Zombie Apocalypse: Reborn With A Farming Space Chapter 821: The First Level Eight Mutant ( 1 )

Deep in contemplation, Ma Boyu pressed on, "In those days, terrorists held the whole town captive, demanding $10 million from the authorities in return for releasing the people."

"Normally, resolving such a situation would drag on for ages. Yet, Captain Jin and his squad slipped into the town and liberated the hostages within under 5 hours."

"By the time the elite units showed up to disarm the explosive, it had already detonated. However, apart from the terrorists themselves, nobody got hurt. Nobody figured out back then how he pulled off saving everybody. But these days, I believe I've pieced together his method."

After an extended hush, Liu Dingchen abruptly spoke up, "Brother Ma, are you suggesting Captain Jin awakened his ability way back, years prior to the apocalypse?"

Ma Boyu gave a nod and responded, "Captain Jin possesses the power of black flames, allowing him to manipulate fire. Without that ability, there's no way he could have contained the blast's reach."

"The explosives those terrorists deployed could have wiped out the entire settlement. But when they went off, the destruction was limited to just the building's roof."

Upon hearing these details, the group traded looks among themselves.

"Whatever went down in the past stays there. With so many of us now having awakened our abilities, we're certainly no inferior to him. Concentrate on honing your skills and building power," Chen Qianxiao declared.

"Got it," the team members chorused together.

Thirty minutes passed before their military helicopter touched down on the training field. Stepping out, they were promptly guided to a chamber for thorough checks.

Addressing his squad, Chen Qianxiao instructed, "Everyone, take it easy and rest up today. We'll convene a briefing tomorrow morning at 8 sharp."

The team acknowledged with nods and headed back to their quarters. He, meanwhile, trailed the escort to Xun Che’s office. Upon entering, he noticed Wen Hanli was there too.

"Old Wen, could you grab some grub for me? I'm starving." After a brief hesitation, he tacked on, "And brew a mug of black coffee as well."

At these words, Wen Hanli inquired, "Captain Chen, you seem worn out. Haven't been catching much shut-eye recently?"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Chen Qianxiao admitted, "I haven't slept a wink in 38 hours."

With that revelation, Wen Hanli dipped his head and set off to prepare the coffee.

"What's got you running ragged like this?" Xun Che probed with interest.

"What do you think? It's all down to Erast Tolstoy’s crew. Even while begging for shelter in Lustin, they strut around like they're in charge. If I weren't showing some respect to that elder, I'd have booted them out ages ago."

"What's the trouble?"

"Post the zombie cockroach assault, while my unit was purging the urban zone, we stumbled on an underground deposit. Reaching it, the crystal vein was stripped bare, though we spotted remnants of black crystal within."

"Black crystal? Like the stuff the Phantom Team hauled from Luyang City?" Xun Che questioned.

Chen Qianxiao unzipped his pack and pulled out a tiny fragment of black crystal. It sat encased in a petite glass container, tightly sealed.

Catching sight of it, Xun Che approached and settled next to him. He grasped the jar and examined it intently.

"It's identical to that crystal. To date, our experts have only determined that its energy is far purer and more potent than what's in a standard crystal core."

"From intel one of my guys dug up, this crystal is precisely why those insects overran our world," Chen Qianxiao explained.

His statement hung in the air, prompting a brief stillness from both before Xun Che remarked, "I've long puzzled over why the Facility dispatched loads of advanced mutants to Lunar City. Plus, the zombie cockroach strike felt suspiciously timed. If snatching the black crystal mine was their aim all along, it all clicks into place."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Chen Qianxiao answered, "The real headache is those stubborn elders. They stubbornly claim my squad and the security you dispatched swiped the black crystal. They're pressing us to surrender it."

"And how's Lustin handling this mess?" Xun Che inquired.

"He's backing us up, naturally. Only idiots would buy that we extracted that much crystal in mere days."

Wrapping up his account, he fished out his mobile and displayed the images. Though calls and web access were off-limits, the device still worked for snapping photos or filming clips.

The instant Xun Che glimpsed the mine's scale, astonishment hit him. "A massive vein like that lay concealed right beneath Lunar City."

Chen Qianxiao affirmed with a nod, his brow furrowed as he added, "Based on its dimensions, the crystal yield must be at minimum tenfold that of Luyang City's find. Our current worry isn't those seniors—it's figuring out who made off with the haul."

Even though these crystals functioned much like crystal cores as power supplies, they held the potential to dramatically amplify a whole base's might. Should the Organization get hold of them, the peril they faced could dwarf their worst fears.

After some quiet reflection, Xun Che stated, "I'll confer on this with Old Wen and the others. You need to crash properly for a couple of days."

Right then, Wen Hanli came back bearing a tray. He set it down on the desk and announced, "Captain Chen, here's your food."

Chen Qianxiao sampled the coffee first, then dug into his meal. Alongside a serving of fish porridge sat two hard-boiled eggs, a glass of soymilk, a dish of fresh strawberries, and three charred sausages.

Munching away, he wondered aloud, "Old Xun, when did soymilk become available in our base?"