Chapter 486: Teammate is a Puppet Zombie
Chapter 486: Chapter 486: Teammate is a Puppet Zombie
For the past few days, Nina Jacobs had been using her Wood Element Superpower daily to nurture the Divine Wood.
Under the nourishment of her Wood Element Superpower, the Divine Wood had gradually grown a little larger.
Right now, the only ones on this road were her and the Mutated Zombie hurtling toward her.
Nina Jacobs took out the Divine Wood while using her Speed Element Superpower to dodge the creature.
ROAR!
Seeing that the human before it was even faster than itself, the Speed Element zombie grew enraged. It reached out with hands encased in golden armor and lunged for Nina Jacobs!
But it was no match for Nina Jacobs. After a brief exchange of blows, she sent its body flying.
Nina Jacobs seized the opportunity, using thick vines to pin it to the ground. She then used the tip of a vine to shove a small piece of the Divine Wood down its throat.
The Divine Wood was nourished by her Wood Element Superpower. Nina Jacobs understood this to mean that her power had replaced the medium mentioned in the Puppetry Technique: blood.
However, this was her first attempt at controlling an Intermediate Zombie. Unsure if it would succeed, Nina Jacobs trapped it inside a Diamond Sand Cover.
Then, she stood to the side and quietly waited for it to change.
Gradually, the zombie, which had been desperately trying to break through the sand shield, began to slow its struggles.
’I really didn’t expect this...’
Nina Jacobs felt no joy, only a sense that the Divine Wood was truly terrifying.
The Dual-Type Zombie, so ferocious just moments ago, now stood there silently, like a marionette.
’No wonder so many people want the Puppetry Technique.’
Nina Jacobs dismissed the Diamond Sand Cover and observed the zombie.
Just then, a dozen or so more zombies were drawn to the area.
Nina Jacobs commanded, "Kill them."
Without a sound, the Dual-Type Zombie was already sprinting toward the other zombies.
The Dual-Type Zombie was like a killing machine. It pierced through the heads of two zombies with a single palm strike, quickly slaughtering all the newcomers. Watching it, Nina Jacobs’s eyes lit up.
To see if she could share experience with it, she had tried adding the Puppet Zombie to her system’s "Teammate" function.
She had succeeded, but all of the zombie’s stats were displayed as "-".
At the very bottom, a new "Kill Count" category had appeared. The number displayed was a little over ten—exactly the number of zombies it had just killed.
’Perhaps I can make use of this zombie.’
"I command you: go into that city and kill the zombies. You can eat any brains you want. Tomorrow, when you hear this whistle, return to me."
Nina Jacobs pointed at the distant Crestfall as she issued the command.
She took out a Silver Whistle and blew it once.
This Dual-Type Zombie probably powered up by consuming its own kind. As long as it followed her orders, she didn’t mind if it continued to feast on other zombies.
A flicker of interest appeared in her eyes as she watched the Dual-Type Zombie run toward Crestfall.
’The only question is whether it will still be under my control when I return tomorrow...’
That evening, the group returned to the base, their trip having been tense but ultimately safe.
Nina Jacobs learned that Reinhard Caldwell had discovered another large batch of Crystal Cores inside Lornwood Base.
"In addition to the thousand-plus survivors we’ve transferred, some others have made their own way to Tomorrow Base."
"At this rate, it’ll take another seven days to complete the full transfer."
Reinhard Caldwell reported on their progress.
He still had his usual smile, but now it held a touch more sincerity.
"Thank you for your hard work. By the way, I have some Hemostatic Medicine here. You can use it over the next few days during the transfer."
Nina Jacobs took a small, pre-stocked box of Blood Stopping Spray from a cabinet.
It contained about fifty bottles.
The Blood Stopping Spray hadn’t been used at Tomorrow Base before, and she planned to give it first to the teams responsible for transferring the survivors.
"Understood, Base Commander."
Reinhard Caldwell assumed it was just ordinary hemostatic medicine, but he had no idea what a huge help it would be to them the very next day...
That night, Nina Jacobs opened her system panel.
The experience sharing from the teammate function had long since deactivated, as she was too far from the Puppet Zombie. However, she could still monitor its situation through its kill count.
She had noticed on the way back that the number in the "Kill Count" section was constantly rising.
From the initial dozen or so, it had now climbed past 1,900, and the number was still ticking up, one kill at a time.
’In other words, it’s already killed over 1,900 zombies.’
Nina Jacobs was stunned.
If it kept killing at this rate, it might one day wipe out every last zombie in Crestfall.
Nina Jacobs took out the Divine Wood, nurturing it as she flipped through the ancient book on the Puppetry Technique she had acquired in Whittaker Town.
The Puppetry Technique was irreversible, but its effects would weaken over time.
The origin of the Divine Wood was unknown. The Whites, who first created the Puppetry Technique, hadn’t used it on people, but on mechanical puppets.
But the effect on the puppets was poor, which led a later generation of the Whites to experiment with living subjects...
’Perhaps in this era, the most suitable subjects for the Puppetry Technique are zombies,’ Nina Jacobs concluded after she finished reading.
The next day, Nina Jacobs went out on her own with Wayne Warner and Lexy.
Only Felix Finch knew that Nina Jacobs was heading back to Crestfall for an indefinite period.
He thought it was dangerous, but he knew he couldn’t interfere with her decision.
Nina Jacobs drove directly to the outskirts of Crestfall.
There, about two kilometers from the city, she deployed her safe house among a cluster of abandoned buildings.
This time, her Safe House Skin was a derelict two-story stationery shop. Placed among the other abandoned buildings, it blended in perfectly.
Though its exterior was dilapidated, the inside was clean and new.
Nina Jacobs led Wayne Warner and Lexy inside. The entrance opened into a large foyer, and a short flight of wooden stairs led up to the living and dining rooms.
The living room was spacious, and they could choose any of the rooms on the second floor to rest.
Nina Jacobs took out some furniture and set it up.
"We’ll be staying here for the next few days."
Nina Jacobs went up to the second floor. The spot she’d chosen offered a clear view of the distant main road from the window.
Moreover, ever since they had arrived, the shared experience from her Puppet Zombie teammate had reactivated.
"Alright."
From the window, Wayne Warner also saw a horde of zombies passing by below.
The zombies walked straight past, completely ignoring the stationery shop.
—Meow.
Lexy hadn’t seen zombies in a long time. Upon spotting them outside the window, it leaped warily into the hallway behind them.
Nina Jacobs didn’t know if Lexy could understand her, but she stroked its bristling fur and said soothingly,
"As long as we don’t go outside, we’ll be fine. They can’t get in."
Perhaps sensing the comfort in her voice, Lexy gradually calmed down.
"Wait for me here. I’ll be right back."
Nina Jacobs said to the man and the cat.
By now, the Puppet Zombie’s kill count had already surpassed 6,000.
’It’s time I checked up on it.’
Nina Jacobs returned alone to the spot where she had fought the Dual-Type Zombie the day before and blew the Silver Whistle.
Not ten minutes later, she saw a shimmering golden zombie running toward her from the distance.
Perhaps from consuming so many of its own kind, the Puppet Zombie looked even more robust than it had the previous day.
"Take these. Fill the designated location with zombies."
"And for the next seven days, you are to continue killing the zombies inside."
Nina Jacobs took out four Little Zombie Rats and placed them on the Puppet Zombie’s shoulders.
This time, she had set a command with a time limit. She just wasn’t sure if the control would last for seven days.
Soon, the Puppet Zombie vaulted over the walls and into Crestfall, carrying the four Little Zombie Rats with it.
Through the rats’ eyes, Nina Jacobs could now clearly see the situation inside Crestfall.