Chapter 32 Reaching the Dawn
The journey ahead was filled with battles and sacrifices every day.
On the first day, after traveling less than 20 kilometers, the lead reconnaissance vehicle suddenly braked.
"The road is completely blocked by abandoned vehicles," a hoarse voice came through the walkie-talkie.
Regiment Commander Wang frowned: "Sappers, clear the road."
As soon as the soldiers got off the vehicle, rocks suddenly rolled down the hillsides on both sides.
"An ambush!" Zhou Min exclaimed, looking up sharply. "They're earth-type zombies, at least three!"
Ruan Ning immediately conjured a water shield to block the falling rocks. Lin Yan led a squad of soldiers up the hillside, and soon the sounds of fierce fighting broke out.
Twenty minutes later, Lin Yan returned, dragging her injured arm: "It's resolved. But we've lost two more brothers."
"Reporting to the commander, the bridge ahead is severely damaged and cannot withstand heavy vehicles."
The engineer's report sent a chill down everyone's spines.
Ruan Ning carefully examined the bridge piers: "They can be reinforced with ice."
Commander Wang looked at her: "How long will it take?"
“The entire reinforcement will take two hours,” Ruan Ning said, wiping away sweat. “But my abilities can only last for an hour at most.”
The final solution was for Ruan Ning to first reinforce the main load-bearing points, and then allow vehicles to pass in batches. By the time the last truck had passed, cracks had already begun to appear on the bridge surface.
At noon on the third day, the convoy rested in the wilderness.
The logistics officer ran up to Commander Wang: "Commander, we only have enough water for today."
Ruan Ning stood up: "I'll take some men to find water nearby."
Zhou Min forced herself to use her supernatural abilities: "There's groundwater three kilometers to the northwest, but... there are zombies gathering there."
Lin Yan picked up the entrenching tool: "Perfect for stretching my muscles."
Half an hour later, they found a mountain spring, around which more than twenty zombies were roaming.
"Quickly finish this!" Ruan Ning was the first to rush out.
The battle ended quickly, but when they went to collect water, they discovered that the spring water had been contaminated by corpses.
“Let me do it.” Ruan Ning immersed her hands in the water and activated her supernatural power to the fullest extent. The murky spring water gradually became clear, and her face grew paler and paler.
On the sixth day, the outline of Dawn Base finally appeared on the horizon.
"We're here! We've arrived!"
Someone in the convoy shouted first, and then the entire convoy erupted in a deafening cheer.
People leaned out of the car windows, waving anything they could find.
Worn-out clothes, empty water bottles, and even torn pieces of clothing were used as flags. Many people embraced and wept, and even the strongest soldiers had tears in their eyes.
Lin Yan slammed her fist on the car door: "Damn it, we're finally here!"
Zhou Min let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back wearily in her seat.
The hooded woman silently watched the city wall draw ever closer, her fingers unconsciously stroking the dagger.
The base gate slowly opened, and a group of soldiers in neat uniforms jogged out.
The middle-aged officer at the head of the group, his shoulder insignia gleaming, stood at attention and saluted Commander Wang: "Zhao Weiguo, the defense commander of the Dawn Base, welcomes you on behalf of the base."
Regiment Commander Wang staggered out of the car, his hand trembling slightly as he returned the greeting: "Jiangzhou Safety Zone... I have successfully completed my mission."
The two commanders clasped hands tightly, with survivors disembarking one after another behind them. Most of them were ragged and emaciated, but a glimmer of hope had returned to their eyes.
A little girl holding a doll looked up at her mother and asked, "Mommy, will we live here from now on?"
The young mother nodded, her voice choked with emotion, tears falling onto her child's face.
"Attention all personnel! Line up for testing! Anyone who conceals their injuries or tries to evade detection will be killed on sight!" The cold, ruthless warning echoed over and over from the loudspeaker.
Ruan Ning's team moved slowly forward with the traffic, and was eventually asked to get out of the car a hundred meters from the gate and join the line of people walking into the city.
The column moved extremely slowly.
The air was thick with the stench of sweat, blood, and an atmosphere of despair. Many people were emaciated, their eyes numb, shivering in the cold wind wrapped in tattered clothes.
The soldiers, weapons in hand, scanned everyone with sharp eyes, maintaining order and guarding against any possible disturbance.
"How long will this take?" Lin Yan stamped her foot impatiently; she hated this passive waiting.
"Be patient," Zhou Min said in a low voice, her gaze sweeping across the front and back of the group, her brows furrowing slightly. "I sensed several strong energy fluctuations; it seems quite a few superhumans have survived."
The hooded woman concealed herself in the shadows behind Ruan Ning, minimizing her presence. Finally, it was their turn to approach the checkpoint. Several passages were separated by sandbags and barbed wire.
The first step: basic screening.
A medical worker in full protective gear, wearing goggles and a mask, holding instruments, coldly ordered: "Roll up your sleeves and expose your arms and neck."
He carefully shone his flashlight on their skin, checking for recent wounds or suspicious bite marks and scratches. A soldier stood guard nearby, gun slightly lowered, the atmosphere tense.
Ruan Ning noticed a scabbed scratch on the arm of someone in the line ahead. Although it wasn't caused by a zombie, the soldier roughly pulled him aside to an isolation area for more rigorous observation, causing a small commotion and cries.
When it was Ruan Ning's turn, the medical staff noticed her relatively clean and tidy attire and calm expression, so their movements became slightly more standardized. After a successful examination, they waved her on.
The second stage: Identity registration and ability detection (for those with special abilities).
After passing through a metal detector gate, they were led to a makeshift registration desk.
"Name, place of origin, do you have any special abilities? What kind of special abilities?" The registrar asked without looking up, his tone formulaic.
"Ruan Ning, south of Jiangzhou City. Water-based superpower, level one."
The registrar finally looked up, adjusted his glasses, and marked a separate form: "Water system? Go to the blue tent over there to confirm your energy level."
Inside the blue tent was a simple energy detector. Ruan Ning placed her hand on a metal sphere and channeled a wisp of water energy into it. The indicator light on the device lit up with a pale blue light, displaying a value.
"Level 1 Water Element, confirmed." After recording the information, the staff handed her a blue wristband and a new identification tag with her basic information and a "water" symbol. "Wear this. From now on, you can use it to identify yourself as an ability user within the base and enjoy the corresponding benefits."
Lin Yan and Zhou Min also completed the tests in turn, receiving a red wristband representing the strength type and a white wristband representing the special type, respectively. When it was the hooded woman's turn, she silently stepped forward, placed her hand on the metal ball, and the instrument's indicator light flashed a few times, displaying an unstable gray reading.
The staff member frowned: "Energy attribute unknown, fluctuations abnormal. Register it as 'unknown ability' and observe." They handed her a gray wristband.
After completing the tests, you must stay in the isolation room for 24 hours to confirm that there are no lesions before you can officially enter the base.
Staff led them to the quarantine area. Ruan Ning and his three companions stood at the entrance, looking around at their temporary accommodation.
Ten dusty iron bunk beds lined both sides, leaving a narrow aisle in the middle. The air was thick with the mixed smell of disinfectant and human flesh.
"New here? Find an empty bunk yourself." A crew-cut man wiping a dagger on the upper bunk said without looking up.
Lin Yan glanced around and found that four of the five lower bunks were already occupied, with one of the fat men snoring loudly.
"Damn it, there isn't even a decent place." Lin Yan threw her backpack onto the empty bed near the door.
Zhou Min pushed up her glasses and pointed to the innermost corner: "It's more ventilated over there." Then she put her luggage on the upper bunk by the window.
The hooded woman had silently climbed up to the top bunk in the far corner and curled up like a cat.
A middle-aged man in a suit walked over. "New here? I'm Old Chen, earth-type ability." He pointed to the fat man snoring loudly, "That's Big Liu, strength type. The kid wiping his knife is speed type."
Ruan Ning nodded: "Ruan Ning, water element. They are my teammates."
Old Chen's eyes lit up: "Water system? Those are rare talents." He lowered his voice, "Remind you to guard your supplies tonight."
At that moment, the speed-oriented young man jumped off the bed, twirling a dagger between his fingers: "Why are you bringing along someone who doesn't talk?" He stared at the hooded woman.
Lin Yan took a step forward: "None of your business."
The young man scoffed and turned to leave.
The four began making the beds. Zhou Min whispered to Ruan Ning, "I sensed three superhumans, and their energy is not weak. Old Chen is the strongest."
Ruan Ning silently stuffed her backpack into the deepest part of the bed. She noticed several bulging luggage bags piled up under the opposite bed, indicating that someone had brought a lot of supplies.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com