A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1439 - 975: Stealing Home?_2

Chapter 1439: Chapter 975: Stealing Home?_2

Of course, Duanmu Huai thought Gavi chose this mission not just to compete with her sister...

"Hahahaha, killed another one! The corpse is still twitching, so funny!! Next one!!"

...but probably also to satisfy her own twisted sense of humor.

After a good meal and some rest, the group set off again. Perhaps thanks to Gavi’s madness, the zombies in the area had been almost entirely cleared out. Only a few hiding in buildings remained, and Duanmu Huai quickly smashed them into pieces. The team made smooth progress all the way to the oil storage warehouse.

Compared to other places, the oil storage warehouse... well, it was just as eerily quiet here. Only a few large oil tanks stood in the courtyard. Duanmu Huai kicked open a rusted, barely-held-together iron gate and strode right in.

"Well, this place clearly hasn’t seen people for a long time."

Looking at the overgrown parking lot, Duanmu Huai clicked his tongue and turned to face the others.

"Does that mean the mission is done?"

"Let me check..."

Aiden pulled out a map and cross-referenced it.

"It says we need to clear a path and eliminate any threats in the warehouse."

"So, basically, kill any zombies in here and we’re good."

Duanmu Huai snapped his fingers, then stood confidently in the courtyard, puffed out his chest, took a deep breath, and yelled at the top of his lungs!

"Hey— YOU LITTLE BRATS————!!!"

The deafening roar erupted from Duanmu Huai’s armor, echoing across the warehouse and startling a flock of birds in the distance, who scrambled to take off in a panic. However, the warehouse itself remained absolutely silent, devoid of any reply.

"...Looks like everything’s fine?"

Duanmu Huai glanced back at the group. Given how zombies in this world relied entirely on hearing, if any were around, his shout would have sent them swarming. The absence of any reaction seemed to suggest this place was safe?

"Seems... like it?"

Aiden scratched his head.

"But just to be safe, I think we should take another look around."

"Now? Are you sure?"

Miyamoto Rei wasn’t thrilled with Aiden’s suggestion, and for good reason— the sun was about to set!

Staying in a creepy place like this after dark?

Just the thought was terrifying.

"It doesn’t take that long to look around."

Duanmu Huai didn’t mind.

"It’s just a small warehouse. We can check for hidden threats and survey the area. Two people per team... Gavi, you stay outside and keep an eye on the surroundings. Ogis and I will check inside the warehouse."

Since Duanmu Huai had already made the decision, no one objected. Komuro Takashi paired with Miyamoto Rei, Aiden with Joel, and Duanmu Huai with Ogis. With that, they split up to explore the oil storage warehouse.

"Honestly, I thought we’d run into some kind of boss fight or something."

As he walked through the warehouse, scanning the oil tanks and pipes with the Bird Divination Tool, Duanmu Huai muttered his complaint. Usually, in games, isn’t that how it goes? You enter a new map, and bam, there’s a boss fight. But this place? Nope. Not playing by the rules. It was squeaky clean— other than some rats, his scanner didn’t pick up anything alive in here.

And just as Duanmu Huai suspected, after completing their rounds, Komuro Takashi and Miyamoto Rei reported back with no threats found. Aiden mentioned that the control room seemed a bit fishy—some parts on the control panel had been removed—but otherwise, the fuel was intact, and there were no leaks.

"Let’s leave it at that for now."

After listening to everyone’s reports, Duanmu Huai made a decision.

"We’ll rest here for a moment. Then, you all head back to report while I stay behind to keep watch—just in case anything unexpected happens. We can’t drive this tanker truck back, right?"

"The tires are flat."

Joel, who had been inspecting underneath the tanker, crawled out and spread his hands.

"The truck looks mostly intact, but we’d need to replace the tires and some parts. Hopefully, this place has spares..."

"Not really our problem. We’re not babysitters for this settlement. How they handle it is their business. For now, our mission is technically complete."

Duanmu Huai waved dismissively.

"Alright, so we’ll..."

"BOOOM——————!!!"

Before Duanmu Huai could finish his sentence, a deafening explosion interrupted him. Everyone froze in place and turned towards the source of the sound. In the dim skyline of the city, a bright-red fireball mushroomed into view...

"Uh... isn’t that where the settlement is?"

Aiden’s face went blank, and Duanmu Huai raised an eyebrow, turning to Gavi.

"Gavi, can you see what’s going on?"

"Let me check!"

Sitting atop an oil tank, Gavi raised her sniper rifle and aimed toward the explosion.

"Reporting, master... the settlement... appears to be under attack!"

"What?"

Everyone was instantly on edge, and Duanmu Huai was utterly dumbfounded.

What kind of sick joke is this? I’ve been here waiting for the boss fight, and now you’re off attacking my base?

This boss doesn’t even play fair!

"I’m going to see what’s going on!"

Duanmu Huai made a prompt decision, giving the team swift orders.

"Stay here for now and wait for my signal. Check this place a bit more, just in case. I’ll go scout and come right back!"

Without waiting for a response, Duanmu Huai’s jet backpack roared to life, releasing a burst of pressurized air. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed Ogis and launched into the sky, racing toward the settlement.

Joel and Miyamoto Rei, deeply worried about their children back at the settlement, wanted to join him. But before they could even protest, a whirlwind of dust smacked them in the face, knocking them back. By the time they looked up, Duanmu Huai was already gone.

"...What the hell?"

Seeing this, everyone was utterly stunned.

"That armor is insane!"

Unaware of how envious the others were of his Power Armor, Duanmu Huai sped forward. He knew Mary was watching over the settlement, and normally, it should’ve been fine. But the explosion made it clear something even Mary couldn’t handle was happening...

"BOOM—————!"

Just as Duanmu Huai approached the settlement, another massive explosion erupted ahead. A flash of light tore through his vision, and a miniature mushroom cloud spiraled into the sky, enveloping him completely. Losing balance, Duanmu Huai plummeted like a meteor, crashing into the ground below.

"What the hell?! Was that... a nuke?!"

Seeing the radiation alarms screaming inside his helmet, Duanmu Huai swore under his breath. It might not have been a full-scale nuclear bomb, but it was still a freaking nuke! Who the hell nukes a settlement?!

No wonder Mary wasn’t able to stop this—what could she do against a nuke?

Even if it was just a micro-nuke!

"RUMBLE...."

By now, the entire settlement had become an inferno. Duanmu Huai stood up and set Ogis down from his shoulder. Staring ahead, he watched as massive, hulking figures clad in tattered armor emerged from the flames.

And upon closer inspection, Duanmu Huai was momentarily stunned.

"Are those... Green Skins?"