54: A Level 3 mutant lurks deep within the cave; sonic tactics prove incredibly effective in breaking the deadlock.

Chapter Fifty-Six: A Third-Level Mutant Hidden Deep in the Cavern; Sonic Tactics Break the Deadlock and Show Divine Might

The roars from deep within the cavern drew closer, and the tremors on the ground grew more intense, causing gravel to rustle down from the rock walls overhead.

Li Laoshuan was so terrified his face turned ashen. He slumped to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "Commander! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! That big guy inside appeared three months ago. It's ten times more powerful than a Frenzied Furry! Not only is it incredibly strong, but it can also command the surrounding zombies! We didn't dare resist; we could only help it catch living people for food..."

"Shut up!" Lin Zhou barked in a low voice, his gaze fixed intently on the pitch-black entrance of the cavern.

Just then, a massive dark shadow suddenly lunged out from the cavern and slammed heavily onto the ground. As the dust settled, everyone saw its form—it was a full five meters tall, its body covered in dark purple scales. Its head was triangular with vertical pupils flashing with cold light. A pair of tattered fleshy wings grew from its back, and the sharp claws on its limbs glinted with a lethal edge.

[Third-Level Mutated Zombie: Scale-Winged Commander]

- Physical Characteristics: Five meters tall; dark purple scales are indestructible; triangular head capable of sonic attacks; tattered fleshy wings allow for low-altitude gliding; sharp claws can easily pierce through Bone Armor Power Armor;

- Ability Settings: Strength is 20 times that of a normal zombie; can control low-tier zombies within a hundred-meter radius; possesses a sonic roar that can shatter human eardrums; 100% probability of yielding a third-level crystal core; the crystal core contains commander-level energy, which can significantly boost an Awakened One's strength;

- Weaknesses and Limitations: The core weakness is the crystal core within the cranial cavity; it fears high-intensity sonic resonance of the same frequency; though the scales are hard, the defense at the armpits and wing roots is weak.

The Scale-Winged Commander let out a roar toward the sky, and a piercing sonic wave instantly swept across the field. Caught off guard, the soldiers covered their ears, their faces turning pale. Even the metal shells of the Bone Armor Power Armor vibrated slightly.

"Not good! Cover your ears, quick!" Lin Zhou roared, simultaneously activating the soundproofing function of his tactical helmet.

The Frenzied Furry, which had been struggling in the flames, seemed to receive a command upon hearing this roar. Ignoring the fire on its body, it lunged toward the soldiers.

Attacked from both sides!

Wang Hu's eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed a flamethrower and blasted it at the Frenzied Furry's head. "Die!"

High-temperature flames instantly engulfed the Frenzied Furry's head. It let out a shrill scream and fell heavily to the ground, its body twitching a few times before falling still. A soldier immediately stepped forward, sliced open its cranial cavity, and a pale blue second-level crystal core rolled out.

But the crisis was far from over.

Flapping its tattered fleshy wings, the Scale-Winged Commander glided at a low altitude toward the crowd. With a swipe of its claws, two soldiers who couldn't dodge in time were instantly sent flying; the Bone Armor Power Armor was like paper before it.

"Chen Hao! What's its weakness?" Lin Zhou shouted, firing his energy submachine pistol continuously. The bullets hit the scales, leaving only shallow pits.

Chen Hao's eyes were tightly shut, veins bulging on his forehead as he fully activated his perception ability. His voice trembled slightly: "Commander! There's a purple crystal core in its cranial cavity—that's the core! And... its sonic waves have a fixed frequency! If we can emit high-intensity sound waves at the same frequency, we can throw it into resonance chaos!"

"Sonic resonance?" A flash of inspiration hit Lin Zhou. He immediately looked at Wang Hu. "The power armor's sonic detectors! Can we adjust the frequency to simulate its roar?"

Wang Hu was stunned for a moment before reacting. "We can! But it'll take time to adjust, and if the power isn't high enough, it won't work at all!"

"Everyone, set your sonic detectors to maximum power!" Lin Zhou made a split-second decision. "Chen Hao, you're responsible for locking onto its sonic frequency! Wang Hu, lead the team to keep it occupied from the front. I'll look for its weak points!"

"Yes!"

The moment the order was given, the fifty soldiers in Bone Armor Power Armor immediately adjusted their equipment. Amidst the sound of buzzing electricity, waves of sound at the same frequency as the Scale-Winged Commander's began to spread out.

Sensing something was wrong, the Scale-Winged Commander let out an angry roar, and the intensity of its sonic waves surged. Several soldiers couldn't withstand it and collapsed to the ground, spitting blood.

"Hold on!" Lin Zhou roared. He circled to the side of the Scale-Winged Commander, his eyes locked onto its armpits—the scales there were indeed sparser than elsewhere.

He gripped his energy submachine pistol, aimed at the gap in the armpit, and pulled the trigger repeatedly. The energy bullets struck the gap precisely. The Scale-Winged Commander let out a pained howl, its massive body swinging toward Lin Zhou as its claws swiped at him fiercely.

At the critical moment, Wang Hu lunged forward, holding a high-energy grenade and shoving it hard into the Scale-Winged Commander's wing root.

"Commander! Get back!"

Lin Zhou immediately rolled away to dodge.

*Boom!*

A violent explosion rang out, blowing a large hole in the Scale-Winged Commander's wing root. Dark green body fluid sprayed out. It howled in agony, its body losing balance and crashing heavily to the ground.

"Now!" Chen Hao shouted. "Frequency locked! Maximum power output!"

Fifty sonic detectors activated simultaneously. High-intensity sound waves of the same frequency acted like invisible blades, stabbing fiercely at the Scale-Winged Commander.

Its body began to tremble violently. Dense cracks appeared on its dark purple scales, and a tooth-aching sound came from inside its cranial cavity. It tried to struggle to its feet, but it was firmly suppressed by the sound waves; even its roars became intermittent.

"Here's the chance!" A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Zhou's eyes. He picked up a Bone-Spike Long Saber from the ground—crafted from materials salvaged from a second-level Mutated Zombie—and leaped up. He stepped onto the Scale-Winged Commander's back and stabbed fiercely toward its triangular head!

*Pfft!*

The Bone-Spike Long Saber pierced through a gap in the scales and drove straight into the cranial cavity.

The Scale-Winged Commander let out a shrill wail. Its massive body convulsed a few times before falling completely still.

Lin Zhou panted heavily as he pulled out the longsword. A purple crystal core the size of a fist rolled out from the cranial cavity, emitting intense energy fluctuations.

System Notification: Killed Third-Level Mutated Zombie · Scale-Winged Commander x1. Obtained third-level crystal core x1. energy points +100,000. resource points +50,000. Unlocked [Sonic Resonance Tactics], [Scale Armor Defense Shield R&D Technology]!

The sound waves gradually ceased. The setting sun outside the cavern penetrated the dust, bathing everyone in its light.

The soldiers slumped on the ground, their faces pale, yet they couldn't hide the excitement in their eyes. Chen Yang walked to Lin Zhou's side, looking at that purple crystal core, too moved to speak.

Li Laoshuan and Second Pillar had long since collapsed to the ground in terror, their bodies shaking uncontrollably.

Just then, a faint cry for help came from inside the cavern.

Lin Zhou immediately led his men inside. In a corner deep within the cavern, they found over twenty survivors huddled together. They were dressed in rags and looked emaciated—these were the Beishan survivors imprisoned by Li Laoshuan and his group.

"Help... help us..." A little girl timidly reached out her hand, her eyes filled with fear.

Lin Zhou's heart softened instantly. He stepped forward and gently patted the little girl's head. "Don't be afraid. We are from Dawn City; we've come to save you."

The survivors were stunned for a moment, and then a long-suppressed sound of weeping broke out among them.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled into the cavern, illuminating the mess on the ground and the rekindled hope in the survivors' eyes.

Lin Zhou gripped the purple crystal core, knowing full well that this third-level crystal core would be the key for Dawn City to move into a new stage. With the addition of the Qingyang County survivors and the third-level crystal core, they were another big step closer to the Division Commander's promotion goal.

But he also understood that the dangers of the apocalypse were far from over. The appearance of the Scale-Winged Commander meant that Mutants were constantly evolving. In the future, even stronger enemies would be waiting for them.

In the distance, the faint sound of a siren came from the direction of Dawn City. It was the bugle of hope and the prelude to an expedition.