Chapter 264: Determination

On the city wall of the Western Hills Safe Zone, Lin Chen stood in the wind, his gaze cast toward the direction of the Black Forest. Reports from various departments kept coming through the communicator,

defensive works reinforced, ammunition and food counted and stored, team members all entering combat posts, everything proceeding step by step.

But Lin Chen knew that passive defense was never a long-term solution; to truly grasp the initiative, he had to figure out the details of the zombie tide.

He turned and walked down the city wall, heading straight for the command center. When he pushed the door and entered, several staff officers were marking the possible march routes of the zombie tide on the map.

Seeing Lin Chen enter, they stood up to salute one after another. Lin Chen waved his hand, walked straight to the map, and his finger landed heavily on a marker point at the edge of the Black Forest: "Passive defense will only make us fall into a passive position.

I want to take an elite squad deep into the Black Forest to scout the specific scale and movement of the zombie tide."

The staff officers looked at each other, and one of them couldn't help but speak: "Captain Lin, it's too dangerous. There are not only zombie tides in the Black Forest but also a large number of mutants; you cannot go personally."

"I must go.

" Lin Chen's tone was unquestionable. "Only by seeing it with my own eyes can I make the most accurate judgment.

You stay in the safe zone, and the deputy leader will be fully responsible for command. Once you discover the zombie tide approaching, immediately activate the defense plan; you don't need to wait for me to return."

Several staff officers still wanted to persuade him, but were stopped by Lin Chen's gaze.

They knew that no one could change what Lin Chen had decided. Lin Chen picked up the tactical backpack hanging on the wall and began to fill it with compressed biscuits, drinking water, and emergency medicine, saying as he packed: "Notify Lin Hao, Zhao Yong, and Sun Qiang to gather at the safe zone gate in five minutes. Bring the best weapons and sufficient ammunition; we set out immediately."

The staff officer did not dare to be slow and immediately turned to convey the order. Lin Chen shouldered the backpack,

took one last look at the red light dots on the map, his eyes becoming incomparably firm.

He had to figure out what secret this zombie tide had and why it was heading toward the Western Hills Safe Zone.

Five minutes later, at the safe zone gate, Lin Hao, Zhao Yong, and Sun Qiang were already fully prepared.

The three were top combatants of the Starfire Group. Lin Hao was familiar with the terrain,

Zhao Yong was good at tracking, and Sun Qiang was proficient in fighting; they were the best candidates for executing the scouting mission. Seeing Lin Chen walk over, the three shouted in unison: "Captain Lin!"

Lin Chen nodded, raised his hand to check his wristwatch: "Set out."

The figures of the four quickly disappeared into the dense forest outside the safe zone;

this was a scouting mission with no way back, and also a new journey.

Their footsteps trod over withered branches and fallen leaves, advancing toward the depths of the Black Forest, each step taken cautiously, vigilant of the danger that might appear around them.

Zhao Yong walked in the front, crouching down to observe the traces on the ground carefully.

There were deep footprints in the mud, left by mutants, and some dark red bloodstains,

already dried and blackened. Zhao Yong stood up and said to Lin Chen: "Captain Lin, the zombie tide did indeed pass through here. Looking at the density and depth of the footprints, the scale is even larger than we estimated."

Lin Chen furrowed his brows, leaning down to check those footprints. The footprints were chaotic,

yet faintly revealed a pattern, as if someone were guiding them forward in front.

He stood up and said to everyone: "Speed up, follow these traces."

The four accelerated their pace, tracking along the traces left by the zombie tide all the way. The scene along the way became more and more shocking: destroyed trees, animal skeletons eaten clean, and some belongings of survivors who didn't have time to escape, scattered on the ground. Lin Chen's face became more and more sunken; the destructive power of this zombie tide far exceeded his imagination.

He didn't know how long they had walked when Zhao Yong suddenly stopped and made a silent gesture to Lin Chen. He pointed to the valley ahead, signaling everyone to crouch down. Lin Chen and the others looked in the direction he pointed and instantly gasped.

In the valley, dense mutants were crowded together, with no end in sight. They roared and pushed each other, yet always maintained a fixed direction forward. What was even more heart-shaking was that at the very front of the zombie tide, there were a few mutants with tall figures,

their movements more flexible than other mutants, and their eyes revealing a trace of eerie rationality, as if guiding the march of the entire zombie tide.

"Scale exceeds one hundred and fifty thousand, and there are high-tier mutants leading the team.

" Sun Qiang's voice carried a hint of trembling. "This is not an ordinary zombie tide at all; it's being guided by someone."

Lin Chen's pupils contracted sharply; he stared fixedly at those high-tier mutants,

a stormy sea rising in his heart. His previous guess was indeed correct; behind this zombie tide,

someone was manipulating it. Who exactly could have such powerful ability to manipulate such a large-scale zombie tide?

Lin Chen raised his hand to signal everyone to retreat, lowering his voice: "If we are discovered, we will be buried here.

Retreat first and tell the safe zone this news."

The three nodded and followed Lin Chen to retreat slowly, not daring to make a sound.

They all knew clearly what this discovery meant; an unprecedented crisis was approaching the Western Hills Safe Zone.

Meanwhile, the blizzard in the Icefield Mountains was getting bigger and bigger, goose-feather-sized snowflakes falling all over the sky, the world a vast expanse of white.

Lu Ran held Sister Chu Yao Yao's body, kneeling on the shattered ice layer, the violent ability having gradually calmed down, replaced by bone-deep coldness and despair.

He lowered his head to look at Sister Chu Yao Yao's face; frost had already begun to form on her face, ice crystals hanging on her long eyelashes, her lips purple, her body as stiff as a block of ice. Lu Ran's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife; he couldn't let Sister Chu Yao Yao be eroded by the wind and snow like this; he had to find a stable place for her.

Lu Ran stood up and gently placed Sister Chu Yao Yao on the snowfield to one side. He stretched out his hands, inserting them under the thick ice layer, his ability surging again. This time, however, it was no longer violent, but became steady and powerful. He dug the ice layer with his bare hands, the sound of ice blocks shattering being particularly clear in the wind and snow.

Sweat slid down his forehead, quickly freezing into ice dregs. His palms were cut by sharp ice blocks, blood flowing, yet he felt no pain at all. He had only one thought: dig an ice cellar, place Sister Chu Yao Yao inside, and let her be undisturbed by the wind and snow.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a spacious ice cellar was finally dug. Lu Ran carefully picked up Sister Chu Yao Yao, walked into the ice cellar, and gently placed her on the spread-out cold-proof blanket. He reached out, gently brushing away the snowflakes and frost on her face, then leaned down and pressed a cold kiss on her forehead. ===== CHAPTER 265 =====