fighting were steadily boosting Wu Heng's level.
He opened his panel to check.
[Level: 13 (127,451/140,000)]
He was just over 10,000 experience points away from Level 14.
With the current density of zombie hordes, one more wave could level him up.
If it weren't so late, he would've cleared one more wave before heading back.
The convoy returned to the old factory grounds, the iron gates opening as they drove into the yard.
Survivors swarmed in to unload goods and inspect the vehicles.
Wu Heng and Qi Hancai got off the truck and headed into the dormitory, where Zhao Yanqiu approached them. "Someone at the base knows how to use that 3D printer."
The 3D printer Wu Heng had traded for at the military market.
He had asked around to see if anyone knew how to operate it, or they'd need to train someone familiar with computers.
It seemed they'd found someone.
"Where is this person?"
"This way, I'll take you," Zhao Yanqiu replied.
Wu Heng and Qi Hancai followed her to a dormitory door.
After two knocks, Zhao Yanqiu opened the door and stepped inside.
Inside was a bespectacled young man in his twenties, seated at a desk with a fully assembled computer and the 3D printer.
Seeing the trio enter, he quickly stood. "Boss, Sister Qi, Sister Zhao!"
Zhao Yanqiu asked, "Is the machine set up?"
"All set. The machine and the computer are working perfectly," the young man replied, opening a program on the computer. "You can design objects here, define their shape and size, then import the file into the 3D printer's software to start printing."
Seeing his skillful operation, Wu Heng asked, "What's your name?"
"Zhang Chi!"
"You're proficient with both the computer and the 3D printer?"
"Yes! I used to own one myself, but it wasn't as expensive as this," Zhang Chi replied.
Wu Heng nodded, then continued, "Zhang Chi, you've seen the skeletal dragon outside, right?"
"Yes, I've seen it."
"The ammunition compartment in the skeletal dragon's chest is made of wood. I need you to design and create a new compartment that prevents the ammo from shifting during flight, maximizes capacity, and ensures stability. Can you do it?"
Zhang Chi broke into a slight sweat. "I'll need to measure the dragon's chest cavity and the dimensions of the ammunition."
"Qi Hancai will assist with that," Wu Heng said.
Zhang Chi nodded. "Then no problem. I'll get it done."
"Good. Focus on this task for now, and leave everything else to others."
"Understood!" Zhang Chi's face turned slightly red with excitement.
Wu Heng nodded and left the room with Qi Hancai and Zhao Yanqiu.
Qi Hancai added, "The market will open to the public tomorrow."
"I'll be there too. Just proceed as planned," Wu Heng replied.
"Got it!"
...…
The next day.
On the road, a blood-stained SUV sped along, carrying a man and a woman. The backseat was piled with supplies that rattled with every bump.
After a long journey, both looked fatigued, their faces pale and eyes bloodshot.
"Brother, do you think the radio announcement about exchanging gold and corpse cores for grain is real? What if it's a trap to lure us in and eat us?" the young woman in the passenger seat asked nervously.
Hearing about the old factory shelter opening a market, they had taken a long detour to arrive a day early.
But the offer sounded too good to be true.
Trading grain for gold and corpse cores—without limits?
It reeked of deception.
But they desperately needed grain.
The driver licked his dry lips. "Stay in the car when we get there. I'll check it out. If something's off, drive away immediately."
"What about you?"
"I've consumed a corpse core. At most, they'll try to recruit me. But you're different—fair skin, tender flesh. You look... edible."
"Gross! Don't scare me!" The woman shivered.
"Hold tight. We're about to pass through a residential area. There'll probably be zombies," the man warned.
She gripped the handle tightly.
The SUV roared down a slope, entering a dilapidated neighborhood.
...…
The siblings came from a small refuge on the outskirts of the city.
Their shelter housed only about thirty survivors in total.
Over the past few days, they heard a broadcast from the old factory refuge about exchanging grain for gold, corpse cores, and various rare resources.
The announcement caused a stir not just among them, but in every shelter tuning into the frequency.
Trading grain for gold? That was absurd.
In these times, gold was less useful than an axe.
Yet someone was offering grain in exchange for gold.
After some discussion, the siblings' shelter decided to check it out.
With winter approaching, they couldn't pass up a potential opportunity.
If the deal was real, arriving early would secure their trade before supplies ran out. If it was fake, they could simply drive away.
It was worth the trip, even if it turned out to be a wild goose chase.
Besides, they couldn't imagine why anyone would dare deceive so many shelters.
Especially with the military involved.
Even in the apocalypse, the remaining modern weapons were more than enough to destroy a refuge.
"We're entering the residential area. Stay alert," the man warned.
The SUV sped into the neighborhood ahead.
Immediately, guttural zombie growls echoed from all directions, as hordes of the undead surged toward the vehicle.
The man floored the accelerator, ramming through the horde.
Blood and gore splattered across the windshield, the wipers struggling to clear the mess.
The SUV tore through the neighborhood, racing for the main road.
Suddenly, the upper glass windows of the nearby buildings shattered, and zombies hurled themselves down.
Thud, thud, thud!
Like falling boulders, the undead slammed onto the roof.
Already shaken by the rough ride, the SUV lost its balance as it hit the main road.
Swerving uncontrollably, it veered sideways, crashing into a streetlamp.
The SUV came to a halt, just as hundreds of zombies spilled out of the neighborhood, converging on the scene.
Inside the vehicle, the siblings were dazed, their ears ringing from the impact.
As they regained their senses, the zombies surrounded the SUV.
Clawed hands pounded against the metal body and roof.
Bang, bang, bang!
The relentless assault rocked the vehicle.
Despite the modifications, it wouldn't hold up much longer.
"Damn it!" The man frantically tried to restart the engine, but it refused to turn over.
"If we die here, at least we'll be reunited with Mom and Dad," the woman muttered.
"Don't talk like that! We're not dying today."
The man crawled under the SUV, trying to figure out what went wrong.
"But…"
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
Before she could finish, the woman froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
A cavalry unit charged toward them from the distance.
Clad in gleaming silver armor, atop tall skeletal horses, the riders wielded lances.
Beneath their helmets were bare skulls, while their mounts were skeletal steeds.
They galloped furiously, an air of deathly menace surrounding them.
What the hell were these things?
"Brother, look at that!"
The woman pointed, eyes glued to the scene.
The skeletal cavalry swept into the horde like lightning, their lances piercing through dozens of zombies. Bodies flew high into the air before crashing to the ground.
The cavalry turned and charged again, cutting down waves of the undead.
After two charges, the zombies turned their attention to the riders, abandoning their attack on the SUV.
...…
The siblings' hearts pounded as they watched in shock.
There were only a dozen or so cavalrymen, yet they faced a horde of over a hundred zombies.
Still, the riders swiftly maneuvered through the horde, striking repeatedly and clearing the area.
The ferocious zombies stood no chance against the cavalry's mobility and precision.
It was terrifyingly impressive.
As they stared, stunned by what they had witnessed,
a heavily modified armored vehicle rolled up in front of them.
"It's survivors! These skeleton cavalry must belong to a shelter," the woman exclaimed.
The man realized it must be an ability user's doing.
The armored vehicle stopped, and a man quickly approached their SUV.
After confirming they were alive, he asked, "Can your car still run? Follow us."
The man tried restarting the engine. Miraculously, it sputtered to life after a few attempts.
The SUV followed the armored vehicle down the road.
...…
Up ahead.
The wide road was barricaded with scrap vehicles and concrete barriers, leaving a narrow passage for two cars at a time.
Behind the barricades, survivors in bulletproof vests stood guard, alongside skeletons clad in leather armor and armed with firearms.
The siblings' jaws dropped.
Armed skeletons.
What kind of nightmare force was this?
At the checkpoint, two heavily armed survivors approached.
Motioning for them to lower their windows, one asked, "Which refuge are you from?"
"North Station Refuge," the man replied.
"Any injuries?"
"None."
After a brief inspection, ensuring the pair was unharmed, the barricades were moved aside.
"Drive straight ahead; you'll see the trading post."
"Thank you!"
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