Chapter 187: PAW Patrol

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: PAW Patrol

"I’m all for that!" Aaron Palmer’s eyes lit up. "Whenever there’s new tech in the future, we should definitely get our vehicles modified to boost our combat effectiveness!"

Lynn Shelby nodded calmly and added another piece of news. "The research institute also discovered a type of mutated chameleon. They secrete an extremely rare mucus that grants temporary invisibility to anyone covered in it, even evading detection from zombies of the same order.

"However, these chameleons are incredibly scarce and exceptionally cunning. The government has posted a permanent S-rank mission specifically recruiting people to capture them alive."

The group’s expressions softened significantly upon hearing this.

These mutated animals didn’t just bring danger; some could actually be utilized by humanity. This realization gave everyone a bit more hope for the future.

At noon, the main convoy didn’t stop for a break. Everyone stayed in their vehicles, making do with a simple meal of bread and water.

To maintain travel efficiency, the convoy pulled over every hour. This allowed the drivers to rotate and rest, while also giving everyone a chance to step out for a quick bathroom break. Each stop was strictly kept under ten minutes before they immediately hit the road again.

After all, most people hadn’t slept well the previous night. Aside from those on guard duty, everyone else had spent their free time leaning against the truck walls, dozing off for a few hours to barely catch up on sleep.

Just before dusk, the convoy finally arrived at a large service area. The vehicles parked in neat rows, and everyone stepped out to set up camp for the night.

As soon as they got out, the freezing wind whipped snow pellets against them. Combined with the stiffness from sitting so long, people let out groans of "OUCH" and shivering GASPS of discomfort.

Luna Dawson was no exception. She rubbed her numb backside and pounded her aching lower back, taking small, shuffling steps to relieve the discomfort of sitting for too long.

Every time Kevin Keane saw Luna like this, he couldn’t help but want to give her a massage... but as soon as the thought arose, he immediately shook his head to banish the idea.

"Colonel Grant, I have a serious suggestion!"

Clutching a mini massage hammer, Luna shuffled toward Francis Grant, continuously pounding her back. Her slow, unhurried demeanor made her look exactly like a retired grandpa.

"When is the base going to open a bathhouse? If the masseuses are good, I’ll get an annual membership right away. I’d gladly hoard extra points for that!"

Watching her elderly health-preservation routine, Francis felt both helpless and amused. Hearing her speak so righteously about a "massage parlor," he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am!" Luna said confidently. "Before the apocalypse, so many people made a living off these skills. Now that the base is stable, ordinary people should be encouraged to start businesses. It creates value and drives the circulation of points. Besides, I’m a loyal resident who has invested millions of points into the base. I definitely count as one of your VIP clients, right?"

"Alright, VIP Client Luna," Francis agreed, holding back a smile. "I’ll pass this suggestion along to the head of the trading center."

Afterward, Francis dispatched three to four hundred Superpower Users to clear out zombies within a two-to-three-kilometer radius of the camp, eliminating all potential threats. The members of the Sunset Squad naturally weren’t going to pass up a chance to collect Crystal Cores, so they eagerly tagged along, acting like the ultimate overachievers of the troops.

The camp itself was a flurry of activity—distributing overnight supplies, pitching tents, and inspecting the perimeter security. After about an hour of bustling, all the tents were finally set up.

Luna, however, directly released her villa from her spatial storage. She took Rollo and Little Tiger, the two little ones, out to the open clearing for a snowball fight.

Snow pellets flew through the air amidst continuous laughter. In no time, Luna was glowing with heat from the exercise. She stopped playing and scooped the two panting rascals into her arms, burying her face into them for a vigorous rub. The fluffy texture was enough to melt anyone’s heart.

For this journey, one military truck had been specifically designated to transport mutated animals.

Aside from three military dogs, a poodle, and Tina, the cargo bed even housed a mutated parrot.

The handlers and the owners of these mutated animals all rode in this truck. Fortunately, since mutated animals could freely shrink their sizes, the interior remained quite spacious and comfortable, far from the unbearable crowding of the other military vehicles.

Among the three military dogs, two were majestic German Shepherds radiating a dominant, unapproachable aura, while the third was a docile Labrador. They all lay obediently by their respective handlers’ legs, exceptionally well-behaved.

The German Shepherd with more black fur on its face was named Shadow, while the one with predominantly tan fur was War Tiger. The Labrador, formerly a professional search and rescue dog, was named Pax.

Nowadays, all three military dogs had reached the Second Order. Shadow’s superpower was speed enhancement, War Tiger possessed a fire-based superpower, and Pax had a strength mutation.

Luna had learned all this information from Nancy Sullivan when she first brought Rollo over to visit.

At the time, the two had only exchanged a few words before Nancy was called away to distribute supplies. Before leaving, she had specifically asked Luna to help keep an eye on Tina.

It turned out that Nancy was responsible for distributing supplies to the last dozen military trucks. Because of this, Luna hadn’t known until now that there were other mutated animals traveling with them on this journey.

Luna’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the three military dogs, her gaze overflowing with adoration.

Three large basins of fresh Aberrant Beast meat were set beside the truck. Yet, without a feeding command from their handlers, the three military dogs remained completely motionless. They neither approached the food nor barked anxiously. They truly embodied perfect discipline—sitting when told and eating only when permitted, without even an extra wag of their tails.

Luna couldn’t help but marvel, "They are way too obedient and adorable!"

On the other side, Rollo had already run up to Tina to goof off and roughhouse.

The three military dogs merely glanced at the two of them before immediately withdrawing their gaze. They resumed their focused guard beside their handlers, completely unbothered by the two fiercely playing little ones. Their discipline was impeccable.

However, Luna felt a bit annoyed when she noticed a small poodle in the same truck. Its curly fur had gone ungroomed for so long that it almost looked like a walking mop.

It wasn’t that she thought it was ugly; rather, the rat-faced little dog just naturally gave off an obnoxious vibe.

Back in her old neighborhood, a retired lady used to frequently walk two off-leash poodles. Those dogs had mastered the art of bullying others while relying on their owner’s presence. Whenever they encountered other dog walkers in the community, the two poodles would run around and provoke them. It wasn’t until one time they charged right up to Luna, and their blatant provocation pissed off Rollo. Rollo bit one of them, crippling its leg, and only then did the owner learn to use a leash.

Luna was so annoyed and angry back then that she wanted to kick the dog to death and throw a few thousand bucks in the lady’s face to just buy the dog’s life outright.

Fortunately, the other dog-walking neighbors reminded her in her fit of rage that she probably wouldn’t need to pay any compensation, and that they should call the police to handle it.

After the police arrived and checked the surveillance footage, they saw that the retired lady’s two poodles were unlicensed and off-leash. They directly slapped her with a five-hundred-yuan fine and issued a strict warning, ordering her to complete the dog registration procedures within five days.

The surrounding neighbors who walked their dogs cheered in satisfaction, while Luna strolled home leisurely, having saved the money she would have spent buying the dog’s life.

As Luna reached the edge of the camp, she noticed that the young boy who owned the poodle kept casting frequent glances in her direction.

Looking at the poodle again, it first noticed the majestic presence of the three military dogs before turning to size up Rollo. Rollo had its ears drooping, a dopey grin plastered across its big face as it bared its teeth, looking entirely docile and easy to bully.

The poodle immediately perked up its ears. It looked like it wanted to bark but didn’t quite have the guts to do it loudly.