Chapter 597: Support
Chapter 597: Chapter 597: Support
The dinner party was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Early the next morning, Nina Jacobs headed to the gathering point.
This time, besides Wayne Warner, she also brought Holden Shaw and Ethan Young from Stella. Holly Morgan and Hartley tagged along as well. Although she had wanted to bring Chase Gallagher, who had a knack for gathering intel, it was only his second day of advancement, and he was still in the middle of the process.
The support mission was expected to last around ten to fifteen days. She had divided the residents of Buildings 71 and 73 into two groups to stay behind at the base. Wayne Abbott was tasked with organizing them to take turns going out to hunt zombies with Fern Spencer’s team.
Vera Coleman was worried, but the fact that she and her daughter could still keep in touch using the Unlimited Communicator gave her some peace of mind.
City D Base had dispatched over 500 rescue team members for this support mission. Though the number was relatively small, ninety percent of them were highly capable Superpower Users.
"It’s been a while since I’ve traveled this far," Heath Chandler said, looking at the massive contingent.
He had never been to South Riven Base before. Since Myra Lawson was short on manpower, he had volunteered his services.
"True, but that shouldn’t be a problem for Instructor Chandler," Adrian Paige replied, still accustomed to using his former title.
"You brat, you’re my superior now. Be serious," Heath laughed.
Adrian noticed Nina’s group walking over. After exchanging greetings, he stepped forward, handed her a Communication Device, and said, "Although I’m in charge this time, I’ll also listen to your orders. If you have anything to say or suggest, just speak up. And of course, once this is over, you won’t be shorted on Crystal Cores."
He was as blunt as always, which Nina didn’t mind. However, she still replied, "You were willing to lend me something so important last time. Consider this a return favor."
One of the reasons she had agreed to Adrian’s request to go to South Riven Base was because he had previously lent her his military command pass. Going to Falken Base to rescue Holly and the others was supposed to be her own personal matter, yet Adrian had taken the initiative to lend her that crucial item. Justin Lawson had told her it was a token that commanded absolute obedience from every Base Commander who saw it. Going on this trip was her way of repaying that debt of gratitude.
Adrian paused, suddenly seeming to understand what Myra Lawson had told him earlier.
For this journey, Nina once again rode in a private vehicle with her own people. Wayne Warner was driving, but this time, they had a freeloader—Shirley Lucas.
"I wonder if we’ll be able to scrounge up some good loot this time," Shirley said, still reminiscing about their abundant harvest during the trip to the Bishop Clan. However, he also knew that this journey would be incredibly difficult.
The convoy was about to depart.
Leading the way at the front was Ivan Young and his group from South Riven Base. Through the car window, Nina spotted Tyson Hughes getting into a vehicle with several other selected Superpower Users.
"I didn’t expect him to go too," Nina remarked.
"It’s not surprising. He never misses an opportunity to train his Superpower," Shirley said, following Nina’s gaze.
Tyson’s true strength was also a mystery.
"The reason he participated in the selection was so he could get to the Hughes Family Headquarters in City A, right? Have no members of the Hughes family visited the base since then?" Nina asked curiously.
She only remembered Shirley mentioning that Tyson was not well-liked in the Hughes family. All the supplies previously gathered by the Superpower User Alliance had also been snatched away by the Hughes Family Headquarters.
"If anyone from the Hughes family had come, I definitely would have known. My guess is they’ve completely forgotten about him," Shirley replied.
"The Hughes family is truly a strange bunch. By the way, do you know Anselm Hughes?" Nina asked.
Shirley had once cross-dressed as a woman and visited the Hughes family in City A as a member of the Superpower User Alliance. Perhaps he had heard of the man.
"Never heard of him. But the elders in the Hughes family are all promiscuous, so they have a ton of illegitimate children. The useless ones are sent off to other places for arranged marriages. For example, Tyson and that girl from the Quinn family... what was her name again?" Shirley said.
The Hughes family’s genetics predisposed them to having boys, so the younger generation was predominantly male. The family didn’t place much value on their illegitimate children.
"Faye Quinn," Nina answered.
She still remembered the patient lying in the basement of the Quinn Group. At that time, Faye Quinn was so weak she looked as if she wouldn’t live much longer.
"Right, right! So, which middle-of-nowhere corner was this Anselm Hughes banished to?" Shirley asked curiously.
"Keldorn," Nina replied.
"That’s really far. Where is he now?" Shirley asked.
"I killed him," Nina stated flatly.
"You... killed him? Well, if you killed him, he must have had it coming," Shirley stuttered, pausing for two seconds before answering immediately. No wonder Nina was asking if he had heard of the guy.
"I just don’t know if the Hughes family will come looking for trouble," Nina said, gazing out the window.
Her killing of Anselm Hughes wasn’t a secret; everyone in Tomorrow Base knew about it. However, when she returned to Tomorrow Base under the guise of Claire Warner a few days ago, she had asked around. It seemed no one from the Hughes family had come seeking revenge.
"Chances are Keldorn is just too far away," Shirley analyzed. "The Hughes family values profit above all else. If you can make a name for yourself with the command center, they wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you, even if they did find out."
Ultimately, the members of the Hughes Family Headquarters were still subordinate to the City A command center.
"You’re right," Nina agreed. This was also one of the reasons she wanted to compete for a spot on the Combat Power Rankings.
Several drones flew past the window, sent out to survey the road conditions ahead. Although they had Spiritual Element Superpower Users, the Spiritual Element couldn’t detect physical terrain or traps. Some Intermediate Zombies had even learned how to create simple traps. Therefore, Adrian Paige believed they had to be incredibly cautious throughout this journey.
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in South Riven.
Within a village enclosed by high walls, wisps of coal smoke slowly drifted up into the sky. It was the smoke from stoves lit by the stronghold’s survivors to keep warm during the extreme cold. Yet, amidst this rustic village stood a completely incongruous grey villa with its own courtyard.
Inside the villa’s main hall, a vigorously burning cast-iron coal stove sat in the center of the room. Large chunks of high-quality smokeless charcoal burned quietly within its hearth. Next to a leather sofa leaning against the wall, a shelving unit was fully stocked with canned goods, red wine, and vacuum-sealed cured meats.
A young man sprawled lazily across the sofa alongside two scantily clad women. The temperature in the room was comfortable enough that he only wore a thin shirt. Hearing noises from outside, he waved his hand. The two women instantly understood and padded barefoot across the animal-skin rug into the inner room.
"What is it? Waking me up from my sweet dreams this early," the man said, looking displeased at Kevin Nash, who was covered in the chilling aura of the outdoors.
Kevin wasn’t reserved in the slightest. He sat directly on a single sofa nearby, tracking coal ash onto the rug and staining it pitch black.
"Nothing major. Just wondering if you’ve gotten someone to handle that matter I brought up earlier?" Kevin asked, looking down as he took off his heavy coat and scarf.
"You mean them looking for reinforcements? Didn’t I already tell you? There’s no way that group is making it to City D Base. They probably died on the road a long time ago," the young man replied.
Kevin offered a fake smile. "I knew you were unreliable. The men I sent out have already returned. Ivan Young and his group made it to City D Base, which means reinforcements from City D will likely be here soon."
Hearing this, the young man finally sat up straight. "Are you absolutely certain? That’s great news! Doesn’t that mean they’re just delivering supplies straight to our door?"
The reinforcement squad from City D was bound to be carrying plenty of supplies and weapons, and their stronghold hadn’t had any new provisions come in for the past two months.