Chapter 164: Mobile Ward |
At the thirty-minute mark, the number of survivors Bai Mu had rescued reached eight. He noticed on the mission map that the survivors on the other side had also gathered and were moving toward the Evacuation Point. It seemed someone had organized them.
Separated by half the map, Bai Mu returned to the room and pondered for a moment before deciding to lead his group of survivors straight to the Evacuation Point. Their destinations were the same. As long as they kept moving forward, they would naturally converge. There was no need for him to cross half the map just to merge the groups. "Let's go. I'll take you to the Evacuation Point," Bai Mu declared. He plucked the Guard Mushroom from the window and returned it to his inventory.
The injured survivors supported each other, struggling to their feet, and followed closely behind him.
He assigned the Witch to bring up the rear, guarding their backs while he took the lead to clear the path.
The neighborhood was crawling with Doppelgangers. They patrolled the area with firearms in hand. Burdened with guiding eight survivors through this heavy patrol zone, Bai Mu had no choice but to slow his pace.
By combining the Guard Mushroom and the Hand of Walrider, he had developed a brand-new technique. He called it the "Mobile Ward."
He placed the Guard Mushroom onto the Hand of Walrider and sent it flying into the air, providing him with a comprehensive field of vision.
The invisible Hand of Walrider paired with the Guard Mushroom acted like an agile reconnaissance drone. Thanks to the attribute bonus from the Divine Pendant, his Spirit had reached 28 points. This extended the Hand of Walrider's operational radius by another three meters, bringing it to a total of eighteen meters.
The old buildings in this block were generally around six stories tall, with very few exceeding eighteen meters. Therefore, this combination granted him almost complete aerial surveillance. It was just like hacking the fog of war in a MOBA game—he could clearly see the traces of nearby Doppelganger activity. The only drawback was that he couldn't use this trick too frequently, as the Stamina consumption of the Hand of Walrider was simply too taxing.
The survivors didn't encounter a single Doppelganger. All they saw was Bai Mu stopping from time to time, leading them on detours, or hiding them in the ruins. The whole process felt like playing hide-and-seek with an invisible ghost, yet their journey was undeniably peaceful.
Even with fires raging all around and the footsteps of Doppelgangers sometimes echoing clearly in their ears, Bai Mu flawlessly guided them out of harm's way. It was nothing short of miraculous. Those unfamiliar with Doppelgangers might not realize how incredible this feat was, but these survivors had clashed with the monsters countless times. They knew better than anyone just how relentless the creatures could be.
Doppelgangers didn't even need electronic communication devices to relay information to one another. If spotted by just one, every Doppelganger in the vicinity would rapidly swarm the location. Moreover, on their own turf, these freaks possessed a terrifying sensory ability.
Especially in cities they had occupied, even if you were absolutely certain you remained unseen, they could pinpoint your location with radar-like precision.
To evade every single patrol squad under such conditions, where the Doppelgangers were already on high alert, was practically impossible.
Yet Bai Mu had done exactly that. The survivors quietly whispered among themselves, asking if anyone knew this extraordinarily brave comrade. Naturally, they came up empty-handed, as Bai Mu had practically appeared out of thin air.
The Script's briefing hadn't provided him with a backstory or an integrated identity. These people didn't know him, and they didn't need to. Once he completed the mission, he would return to his own community. Ultimately, he was an outsider who could only help them this one time. In the future, they would still have to rely on themselves to survive in this harsh world. Before he knew it, the fifty-minute mark arrived, and Bai Mu approached the edge of the ruined sector.
His Stamina had dropped to 50%. The frequent deployment of his Mobile Ward had drained it rapidly.
However, his combat boots were still working their magic. Whenever he stood still for more than sixty seconds to hide from the Doppelgangers, he recovered some Stamina. So far, the special effect of the Murkoff Combat Boots had restored roughly 20% of his Stamina. That was a substantial amount, a highly impressive figure. Without those boots, he wouldn't have been able to scout their path all the way to the finish line.
After using the "Mobile Ward" one last time, Bai Mu mapped out the situation at the edge of the ruins. The further out they went, the fewer Doppelgangers there were. The monsters were mostly concentrated in areas showing traces of human activity.
This included the intentionally set fire zones, as well as the areas where Bai Mu had wiped out their squads.
They were already very close to the Evacuation Point. There were no fires in this sector; it was mostly shrouded in darkness. Bai Mu waved his hand, leading the others through the rubble and out into a desolate wasteland.
He glanced at the mission map. The progress of the other survivor group was actually faster than his.
They were ahead of Bai Mu, primarily because their starting position had been closer to the Evacuation Point.
Almost all the green dots were incredibly close to the destination. However, Bai Mu noticed an anomaly: one lone green dot remained deep inside the mission map. Furthermore, it was moving at a visible speed in the exact opposite direction of the Evacuation Point.
He furrowed his brow, having no idea what was going on.
The main issue was that he couldn't keep his eyes glued to the map. Splitting his attention between the "Mobile Ward" and his immediate surroundings was already mentally taxing; he could only afford to pull out the mission map every few minutes.
The last time he checked, the green dots had been clustered tightly together, making smooth progress toward the exit. This time, one person had completely separated from the squad. 'Did they run into Doppelgangers and someone acted as bait?'
That was the only logical explanation Bai Mu could think of. He was currently treading across the barren land outside the ruins. Due to long-term high temperatures and severe drought, the surface showed signs of desertification. With every gust of wind, sand and dust billowed into the air.
[Rescued Survivors: 7]
Not long after, a system notification chimed.
With the Evacuation Point right in front of them, Bai Mu utilized the "Mobile Ward" and spotted several modified motorcycles hidden behind a collapsed self-built house. Those belonged to the survivors' comrades.
"There are people waiting to receive you behind that building," Bai Mu said, pointing ahead. "The vicinity is clear of Doppelgangers. You'll have to walk the rest of the way yourselves." With that, he turned on his heel and strode back toward the ruins.
"Sir, aren't... aren't you coming with us?" the first survivor he had rescued asked.
Bai Mu replied, "Don't worry about me. The Doppelgangers can't take my life."
He waved his hand dismissively and walked back into the sea of fire without once looking back.
That single green dot was still glowing. The person hadn't given up on themselves, so Bai Mu wouldn't give up on them either.
The survivors stood rooted to the spot, staring at his retreating back. Overcome with emotion, one of them couldn't help but raise a hand in salute, watching with reverence as his figure vanished into the distance.