Chapter 182 – It’s Great to Befriend Monsters

The Military District covered a vast area, but there were only about a dozen buildings. Conducting a search wasn’t that difficult.

Along the way, they found some weapons, though most were abandoned outside and no longer usable.

Signs of battle were everywhere. Bullet holes and scattered shell casings could be seen at every turn. One house’s wall was even half blown off.

Peering into the blackened hole, they could faintly discern some charred remains in the rubble. It was unclear whether they belonged to Survivors or Zombies.

It seemed that, after the disaster struck, the soldiers had fought for a time. However, Ling Mo guessed the initial casualties were likely significant.

How many soldiers typically carried weapons?

After the disaster, the Survivors here probably found weapons quickly, giving them better odds than city dwellers.

There were even a few vehicles crammed together in the open space, wrecked and showing signs of fire and explosions.

From all these signs, it was clear the battle had been fierce.

What was really strange was that they didn’t see a single Survivor or even a Zombie.

After searching a few buildings, Old Wang even fired a shot into the air, yet they saw no signs of life aside from their own.

“It seems this Military District is abandoned. Finding any intelligence here is impossible. Hopefully, the Biological Research Institute isn’t in the same condition.”

Ling Mo looked disappointed but resigned to the situation.

Of course, the most disappointed was Guo Chao. This meant that his ambitions would have to be scaled back temporarily.

Meng Jiayu also sighed but was more optimistic. Although the Farmland couldn’t be cultivated for now, the Base had enough land to support a dozen people.

After all, besides a few with farming experience, the rest were city dwellers. How would they know anything about farming?

Just as they were about to leave, a voice suddenly came from not far away.

However, the voice was quite hoarse, likely from a long time without human interaction.

And the words from the voice made Ling Mo tense up: “Among you… I mean, among the humans, is there someone in charge? There should be a superhuman, right?”

Everyone was instantly shocked and looked in the direction the voice came from.

A figure stood at a third-floor window of the building behind them, but they only showed half their body and kept their head down, making it hard to see their face.

Judging by their outfit, they were certainly a soldier. Moreover, they were holding a Rifle, but the muzzle was pointed down, indicating no immediate threat of shooting at them.

“A Survivor? Great, there’s a Survivor!” Zhang Haoyu immediately shouted in excitement.

The Survivor’s question hadn’t caught everyone’s attention, but it made Ling Mo’s hair stand on end.

He specifically emphasized “among the humans.” Could he have seen through the true identity of Ye Lian and the three girls?

If so, then this Survivor was likely a superhuman as well.

Ling Mo glanced back at Ye Lian. From her reaction, he could tell that the person in front of them was indeed a superhuman.

Otherwise, only a Senior Zombie would have triggered Ye Lian’s senses.

But even if a Senior Zombie could use a gun, they wouldn’t opt for such a relatively peaceful first encounter.

Although the Survivor’s actions gave off a somewhat sneaky feeling.

Could it be that he’s wary of their group? That actually made some sense…

“Uh…”

Guo Chao began to speak but was immediately interrupted by the figure.

“Are you the superhuman?”

Guo Chao felt a bit helpless and glanced over at Ling Mo before looking back at Ling Mo again.

Ling Mo was very concerned about this person. After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped forward.

However, to prevent the figure from shooting, Ling Mo made sure to be cautious.

From this distance, his Psychic Power and Tentacle could still affect the person, and it would take a moment for them to raise their rifle to aim…

“I’m the one,” Ling Mo replied.

The person paused for a moment, then continued, “Why are you here? You don’t look like Survivors from around here with all those weapons. Did you escape from X City?”

There was no need to hide this, so Ling Mo nodded and said, “Yes. You must have cleared out the Zombies, right? So why…”

Ling Mo’s question was about why, despite the Zombies being cleared, no production facilities were restored.

The Military District could be used for farming, and they had just checked the kitchen where all the condiments remained untouched.

Even the generator was left unused, such a valuable asset lying idle.

And most importantly, the weapons were casually discarded…

The more Ling Mo thought about it, the more off it seemed, and he didn’t know where to start asking questions.

The soldier seemed to understand Ling Mo’s meaning: “Things… things aren’t as simple as you think. First, answer me: why did you come here? If we can help you…”

Huh? This person turned out to be quite helpful, which didn’t match their mysterious appearance.

“We’re here to ask if you have any contact with the outside world. What’s the situation outside now? The Army must have retained some communication methods, right?”

Ling Mo himself felt this question was a bit ridiculous. This place looked like a complete ruin; if they had communication means, they surely would have used them.

“We’re just ordinary people seeking help, with no ill intentions. Can we talk face-to-face?” Meng Jiayu called out.

Unexpectedly, the person flatly refused: “No.”

At the same time, he raised his rifle. Old Wang reacted quickly, almost simultaneously raising his own gun.

Although Ling Mo remained outwardly calm, his Psychic Tentacle was already poised near the person’s face, ready to mislead them at any moment.

But he soon realized he had overreacted, and slowly lowered his gun.

Ling Mo thought to himself, “Why doesn’t my Psychic Tentacle have an ‘eyeball’ or something? If it did, I could see the other person clearly.”

The person seemed to be deliberately keeping their head down, wearing a hat, as if they didn’t want to reveal their true identity…

The next time I upgrade my abilities and have sufficient Psychic Power, I must modify my tentacles, hopefully even adding ‘eyeballs’ to them…

“You can’t come over here. As for external contact… I’ve been listening to a radio. The last message I received was twenty days after the disaster broke out, and there hasn’t been any news since. Lately… it’s mostly distress signals.”

Hearing this Survivor’s words, Ling Mo couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed there were still many technically skilled people out there; at least he wouldn’t know how to send out distress signals.

But still, sending a signal—does it actually work? What kind of rescue can one expect?

“Twenty days… May I ask what that last message was?” Ling Mo inquired.

It’s been almost three months now and no new messages have come through. Could it really be the end?

“Try to save yourselves. Rescue will be sent as soon as possible…”

The response was brief and flat in tone, but Ling Mo detected a hint of helplessness.

Try to save yourselves… What else could they do but save themselves?

“Radio…” Old Wang started to speak, but the Survivor cut him off directly: “I don’t know how to use it.”

Ling Mo had a sudden realization. That statement… did it mean this Survivor was the only one left in the entire Military District?

Otherwise, even if he didn’t know how to use it, surely someone else would.

If he’s alone, how did he survive…

Ling Mo suddenly felt that this person was quite extraordinary.

At that moment, the Survivor hesitantly spoke up: “Can I talk to you alone for a moment?”

His question was directed at Ling Mo, and Ling Mo was indeed interested. What intrigued Ling Mo the most was how this person figured out the true identities of Ye Lian and the three girls.

“Okay.”

“Take one person with you… No, bring her with you,” he said, pointing to Ye Lian and the three girls. “I’ll wait here. If anyone else approaches, I will shoot.”

As he spoke, he freed one hand to point at Ye Lian and the girls.

“Phew…” Thankfully, he didn’t directly say, “Bring one of the ‘female Zombies’ over.”

However, this was because the moment he started to speak, Ling Mo not only used his Psychic Tentacle to momentarily daze him but also put a hand to his mouth, making a “quiet” gesture.

The Survivor immediately understood and changed his wording.

He had already hinted at it, but not everyone could instantly realize the implications—except for 2, who was now thoughtfully staring at Xia Na, glancing at Ye Lian and Li Yalin, and even looking at Ling Mo.

“Hmm, one of these four must not be human! But how can I figure out which one? And what if Ling Mo kills me to silence me?”

“No matter what, being friends with a monster is really cool!”