Chapter 259: Mechanisms

"Our lives are what’s important. Nothing else matters."

"Let’s just get out of here first,"

Kael Dolan said.

He could see that someone had deliberately set up traps here.

The traps were clearly poisoned; the people who had just died began to convulse within seconds.

It was the prelude to zombification.

The traps hadn’t stopped, and even if they forced their way through, there were likely more waiting for them.

"Damn it! I bet that guy from City D did this on purpose."

"He only told us there were supplies here and nothing else!"

Irene Palmer cursed.

Kael Dolan’s expression was just as cold.

The immediate priority was to get to a safe place. They could figure out the rest later.

But this set of traps was clearly not as simple as they had imagined.

One of the blades struck a panel on the wall. The panel immediately flashed, and a wave of unlocking beeps came from the dust-covered cars in the garage.

"What was that?"

One by one, the car headlights flared to life.

Then, volleys of Gold Spikes suddenly shot out from beneath the cars’ chassis.

"Defense!"

Kael Dolan yelled.

The cars had seemed to be parked randomly, but now the Gold Spikes they fired left no blind spots.

If he hadn’t brought so many Gold and Earth Element Superpower Users, they would have been riddled with holes by now...

Meanwhile, Nina Jacobs had already taken the opportunity to reach the B1 level.

’Traps?’

To avoid being spotted, she was currently hiding inside a cable shaft in the wall.

Listening to the chaotic din from the B2 level, Nina Jacobs didn’t dare to venture out.

However, it was because of this that she discovered the cable shaft connected to the floor below.

Bundles of cables ran up from below and continued on to the floor above.

Beneath her feet was a solid floor slab.

The Earth Element Superpower began to flow at Nina Jacobs’s command.

In just a moment, the floor slab had crumbled away.

After confirming there were no traps or other dangers below, Nina Jacobs gripped a thick bundle of cables and jumped down into the next level of the shaft.

Another floor slab blocked her way.

In this way, Nina Jacobs used her Earth Element Superpower to successfully reach the B3 level.

Inside the B3 garage, an entire row of boxed supplies stacked against a wall collapsed.

Only then did Nina Jacobs climb out of the cable shaft.

’No wonder no one noticed this place.’

The access door to the shaft on this level was completely blocked by crates of supplies. The person who set the traps must have overlooked it.

The sound of the collapsing supplies didn’t attract any zombies, but Nina Jacobs didn’t dare let her guard down.

There were no lights on the B3 level.

Nina Jacobs stood where she was and took out several fully charged portable lights.

Once the area was illuminated, she carefully surveyed her surroundings.

The entire B3 level was packed full of supplies.

Not daring to move recklessly, Nina Jacobs sent a few of her Little Zombie Rats scurrying across the floor in all directions.

Sure enough, the sound of metal striking metal came from one area.

Nina Jacobs could feel that she had lost Control of one of the rats.

’Its body must have been destroyed.’

’So there are still traps down here.’

Nina Jacobs immediately used her system’s one-touch collection function on the supplies in front of her.

After a large swath of supplies vanished into her storage, the items on the floor finally came into view.

It was a dozen or so small bear traps.

As Nina Jacobs got closer, she noticed that the traps all reeked of rot.

Just like the traps on the B2 level, they had been coated with the zombie virus.

And her Little Zombie Rat had been crushed into a bloody pulp by one of them.

The one-touch collection function had a considerable range, but the underground garage was even larger.

Nina Jacobs simply took out a spare vehicle and started driving through the garage, collecting supplies as she went.

Even so, it still took her over twenty minutes to collect everything.

[Mission "Zero-Cost Shopping 43" detected as complete. Mission reward has been issued.]

After putting the spare vehicle back in her storage, Nina Jacobs returned to the cable shaft.

She climbed back up, following the thick bundle of cables.

She wasn’t sure if Kael Dolan’s group had escaped, but judging from the sounds coming from upstairs, it seemed more people had arrived.

But that wasn’t her concern right now. She had to find a way to get out of here...

Outside Zenith Plaza, a disheveled Kael Dolan stared at the new arrival.

Only three people remained behind him: Irene Palmer and two Gold Element Superpower Users.

His force of over two hundred people had been reduced to just these three.

Seeing their state, the man who stepped out of a vehicle asked with feigned surprise,

"Mr. Dolan, what happened to you? Where is everyone else?"

"Tyson Hughes, you knew there were traps down here."

"You set me up on purpose, didn’t you?"

Kael Dolan’s fists were clenched tight.

As the leader of Falken Base, when had he ever been schemed against like this?

"Now you’re just wrongly accusing me."

"Didn’t we agree to meet at ten o’clock? It’s just now ten."

"Oh, I see. Mr. Dolan, you went in early?"

Tyson Hughes feigned a look of sudden realization.

"Tsk, tsk. And here I was, suggesting we clear out the zombies together."

"I never thought you’d be in such a hurry, Mr. Dolan. You didn’t even give me a chance to join you."

"Enough!"

"My people have already killed all the zombies down there."

"I don’t care how you get in, but I’m getting a share of the weapons and ammunition in there."

Kael Dolan said, his face dark.

"Of course, of course. We’ve known each other for seven or eight years, after all."

"Shall we go down together, then?"

"Only... Mr. Dolan, you can’t be as impatient as you were just now."

Tyson Hughes waved his hand and, with a smile, started walking toward the entrance.

Meanwhile, on another side of the plaza that no one was watching, Nina Jacobs had already used her Speed Element Superpower to make a quick getaway...

「Three days before the Superpower User tournament.」

Myra Lawson finally returned.

Several others returned with her.

"She wants to see me?"

Nina Jacobs was in the courtyard, petting a dog.

Adrian Shaw stood in the shadows, watching the scene. "You’ll find out when you get there," he said.

"I’m just here to invite you."

"Since you’re giving me so much face, I suppose I have to go right now."

Nina Jacobs stood up, washed her hands, and spoke.

"Don’t worry, I doubt it’s anything bad."

"Oh, right, you probably haven’t heard. Hugo Crawford is about to be executed."

Adrian Shaw and Nina Jacobs spoke as they walked through the base together.

Wayne Warner trailed behind them, a lollipop Nina had given him in his mouth.

"I know. Sherry told me."

Hugo Crawford had asked to see her, but she refused.

’She had nothing to say to Hugo Crawford.’

"Finally, one huge thorn in our side is gone."

"But we still don’t know who Melody Barron contacted to be her getaway."

Adrian Shaw said with regret.

Heath Chandler went to Vaelen Road, where Melody Barron said she’d be, but he came up empty-handed.

"If that person has a goal, they’ll definitely show up again,"

Nina Jacobs said.

Even if Melody Barron hadn’t died, her contact wouldn’t have been easily exposed. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have needed to make so many preparations.

"You’re right. The enemy is in the shadows while we’re out in the open."

"We’ll just have to wait for them to surface."

Adrian Shaw led Nina Jacobs into the administration building, only for a voice to cry out, "I’ve found you! The beautiful Miss Jacobs!"

The man spread his arms, walking toward Nina with an enthusiastic smile and a look of pleasant surprise.

"You seem to know a lot of people,"

Adrian Shaw remarked.

The man was clearly not a Draconian.

"I ran into him when I was collecting solar equipment. He’s an Aeridorian from City F."

Nina Jacobs was confused. ’How did Icarus Golding end up here?’