Down under, down thousands of feet, ran tunnels through remnants of the old train station and those passageways none knew. The winding path taken by Shen Mu as Jian Wu walked ahead showed streaks of light giving rise to shadows down the moist walls of concrete. It reeked of a smell of mold and rust: constant reminder of after this apocalypse nature resumed its own control, reclaimed from humans whatever they abandoned.
Jian Wu turned to Shen Mu as they reached a secret chamber. "You gotta see what we got before we go after the Fangs," he said, pointing toward an old table, where scattered were maps, surveillance logs, and salvaged radios.
Zhao Ling studied the map before her, tracing the crude red ink markings. "Supply caches. Patrol routes. Even guard rotations." Her frown deepened. "You've been watching them for a long time."
Jian Wu nodded. "For months. But we didn't have the firepower to do anything about it. Until now." His eyes locked onto Shen Mu.
Shen Mu studied the map quietly. The Crimson Fangs managed vast sections of the ruins; he had reckoned they would but hadn't envisioned how vast. Their forces did not consist of a ragtag band of freebooters; it was an established army, gaining strength day on day. Left to their course, they soon would dominate the entire other places of life upon the land.
"How many men do they have?" Shen Mu asked.
Jian Wu exhaled. "At least a hundred, spread across multiple outposts. Some are more fortified than others, but the main base is built inside an old military compound."
Luo Qi scoffed. "Figures. They're hoarding old-world weapons, aren't they?"
Jian Wu confirmed with a nod. "Guns, explosives, even armored vehicles. We've intercepted their convoys a few times, but never enough to cripple them."
Already the mind of Shen Mu was racing. The resistants had only the numbers of the people to its advantage, no fire power and on the contrary his fortress offered a lot fire power but badly needed trained fighting personnel. Shen Mu would indeed erase the Crimson Fangs but let survivors join and, building into the place a force impenetrable.
"We have to act soon," Shen Mu said. "If they have supply convoys, we hit them first. Cut off their resources, starve them out. Then, we move on their key outposts before they can regroup."
Jian Wu smiled. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."
Zhao Ling frowned, though. "We are still outnumbered. If they realize we're attacking, they'll retaliate hard."
She turned to him. "That's why we make sure they never get the chance."
[SYSTEM UPDATE: QUEST OBJECTIVES MODIFIED]
"Enemy at the Gates" (Stage 3)
Objective: Ambush a Crimson Fang convoy and secure its cargo.
Reward: Reinforced Armored Transport Vehicle, 600 System Points.
"Fortress Expansion" (Stage 2)
Objective: Recruit at least 20 skilled survivors to strengthen defenses.
Reward: Tier-2 Automated Sentry System, 800 System Points.
Shen Mu's eyes narrowed. The system was doing more than pushing him to victory; it was laying groundwork for something far, far bigger.
Jian Wu pointed to a mark with an "X" on the map. "There's supposed to be a supply convoy that's scheduled to move through here at dawn. Food, weapons, medical supplies. Taking that would be devastating."
Shen Mu nodded. "Then we move before they do."
The air grew thick with smoke and the stench of burning metal. The skeletons of skyscrapers rose before the darkened night sky, where at a distance stood the ruins of a city. Shen Mu, Zhao Ling, Luo Qi, and a small fragment of resistance fighters waited behind the wrecked carcass of a vacant bus in still silence.
This is when the convoy would finally be arriving at their location any minute now.
Luo Qi adjusted his grip on his rifle. "I still think this is risky. If even one of them escapes, we'll have a war on our hands."
Shen Mu's voice was calm. "We already do."
A faint rumble grew in the distance. Headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the cracked pavement as a convoy of three armored trucks rolled down the ruined highway.
Jian Wu whispered, "Wait for it…"
The lead truck hit the first tripwire.
A deafening explosion ripped through the air, and the vehicle flipped onto its side in a ball of fire. The second truck had quickly screeched to a halt, but before its occupants could react, gunfire had erupted from all sides. Bullets tore through the night, hitting the vehicle's tires and shredding at its armor.
Shen Mu slid through with the practiced fluidity of one long in the practice, closing distance with careful accuracy. His pistol spoke twice, and two Crimson Fangs dropped before they could even react. Zhao Ling was right on his heels, knife flashing like a blur of motion as she took out another foe with cold, efficient cruelty.
The third truck backed up, but Jian Wu's forces had littered the road with debris. The soldiers inside were hardly able to react before grenades exploded among them, reducing the last vehicle to twisted metal.
In three minutes, that was it. The entire convoy was destroyed.
Shen Mu went through the rubble, making sure no Crimson Fangs remained. "Take everything. We take what we want and burn the rest."
Luo Qi whistled as he opened one of the crates by prying it open. "Jackpot. Guns, ammunition, rations. This is enough to supply an army."
Jian Wu smiled. "Then let's build one."
[SYSTEM REWARD: REINFORCED ARMORED TRANSPORT VEHICLE ACQUIRED]
As Shen Mu watched the resistance fighters stuff the supplies into the captured vehicle, he couldn't help but gaze toward the distant ruins of the Crimson Fangs' territory.
This was only the start.
The real battle was going to begin.