My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 916

916: Chapter 916 The Situation 916: Chapter 916 The Situation The sight lit a spark of excitement among the guards, like wanderers spotting an oasis after a long trek through the desert.

Moments later, Vulture and his team reached the front of the shelter.

“Who are you people?” one of the guards called out, his tone sharp but wary, clearly trying to ensure they weren’t a threat.

“We came from City B’s HOPE Base.

We’re here at Adam’s request…” Vulture explained openly, holding nothing back.

After all, it was the truth, and it was impossible these people weren’t already aware of Adam’s plans.

Sure enough, once his words settled, the crowd exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward toward Vulture.

In response, Vulture retrieved a copy of the mission notice, one that had been entrusted to the STAU for safekeeping, and handed it over.

The guards carefully examined the document, confirming that their leader had indeed issued a bounty to eliminate the mutated zombies threatening their hunting grounds and, more importantly, their very lives.

After inspecting the notice, the guard who had stepped forward glanced back at his comrades inside the gate before shouting, “Open the gate and let them in!” The heavy gates creaked open, and the guards ushered Vulture and his team inside.

Still, the guard leading them couldn’t help but eye the newcomers with curiosity; the way they carried themselves, the sharpness in their eyes, and the sheer aura they exuded made them seem formidable, almost intimidating.

Once Vulture and his group crossed the threshold, the gates closed firmly behind them.

Without wasting time, Vulture gave a subtle signal, and his team moved swiftly, stepping onto the platforms and assuming vigilant positions.

Their disciplined actions, however, made the shelter’s residents tense up instantly.

To the onlookers, it seemed less like guests entering peacefully and more like Vulture’s group was staging a takeover of their shelter.

But before anyone could speak, Vulture cut in firmly.

“There’s a situation.

We should discuss it inside, and in the meantime, let my people guard the perimeter.

That way, the mutated zombie won’t get close to anyone inside the shelter.” His words struck like a hammer.

At once, the crowd trembled.

They had been pretending not to know, putting on brave faces, but deep down they were all painfully aware of the lurking horror nearby.

That was why Adam had placed a bounty at HOPE Base in the first place, desperate for outside help.

Now, with Vulture openly confirming it, their carefully constructed façade began to crumble.

Fear gripped their hearts, stripping away the mask of strength they had clung to, leaving them feeling exposed… and terribly vulnerable.

When Adam left, everyone had already resigned themselves to the possibility of death.

That was why he had hidden rations in the most unexpected corners of the shelter, emergency supplies for anyone who might escape if disaster struck.

The people here had long been aware of the mutated zombie’s presence, but fear kept them silent.

They dared not acknowledge it openly, afraid that any sign of awareness might provoke it into a massacre.

After all, their shelter was filled with vulnerable children and the elderly.

Most of the young ones were children from the kindergarten.

Their parents had rushed here at the start of the apocalypse, clinging to the faintest chance of survival.

Many children had perished in those chaotic first days, yet some lived thanks to the courage of their teachers, men and women who, with remarkable bravery, shielded the children or lured the zombies away to buy them time.

The parents then secured the kindergarten as their refuge.

Among the survivors were also grandparents, who had been visiting that day, bringing snacks and lunchboxes.

The teachers prioritized them too, unwilling to abandon anyone under their care.

Many of the teachers themselves were parents, and that maternal instinct drove them to protect the children with everything they had.

Because of these sacrifices, many of the young survived.

But not all.

Some children were infected.

And in a shelter where a single zombie could doom them all, there was no choice but to kill the ones who turned.

Parents who could not bear it often chose to leave with their child, only to die outside the gates.

Others stayed and fought on, driven by desperate hope that one day, an antidote might be found.

Yet, hope was a cruel thing.

An antidote was not something that could be created in days or even months.

And so, the survivors lived on, scarred by grief, forced to witness this brutal cycle of loss and sacrifice again and again.

Just when they thought the worst of their torment was over, another blow came.

A month later, they discovered that the zombies were evolving, growing stronger, and that the town could no longer provide enough supplies without forcing them to pass through the most dangerous zones.

The breaking point came when one parent’s son, who suffered from heart disease, urgently needed medicine.

Their local hospital had none; the facility had been under reconstruction before the apocalypse, part of the town’s plan to upgrade into a city.

With no options left, Adam’s team made the painful decision to venture farther.

Their destination was City B, the nearest major city to the Port City.

Known as a bustling business hub and home to several government offices, it offered their best chance of finding the boy’s medicine, along with badly needed supplies and, hopefully, firearms for protection.

But who would have thought their desperate search would lead them to stumble upon the base in City B, only to discover its newly opened trade route for outsiders?

There, they realized everything they could ever need was available, as long as they could pay with crystal cores.

For a brief moment, hope bloomed.

They thought they had finally found a way to survive.

Yet that hope was quickly shadowed by a terrifying truth: the zombies were evolving.

Suddenly, it made sense why so many high-risk danger zones surrounded their area, why scavengers who ventured in rarely returned alive.

Their visit to HOPE Base gave them the answers; they learned not only of mutated zombies but also about many things they should know, and so, they realized that a mutated zombie had been watching them all along, herding them like sheep trapped in a pen.

Adam’s instructions were clear: they had to act as if they knew nothing, hide their fear, and focus on protecting the children while he and the others sought help.

HOPE Base’s warriors were rumored to be powerful, most of them awakened ability users, and Adam believed they were their only chance.

Since then, everyone had been clinging desperately to that fragile hope.

And now that the very people they had been waiting for had finally arrived, relief hit them so hard it almost brought them to tears, joy mixed with trepidation.

When Vulture suggested they speak inside, the crowd instinctively parted, opening a path for him and his group.

Their second-in-command-the one who held authority whenever Adam was away-personally led them deeper into the shelter, straight to the former principal’s office.

Once a place of learning, it had since been converted into their meeting room, chosen for its soundproof walls that promised their discussions would remain a secret.

The second-in-command guided Vulture to the head seat, a symbolic gesture of respect.

Beside him stood only Rakan and a handful of his subordinates, acting as his personal guard.

Their intimidating presence wasn’t accidental.

Vulture had chosen them for this entrance deliberately, following Sparrow’s advice: they needed to project strength.

The goal was clear: HOPE Base had to be seen as both powerful and fearsome.

Only then would shelters like this one surrender their allegiance willingly, not as burdens clinging like parasites, but as subordinates pledging loyalty.

To achieve that, intimidation was necessary.

Fear would lay the foundation, and from there, respect would follow.

After a brief silence, Vulture finally spoke.

“As I mentioned earlier, we came here to help clear out the mutated zombie.

But it seems there’s… an issue.” He pulled out his walkie-talkie, pressed the button, and spoke into it.

“Sparrow, we’re inside.

Tell me, what happened that required us to come in?” The radio crackled before Sparrow’s voice came through.

“Good.

Earlier, while keeping watch, I saw the mutated zombie circling the shelter right under everyone’s noses.

It’s grown so familiar with the guards’ rotations and the people’s behavior that it acted with sheer arrogance; it even dragged a guard off the wall in broad daylight and pulled him straight into the forest.” “That alone shows how confident it’s become.

And the worst part?

It didn’t kill him immediately.

Instead, it dragged him away slowly… as if savoring the hunt, feeding off the terror it left behind.” As Vulture lifted his gaze, he caught sight of the second-in-command trembling like a leaf, his face pale as paper.

Even some of his most trusted people wore the same stricken look.

Sparrow’s voice came again, calm but heavy with weight.

“So, I suppose what we’re dealing with is no ordinary mutated zombie, but an intelligent one.

As I recall, the Young Madam marked these types as a top priority for elimination; they’re the closest to evolving into a Zombie King if left unchecked.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS GoddessKM Please ADD <MY 100th REBIRTH A DAY BEFORE THE APOCALYPSE> to your LIBRARY to be notified when the update is posted.

Thank you!!!

Please don’t forget to cheer me up by voting with Powerstone and Golden Ticket!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation.

Give me more motivation!

Also, I might get delayed in the update as I am also updating my new novel < THE RETURN OF THE CANNON FODDER TRILLION HEIRESS>