Then seal the doors and windows with wooden boards, block potential entrances with discarded furniture, lay out a few solar panels, and arm yourself to face the harsh trials of the apocalypse.
The cannibalistic plundering reduced the population of Avoni Town by more than half in less than a month, leaving the rest struggling on the brink of fear and starvation, waiting for an end they had no idea would co.
The survivors who resisted the viral infection did think about uniting. But none of them could get along, and they were constantly arguing about resource distribution.
No one was willing to give up the supplies they held, especially food and dicine, which beca a gateway that only allowed things in, not out.
Ned held onto his final stronghold, fighting off any invaders daring to trespass on his territory, be they human or cold chanical constructs.
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Just less than 200 ters away from Ned’s "Doomsday Fortress," another stronghold composed of more survivors clearly heard the gunfire.
"Omar!" a small child called out from the rooftop, "That ’old dog’ Ned is in trouble, soone is attacking his house!"
Beneath the rooftop was another "Doomsday Fortress," reinforced and piled with miscellaneous items, but compared to Ned’s hedgehog-like tight defense, it seed much more bare.
Inside were gathered eight or nine survivors of all ages. Due to the lack of water and electricity, the air was filled with a complex odor of mixed sweat and spoiled food.
Leading them was a man in his forties nad Omar, who wasn’t a native of Avoni Town but a refugee from Baltimore.
Before the disaster, a bustling tropolis had better opportunities for life and employnt. However, after the disaster, places with more people were more prone to total anarchy, with bloody tragedies far more grueso than in peaceful small towns.
During his escape, Omar’s car ran out of its last drop of gasoline just outside the town. With no choice, he and several companions who faced similar fates settled down in a relatively intact house in the small town.
The other people in the house mostly had similar experiences: a reticent middle-aged couple, a tightly embraced mother and son, and several children separated from their parents, their eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.
The group huddled together for warmth like hedgehogs in the cold night, cautiously maintaining this fragile survival alliance, yet couldn’t completely trust each other.
With more people ca more consumption and subsequent disputes.
Omar was constantly brainstorming solutions to the increasingly scarce food problem—the most straightforward approach was to rob Ned, who was reclusive but well-stocked nearby.
Another more unsettling option was to expel a few housed children to alleviate the food strain.
But neither option seed like a viable solution.
Ned may have been alone, but he was clearly well-prepared, with plenty of weapons hidden away in his fortress, and he seldom showed himself, like a wary old fox.
Attacking him rashly would undoubtedly pay a heavy price, and no one, including Omar, was willing to risk such a confrontation, as any casualties were unbearable.
Regarding those children, the brutal life of the apocalypse had trained them to be incredibly sensible; they silently did whatever chores they could and had their ager rations reduced repeatedly, thin as dry sticks.
Even expelling them would not save much food, and it could easily provoke dissatisfaction and vigilance among others, shaking the foundation of this fragile alliance.
As for other scattered groups in town, Omar had observed them secretly, and none of them were easy to handle. Each was like a startled bird, using any ans necessary to survive.
Survival was getting worse day by day during the apocalypse, and just as Omar felt bleak about the future, the sound of vehicles ca from outside the town, unusually abrupt.
The gasoline supply had long since been disrupted, and even with scattered photovoltaic power, it was challenging to fully charge an electric car.
Anyone driving at this ti could not be an ordinary force.
Omar imdiately beca alert, signaling a few children to cautiously climb onto the roof with their only pair of binoculars for lookout.
Sure enough, they discovered a group of "uninvited guests" slowly approaching on the road outside the town.
They appeared exceptionally cautious, stopping their vehicles before entering the town limits, then proceeding like a pack of hunting wolves, searching house by house.
They also released several chanical dogs as their vanguard, remotely controlling those fearless devices as they road the abandoned town, making people instinctively wary.
Omar personally climbed up to the rooftop, grabbed the binoculars, and observed his neighbors, imdiately spotting a drone hanging with bombs flying his way.
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The feather bomb was controlled by Chen Rui, who grinned and coldly chuckled as he watched the image on the remote control handle.
The unknown survivors fired a few shots into the air, but the drone could clearly capture their scruffy, unkempt faces.
"Dare to shoot at ?" Chen Rui had the drone hover at a height of over 200 ters, pressed the release button, and watched as the bomb spiraled down, propelled by its feathered tail.
It only took seven or eight seconds before the ground erupted into two clouds of gray dust, followed by the muffled sound of an explosion half a second later.
Zhou Qingfeng did not recklessly stand within the enemy’s shooting range but evaluated the ’bombing’ effect through the cara on the chanical dogs.
"The power is too small. Even against wooden structures, our bombs didn’t cause much damage, with the shock wave mostly absorbed by the roof."
Kongges shook his head disapprovingly. "Unless it’s a large-caliber heavy artillery, even military-grade weapons could hardly inflict fatal damage on such wooden buildings."
The team’s dic, Roger, chid in, "The ammonium nitrate we used was originally fertilizer; its explosive power is inherently lower than TNT."
Marco also expressed an opinion, "Use incendiary bombs; wooden structures are most vulnerable to fire."
The expedition team had incendiary bombs, with a simple fuel source obtained by putting waste plastics into an iron barrel for atmospheric distillation. Not great for vehicle fuel, but excellent for igniting fires.
However, everyone imdiately dismissed Marco’s suggestion, each thinking, "Using incendiary bombs is easy, but the people inside won’t be saved. If there are any won... wouldn’t that be a waste?"
Zhou Qingfeng and the others conducted the ’bombing’ from ters away, allowing them the leisure to assess the aftermath.
anwhile, the two explosions left Ned deeply frightened, prompting him to swiftly leave the second floor of his own ’fortress,’ hiding inside and not daring to co out, preparing for a last-ditch defense.
Omar, further away, was watching in horror, imdiately realizing that the group that ca today was far more powerful than his, likely a gang of bandits, against whom he stood no chance.
"Gina," Omar called into the house, summoning a scrawny girl about seven or eight years old, "So people have co from outside the town. Go ask them for so food and see what they want."
The little girl nodded, staggering out and walking along the road towards Zhou Qingfeng and the others.
The first thing she encountered was a chanical dog in charge of periter guard. Heart pounding, she murmured, "Doggie, don’t bite , I want so food."
The chanical dog had no speaker but circled the little girl once before ignoring her, continuing its watchful patrol.
The expedition team mbers, anwhile, were scratching their heads, unsure of what to do.
"Be careful. If she’s a human bomb, we’re in trouble," Kongges reminded them. "I received relevant training during my ti in the military.
First rule: never trust won and children, never be overly sympathetic, and never let your guard down, especially in uncontrolled areas."
The expedition team mbers had to be extrely cautious, knowing that the US military’s experience and lessons in this regard were extensive and profound.
All battlefield rules were truly bought with lives; ignoring them would be gambling with the lives of oneself and their comrades.
"So what do we do?" Zhou Qingfeng asked as he watched the little girl approaching.
"Have her strip down before coming over, to confirm her safety," Kongges gave his answer.
As the team mbers considered whether this idea was too perverse, the sheriff turned to the team’s only female, "Jennifer, it would be better for you to handle this."
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