Chapter 222 - 133: Strange Beast

Chapter 222: Chapter 133: Strange Beast

Early in the morning, Xu Mo washed up and put on a set of army-green combat fatigues.

As for his gear, Xu Mo opted for a lightweight yet powerful loadout: an AWM sniper rifle on his back, an AK-47 slung across his chest, and a TT33 pistol in a quick-draw holster at his waist. A Mountain-Cutting Saber and three magazines hung from his belt.

His backpack contained two days’ worth of compressed rations, water, spare ammunition, and some miscellaneous items. The entire loadout weighed around twenty-five kilograms, a balance that ensured sustained firepower and survivability without hampering his mobility.

Before heading out, Xu Mo stood in the courtyard for one last inspection. Only after confirming everything was in order did he close the gate.

...

The temporary assembly point outside the East Gate was located in a cleared-out plaza. The area, once a stretch of ruined shops, had been flattened and compacted. A few dark green military tents were now pitched there.

When Xu Mo arrived, forty to fifty people had already gathered in the plaza, standing around in groups of two and three. The air was thick with the mixed smell of tobacco, sweat, and leather.

Xu Mo could tell that the crowd was a mixed bag. There were well-equipped survivors like himself, wearing tactical gear from various sources, and there were ordinary, able-bodied residents dressed in work clothes, carrying crude machetes, spears, or even homemade spiked clubs.

There were also some who looked like former military or police personnel. Although their uniforms were mismatched, their posture and the look in their eyes were clearly different.

The vast majority of the gathered people were men, but there were a few women, mostly accompanying male teammates.

"Xu Mo, over here!" a familiar voice called out.

Xu Mo turned and saw Liu waving at him from in front of a tent. She had changed into a more practical set of work clothes and was holding a tablet and a paper roster.

Xu Mo walked over. Liu quickly checked her roster. "ID 802561, Xu Mo, D-class survivor. Alright. Your mission is a routine patrol in Buffer Zone G-2 Sector. Two-person teams, six-hour shifts." She looked up, pointing to a nearby makeshift registration desk. "Go over there to pick up a walkie-talkie and today’s route map. They’ll assign you a partner."

A few people were already lined up at the registration desk. When it was Xu Mo’s turn, a staff member wearing glasses verified his Authority Card and handed him a military-grade walkie-talkie, a laminated area map, and an orange armband printed with a number.

"The channel is preset. Press to talk, release to listen. You must report to the command station every thirty minutes. The report format is: ’G-2, location X, all clear,’ or ’G-2, location X, contact Y, engaging.’ If there’s an emergency, press the red button. That’s the emergency channel." The staff member spoke rapidly, having clearly recited this speech many times. "Wear the armband on your left arm; it’s for identification. Your partner is..."

He looked down at the pairing list on his tablet. "Zhang Yun, female, D-class survivor. She’s already here. Over there." He pointed to a figure leaning against a broken concrete pillar at the edge of the plaza.

Xu Mo followed his gaze and saw a woman who looked to be in her early thirties. She wore a set of faded but clean urban camouflage fatigues and combat boots similar to his own. She was about five-foot-five, with a lean, toned build, her short hair held back by a simple black headband.

What stood out most was the rifle slung over her back—a Type 56 semi-automatic. The weapon was well-maintained, though its wooden stock showed a few signs of repair.

Her stance was relaxed but alert, her calm eyes scanning the crowd.

As Xu Mo walked over, she noticed him too. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the AWM on Xu Mo’s back before moving to his face.

"Zhang Yun?" Xu Mo spoke first.

"That’s me." Her voice was a bit hoarse, but clear. "You’re Xu Mo?"

"Right." Xu Mo nodded. "Looks like we’re partners starting today."

The two of them sized each other up for a few seconds. Zhang Yun’s gaze swept over Xu Mo’s entire loadout—the professional sniper rifle, the well-maintained AK, the standard tactical harness, and the kind of calm eyes that only come from truly experiencing life-and-death battles.

Although her expression didn’t change much, Xu Mo could sense that her attitude had become a bit more serious.

"Nice gear," she commented simply, then pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "Smoke?"

Xu Mo shook his head. "I don’t smoke."

Zhang Yun lit one for herself, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke through her nostrils. "Shall we head out, then? Have you looked at the route map?"

Xu Mo unfolded the laminated map. Their patrol area was marked out with a thick red line, and within it, three patrol routes were drawn with thin lines, marked in blue, yellow, and green.

"The green line is today’s route." Zhang Yun leaned in, tapping her finger on the map.

"Starting from the assembly point, we follow this abandoned county road east for three kilometers, then head north, loop around these old residential ruins, and finally return to the start from the south side. The whole route is about eight kilometers, and we’re required to finish it within six hours, including breaks and observation time."

Xu Mo carefully studied the markings on the map. Along the green route, there were several preset observation points marked with numbers.

The route avoided known major ruin concentrations—where zombies were likely hiding—but passed through some open farmland and areas with low-rise buildings.

"Understood." Xu Mo folded the map. "You taking point or am I?"

"I’ll take point." Zhang Yun stamped out her cigarette butt. "I’m a little more familiar with this area; I patrolled it once last week. You follow behind me, watch our flanks and our six."