Chapter 554: Locking Down the Base

From the very beginning, only the two of them knew about this matter. Even Cassia Quinnie didn’t know their true purpose. How could the captain of the Stellarys Team in front of them know everything so clearly?!

Looking at Lucas Holden’s expression and Evander Sullivan, who still wanted to argue beside him, Ian Chandler was now certain that what Nina Jacobs had just said was spot on. Standing to the side, Sherry Renner was still trying to process the situation. So, these two brawling troublemakers came to their bureau to take shelter from a disaster, and Nina managed to drag them into the light?

"It wasn’t hard to find out, because I don’t believe in the saying that ’a person’s words are kind when death is near,’" Nina answered Lucas’s unspoken question.

Just as she had said earlier, this matter had been suspicious from the start. The person Caleb Carter rescued was someone completely devoid of superpowers, someone who had never left the base to kill zombies. That alone was doubtful. The other Superpower Users of the Ignis Team were all dead, yet Cassia survived.

There was kindness in the apocalypse, but as time passed, most of that kindness would turn into apathy or even hatred. Caleb thought Cassia’s dying words were born of gratitude, which was why he believed them without a doubt. But it was precisely this trust that nearly cost him his life.

"You fat pig, I told you to pick someone else to mess with!

"You just had to insist that people with attachments are the most obedient. You idiot, I’ll kill you!"

Evander suddenly lunged viciously at Lucas, biting off his right ear in one go!

However, in the very next second, he was frozen in place on the spot.

"What a vicious thug," Sherry remarked. She activated her Ice Element Superpower, completely freezing Evander’s body right where he stood.

"Your Superpower hasn’t regressed at all," Nina praised. She had heard that although Sherry rarely left the base to fight zombies, her skills hadn’t grown rusty because she practiced daily on the inmates at the Enforcement Bureau.

"Hehehe, thanks for the compliment. I call this move ’Frozen Evil Doer,’" Sherry said.

"So who exactly are the people that kidnapped Caleb and the other Space Superpower Users?" Holden Shaw asked. He looked at Lucas, who was rolling on the floor in agony, with nothing but anxiety in his eyes—there wasn’t a trace of pity. He desperately needed to know.

"Save me, save me...

"Right, painkillers, I have painkillers..."

Lucas’s face was flushed red from the pain, and suddenly, a medicine bottle appeared in his hand.

The moment Nina saw the bottle, realization dawned in her eyes.

"Take what’s in his hand!"

At Nina’s command, Holden reacted swiftly and snatched the medicine bottle away. Seeing this, Sherry quickly used her Ice Element Superpower to freeze all of Lucas’s movements.

"Is this medicine?" Holden asked, handing the item to Nina.

"Ian, get someone to lock down the base immediately. From this moment on, no one is allowed in or out," Nina ordered, staring intently at the bottle in her hand.

It was exactly identical to the Holy Water she had obtained halfway on her journey. To think that the supplies Spencer Sullivan and his group received were related to the Holy Water!

"I’ll go right now!" Seeing Nina’s expression, Ian knew this matter was far from simple.

"I’ll take you." Chase Gallagher grabbed Ian, hoisted him onto his back, and used his Speed Element Superpower to dash outside.

Sherry and the others were still in a state of confusion.

"Why are we locking down the base all of a sudden?" Sherry asked.

"Just in case," Nina replied with a faint smile.

Although she already had a premonition that these two matters might be connected, seeing it with her own eyes made even her look forward to what would unfold. She had initially prepared for two scenarios: on one hand, Chase’s investigation, and on the other, the base’s record inquiries.

Inside the administrative building’s council chamber.

Daniel Hale was conducting a sandbox simulation based on the intelligence gathered by the rescue teams, combined with the detections from his Spiritual Element Superpower.

"The zombie horde coming from the northwest has been completely cut off today. For the next few days..."

Justin Lawson was listening to Chester Pearson’s report with a stern face when the conference room door was suddenly kicked open.

"Ian, what are you doing here?" Myra Lawson, who was standing nearby, asked. She remembered that her son had been following Nina for the past two days to investigate a dispute involving a Superpower User team. The reason she let Ian tag along with Nina was so that he could learn a thing or two.

"Sorry for the intrusion, everyone. This is an emergency. I am requesting an immediate lockdown of all the base’s entrances and exits," Ian stated.

"Lock down the base? Why?"

"Yeah, there haven’t been any reports of danger outside," several people voiced their doubts.

Seeing Chase standing outside the door, Myra walked up to Ian and asked, "Is this Nina’s idea?"

Ian nodded. "Yes."

Myra looked at Justin. Although neither of them knew what was going on, they didn’t hesitate any further. Justin immediately notified the relevant personnel to seal all the entrances and exits of the City D Base.

They were actually locking it down? Everyone present unanimously looked toward Daniel.

Chester asked, "Hale, what exactly is going on?"

"How about... we go and see?" Daniel indicated that he was just as clueless.

"Everyone, please stay calm. A temporary lockdown won’t cause any losses to the base. Go and inform the various departments first to prevent public panic," Myra ordered the crowd. She herself was preparing to follow Ian and Chase to see what exactly Nina had discovered.

However, just as the group stepped out of the council chamber, they heard the sounds of explosions and fighting coming from the distance.

"That direction is... the base’s main gate? Is someone trying to force their way into the base?!" Chester exclaimed. He then realized that Chase and Ian had already disappeared from sight.

At the base’s gate.

Timothy Renner was loudly reprimanding several people who were trying to rush out.

"The base gate is temporarily sealed! No one is allowed to enter or leave without permission!

"Please turn back immediately!"

A row of gate guards stood behind Timothy. They had closed the main gate the moment they received the Base Commander’s orders.

"We just got word that our companions are in danger outside, and we need to rush to their rescue!

"Can you bear the responsibility if you delay us?!"

More than twenty men and women stepped out of three vehicles. One of them, a short woman, questioned him angrily.

For some reason, Timothy had an intuitive feeling that there was definitely something wrong with these people, even though he didn’t know why the base was locking down the gates. Thus, he refused to yield.

"If someone is in danger, you can report it. The base’s rescue team will not just sit back and watch. But regardless, you cannot leave right now."

"The base isn’t a prison! What right do you have to restrict our personal freedom?"

"Exactly! Is the City D Base going to openly place us under house arrest?"

"Let us out immediately, or don’t blame us for getting ugly!"

Just then, a man dressed in a black hoodie stepped forward. Although he didn’t speak, Timothy detected a trace of a dangerous aura radiating from him. With a mere wave of the man’s hand, the ground right in front of Timothy suddenly caved in!

"Are you openly defying the base?!" Timothy dodged quickly, but he could still feel that the ground beneath his feet was entirely under this person’s control.

This man was undoubtedly at the Intermediate level and possessed formidable strength. Who exactly was he?

"If you know what’s good for you, let us pass." The man’s words were somewhat stiff. Several massive stone boulders materialized around him as he spoke in a hostile tone, "Otherwise, even the walls of your City D Base won’t stop me from breaking through!"

"What arrogance! Try it, then!" Timothy immediately issued a command. These people were clearly intending to force their way out.

BOOM!

The stone boulders hurled toward the gate, but they were blocked by Timothy’s Gold Element Superpower. However, the moment they made contact with the Metal Shield, the boulders abruptly exploded!