Chapter 143 - 106: Document

Chapter 143: Chapter 106: Document

Time slipped by quietly amidst his disciplined routine of observation and training. Before he knew it, fifteen days had passed since Xu Mo had been stationed at Fortress C-07.

As usual, after completing his morning observation, Xu Mo promptly turned on the radio to give his daily report.

"C-07 calling Command. Today’s observation report: Zombie population is fluctuating cyclically, currently in an accumulation phase. Visual count is approximately two hundred seventy to three hundred. Have spotted three Agility Type variants and one Strength Type. No other anomalies. Report complete."

He delivered the report smoothly and waited for the usual "Copy that" before ending the call.

However, today was different. After a brief silence, the voice that came back over the radio wasn’t the cold confirmation he expected. Instead, it was a somewhat young voice, tinged with helplessness and confusion:

"C-07, this is Command. Report logged. And, uh... Xu Mo, pardon me for asking, but have you by any chance not turned on the laptop you were issued since you arrived at your post?"

Xu Mo’s hand, holding the transmitter, paused. He was stunned.

’A computer?’

He answered automatically, "Yes. The staff informed me it was for future network communications and daily entertainment, so I haven’t used it."

A thought flashed through his mind: ’Could it be that the computer is for more than just entertainment?’ ℴ

Sure enough, the voice on the other end, tinged with an "I knew it" tone, advised, "Xu Mo, a bit of entertainment and relaxation can make the time pass faster. You might want to take a look. Over."

The hint was so obvious that Xu Mo immediately realized he must have missed some crucial information. The staff member’s casual description had probably been a deliberate understatement to downplay its importance.

"C-07, roger that."

After ending the call, Xu Mo strode over to the console beside the radio, where the black laptop sat quietly. He pressed the power button. The screen lit up, and after a brief boot-up, the desktop appeared.

The desktop was very clean. Other than a few system icons, there was just one strikingly conspicuous document file named "[Fortress Garrison: Mission Briefing and Notices]."

Xu Mo took a deep breath and used the touchpad to open the document.

A massive amount of information instantly flooded his vision.

The beginning of the document contained a detailed introduction to the garrison mission, which was identical to what he already knew. However, the content that followed made his expression turn grave.

The section on auxiliary missions clearly stated that garrison personnel were sometimes required to cooperate with investigation teams carrying out special missions in the Red Star Industrial Zone, providing them with temporary supplies, a place to rest and recuperate, and necessary intelligence support.

There was also a document about new communication channels. It specified a brand-new, more highly encrypted frequency, requiring all future reports to be switched to that channel. To Xu Mo’s greater surprise, the document also revealed that a regional walkie-talkie was stowed in a hidden compartment under his bed. This device was for short-range communication with personnel in the other fortresses within the Red Star Industrial Zone.

Upon reading this, Xu Mo immediately rose and returned to the bedroom. He lifted the mattress and, just as described, found a cleverly hidden compartment in the middle of the bedframe. Inside, a sturdy, military-grade walkie-talkie lay waiting.

"So that’s it. This is the complete communications setup." Xu Mo picked up the walkie-talkie, feeling its substantial weight. ’Jiang City obviously hopes for the isolated fortresses to form a small, mutually supportive information network.’

Carrying the walkie-talkie, he returned to the computer and kept reading. What he saw next energized him.

It was a zombie database. The document dedicated a huge section to detailed descriptions of all officially confirmed zombie types, including the specific characteristics, behavioral patterns, and weakness analyses for the Agility Type, Strength Type, and Venom Type, as well as confirmed intelligence that they could evolve by devouring one another. This information perfectly validated his own observations and theories.

Furthermore, the document revealed Jiang City’s zombie classification system to Xu Mo for the first time:

Common Zombie: Slow-moving, basic walkers.

Mutant Zombie: Has undergone some mutation, but the power increase is limited, not enough to be incorporated into the tiered system.

Level 1 Zombie: Agility, Strength, and Venom Types fall into this category. They possess one or more abilities that significantly surpass those of Common Zombies and pose a massive threat.

Level 2 Zombie: Evolved from Level 1 Zombies, with all abilities significantly enhanced. A new type has also emerged—the "Zombie Leader." The data suggested this type is suspected of possessing abilities akin to Mind Control or guidance, enabling it to influence and even command Common and Level 1 Zombies within a certain radius.

Level 3 Zombie: Not yet encountered by the Jiang City Shelter, but their existence is confirmed through intel shared by other shelters. These zombies experience explosive growth in size, their abilities undergo a qualitative transformation, and they begin to develop rudimentary intelligence, making them an exceptionally terrifying presence.

The files included not only text descriptions but also numerous clear images and even short video clips, instantly raising Xu Mo’s understanding of zombies to a new, systematic level.

Finally, the document briefly touched upon the root of the problem in the Red Star Industrial Zone. The data showed that the zone had once been completely cleared by Jiang City, and personnel had even been sent in to try and resume some production. But overnight, a massive number of zombies had inexplicably poured out of the ruins in the core area, as if from some invisible "source."