Chapter 69 Mutant Bird Attacks the Base

It was a seemingly peaceful afternoon, with the sunlight even carrying a hint of warmth.

Outside the base, construction teams were reinforcing the walls, while inside, many survivors were busy trying to plant more crops when the weather warmed up. In her apartment, Ruan Ning sat cross-legged, her breathing steady, guiding energy through her body.

Sudden--

"Waaaaah—!!!"

The piercing, mournful air raid siren blared without warning, instantly shattering the peace of the entire base! Each siren grew louder than the last, pounding on the heart of every survivor!

Ruan Ning suddenly opened her eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. Without the slightest hesitation, she moved with lightning speed to the window, lifted a corner of the specially made blackout curtain, and looked outside.

In the distance, the once azure sky was covered by a moving "dark cloud." That "dark cloud" was moving incredibly fast, pressing towards the base! As it drew closer, a cacophony of sickeningly dense flapping wings and piercing screeching filled the air like a tidal wave, even drowning out the alarm!

Those aren't dark clouds! They're a flock of mutated birds! Their numbers are terrifying!

The base's defense system was activated immediately.

"Buzz—!"

The anti-aircraft gun turrets above the perimeter wall and on several high points within the base spun rapidly, spewing out scorching flames and forming a crisscrossing network of fire. Dense shell casings rained down like raindrops.

However, the flock of birds was simply too large!

They seemed fearless. The mutated birds in the front row were instantly blown into a cloud of blood mist and broken feathers, and those behind them immediately filled the gaps without fear of death.

They are incredibly fast, their feathers have an unhealthy metallic sheen, and their beaks and claws are clearly distorted, becoming longer and sharper, reflecting a cold, hard light in the sunlight.

In just a few dozen seconds, the leading mutated bird flock crashed into the base's defensive electric fence like a black waterfall or broke through the outer fire network and rushed into the base!

The real disaster began.

Like a suicide bomber, the mutated bird swooped down from the sky, its sharp claws easily tearing open the roof of the makeshift shack, and its sharp beak pecking at the panicked crowd.

They grab objects from the ground, or even people who can't dodge in time, fly them into the air, and then slam them down!

Some of the larger mutant birds emit piercing screams that seem to penetrate eardrums and reach the brain, causing those who get close to feel dizzy, even causing nosebleeds and instantly losing the ability to resist.

More mutated birds, like a black torrent, flew close to the ground. They swept across the streets, their sharp wing edges like blades, easily slicing open people's throats, or scratching with their claws, leaving deep wounds that exposed bone.

They attack any active target, livestock, and humans.

The flock of birds knocked over the brazier used for heating, sparks flew, igniting the wooden houses and piles of supplies. Thick smoke billowed up, mixing with the smells of blood and burnt food, creating a nauseating, hellish atmosphere.

The guards and the superhumans fought back fiercely.

Lei Bao and his squad guarded the roof of a relatively sturdy warehouse in Area C. Lightning, fireballs, and ice spikes were constantly fired at the flock of birds swooping down. The charred, ignited, and frozen bird carcasses fell like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

But the flock of birds seemed endless, and their supernatural abilities were being rapidly depleted.

In other areas, the superhumans displayed their unique abilities: earthen walls rose up in an attempt to block flocks of birds flying low, wind blades whistled as they sliced ​​through the bodies of mutated birds, and power enhancers wielded heavy weapons to smash the strange birds that swooped down upon them.

Ruan Ning nimbly climbed onto the rooftop of the apartment building.

The first few smaller, incredibly fast mutated birds pounced on the rooftop like black lightning, their target clearly the lone creature—Ruan Ning!

Ruan Ning remained motionless, as steady as a rock. As the flock of birds approached, several water jets shot out into the air.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Three sharp sounds, almost in a single line, pierced the air!

The water arrows seemed to have eyes, precisely piercing the relatively vulnerable skulls or eye sockets of the mutated birds, pinning them in mid-air, and then falling to the ground with a shrill cry.

Her movements were fluid and efficient, without a single unnecessary movement, and her gaze was as calm as if she were completing a routine training exercise.

However, more mutated birds noticed this troublesome target on the rooftop, among them were several vulture mutants with wingspans exceeding two meters and beaks like iron chisels! They let out piercing cries and swooped down on Ruan Ning from different directions, their sharp claws gleaming coldly!

Ruan Ning's pupils contracted slightly, and a powerful mental force instantly spread out from her, forming an invisible, slightly sticky barrier in front of her.

"Bang!" "Sizzle—!"

Several mutated birds that rushed to the front crashed into the mental barrier, as if they were stuck in invisible glue. Their speed decreased sharply, and their movements became stiff and sluggish!

Just as they were struggling and screeching, Ruan Ning flipped her left hand, and several metal pieces with extremely sharp edges appeared between her fingers—these were "little gadgets" she had prepared in her spare time using her spatial abilities.

"go!"

Mental energy was attached to the metal plate, giving it greater initial velocity and stability! The metal plate transformed into several streaks of silver light, as if it had a life of its own, curving around and precisely slicing through the necks of the mutated birds that had been slowed down!

The bird's head rolled off, and its foul-smelling blood splattered onto the mental barrier, creating invisible ripples.

Just as Ruan Ning finished clearing out this small group of enemies and caught his breath, the light above his head suddenly went out!

A mutated falcon with a wingspan of nearly three meters and feathers of a dull metallic hue had silently ascended to directly above her, using the air currents to its advantage. Now, it was swooping down vertically with the force of a thunderbolt! Its sharp eyes locked onto Ruan Ning, and its hooked beak was powerful enough to easily peck through steel plates!

That's too fast!

Without a second thought, Ruan Ning performed an extremely awkward yet effective side roll, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow!

"boom!"

The mutated falcon's sharp talons slammed into the spot where she had just stood, leaving several deep cracks in the concrete rooftop!

Ruan Ning had already gotten up while rolling, holding a heavy and sharp Tang-style horizontal sword in his hand! The blade reflected the gloomy light of the sky.

When the eagle missed its first attack, it immediately flapped its wings to try to rise higher. At the same time, its huge wings, like two iron fans, swept towards Ruan Ning's waist with a whistling sound!

Ruan Ning's eyes were icy cold; instead of retreating, she advanced! She ducked to avoid the sweeping wings, and at the same time, she pushed off with her feet, leaping out like a cheetah. Tang Hengdao slashed upwards, unleashing a chilling glint of light!

"Pfft!"

The blade precisely sliced ​​into the relatively weak abdomen of the mutated falcon, and with the force of its own forward charge and Ruan Ning's upward thrust, it almost ripped the falcon open!

Scalding bird blood and entrails poured down on her face, but Ruan Ning had already erected a curtain of water to protect her head and face. At the same time, she quickly retreated to avoid the giant bird's dying struggles.

The mutated falcon let out a final, unwilling cry, crashed heavily onto the rooftop, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

Ruan Ning stood slightly out of breath, knife in hand, scanning the sky warily. More than a dozen mutated bird corpses had piled up around her, their blood soaking the rooftop. Her combat uniform was stained with blood and feathers, and fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead from the intense exertion and intense concentration, yet her hand gripping the knife remained steady.

In the distance, the battle raged throughout the base, with flashes of fire, explosions, bursts of supernatural light, and screams of humans filling the air. The main force of the flock of birds, seemingly drawn by the defensive strength at the base's center and the growing commotion, began to turn away.

Ruan Ning did not let her guard down. She put away her Tang Hengdao sword, conjured water arrows again, and continued to clear out the mutated birds that were trying to approach the building.

Areas A, B, and C were able to withstand the attack because they had people with superpowers.

However, the casualties among ordinary survivors in Zones D and E, as well as the slums, were extremely high.

The outer area under construction bore the brunt of the attack. Workers were unable to retreat to the inner walls in time, and many were overwhelmed by flocks of birds, leaving only mangled skeletons in an instant. Those who tried to escape were attacked from behind and knocked to the ground.

Elderly people and children who couldn't escape were disemboweled by sharp claws amidst their cries. The makeshift hospital was quickly filled with wounded, and the sounds of agony were deafening.

The attack lasted about half an hour, but to the survivors of the base, it felt like an eternity.

When the last batch of mutated birds disappeared into the distant horizon, carrying with them the plundered flesh and blood and the captured living people, all that remained was devastation and deathly silence.

Preliminary statistics indicate that the death toll exceeds three digits, with even more injured, many of whom are seriously injured and whose fate is uncertain due to a lack of medical care and medicine.

The outer perimeter was almost completely destroyed, and a large amount of building materials were damaged. Many houses in the inner city caught fire or were damaged, with the shantytowns suffering the most severe losses. Some defensive towers were damaged and rendered inoperable by the frenzied attacks of flocks of birds.

Ruan Ning stood on the rooftop, looking down at the chaotic scene of firefighting and corpse removal on the street below, smelling the blood and charred remains in the air, her face expressionless.

This attack served as a wake-up call, reminding everyone that the cruelty of the apocalypse is never far away. The arrival of spring does not necessarily bring life; it may also bring more active and deadly dangers.