In the meeting room.
Nicky and Albin had returned, while the entire mansion was being turned upside down by the staff. No one could understand how a living, breathing person could vanish in a single minute, with hundreds of superhumans within 500 meters around the villa, yet no one had seen or heard anything.
Even extraordinary abilities weren’t usually this mysterious.
Nicky, now fully composed, glanced at Murphy and spoke calmly.
“Governor Reyes, we’ve told you already, Captain Wu left a while ago. He’s probably already back in Renaissan
Earlier that day, Jarred had wondered why the Lakeside base hadn’t been using machinery like excavators and bulldozers for trench digging, it turned out over 30 excavators had already been dispatched to the front lines, leaving the rear with only manpower.Hearing this, Memphis nodded, making a mental note to deploy nearly all their human and material resources toward Cloudy Town for trench digging. Without natural barriers like Lakeside’s rivers, they would create a "river" to completely separate Renaissance and NO Province.With all four rounds of scouting updates complete, it was time for the home base defense group, led by Allan Powell, Lionel Hester, Damon Miller, and Michal Reilly, to give their reports.Allan finally led his troops in clearing all zombies trapped within Pinecrest, Sapphire, and Whispering Avenues, burning 80% of the corpses and burying the remaining 20% near Grieving River, where they planned to experiment with growing mutated wild crops.Lionel successfully co
Additionally, Hope Town would have to eliminate the 20,000-strong zombie horde gathering near the Lakeside bridge, fully reopening trade between the two areas.Finally, six government officials would be sent to monitor the enforcement of freedom, democracy, and public safety in Hope Town, ensuring that the residents were not oppressed.Memphis couldn’t help but chuckle coldly as he read. They were as condescending as ever, projecting a sense of noble superiority. But both sides shared a common goal for now, one wanting time to build strength, the other looking to resolve immediate difficulties and find a way out of being trapped on three fronts.Lakeside Base was busy dealing with the zombie army at Vienna, and they absolutely couldn’t spare any troops for a punitive expedition here, so they’d agreed to set aside their conflicts for now, intending to use Jarred’s “power” first. No doubt they’d turn on him once Vienna’s zombies were vanquished.They also hoped Hope Town would help clea
After setting this plan, Memphis then addressed Allan and Timon."Gather all the Superhumans with earth-manipulation skills. I want to dig a tunnel straight through the heart of Sunny Hills."Memphis elaborated on his strategy, and those around him couldn’t suppress a chill.Their leader was indeed bold, this reckless plan, if it succeeded, would secure a peaceful stretch for Renaissance.But if it failed, everyone would perish…Imagining the worst-case scenario, a brutal battle at Cloudy’s front with all of Hope’s 1,000-plus residents thrown into the fray, they’d barely be enough fuel for the fire.Memphis’s mood was grim. Testing the response of the monsters in Cloudy’s B Zone today had forced his hand, leaving no room for compromise. If there was ever a time to take a risk, it was now. Otherwise, they’d face the unrestricted invasion of over 100,000 zombies from NO precinct into Renaissance.Once the discussion concluded, Jarred took out a phone and played an audio recording, a car
Jarred swept the supplies off the table into his backpack and pulled out a twenty-page report. This was his comprehensive intel from Lakeside. Meanwhile, Memphis set out a separate report, listing troop conditions after fully assimilating the spoils of war, along with the remaining firearms and supernatural resources.They split the documents and began reading carefully.As of tonight, the population of Hope Town totals 1,041, including 307 regular soldiers and 95 reservists, putting military involvement above 38%.Among them, 169 Superhumans possess ranged attack skills, mostly at first-tier levels, with the remaining members having a variety of powers like s
Gathering all the documents on the table, Memphis finally slung his backpack over his shoulder, leisurely standing up and heading toward the officer’s quarters. It didn’t take long for him to locate a familiar room, where a vaguely familiar maid stood outside.After a moment’s lapse, unable to remember her name, Memphis decided to forgo introductions and asked directly,"Is Amanda inside?"The maid dutifully bowed and softly replied,"The leader, Miss Amanda has been waiting."Hearing that, Memphis felt a twinge of guilt. Waiting? It sounded like he was in for an interrogation.This woman always held an incredibly complex attitude toward him. On the one hand, she would constantly seduce him, using allure in an attempt to “claim” him, while on the other, she remained cool and distant, showing no hint of dependency or need. It was as if she held all the power. There were moments when she exposed his thoughts, almost like she could read his mind.Amanda probably understood Memphis better
Amanda let out a soft snort, gazing out the window with a detached look as she said: “What do you take me for? Some convenience to relieve yourself when your wife’s away? Let me tell you, your title as the base leader might scare others, but it doesn’t scare me."“There’s… there’s nothing like that…”"Damn, she’s just as difficult as the first day…" Memphis thought, shrinking back under her reprimand, not daring to respond, instead mumbling a weak defense. From Amanda’s tone, he could sense a fierce pride, the stubborn determination of someone whose favorite toy had been taken by a rival but refused to pick it up if dropped, preferring to reclaim it with dignity.As he realized this, he couldn’t help but compare himself, feeling like he was that very toy, a realization that left him feeling somewhat demeaned.And worse, he was finding himself perversely enjoying this sense of degradation and contempt.Accepting that he’d get nothing out of tonight’s visit, Memphis coughed in pretense,
“Alright. Start refining it from tomorrow. Also, coordinate with Amanda and begin enforcing these protocols, refining them as you go.”Memphis wasn’t too bothered by Sarah’s shortcomings. In truth, her work up to this point had been quite good, it was just that the timeframe was too short, and she hadn’t had much exposure to the actual situation, so there were gaps in establishing the regulations. Now that they had Lakeside Base as a reference, the laws in Hope Town would undoubtedly be tighter and more comprehensive.He tapped her on the head just to assert his authority as the leader, to show he wasn’t just a figurehead, that he had his own sources of information and his own perspective, so she and the team wouldn’t dare harbor any thoughts of underestimating or going over his head.In reality, he didn’t know squat about any of this, or just the basics at best, nodding along to let things slide, signing whatever was put in front of him.He was indeed clueless, but under no circumsta
Memphis sat there, staring out the window in a daze, for several seconds. Outside, the sky was a murky half-light, buildings stained with zombie blood that hadn’t yet been cleaned, walls lined with bullet scars, a stack of mobile fortifications piled on trucks, and the faint scurrying sounds of rats below.This was the apocalypse.The dream that had just floated away beyond the window had been incredibly simple, and yet it was full of memories of the monotonous world from before. Ironically, it brought Memphis a deep sense of peace. After 19 days in the apocalypse, last night might have been the first time he’d truly felt a restful sleep.He’d never felt so relaxed as he did now."Sometimes, it’s just sleeping in a cramped, stuffy room, hearing the familiar sound of the alarm clock, eating a bun you’ve had a thousand times, chatting with someone close, and throwing yourself into work to burn through your youth, grumbling about the boss but grinding away hour after hour. That much can