Chapter 59 Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland 22
After leaving the "grass platform" shelter, Zhou Jue did not linger for a moment.
She went straight to the back entrance of the hospital. This was originally a dedicated lane for ambulances, but the roller shutter was closed, and outside was a relatively spacious parking lot.
She easily opened the electronic lock using the universal key.
"Splash!"
The roller shutter slowly rose, and a musty smell wafted in on the breeze.
Outside the door, several zombies, drawn by the sound, were staggering toward them.
Zhou Jue's eyes turned cold, and he dashed out like lightning.
The shovel swept cleanly through her hand, and with a few soft "plop" sounds, the heads of the zombies flew off, splattering black blood all over the ground.
Having dealt with the threat at the door, she began looking for a suitable means of transportation in the parking lot.
Most of the vehicles were unable to start due to collisions or long periods of disuse. Eventually, she found a black SUV that looked to be in relatively good condition.
The car door lock was cracked using a key, the wiring was connected, the engine roared, and it started successfully.
"Brother Tongzi, navigate to Titan Industries."
[Host, navigation activated. Estimated distance: 25 kilometers.]
Zhou Jue stepped on the gas, and the SUV sped out of the parking lot and onto the empty, desolate street.
Her goal was clear: [Side Mission 2: Find and bring back 'power armor' blueprints or physical samples.]
Since the objective isn't far off, it's best to finish it sooner rather than later. After all, completing side quests unlocks hidden rewards. If the reward is just enough to deal with the "Chimera," then that would be a huge win.
The SUV sped through streets littered with abandoned vehicles and debris. If it encountered a few zombies, it rammed them, and the system automatically collected the loot. If it encountered many, it simply drove around them, leaving the zombies behind.
Along the way, survivors would occasionally peek out from the buildings along the street, and when they saw her car, they would wave and shout desperately.
"Help! Help us!"
"Take me with you! Please!"
"Is there any food in the car? Give me something to eat!"
Zhou Jue ignored their cries for help, her car speeding past them without slowing down. The mission was paramount; she could deal with these people on her way back.
If they can wait for her.
As the vehicle continued to drive towards the industrial park on the outskirts of the city, Zhou Jue keenly noticed an unusual phenomenon.
The number of zombies on the road is decreasing rapidly.
At first, she could still see groups of zombies wandering the streets. But after driving for more than ten minutes, it was difficult to see any zombies at all.
Finally, when the navigation showed that Titan Industries was less than three kilometers away, the entire area seemed to have turned into a dead zone. The streets were empty and eerily quiet.
Something unusual must be going on.
Zhou Jue parked the car in a secluded alley, turned off the engine, and instead of rushing forward, she chose to conduct reconnaissance first. A metal hummingbird drone, about the size of a thumb, took off from her palm and silently disappeared into the gray sky, heading towards the huge factory area in the distance.
Zhou Jue sat in the car, watching the real-time footage transmitted by the drone, while the system constantly monitored the surrounding area.
Titan Industries' factory area was enormous, with blood splattered on the signboard at the entrance, and the huge iron gates were wide open, but the inside was also deserted.
Production workshops, office buildings, warehouses... The drone circled over the factory area, exploring every corner.
Just like outside, there wasn't a single zombie.
The entire factory was so clean it looked as if it had been thoroughly cleaned.
This is very abnormal.
Just as Zhou Jue was frowning in thought, the system notification sounded suddenly.
[Warning: An unusually high-energy biological response has been detected in the mountainous region directly behind the target.]
[Energy fluctuation analysis in progress... Preliminary assessment identifies it as a large, mutated plant.]
Mutant plant?
Zhou Jue immediately controlled the drone, which flew over the factory area and towards the mountains and forests behind it.
Soon, an extremely bizarre scene appeared on the screen.
On that hillside, all the trees had taken on an unnatural dark red hue, as if they had been soaked in blood. And in the center of the hillside stood a huge plant of unidentifiable species.
Its main body resembles a giant flower bud about to bloom, with dark purple patterns covering its surface. Countless thick vines extend from its roots, forming a giant net that covers an area of hundreds of meters in radius.
Hanging from those vines were human-shaped, shriveled "fruits".
It's zombies!
All those vanished zombies were used as nourishment by this strange plant!
[Energy Fluctuation Level Assessment: Dangerous. This mutated plant possesses active aggression and predatory abilities; all living things within its root system are considered a threat.]
Zhou Jue looked at the screen and understood.
No wonder there weren't any zombies around here; it turns out they were all cleared out by this "man-eating flower" long ago.
This thing is probably more dangerous than hundreds or thousands of zombies.
The blueprints for the mission target's powered armor are located in the factory's research and development building. Entering this building would inevitably place one within the mutated plant's sensing range.
Zhou Jue assessed his own strength.
At the first level of Qi Refining, with all the equipment, she might be more than capable of dealing with ordinary mutants. But facing this behemoth that occupied a territory and whose energy level was judged as "dangerous" by the system, she wasn't entirely confident.
She had to leave herself a way out.
"Brother Tong, open the points mall."
A virtual redemption list appeared before her eyes.
She quickly scanned the items, her gaze settling on one particular prop.
[Teleportation Talisman: A one-time consumable item. When torn open, it allows for random long-distance spatial teleportation, with a distance of at least 1000 kilometers. Price: 1000 points.]
It's ridiculously expensive.
But in critical moments, it can save lives.
She currently has 472 energy points, which can be exchanged for 4720 points. Buying a teleportation scroll is no problem at all.
"Exchange for a long-distance teleportation talisman."
[Points -1000, redemption successful. Long-distance teleportation scroll has been stored in the Starlight Scroll.]
[Current energy reserve: 372% (equivalent to 3720 points)]
A talisman shimmering with a faint light appeared in her secret box space.
With this trump card to save his life, Zhou Jue felt a little more at ease.
She put away the drone and restarted the off-road vehicle.
She didn't intend to directly provoke the mutated plant on the back mountain. The best way was to quietly sneak into the research building, grab the blueprints, and leave, completing the mission without causing any further trouble.
She drove the car to a spot some distance from the factory gate and stopped. Now, it was time to retrieve her target.
Zhou Jue pushed open the car door and quickly headed towards the factory gate.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com