Chapter 414, Spectral Notes
Qi Hancai finished speaking.
She cautiously glanced at the passenger seat.
In the base, there was a member who seemed to have never existed—Xiaoxiao.
One of the earliest followers of Wu Heng, but no one had ever seen this member.
Upon hearing about ghosts capable of invisibility and attacking people on the radio, Qi Hancai started suspecting something.
Wu Heng's abilities were already rather sinister.
Having a ghost nearby didn't seem surprising.
Wu Heng furrowed his brows slightly at her words.
It appeared that other places had also encountered specters.
Specters, being incorporeal, were immune to physical attacks and were indeed invincible in the current context.
"The ghosts you mentioned can't stay in the physical world for long. Just avoid getting too close," Wu Heng explained.
Qi Hancai nodded, now certain.
He clearly understood such things.
This made it even more likely that Xiaoxiao was a ghost.
They exchanged a few more words.
The convoy began to slow down.
Still some distance from the North Station, scattered zombies appeared ahead.
They rushed forward but were swiftly killed by skeletons surrounding the convoy.
"Stop here. Have someone load ammunition into the wyvern," Wu Heng instructed.
"Understood!"
Qi Hancai relayed the command via radio and joined the team loading iron projectiles into the wyvern.
...…
Wu Heng waited in the car for a while.
Xiaoxiao and Glenda flew back from a distance.
"There are plenty of zombies at the station, including a Big-Head Zombie," Xiaoxiao reported, pointing to the North Station hall.
Glenda added, "There are some evolved zombies around it. Looks like they've made it their base."
Train stations were typically crowded places.
Seeing so many people there wasn't surprising.
That there was only one mutated zombie was less than expected.
"Level two or level three?" Wu Heng asked.
"Level two," Xiaoxiao replied.
Wu Heng nodded. "Xiaoxiao, keep an eye on the Big-Head Zombie. Glenda, monitor the surroundings."
"Got it," Xiaoxiao said, then added, "Uncle, when we're done, can I visit my mom?"
"Sure. I'll have the skeletons move faster so we can get there sooner."
"Hehe, Uncle, you're the best."
Xiaoxiao spun in delight and flew toward the hall.
Glenda soared skyward, scanning the area vigilantly.
...…
Both specters flew off.
Wu Heng picked up the radio. "How's the preparation coming along?"
Qi Hancai's voice came through. "Ready. We can start anytime."
Wu Heng patted the head of a skeletal hound. "Go lure the zombies over."
Woosh~!
The skeletal hound bolted forward, dashing toward the zombie horde.
As it drew closer, the zombies noticed and roared in unison.
The horde, a dark, writhing mass, began chasing after the skeletal hound.
The skeletal hound turned tail, sprinting back at full speed.
Occasionally, it glanced back, running faster with each look.
Wu Heng observed the approaching horde, noting evolved zombies among them.
Judging the distance to be sufficient, he turned to the Big-Head Skeleton. "Send out the skeletal wyvern."
Whoosh~!
The sound of air being torn apart rang out.
The skeletal wyvern soared overhead, flying directly toward the zombie horde.
Reaching above the horde, its bomb bay opened.
A deluge of iron projectiles rained down, smashing into the horde like a violent storm.
The ground shook, and dust clouds rose.
The once-crowded streets were emptied in an instant.
Only straggling zombies continued to converge, staggering toward the attack.
Swish, swish, swish~!
Arrows rained down on the horde in successive volleys.
Countless zombies were impaled, collapsing backward.
Only a few hundred zombies remained, dragging their broken bodies as they stumbled forward.
"Advance," Wu Heng commanded.
The skeletal army moved as one.
Spear tips thrust forward, forming a tight phalanx, advancing methodically.
They effortlessly slew the oncoming zombies.
The advance continued to the North Station hall.
Xiaoxiao flew out from inside. "Uncle, the Big-Head Zombie is in there, but zombies are blocking the entrance."
Through the shattered glass doors, the scene inside became visible.
A mass of zombies clogged the entrance.
They snarled at the skeletons outside but didn't charge forward.
Behind the door-blocking zombies stood the Big-Head Zombie.
Wu Heng glanced briefly before looking away. "Fight your way in!"
Clatter~!
A squad of spear-wielding skeletons charged, their spears piercing through the front-row zombies, sending blood and flesh flying.
The zombies retaliated frantically, clawing and tearing.
"Keramu, take out the Big-Head Zombie," Wu Heng ordered.
Keramu stepped into the fray, its hollow eyes locking onto the Big-Head Zombie inside.
With one hand on the ground, mist swirled around it.
In the next instant, it appeared behind the Big-Head Zombie, slashing with its longsword.
The enormous head fell to the ground, oozing pus and blood everywhere.
The door-blocking zombies fell into disarray.
The skeletons surged in, slaughtering all remaining zombies.
...…
The battle ended.
The skeletons began cleaning up the battlefield, retrieving scattered arrows.
Wu Heng radioed Qi Hancai to join him as they headed toward the train station's rear.
At the platform, they found a warehouse marked "Operations Workshop" at the end of the tracks.
Opening the heavy iron doors revealed a familiar green train inside.
It wasn't a high-speed train but an old-fashioned green train with a boxy engine.
Qi Hancai exclaimed, "There really is one! This trip wasn't wasted."
Wu Heng inspected it. "What fuel does it use?"
"I checked. It runs on diesel and can be operated normally," Qi Hancai said, patting the train.
Wu Heng entered to take a closer look.
The interior was well-preserved, having been sealed behind iron doors and untouched by zombies.
It was fully usable for their purposes.
"Secure this area and arrange for the train to be modified," Wu Heng instructed.
"Got it. I'll set it up immediately," Qi Hancai replied, heading back to the truck to contact the base via radio.
Wu Heng began collecting corpse cores and converting the remaining bodies.
He collected one level-two corpse core and four level-one cores.
It was a decent haul.
Once the bodies were fully converted,
After converting all the corpses,
Wu Heng had Qi Hancai drive him to the old factory district, where he released Xiaoxiao to reunite with her mother.
Meanwhile, he stayed in his original dormitory, teaching Glenda more about the local language and pronunciation.
By dusk, Xiaoxiao flew back.
She reentered his body, and they returned together to Gold-Silver Island.
...…
At the dinner table.
The three of them were having dinner.
Andviel spoke softly, "Master, the Old Barrel sent over two hundred gold coins, saying it was payment for the investigation. I didn't dare accept it, so I had them leave it at the guild's front desk."
Payment?
The Old Barrel was crediting the resolution of the case to him.
"Hmm, they did promise a reward. You did the right thing, Andviel."
Andviel continued, "By the way, Master, the steward was looking for you earlier. It's best if you visit him tomorrow."
"Alright! Let's head there together tomorrow."
Andviel smiled and nodded.
Minnie, chewing her food, chimed in, "Andviel, you were so loud last night. You kept me awake."
Andviel furrowed her brows. "I was in the bedroom. You're the one who was shouting, okay?"
The two girls paused and then turned to look at Wu Heng.
Wu Heng, feeling their gaze, swallowed his food and said, "I'll introduce you to her when there's an opportunity."
"Really? Master, you've been keeping secrets from us!" Minnie exclaimed.
Andviel widened her eyes and softly asked, "Do we have a lady of the house now?"
"Not at all. She's already married."
Both of them stared in disbelief.
"What? No wonder in Rentam City, you seemed to favor Sister Wen Mansa more," Minnie teased.
...…
The next morning.
After breakfast, Wu Heng and Andviel went to the guild together.
He asked Andviel to return to the study while he headed directly to the steward's office.
After a light knock, he entered the room.
"Steward, you were looking for me?"
Imiro took out an old, tattered notebook from his spatial ring. "Last time, you mentioned wanting information about nurturing specters. I found this related manuscript for you. See if it's of any help."