Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Page 273

"Commander, please note the time. NTW and Adeline have just spotted a military squad on the ground. Please move away from there and return to the safe zone as soon as possible. It may no longer be safe to stay here."

"Received, we will expedite the process."

Damn it, I can only hope that the zombies inside will go to sleep quietly after they leave and don't come running out with them, otherwise Denver city will be in for a good night.

The number of people is ultimately an objective factor that is difficult to escape. It is impossible for so many people to climb over all at once. If the weight is too great and causes the hook lock to loosen, it will cause trouble.

"Damn it, how come that flare only burned for ten seconds?!"

The hunter yelled at Yustov on the rope.

The other side was equally defiant: "Damn it, the materials we can find here are limited, and they can't even be called materials, they're garbage! Ugh, I'm freezing... Anyway, we're lucky to have anything at all!"

Tsk, but a flare that only burns for a little over ten seconds, isn't that a bit...?

Looking back, some zombies had already climbed up the gap, including a Night Demon, and they would soon catch up with the squad!

"Snipers, look behind us! Something's about to jump out!"

In the critical moment, Luo Fan used his free hand to steady the headphones and shouted.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a running zombie leaped out of the gap and was about to grab the hunter.

"Sizzle..."

P.S.: I might be a bit busy tomorrow and might have to take a day off. Sorry, I have exams next week.

393 Compensation

The towering buildings were filled with the darkness of night, the moonlight was blocked by the high walls, and a cloud of blood mist exploded in the darkness.

"Phew...just a little bit more..."

With the hunter unharmed, Luo Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What? A moving target in the air? I was pretty accurate."

NTW wiped his nose and then turned his gaze back to the scope.

The zombie that lunged out of the building was shot to pieces by NTW, turning into a pile of minced meat before its filthy hand could touch the hunter.

Before the other zombies could continue their attack on Lovan and the hunter on the steel cable, Alpha activated a flare and threw it into the gap on the other side, forcing the restless zombies back. With that, the two were finally able to safely cross the cold steel cable.

"Let's hurry back, tonight's going to be a big harvest!"

"Pfft"

Still shaken, Yustov simply took a well-sealed can of beer from the sack and drank it.

Although the process was not smooth, at least the outcome was good, and everyone was safe and sound.

......

“Well done, guys. I’m serious. This bag should last us a while.”

After the logistics staff finished counting the food in the bags, Kolensky finally smiled, but his voice was hoarse, and in the end he could only let out some harsh breathing sounds.

"Then come with me, and I will tell you everything I know."

Luo Fan shrugged. He didn't care how much he got back; he just hoped the information from the other party would be worth the price.

"I hope you can tell me something I don't know."

"Of course, if you knew all that, would you still have come all the way here to find me?"

With one hand missing, Kolensky opened the beer can with his mouth and poured almost half of it into his mouth before stopping.

Luo Fan and the girls returned to the meeting room where they had discussed things the previous night. Unlike last time, it was much cleaner.

"You ask, I answer. Tell me, what do you want to know?"

Kolensky sat down in the chair, looking much more composed.

Luo Fan didn't mince words, pulling out a chair and getting straight to the point.

"Approximately how many people are in the city? What is their distribution? What are the military outposts? What are the outposts of the guys wearing red-eyed gas masks? What is the situation around the bridge? If possible, please also describe the situation on Alfred's side."

Knowing these things will allow for better planning and help in determining which routes are safe to take and which require detours.

"Pfft"

A crisp sound of the can being opened.

Lofan turned around, and Kolensky's gaze also shifted to the area behind Lofan.

"Uh, sorry, please continue..."

Alpha tucked the beer behind him, his face full of embarrassment.

Pretending nothing had happened, Korensky once again spread a map on the table.

"Take a good look. This is a city building distribution map that we stole from the sales office. We marked the map based on what our people who went out to loot saw. The parts marked with yellow circles are the locations of the buildings where we witnessed military personnel and red-eye gas masks. Of course, it does not include the blocks, since there may be people on the streets at any time."

The group gathered around the map, and aside from the obvious distribution of buildings, there were numerous yellow circles.

It appears that the military has been present in many places, but these buildings are generally tall rather than short, so the information may not be very timely.

"You can keep an eye on things and try to avoid these places. Of course, they might have already run away, who knows?"

At this point, Kolensky's face showed undisguised disgust.

Luo Fan didn't pay any attention, and simply took out his phone to take a picture of the entire map.

It's better than nothing. At least the areas with the densest concentration of yellow circles definitely have people, which helps them clear out some dangerous areas.

Kolensky took a sip of his beer and continued, "Then there's the issue of numbers. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure, but there are definitely several thousand more. They're just hiding very well; you could even find them in the sewers..."

......

"There are many similar survivor groups besides us and Alfred, but Alfred has the most people and the best equipment. It's also because they dare to rob the military. You've seen their methods. After the airdrop arrives, they make a commotion while the military is recovering the loot, most commonly with firecrackers, to attract the Night Demons and other zombies. If the situation is worse, they can even attract those particularly tough big guys. The military personnel either run away with these things and get caught sooner or later, or they retreat before things get worse, and then they can take the loot while these monsters are chasing them."

Luo Fan and his group had already tried this method, and it was indeed very effective. The heat and fog generated by the ultraviolet flares made it impossible for the girls to determine the direction of their escape immediately. In addition, the zombie horde was very fast, so they simply didn't have the time to chase after people and could only run away as soon as possible.

Needless to say, the military, based on the other party's description and previous interrogations, mostly enters the quarantine zone in small teams to carry out missions. They are generally not equipped with more effective lethal weapons, since the priority is to remain quiet. Unless absolutely necessary, no one would want to fire a gun, let alone use grenades or grenades.

Kolenski paused, then continued, "Even horses can stumble, and the military can't always leave unscathed. There are always some unlucky ones who get caught and devoured. But zombies aren't interested in guns and bullets; they're not exactly tasty treats. Alfred's men will always find opportunities to follow the pursued military squads, and they'll even trip them up. Once the zombies scatter, they'll steal any usable equipment. And once they have the military's equipment, it'll be even easier to trip them up next time—a vicious cycle."

......

It seems that besides the military and the USS, they also need to be wary of these local bandits, after all, they are a group of lunatics who dare to rob even the military.

"So, Alfred, does he have a specific base of operations?"

After a long silence, Luo Fan finally asked another question.

Kolensky paused for a moment, then shook his head: "No, everyone is the same. No one has a specific safe zone. We move every now and then to prevent being found by the military or Red Eye gas masks, and also to prevent being robbed by others."

The veteran looked somber, staring at the empty corner, lost in thought...

394 Bridge Conditions

P.S.: I recommend playing "A Faint Gleam of Hope" by Zoey Nightingale Records for a better reading experience (save this music; you'll need it later, so remember to put it on repeat).

"We were poorly clothed, starving, and homeless. There was no hope here, only endless death and struggle. Until the very last moment, the killing never stopped. Screams echoed between the buildings, and blood was always splattered on us, whether it was someone else's or our own."

......

As a newcomer, Luo Fan dared not easily judge what the struggle here was like, but judging from the methods of Alfred's group of madmen, they were willing to fight even those with guns in order to survive.

If you're not even afraid of living, why would you be afraid of dying?

The military seems to have never given them hope either; weeks have passed, and why is the search and rescue operation still not over?

It's impossible for the military to open fire on civilians at a checkpoint without a reason, but why...?

Luo Fan frowned slightly. There were too many suspicious points here. It seemed that the military's inaction forced everyone here to do whatever it took to survive, but what was the military's purpose? What was the reason for the shark massacre? Regardless of whether they could keep it a secret, if public opinion broke out, there would be no room for maneuver in shooting civilians. The military could not have been without considering the interests of both sides.

Either the actual situation differs from Klose and Korenski's testimonies, or the military had a compelling reason to fire; they wouldn't have acted without cause...

This shark hunt was the root cause of the conflict between the military and the survivors, but as a third party, he was completely unaware of the actual situation.

Klose's angry outburst had already told them that his words were heavily influenced by personal emotions, making it impossible for Lofan to believe him completely. However, he couldn't find the answer among the survivors either; he would probably just ask anyone and get nothing but furious curses.

But...asking the military on the way back? No, that's even more impossible. Since the military has already done everything in its power to suppress this matter, and he learned about it from other sources, the military would definitely not give them a friendly look. That's out of the question. The only option is to look for clues in the quarantine zone. At least, asking the military personnel there would be much safer, because their information hasn't been exposed. But even false information is information on the train...

......

"Then let's move on to the next question, the situation with the bridge. This is the last one."

Kolensky pressed his temples hard, returned to the table, and composed himself.

"The Newinstein Bridge, 730 meters long, was a vital thoroughfare connecting Denver's urban areas before the outbreak. After the outbreak, so many people were rushing around that the bridge became completely blocked within just one hour, directly hindering the first round of evacuations. Now, the bridge is full of vehicles and has become one of the military's outposts." (PS: No need to search for this bridge; this is my original post.)

Korensky pointed to the location of the bridge on the map, which was the Neuinstein Bridge he had described.

“A municipal hospital in GRE is also on the other side of the bridge, which immediately became a gathering area. Now it's probably quite dangerous there too, but since it's not on our side, who cares…”

Wait a minute, a municipal hospital for GRE?

This was excellent news for Luo Fan; now they had another reason to go to the other side of the city.

There, they might try to find some clues or evidence about GRE and Umbrella. If the area is crowded, there will definitely be a lot of zombies, and Umbrella's own people are unlikely to be able to go in and destroy the evidence, which would give them an opportunity.

"So, what's the situation with the garrison?"

Luo Fan asked.

"Both ends of the bridge are military outposts, and there might be military personnel in the buildings near the bridge. If you want to cross, forget it. There are military personnel at both ends. If you want to cross, you can only swim across the river. The military is not monitoring the river and doesn't have time to do so, after all, the riverbank is quite long."

......

It's impossible to cross the bridge...

Swim across? Over 700 meters, even more impossible...

……

Okay, things have changed, it's time to change our approach. Besides, we haven't been in touch for a while, so Yingque probably misses me too.

"Alright then, thank you for the information. I did get quite a few things I wanted. It's getting late, so I'll be leaving now."

"and many more……"

Luo Fan was about to get up and leave, but stopped when the other person called out to him.

"Don't easily trust someone hiding behind a table, not even us."

"...I know what I'm doing."

……

"Going out at this hour in the middle of the night?"

"Yes, I estimate he won't be back for a while."

……

Without even resting, Luo Fan and the girls traveled through the night, intending to return home as soon as possible.

It's not just a temporary rest after a mission ends, but also a change in the plans to follow.

The situation will become increasingly complex and difficult. Relying on the girls of the Dark Tide Squad might not be enough. It's time to let the rebellious and AR, and 404, act together with me.

The actions during this period also allowed Luo Fan to accumulate a large number of blood points. 500 blood points for each Night Demon, which is quite a profitable business.

They're going all in to improve their individual skills and are preparing to recruit more people. Once they have enough people, they can more easily carry out the next mission.

Besides, Yingque must have been feeling really stifled during this time. When we return here next time, the time we'll have to be apart will only be longer. I should take this opportunity to spend more time with her.

With the route provided by Kolensky, the journey became much safer. Lovan and the girls returned safely to the train station and left the quarantine area by train.

"Oh, you're back alive?"

"Of course, but it's really exciting inside."

As soon as he returned to the train station, the soldiers stationed there teased Luo Fan.

Welcome back next time!

"It will come."

He had no time to put on a smiling face for these soldiers anymore; with so much information, he was exhausted in no time.

The unknown situation regarding the shark hunt made him subconsciously wary of these soldiers, but he couldn't show it too much.

On the bus, everyone fell silent; they still had to catch their early morning flight.

"Girls, I'm sorry to have you on a mission so soon after you arrived. Go back and get some rest."