34: Chapter 34 A New Crisis

When the base's order returned to normal and the production and defense systems were fully operational, and while the entire camp was immersed in the hard-won peace after a narrow escape, a catastrophe capable of destroying everything was quietly pressing in from the east like dark clouds, shattering all the hard-earned tranquility.

Early this morning, as a sliver of grayish-white dawn light first appeared on the horizon, the emergency communicator in the base's Command Center suddenly erupted with a rapid beeping. The Radar Station operator's voice carried an undisguisable panic, almost shouting as he reported to Wang Jie: "Commander! Emergency! In the area thirty kilometers to the east, we've detected large-scale unknown life signals! The numbers are exceptionally massive!"

Wang Jie's heart tightened instantly. Almost instinctively, he dropped the documents in his hand and bolted toward the radar control room. His footsteps were heavy and hurried, each step treading on taut nerves—in the post-apocalyptic world, any large-scale unknown signal meant deadly danger.

Rushing into the Radar Station, Wang Jie stepped up to the console, his gaze locked onto the flickering electronic screen. The sight before him made him gasp: the entire eastern area was completely covered by dense, flickering red light dots, like a bloodthirsty crimson tide, moving toward the base at a steady and rapid pace. He did a rough count, and his heart instantly clenched—there were at least three thousand of these red dots!

Three thousand?

Was it a wave of three thousand ordinary zombies?

Impossible.

Wang Jie immediately dismissed the thought. The size indicators of the red dots on the screen were far larger than ordinary zombies, even bulkier and heavier than the Mutants they had encountered before; they were definitely not aimlessly wandering walking dead.

Could it be... three thousand Mutants?

As soon as this thought surfaced, Wang Jie's pupils suddenly constricted, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. Even though he now possessed an army three times its original size, solid fortifications, and tanks and helicopters for coordinated operations, he could absolutely not withstand the charge of three thousand frenzied Mutants. That was a crushing numerical disparity, enough to easily break through all lines of defense and level the base.

"Enlarge the signal area immediately!" Wang Jie ordered in a low voice, his voice slightly hoarse from extreme solemnity.

The operator's hands flew across the keyboard, and the screen image instantly focused and zoomed in. When the clear image appeared before his eyes, Wang Jie's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an icy hand, sinking into a bottomless abyss.

These targets were neither ordinary zombies nor familiar Mutants, but a brand-new type of monster that had never been recorded.

They were slightly smaller than giant Mutants but several times taller than ordinary zombies, with thick, powerful limbs and astonishingly fast movement speed. Most terrifyingly, their actions completely lacked the chaos and blindness of zombies; instead, they were in neat columns with unified steps, like a strictly trained army, moving forward in a regular formation with a spine-chilling sense of discipline.

"What on earth are these things..." Wang Jie murmured under his breath, his brow furrowed deeply as an unprecedented sense of crisis swept through his entire body.

Just then, the cold and clear electronic prompt of the red alert system sounded in his mind, and a line of eye-catching text was projected directly onto his retina:

[New Unit Detected — Evolver]

[Type: High-level Zombie Evolution Form]

[Characteristics: Possesses basic intelligence, team coordination abilities, extremely high attack power, and defense power]

[Threat Level: Extremely High]

[Recommendation: Immediately activate the highest defense protocols; direct engagement by troops is strictly prohibited]

Evolver.

Those words exploded in Wang Jie's mind like a thunderclap.

He had always known that zombies would evolve, but he had never imagined they would evolve to the point of possessing intelligence, knowing how to form ranks, and having coordination abilities. This was no longer just a simple monster, but an organized and disciplined army of death!

Three thousand intelligent Evolvers were approaching in formation. Was their target the base? Was it a chance encounter, or a deliberate attack?

All questions were no longer important.

Faced with a threat of this level, even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand risk, he had to respond with everything he had in a fight to the death.

"Sound the highest combat alarm!" Wang Jie turned abruptly and barked out orders at the top of his lungs, his voice piercing through the entire Command Center. "All combat personnel assemble immediately and head to the wall defense positions! Tank units to the front, Machine Gun Bunkers at full power! All survivors are to be evacuated to the Underground Shelters immediately, with the elderly and children entering the innermost safety zones first! Move!"

The piercing red alarm instantly resounded in every corner of the base, its sharp wail shattering the morning's tranquility. The originally orderly camp immediately entered the highest state of combat readiness: soldiers grabbed their weapons and rushed to the fortifications at top speed; armored vehicle engines roared; survivors, under the direction of guides, ran to the Underground Shelters in an orderly manner. Cries and the sound of footsteps mingled together, yet no large-scale chaos ensued.

Lin Waner arrived at Wang Jie's side immediately. Her face was as pale as paper, her lips trembling slightly, and her eyes were full of undisguisable fear and worry. She looked up at the solemn-faced Wang Jie and asked in a trembling voice, "Wang Jie... can we... can we stop them?"

Wang Jie remained silent for a few seconds. He couldn't give a certain answer; the strength of three thousand Evolvers far exceeded their current combat power. This battle was a near-certain death sentence.

But looking into Lin Waner's eyes and at the people behind him who needed protection, his tone suddenly became incredibly firm: "I don't know if we can win, but I promise you—we will fight to the last man and shed our last drop of blood. We will never let them harm anyone in the base."

As his voice fell, Wang Jie looked toward the eastern horizon.

Beneath the distant skyline, rolling dust that blotted out the sky had already risen, advancing slowly like a dark tsunami. The air seemed frozen, and an icy, violent pressure filled with the aura of death was drawing closer and closer.

The Evolver Legion had arrived.