Chapter 94 - 86: Forward Base 6

Chapter 94: Chapter 86: Forward Base 6

The cold rain continued to drizzle, washing away the bloodstains on the muddy ground. But it could do little to cleanse the fresh stench of blood and slaughter permeating the air.

Xu Mo stood like a statue, gun at the ready, remaining on alert for nearly twenty more minutes. Only when he was certain there were no other sounds besides the wind, the rain, and his own heartbeat, and the prickling sensation of being watched had completely vanished, did Xu Mo finally let out a slow breath. His taut muscles relaxed slightly.

He first walked over to the two headless bodies lying at the edge of the hollow. Squatting down, he ignored the gruesome severed necks and their frozen expressions of terror and began to search them quickly and professionally.

The man and woman wore a mix of civilian outdoor gear and some pieces of homemade leather armor, all of it now soaked through and caked in mud. Besides the heavy-backed machete and Mandarin Duck Short Knives they had used, and an empty utility pouch on the woman’s waist, there was nothing else. No identification, no food, not even any spare weapons.

Next, Xu Mo approached the spot where the sniper he’d shot in the head lay. The gunman was prone in a patch of mud about one hundred eighty meters from the hollow, a rifle equipped with a telescopic sight pinned beneath his body.

Xu Mo recognized it as a civilian hunting rifle. It was well-maintained but not the latest model. Its accuracy was decent, and its power was sufficient against unarmored targets. Other than the gun and two spare magazines tucked into his tactical vest, the man had nothing of value. His pockets held only half a pack of damp cigarettes and a cheap plastic lighter.

’Poor bastards...’ Xu Mo thought, his brow furrowing slightly. ’This trio’s gear is surprisingly crude. They don’t look like professional bandits or raiders from an established outpost. They’re more like desperate outlaws who risked everything on one big score.’

’They must have driven here.’ The answer came to Xu Mo as he finished looting the bodies and gathered the hunting rifle, machete, short knives, and remaining ammunition. It was hard to imagine they had traveled so far from any settlement on foot just to set up an ambush. Moreover, they didn’t even have basic camping gear or extra rations, which clearly meant they were planning to strike fast, finish the job, and leave immediately.

Carrying the scavenged weapons, Xu Mo returned to his own battered SUV. The front windshield was completely shattered, and there was a conspicuous bullet hole in the backrest of both the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The vehicle looked absolutely wretched. He took a deep breath, pulled open the door, got in, inserted the key, and gave it a gentle turn.

VROOOM—ROAR!

The diesel engine let out a familiar, steady growl. The indicator lights on the dashboard lit up one after another. Aside from the seatbelt warning light, which stayed on—its sensor likely damaged by the impact—the vehicle’s core systems seemed to be functioning normally.

’Good...’ A sense of relief washed over Xu Mo. ’It seems the sniper planned to take the vehicle and its supplies intact. That’s why he deliberately avoided critical parts like the engine, fuel tank, and tires when he fired. His main goal was to eliminate the driver. Otherwise, if even one bullet had hit the engine or the fuel tank, I’d have been forced to abandon most of my supplies and trudge through this muddy wilderness on foot.’

He shifted into gear and started moving again. The SUV dragged its broken body onward. This time, however, Xu Mo’s vigilance was raised to its highest level.

The brief, bloody ambush had taught Xu Mo a harsh lesson about just how low humanity could sink in the apocalypse. Some people might maintain a semblance of order and civility when in a group, but once freed from those constraints and set loose in this lawless land, the darkness and bestiality deep within them were completely unleashed. For the sake of survival, murder and robbery were commonplace.

’I just wonder where these three came from,’ Xu Mo mused as he drove. ’Were they a "Hunting Team" from the Jiang City Shelter? Or people from another small survivor outpost, "generating some income" on their way to Jiang City?’

The answer to that question came soon enough.

After driving for less than ten minutes, Xu Mo spotted something at a bend in the road. A grimy SUV was parked crookedly in a clearing not far from the shoulder, half of it nearly concealed by dense, withered weeds.

’That’s it.’ Xu Mo’s gaze sharpened. He slowly parked his vehicle about fifty meters away from the other SUV. He didn’t get out immediately. Instead, he picked up his AWM and used its 8x scope to survey the area.

Through the scope, Xu Mo carefully observed the SUV and its surroundings. It was a common civilian model, looked quite a bit older than his own, and its body was covered in scratches and grime. The windows were tinted dark, obscuring the view inside. Xu Mo patiently moved his rifle, scanning beneath the vehicle’s chassis, the surrounding grass, and any other potential hiding spots in the distance.

He was worried they might have left accomplices behind in the car or posted as lookouts nearby. ’After all,’ he thought, ’this thing could fit five or six people if they squeezed in. It’s not out of the question they left one or two behind as backup.’

However, after observing for five or six minutes, the view through his scope remained deathly still. He saw no signs of movement and spotted no fresh footprints around the vehicle. The SUV just sat there, all alone, as if its owners had abandoned it.