15: Sonic artifact, twin conspiracy

Chapter Fifteen: Sonic Secret Weapon, The Twin Towers' Dark Plot

The faint light of dawn pierced through the clouds, plating the dilapidated city with a hazy golden edge. On the base's steel perimeter walls, the bloodstains had already been washed clean by the rain. The muzzles of the defense towers remained aimed at the distance, the signal lights atop the communication tower blinked with a rhythmic glow, and the panels of the solar Power Generator Station rotated slowly in the morning light, absorbing every thread of energy.

Lin Zhou stood before the window of the command room, his fingertips tracing over the core intelligence recovered from the Raven Society sub-leader. The handwriting on the paper was crooked, yet it clearly recorded the secret of how the Crow God controlled the zombies—the sonic resonator. This device could emit specific frequencies of sound waves to interfere with the zombies' central nervous systems, making them obey the controller's commands and even forcibly inducing the birth of Mutants.

“sonic resonator...” Lin Zhou muttered to himself, his gaze falling on the final page of the intelligence. “At the top of the Twin Towers, there isn't just the main resonator, but also three backup units. This is exactly what the Crow God relies on to control tens of thousands of zombies and believers.”

Su Mei walked into the command room, holding a glass of purified water which she handed to Lin Zhou. “The Mechanic has already studied it. These sound waves are ineffective against humans, but they have a massive impact on zombies. If we can destroy the resonators, the Raven Society will collapse from within.”

Lin Zhou took the glass and drained it in one gulp, the cold liquid dispelling the fatigue of the night. He looked at the system panel: 3685.5 metal points and 310 power—enough to support a large-scale assault. In the Level 2 War Factory, grizzly tanks and armored personnel carriers were lined up neatly; in the Level 2 Barracks, the trained Rocket Troopers and Police Dogs were ready to go. Wild Wolf's mercenary group had also seen a significant improvement in discipline after several days of training.

“We can't just charge in blindly.” Lin Zhou pointed at the Twin Towers on the Radar screen. “There are tens of thousands of zombies there, guarded by three Tier-2 Elite Types, and a defensive line of Raven Society believers on the outskirts. If we force our way in, even if we win, the casualties would be too high.”

Su Mei nodded and walked to the Radar screen, her fingertip tracing over the red dots surrounding the Twin Towers. “The intelligence says the resonator's range is one kilometer. As long as they are outside this range, the zombies will return to a state of chaos. We can first cut off the external power supply lines to lower the resonator's power, then send a strike team to infiltrate the top floor and destroy the main resonator.”

“This plan is feasible.” Lin Zhou's eyes lit up. “Additionally, most of the Raven Society's believers are brainwashed refugees. We can use the communication tower to broadcast, exposing the Crow God's true face and shaking their morale.”

The two immediately began formulating a detailed operational plan. Step one: Wild Wolf would lead the elites of the mercenary group, driving armored personnel carriers to the rear of the Twin Towers to cut the power lines. Step two: the communication tower would continuously broadcast the crimes of the Raven Society to break the believers' will. Step three: Lin Zhou and Su Mei would lead the Rocket Troopers and grizzly tanks to draw the attention of the zombies and believers from the front. Step four: a strike team would be dispatched to infiltrate the top floor of the Twin Towers amidst the chaos and destroy the sonic resonators.

With the plan finalized, Lin Zhou immediately issued commands through his walkie-talkie: “All combat units, assemble at the base square in ten minutes! Wild Wolf, take your men to check the armored personnel carriers and weapons. Scarface, lead the Machine Gunners and Police Dogs to handle the frontal feint. Old Zhou, organize the construction workers to repair equipment and prepare for follow-up support!”

“Yes!” Responses came one after another from the walkie-talkie.

Ten minutes later, over three hundred combat personnel were lined up neatly in the base square. Ten grizzly tanks roared as they drove out of the War Factory, followed closely by twenty armored personnel carriers. The Rocket Troopers carried their launchers, their gazes as sharp as eagles, while the hounds of the Police Dogs barked at the sky, their momentum like a rising tide.

Lin Zhou stood on the hatch of a rhino tank, his gaze sweeping over the lined-up soldiers as he said in a deep voice, “Today, we are going to take down the Raven Society's nest! The sonic resonators in the Twin Towers are what the Crow God relies on to control the zombies! By destroying them, we can completely dismantle this cult! For the base! To survive!”

“For the base! To survive!” the soldiers roared in unison, their voices echoing through the clouds.

The convoy slowly drove out of the base, heading toward the Twin Towers in the city center. Along the way, zombies heard the roar of the convoy and lunged forward, only to be blown to pieces by the grizzly tanks' cannon fire and the Rocket Troopers' missiles. An hour later, the silhouette of the Twin Towers appeared in their vision.

Two skyscrapers, each a hundred meters tall, stood side-by-side like two hideous behemoths, with the sonic resonators at the top emitting a faint hum. Around the buildings, tens of thousands of zombies were gathered in dense clusters. Their eyes were no longer cloudy but carried a hint of eerie fanaticism, clearly under the control of the sound waves. Raven Society believers stood behind the zombie horde, clutching rifles and machetes, their faces wearing expressions of numbness.

“Wild Wolf, move out!” Lin Zhou growled into the walkie-talkie.

Five armored personnel carriers immediately broke off from the convoy and drove toward the rear of the Twin Towers. Wild Wolf sat in the lead vehicle, his eyes scanning the surroundings alertly; as long as they found the power lines, they could cut the resonators' energy source.

Simultaneously, the base's communication tower began broadcasting. The crimes of the Raven Society, the secret of the Crow God's control over the zombies, and the tragic fates of the brainwashed believers were transmitted across the entire region via radio waves. The believers' faces gradually turned pale, and the numbness in their eyes was replaced by doubt and fear. Their formation began to loosen.

“Fire!” Lin Zhou seized the moment and ordered the frontal feint.

Ten grizzly tanks fired simultaneously, their shells whistling as they flew into the zombie horde, blowing huge craters into the ground. The Rocket Troopers' missiles fell like rain, and explosions erupted one after another. Although the zombies were controlled by sound waves, they could not withstand such fierce firepower and began to fall into chaos.

Scarface led the Machine Gunners and Police Dogs in a charge. The roar of machine guns and the barking of dogs intertwined. The believers' defensive line retreated steadily, with many throwing down their weapons and turning to flee.

Just then, a sharp hum suddenly emanated from the top of the Twin Towers. The sonic resonator's power surged instantly, and the previously chaotic zombie horde immediately restored order. They hissed and lunged at the convoy like a tidal wave. Three Tier-2 Elite Type zombies also charged out from the horde: one covered in hard rock armor, one with massive wings, and one whose body was as soft as rubber, allowing it to easily dodge shell attacks.

“Not good! The resonator's power has increased!” Su Mei's voice carried a hint of urgency. “Wild Wolf hasn't succeeded yet!”

Lin Zhou's expression changed, and he immediately ordered, “Rocket Troopers, prioritize the Tier-2 Elite Types! grizzly tanks, cover the Machine Gunners' retreat!”

A rocket trailed fire and accurately hit the Rock Elite Type, but the violent explosion only left a few shallow marks on its armor. The Flying Elite Type flapped its wings and lunged at the Rocket Troopers, its sharp claws instantly shredding the bodies of two soldiers. Meanwhile, the Rubber Elite Type wove nimbly through the shelling, constantly approaching the tanks in an attempt to entangle the tracks with its body.

The battle instantly turned into a stalemate, and the convoy's casualties began to mount. Lin Zhou watched the approaching zombie horde with extreme anxiety. Just then, Wild Wolf's voice came through the walkie-talkie: “Boss! We found the power lines! We've cut the main power! The resonator's power is dropping!”

Lin Zhou felt a surge of joy and immediately shouted, “Everyone hold on! The resonator is about to fail!”

As soon as he spoke, the humming atop the Twin Towers gradually weakened and finally vanished completely. Losing the sonic control, the zombie horde instantly fell into chaos. They stopped attacking the convoy and instead began to slaughter each other, devouring their own kind. The Raven Society believers were even more utterly defeated, throwing down their weapons and kneeling to beg for mercy.

The three Tier-2 Elite Types lost the sonic control, and their eyes returned to a cloudy state. They hissed and lunged at the nearest biological beings, only to be blown to pieces by the prepared Rocket Troopers and tank fire.

“Strike team, follow me!” Lin Zhou opened the hatch and jumped down, gripping the Fire Axe that had been fused with bone blade fragments, and charged toward the entrance of the Twin Towers. Su Mei followed closely with ten elite Rocket Troopers, their target being the sonic resonators on the top floor.

The zombies and believers inside the building had lost their command and were in complete disarray. Lin Zhou's Fire Axe possessed an armor-piercing effect; every swing could split open the skulls of several zombies. Su Mei's daggers were precise and ruthless, specifically targeting the believers' vitals. The Rocket Troopers' missiles were responsible for clearing the zombie clusters in the hallways.

They advanced with irresistible force and soon reached the top floor of the Twin Towers. In the top-floor room stood a massive sonic resonator, with three backup units beside it. A man wearing a red robe and a crow mask stood before the resonator, frantically pressing buttons in an attempt to restart the device.

“Crow God!” Lin Zhou growled and charged forward.

The Crow God turned around, a flicker of madness in his eyes. “You've destroyed everything I have! I'll make you all be buried with me!”

He slammed down on a red button. The resonator emitted a piercing hum, but because it had lost power, it quickly ground to a halt. The Crow God hissed in frustration and pulled a grenade from his robes, preparing to pull the pin.

“Watch out!” Su Mei was quick to react, throwing a dagger that accurately pierced the Crow God's wrist. The grenade dropped to the floor with a sizzling sound.

Without hesitation, Lin Zhou rushed over and kicked the grenade away while simultaneously swinging his Fire Axe deep into the Crow God's skull. Dark green pus erupted as the Crow God's body swayed and then crashed to the floor.

[Ding! Killed Raven Society leader Crow God. Gained 20,000 experience points. Current Level 11 (46040/11000) → Level 13.]

[Free Attribute Points +20, Constitution +10, Strength +10, Spirit +0.]

[Devoured metal components of the sonic resonator. metal points +2000. Current metal points: 5685.5.]

[Hint: Destroyed the core of the Raven Society. Obtained sonic resonator Technical Blueprints, which can be used to research countermeasure equipment.]

Lin Zhou panted heavily as he pulled out his Fire Axe. Looking at the technical blueprints on the ground, a flash of pleasant surprise crossed his eyes. With this, they could develop countermeasure equipment and would no longer have to fear zombies being controlled.

Su Mei walked to the window and looked down at the battlefield where the fighting was gradually subsiding. A smile appeared on her face. “We won.”

Lin Zhou nodded and walked to her side, looking toward the distant horizon. The dawn had fully risen, and golden sunlight spilled over the top of the Twin Towers, dispelling the last of the darkness. From the direction of the base, faint cheers could be heard.

He knew that this victory had not only dismantled the massive threat of the Raven Society but had also pushed the base's reputation to its peak. More and more survivors would come drawn by their name, and this steel fortress would become stronger and stronger.

But Lin Zhou also knew that the dangers of the apocalypse would never truly disappear. In the distant city ruins, there were still more zombies and unknown threats waiting for them.

He clenched his fist, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. No matter how many hardships and obstacles lay ahead, he would lead everyone from the base to survive and thrive in this post-apocalyptic world.