Chapter 495: Forced Landing
Chapter 495: Chapter 495: Forced Landing
The roar inside the helicopter had been soundproofed. Nina Jacobs could see dozens of drones ahead, flying in formation around the several aircraft like a security detail.
A large screen in the cabin displayed a complete view of the ground and airspace around them.
The flight had been underway for nearly two hours without incident.
"According to the plan, we’ll stop flying at the edge of Keldorn.
We can rest at Meridia Base tonight,"
Lyra Thorne said.
"Miss Jacobs, have you been to Meridia Base before?
We passed through there on our way here. The base is small, but the atmosphere is pretty good."
"Yes, I have."
Nina Jacobs smiled upon hearing this.
’Meridia Base? It is indeed on my way back.’
’Judging by Lyra Thorne’s tone, Mordecai Quinn must be managing the base quite well now.’
"That’s good. My old man and their former base commander used to know each other.
It’s a shame he’s passed away."
Lyra Thorne chatted with Nina Jacobs.
Just then, an alarm suddenly blared through the cabin.
A gray shadow appeared on one of the screens.
"Wind Zombies spotted 10 kilometers ahead!
Should we switch to an alternate route?"
The inquiry came crackling over the intercom.
"Wind Zombies again."
Lyra Thorne frowned. If they changed course, they would have to completely re-scout a new safe route.
And they would very likely have to make another forced landing.
"That Wind Zombie isn’t flying in a straight line.
I don’t think we need to change course for now."
Just then, Nina Jacobs spoke up from behind him.
She wasn’t just guessing; her system map worked even in midair.
The map showed a small red dot moving up ahead, which she guessed was the Wind Zombie.
Her assessment matched Lyra Thorne’s. The drone footage also showed the zombie was indeed moving in a different direction.
The helicopters ultimately didn’t change their route, but the more Nina thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
’The roar of the helicopters is significant. Why didn’t that Wind Zombie come straight for us?’
"If it’s not an Intermediate-level Wind Zombie, it’d have a hard time staying airborne for more than three minutes," Lyra Thorne explained.
Nina Jacobs nodded. That was true; most Intermediate Wind Element zombies could only ride the wind for ten to fifteen minutes.
Still, she kept a close eye on the changes on her system map.
It would take the helicopters about three hours to cross Keldorn. Just over two hours into the flight, Nina noticed something strange on her map.
’Several more red dots suddenly appeared behind them?!’
The red dots were closing in, their speed easily matching the helicopters’.
But all the drones were scouting ahead and hadn’t detected the anomaly behind them.
"Lyra Thorne, we have a situation behind us."
Nina Jacobs looked back and saw that the zombies were now almost visible to the naked eye.
Lyra Thorne reacted quickly.
Two drones immediately turned around and spotted the sudden development.
Immediately after, the helicopters activated their attack modes, firing several high-velocity shells backward.
Nina noticed the shells had indeed shot down two of the red dots, but four others had dodged the attack.
"This is Chopper 3. I’m requesting an emergency landing."
Silas Crowley’s voice came over the intercom.
"Go for emergency landing."
Lyra Thorne decided instantly.
A wave of dizziness washed over Nina as she felt the helicopter shudder violently.
It seemed a Wind Ball had struck the fuselage!
What was worse, black smoke was now billowing from the tail of Chopper 3, flying beside them.
"Damn it."
Lyra Thorne knew Silas and Audrey Crowley were on that helicopter.
Silas had already opened the cabin door, unleashing several blasts of his Thunder Element Superpower backward along with the artillery shells.
The powerful electromagnetic detonation combined with the force of the shells created a massive flash of light in midair.
Nina noticed two more Wind Zombies were shot down.
But one of them had managed to rapidly circle around to their front.
Its movements were so agile it was hard to hit.
Several Wind Balls rained down on the helicopter’s body!
Silas was drenched in sweat as he watched the ground rushing up to meet them.
Behind him, Audrey Crowley had already strapped an emergency parachute onto him.
But if they jumped now, they would surely be intercepted by that Wind Zombie!
Just then, everyone saw a sand shield materialize and firmly trap the Wind Zombie in midair.
At the same time, rocks on the Gobi Desert below began to move, instantly crumbling into sand.
The quicksand stretched upward, actually catching Chopper 3 and holding it steady!
The Wind Zombie trapped within the sand shield had been impaled by inescapable spikes from the inside, turning it into a pincushion.
Lyra Thorne looked at Nina Jacobs standing by the open cabin door, his face filled with relief.
A crisis in midair is often over in an instant.
It was a good thing Nina was with them today; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable!
"What an incredible Earth Element Superpower."
In another helicopter, Gemma Lucas, who was scared into a cold sweat, stared at the scene outside in utter shock.
"Yeah, who would have thought an Earth Element Superpower could be used in the air?"
Julian Crowley also muttered.
By now, the helicopters had landed safely, and Nina Jacobs stepped out of the cabin.
"Are you all right?"
She asked, looking at Silas and Audrey Crowley, who were still shaken.
"We’re fine, thanks to you. You saved our lives again," Silas said.
’Nina’s Earth Element Superpower seems to have improved a lot.’
"You’re welcome."
What Nina didn’t say was that the stream of quicksand she’d conjured was a combination of her Earth and Wind Element abilities.
Her Earth Element Superpower alone couldn’t have found purchase in midair.
"How did so many Wind Zombies suddenly appear?"
Audrey Crowley couldn’t help but ask after thanking Nina.
"The first Wind Zombie probably lured its companions here,"
Nina replied.
This was another form of zombie evolution; the Mutated Zombies were becoming more intelligent than before.
"That’s terrifying. We should stick to vehicles from now on," Gemma Lucas said.
But fortunately, they had already covered most of the distance. A few more hours of driving would likely get them out of Keldorn.
A Space Superpower User quickly brought out several armored vehicles.
Not daring to delay, Audrey Crowley and Lyra Thorne got the five vehicles speeding across the Gobi Desert.
Sun-dried, shriveled zombie animals charged the armored vehicles, only to be crushed into paste.
Nina Jacobs kept her system map open.
At this rate, they would probably reach Meridia Base by nightfall.
Still, the two-hour-plus flight had saved her at least eight days of travel time.
"Keldorn is actually pretty safe.
The roads in Stenmore are narrow and there are lots of zombies. If the Crowley Clan didn’t have enough weapons, we’d have a hard time surviving there."
Silas Crowley said, looking at the Gobi Desert ahead.
Of course, he was trying to persuade Audrey. Nina guessed he probably didn’t know that Audrey had also become interested in Tomorrow Base because of the "prime real estate" rumors.
"Are there really that many zombies in Stenmore?" she asked curiously.
"A ton. There are even some foreign zombies that have crossed over from the border of a neighboring country,"
Lyra Thorne said with a nod.
’Foreign zombies...’
That was the first time Nina had heard that term.
"That damn Veridia. They’re short on resources, so they’re always trying to sneak across the border into Drakonia to steal things,"
Audrey Crowley said, grinding her teeth.
After the apocalypse, some of Drakonia’s borders were left unguarded. Stenmore ended right at the border with Veridia.
She couldn’t stand seeing survivors from another country come in to scavenge Drakonia’s resources, so she had already led her people into several conflicts with them.
They had won, but not without taking losses.
And it was impossible to guard against them completely.