Global Shelter Game

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Chip

With the explosives planted, the riders wasted no time, immediately mounting their motorcycles and starting to withdraw.

Their movements were highly practiced; they had clearly done this kind of thing often.

As the roar of the motorcycles faded, the entire convoy was consumed by the brilliant flash of the explosion.

The resulting fireball was enormous. Even from their position some distance away from the Steel Brotherhood’s convoy, Bena and his team could still feel the sonic boom.

The explosion generated a massive amount of dense smoke that hung in the air, forming a dark, oppressive pall.

Bena watched the mysterious convoy depart swiftly, the once-swarming mutated creatures trailing right behind them. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"Zhou Mei, go check the area. See if they left any lookouts behind."

Zhou Mei gave a slight nod, and her figure vanished into the night.

Half an hour later, Zhou Mei reappeared before the group.

"Bena, we’re in the clear. They’re all gone and didn’t leave any lookouts behind. Not even a single mutated creature is left. It was a clean getaway."

Bena nodded, but he didn’t let his guard down just because the enemy had withdrawn.

"Everyone, hold your positions. Don’t make any sudden moves."

’They’ve retreated, but there’s no guarantee they didn’t leave a trap behind.’

"Neil, Hawke, Number 2—you three go check the wreckage. See if you can find any useful supplies."

"Zhou Mei, keep an eye on our surroundings. Make sure we don’t get ambushed."

"Understood."

The four of them acknowledged the orders and set about their tasks.

Bena himself continued to scan the area, his eyes sweeping back and forth across the smoldering wreckage.

’They may have pulled back, but I doubt they’ve given up.’

’They went to such great lengths to attack the Steel Brotherhood’s convoy. It was clearly for those black cases.’

’What could be in those cases? Why are they so important to them?’

Bena was filled with questions.

’If we want to get to the bottom of this, we have to find those cases.’

’But now obviously isn’t the right time. We need to wait for the right opportunity.’

The minutes ticked by as Bena and his team waited quietly inside the abandoned building.

Outside, amidst the ruins, Neil and Hawke meticulously searched through the explosive debris.

The blast had been powerful, but not all of the supplies had been destroyed.

After all, the convoy’s entire purpose was to transport goods, most of which had been packed in various containers.

They found some abandoned weapons and gear, along with other scattered supplies.

It wasn’t a huge haul, but it was better than nothing.

They also managed to harvest a good amount of useful tissue from the mutated creatures’ carcasses.

Meanwhile, Zhou Mei was on patrol, her eyes and ears peeled for any sign of movement.

’In this wasteland, danger is everywhere. We have to stay vigilant at all times.’

Just then, Bena’s comms bracelet suddenly buzzed.

He raised his wrist and saw a message from Ye Yun.

[Bena, how are things on your end?]

...[Delay]

Bena replied immediately:

[Administrator, we’ve dealt with the pursuers. We’re safe for the time being.]

[But we’ve encountered something unusual.]

[A Steel Brotherhood convoy was attacked by mutated creatures. We think it’s highly likely the creatures were being controlled.]

...

Ye Yun’s reply came quickly:

[Did you intervene?]

Bena:

[No. As per your instructions, we remained concealed.]

[Besides, they were extremely strong. If we had engaged rashly, we likely would have been in danger.]

Ye Yun:

[Good. You did the right thing.]

[We can’t risk exposing ourselves until we have a clear picture of their strength.]

[Your top priority right now is self-preservation. Ensure the safety of your team.]

...

Bena:

[Understood, Administrator.]

[We’ll maintain our hidden position and await further orders.]

...

Ye Yun:

[Alright, hold your position and keep me updated.]

[I’ll analyze the intel and determine our next move as soon as possible.]

...

Bena:

[Yes, Administrator.]

After signing off with Ye Yun, Bena felt his resolve harden.

’He knew that in this wasteland, constant vigilance was the only way to survive.’

’And as team captain, it was his responsibility to lead them toward a safer future.’

「Half an hour later.」

Neil, Hawke, and Number 2 returned to the hideout.

Bena surveyed the salvaged supplies and nodded in satisfaction.

’Honestly, even though most of the convoy’s supplies had been incinerated and the most valuable black cases taken, these mere scraps were more than enough for a feast.’

’It just went to show the massive gap between a major faction and a small outfit like theirs.’

’Even the crumbs dropped by a major faction were a feast for a small outfit.’

Bena was still lamenting the loss of the destroyed supplies and the stolen black cases.

Just then, Neil abruptly placed the carcass of a small mutated creature in front of Bena.

Bena stared at the carcass on the ground, a puzzled look on his face.

Before he could even ask, Neil answered his unasked question.

"Look at the back of its head!"

With a light nudge of his boot, Neil flipped the creature over so the back of its head was facing up.

Neil’s discovery stunned Bena and the others.

They crowded around to get a closer look at the back of the mutated creature’s head.

Following Neil’s direction, Bena spotted a tiny, well-hidden device embedded in the creature’s skull.

"What is this thing?" Bena asked.

Neil’s expression grew grim.

"If I’m not mistaken, this is some kind of control device. It’s likely used to control the creatures’ movements and attacks."

Bena frowned.

"You’re saying these creatures’ attacks were being deliberately controlled?"

Neil nodded.

"Most likely. Look at this—the craftsmanship is too precise. It’s not like the crude, handmade junk you usually find in the wasteland. This looks more like some kind of high-tech product."

"The device on that big one was already removed. Same for most of the other small creatures—if the device could be taken, it was."

"My guess is this is a special product from some pre-Cataclysm organization. There can’t be many of them, and they probably can’t be mass-produced."

Zhou Mei chimed in, "If these creatures are really being controlled, then our enemy is even more dangerous than we thought. They don’t just have powerful mutants on their side; they have the ability to command them."

Bena fell silent for a moment, then made his decision. "We have to report this to the Administrator immediately. Neil, carefully remove that device. We’re taking it back for study."

Neil acknowledged the order and painstakingly removed the control device from the creature’s skull. He wrapped it carefully and handed it to Bena.

Using his comms bracelet, Bena reported the new discovery to Ye Yun.

Upon hearing the news, Ye Yun immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

He ordered Bena’s team to remain concealed and to send the control device back to the shelter for analysis.

Following Ye Yun’s instructions, Bena and his team began to carefully withdraw from the abandoned building, taking care to avoid alerting any potential enemies. They followed a concealed route and slipped away from the area unnoticed.

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