Regressed with Omnipotent AI on Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 167: Hunter the Leader

At one medium-sized base with a population of over 10,000, the leadership, driven by fear, locked onto Zack and the Avalons with anti-aircraft missiles. "Sir, we're being targeted," Ego informed him.

Zack's response was dismissive. "Drop an aerial bomb. A warning should suffice."

Boom. A cloud bomb detonated in an open area near the base, the fiery explosion sending a mushroom cloud skyward. Zack deliberately lowered his altitude as he passed over the settlement, ensuring everyone got a good look at him. Down below, the base's leader—a wiry man—stared in disbelief. "Boss... was that... a nuclear bomb?" he stammered.

No one answered. The entire base had fallen silent, paralyzed by fear. Even as Zack's convoy disappeared into the horizon, the leader finally snapped out of his daze, muttering angrily, "Who did I offend? What kind of psycho drops a bomb as a greeting?"

The journey continued, flying over both small and large survivor bases. Finally, Zack reached the Yangtze River Delta. Ego's voice chimed in. "Sir, the coordinates have been uploaded."

"I see it," Zack replied, his sharp eyes locking onto the target. Below was a heavily fortified survivor base surrounded by high walls. Faded billboards on the walls revealed that this place had once been an industrial park belonging to a major e-commerce company. Now, it was a Vanguard Organization branch base.

Zack hovered in mid-air, surveying the base with a cold gaze. "It seems the Vanguard Organization really did abandon this place," he muttered before diving down toward the base.

The three Avalons followed suit, shifting into landing mode as they descended. "Look out! An unidentified aircraft is approaching!" On the high wall surrounding the base, a group of scrappy survivors, armed with makeshift weapons, shouted in alarm. Their fear was palpable as they scrambled to respond.

Zack landed with a loud thud in the open center of the base, the impact cracking the concrete beneath him. The sound startled the nearby survivors, who hurriedly pointed their improvised crossbows and guns at him, their hands shaking.

"These people aren't from the Vanguard Organization," Zack murmured, taking note of their ragged appearance. "Looks like a random group of survivors stumbled across this place after it was abandoned." He didn't give the nervous survivors a second glance as he issued his orders. "Send a few Fearless Warriors to maintain order. The rest stay on the Avalons."

Moments later, one of the Avalons opened its doors, and four Fearless Warriors leapt down from a height of several meters. Each landing sent a tremor through the ground, their enormous frames creating a visual shock for the survivors.

The warriors, standing over three meters tall in their hulking power armor, looked more like steel titans than humans. Their presence alone crushed any thoughts of resistance. The survivors, overwhelmed, dropped their weapons and crouched on the ground, some holding their heads in their hands. "Who's in charge here?" Zack asked as he flicked off his mask, his tone calm but firm.

"I-I am..." A broad-shouldered young man, clearly nervous, stepped forward. His physique hinted he might have been a fitness trainer before the apocalypse, but now, in the shadow of the Fearless Warriors, he was visibly trembling. "Sir, w-we didn't know this was your territory! If we'd known, we wouldn't have come here! Please, we'll leave right away!" the man stammered.

Zack waved dismissively. "Relax. I'm not here to take the base from you. I just have a few questions."

Hearing this, the young man exhaled in relief. "Thank you, sir! Thank you!" he said quickly, though the hint of wariness in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Zack.

Zack didn't bother addressing the man's lingering distrust—it wasn't worth his time. "When did you find this base?" he asked, walking toward one of the buildings.

"Last week, sir. Saturday," the man replied, following closely behind.

"Was it empty when you got here?"

"Yes, sir. At first, we thought it might be a trap. I mean, a base this big, with defenses like this? Who would just leave it behind?" the man explained. "But when we checked, it was really abandoned."

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Zack pushed open the door of the building and stepped inside. As he moved through the rooms, it became clear the place had been stripped bare. Anything of value was gone, and what couldn't be taken had been destroyed, likely with thermite or similar methods. Scorch marks and burnt debris littered the floors—a clear sign the Vanguard Organization had planned their departure carefully. "How long have you been here?" Zack asked, crushing a handful of ash between his fingers.

"Five days, sir," the young man replied.

"Anything strange happen during that time?"

The man hesitated before nodding. "Now that you mention it... at night, we've been hearing strange noises."

"What kind of noises?" Zack asked, his interest piqued.

"I can't really describe it, sir. It's... odd. It sounds like it's coming from underground. At first, we thought it might be zombies and almost left the base. But then we realized no one was getting hurt, so we decided to seal off the basement entrances to all the buildings," the man explained.

"Did sealing the basement stop the noise?" Zack asked.

"No, sir. The noise is still there. But after sealing everything off, it feels less... unsettling," the man admitted, his discomfort evident.

Zack nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. What's your name?"

"People call me Hunter, sir," the man said hastily, catching himself mid-sentence.

"Alright, Hunter," Zack said, turning to face him. "Get your people to clear the blockages from the basement entrances. I'll need to take a look."

Hunter hesitated but quickly nodded. "Y-yes, sir. Right away."

"One more thing," Zack added as he glanced at the dimming sky. "I'll be staying here for the night. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"No problem at all, sir! You're welcome to stay as long as you like!" Hunter said, his voice shaking with a mix of relief and nervous energy.

The night deepened, the once vibrant industrial park now shrouded in eerie silence. Zack, having removed his armor, lounged in a room the survivors had prepared for him, waiting patiently for the darkness to fully envelop the base.

Outside, the three Avalon transport planes hovered steadily, their powered thrusters glowing faintly blue against the night sky. To the untrained eye, they resembled UFOs, their futuristic design casting an otherworldly presence over the abandoned base. Though the aircraft hadn't landed, all thirty Fearless Warriors had disembarked and now stood like sentinels in two disciplined rows outside Zack's quarters. Their sheer size and menacing aura kept the survivors far away, too terrified to even whisper among themselves.

In this tense atmosphere, Hunter gathered his courage and approached the building, dragging along a girl who was visibly trembling. She was young, with delicate features, though her tear-streaked face and quivering frame betrayed her fear.