CapĂtulo 1006: Zombie Control
It took several days before Bismarck could finally gather the Night Raiders.
The elite strike force of the Overlord Clan had grown really bored over the past month.
With zombie activity dwindling, their missions had slowed to a crawl.
No waves to intercept, no hordes to ambush, no rival clans daring to trespass into Overlord territory. After all, the Overlord Clan was Rank 2 on the leaderboard. Because of that, their banners alone were enough to keep most enemies at bay.
Without battles to fight, the Night Raiders had scattered into odd jobs and personal pursuits aside from training themselves and finding Zombies to slowly gather Experience Points.
Some had taken to guarding caravans, escorting merchants, including those of Neutral Shelterâs Merchants, across dangerous roads for extra cores. After all, not all items could be placed within the Systemâs inventory.
Others also worked in the mines, lending their strength to haul ore and reinforce tunnels. It was also giving them great exercise after all.
A few had even turned to construction, helping build watchtowers and fortifications in the northern camps.
One pair of brothers, known for their reckless streak, had gone out exploring ruins on the edge of the wastelands, hoping to uncover forgotten caches of weapons or scrolls. Another trio had been seen gambling in the taverns⊠Their armor traded for casual clothes, laughing as if the apocalypse had never happened.
They were still warriors, but without missions, they seemed to have dulled.
Then came the signal.
It was at this point that their expressions changed.
The signal was only an announcement within the Clan Chat⊠If the message wasnât for a specific group, it would not be understood by other members.
This way, they could avoid having spies know their movements.
Soon, some of the Night Raiders read the announcement, and they immediately knew what it meant. It was a summons from their commander.
But gathering them was not easy. Some were days away, deep in ruins or escorting caravans. Many of them werenât even in a position to monitor the Clan Announcement unless they checked it themselves.
Bismarck realized this as wellâŠ
Because of that, to ensure that they would gather in a few days, he sent people to get them!
Messengers had to be sent!
Of course, these messengers were merely Pets or Creatures controlled by one of their Communications officers.
Slowly, one by one, the Night Raiders returned.
By the time they assembled together, nearly a week had passed.
Bismarck stood waiting. The third eye on his forehead glowed faintly, a mark of his mutation and his strength. He was a veteran of countless battles, known for his brutal method of claiming lives and unwavering loyalty to Lancelot.
When the last of the Night Raiders arrived, Bismarck raised his hand, silencing the chatter.
âYouâve all heard the rumors,â he began, his voice deep and commanding. âOur outpost on the eastern shoreline has been annihilated. Hendryxâs group is gone. The fishing zone that supplied us thousands of kilograms of food every five days⊠lost.â
The Night Raiders seemed unconcerned since they have many other sources of food like the systemâs Nourishment Store.
However, it would be a problem for many other production-type Survivors or those people from Recruitment Stones.
Still, they knew the value of that outpost. Without it, the clanâs food reserves would dwindle, and morale would suffer.
Bismarckâs gaze swept across them.
âLord Lancelot believes it was taken by an army of Survivors. Hendryx had Zombie Lord summoning scrolls, trained fighters⊠Whoever defeated them was no ordinary band of scavengers.â
He paused as he looked at their reaction.
âThis is war. Lord Lancelot has ordered us to take it back. The Night Raiders will march to the eastern shore, reclaim the outpost, and crush whoever dares to challenge the Overlord Clan.â
The courtyard erupted in murmurs. Some were eager, fists clenched, ready for battle.
However, others didnât like the fact that they barely hand any information about the enemyâŠ
It means that they have to be wary of the unknown enemy. They need to investigate it a bit more before attacking it completelyâŠ
Thankfully, a few of them had such skills, but they needed to get closer to the Outpost first.
Bismarck slammed his fist into his palm, silencing them again.
âI donât care if itâs a clan, a coalition, or some hidden army. We will find them. We will destroy them. And we will raise the Overlord banner over that shoreline once more.â
The Night Raiders straightened as they felt Bismarckâs oppressive AuraâŠ
His Third-Eye wasnât just for display after all.
It was giving off a very subtle but powerful pressure to those around himâŠ
âLetâs do it, Captain!â
âWeâre not going to lose⊠I hope we get a decent reward.â
âIâm always ready, Captain Bismarck.â
The Night Raiders felt excitedâŠ
They were the Overlord Clanâs shadow, its blade in the dark.
Each of them had strong Talents ranging from Epic to Legendary⊠Furthermore, even before the Apocalypse sent them here, they were working as assassins, soldiers, mercenaries, and even a few of them were criminals who had been imprisoned in the previous worldâŠ
Lancelot had gathered them all without caring about their pasts⊠With his leadership, he forged them into a unit feared by all.
Now, under Bismarckâs command, they would march again.
Preparations began immediately.
Supplies were loaded, weapons were swiftly prepared, and their armor was repaired if needed.
Of course, scouts were dispatched to chart the safest route to the shoreline. The Night Raiders then moved following this path.
It would take them several days to reach the outpost. The journey would be long, and the enemy unknown. But nonetheless, the Night Raiders were coming.
***
The Night Raiders set out under Bismarckâs commandâŠ
At first, their bikes carried them swiftly across the cracked highways and broken bridgesâŠ
They had enough diesel, so they easily moved through the wasteland. But the roads soon ended. Pavement gave way to dirt, then to very rough terrain that was swallowed by weeds and rubble. Reluctantly, they stored their bikes in their System inventories and continued on foot.
The march was slower, harsher.
Though the number of zombies had dwindled in recent months, the ones they encountered were far more dangerous.
The first threat came in the form of Smoker Zombies.
âLet me handle their smoke.â Bismarck said as his third eye, which had telekinesis, worked really well against the cloud of smoke.
They had bloated lungs that spewed thick clouds of toxic gas, choking the air and forcing the Raiders to scatter.
They immediately pulled their masks out of habit.
Although they trust Bismarckâs ability to control the smoke, their training took overâŠ
Nonetheless, Bismarck didnât feel offended and just nodded at their actions.
Soon, blades flashed in the haze, and assassins darted forward to slit throats and pierce hearts of the Zombies.
They won after fighting for a few minutes, but this certainly slowed their pace.
After all, their battle attracted the attention of some other Zombies around, and they were slowly following the commotion that they had created.
âIgnore the weaker ones⊠Just move forwardâŠâ
***
Later, in the ruins of an abandoned village, they faced the three-eyed zombies. These creatures had uncanny perception, spotting movement even in shadows, and of course, stealth was useless.
So the assassins in their group didnât have the advantageâŠ
However, since the Zombies werenât all that strong, it didnât matter.
Even if the Raiders were forced into open combat, their talents allowed them to become unstoppable.
Shadow chains bind their limbs, their explosive daggers blind the creatures, and Bismarck himself could crush their skulls with brute force. Victory was theirs, and they were only being delayedâŠ
Two days into the march, the hunters became the hunted. A pack of Super Hunter Zombies stalked them across the hills, moving so swiftlyâŠ
They were faster and stronger than ordinary hunter Zombies since they had higher intelligenceâŠ
âTsk⊠When did these Super Hunter Zombies appear around here? What are those Patrols doing on their jobs?â Bismarck frowned.
After all, their Clan would normally send a Level 30 to Level 40 group of Survivors to patrol various areas to help them level up and control the Zombie Population as well.
It may not be very useful for those Level 50 or 55 or above, but those weaker Survivors needed such experience.
Unfortunately, it seemed that they were taking their jobs seriously.
These Super Hunter Zombies shouldnât be lurking around this area, as those people who needed to transport resources like fish, salt, and various herbs should not get stopped by these Zombies.
âAlright⊠I confirmed their numbers⊠There are only 22 of them, Sir BismarckâŠâ Hanzo, one of the assassins of the Night Raiders, finally confirmed the number of Super Hunter Zombies.
Hearing this, Bismarck thought for a moment and decided that it would be a waste to kill them all. Perhaps, they might be useful considering the speed of these Super HuntersâŠ
âGood⊠I will use my Zombie Controlling Scrolls.â Bismarck said as he thought of using the Zombies to regain control of their Fishing Zone!
happy holidays!