Chapter 617 - Happens Daily In The Wilderness (1/2)

The Old Task Force stayed in the periphery of Iron Mountain City Ruin for another day, but the special Superior Heartless remained elusive. They then headed north to First City to prepare for the exploration of the Holm Fertility Center in Wasteland Ruin 13.

After circling around the various polluted and dangerous areas for nearly two days, Genava looked at the wilderness outside. ”There's a nomad settlement nearby. Do you want to go over and do a RESUP?”

This was the place he had previously passed when heading south from First City.

Bai Chen was unfamiliar with the wilderness around here because she had never been here.

In the passenger seat, Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said, ”Sure.”

Although the Old Task Force's jeep had been modified and had a wider trunk, the three military exoskeletons and two bionic artificial intelligence armor still occupied a considerable amount of space. With the addition of bullets, grenades, hand grenades, rockets, explosives, and spare weapons, there wasn't much space for the other supplies.

With the help of a real smart navigation system, the jeep passed through a small forest and a few hills before arriving at a settlement that was strategically located in an Old World ruins based on the terrain.

When the car was about 100 meters away from their destination, Shang Jianyao suddenly sat up straight. ”There's nobody.”

”They migrated?” Bai Chen guessed as she slowed down the car.

This was relatively common in the Ashlands. Every few years—or even shorter—wilderness nomads would leave their current settlements and migrate to safer places due to location exposure, intense weather changes, problems in the environment, mutated creatures, and Heartless changing their hunting range.

”Impossible,” Genava replied firmly. ”When I passed by previously, they were farming in the farms behind the settlement.”

Humans who were about to migrate wouldn't do things that were a waste of resources.

The honest Shang Jianyao immediately retorted, ”Maybe they were discovered by First City's slave hunters in the past few days.”

They had no choice but to migrate in a rush.

As the carbon-based human and silicon-based human conversed, the jeep approached its destination.

”There are indeed no human bioelectric signals.” Jiang Baimian confirmed Shang Jianyao's previous discovery.

The settlement's gates were made of wood. At this moment, it was ajar.

Bai Chen swept her gaze and said in a deep voice, ”There's blood on the ground.”

Her vantage point was better than Genava, Long Yuehong, and Shang Jianyao's. Jiang Baimian was focused on sensing the area.

The Old Task Force members looked over and saw several pools of dark-red blood beyond the door.

This gave Long Yuehong an ominous feeling. He recalled his encounter in Blackrat Town.

”An attack?” Jiang Baimian made the jeep stop. She slung a grenade launcher over her shoulder and held a rocket launcher as she pushed open the door and alighted.

Shang Jianyao and the others followed closely behind and entered the settlement one after another.

Some of the houses here originated from the Old World and had been later repaired to a certain extent, while some were newly built from wood. These two eclectic styles brought about a unique charm.

There were no humans here anymore, just as Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian had sensed. However, there were obvious traces of blood in many places. They were either splattered on the walls or on the ground into the distance.

Such scenes could be seen at virtually every house.

A massacre… This thought surfaced in Long Yuehong's mind.

During the subsequent search, doubt grew in him. Since it's suspected to be a massacre, why aren't there any corpses? Why are fingers, rotten flesh, and other things occasionally found? It's impossible for the wilderness nomads residing here to be blown to pieces, right?

Even if that was the case, the number of flesh remains didn't match!

Furthermore, all the weapons in the settlement were gone, including woodcutting knives and other items.

In addition, blankets, rugs, clothes, and various foods had also disappeared.

These things definitely existed. Otherwise, the wilderness nomads in the settlements wouldn't have been able to survive the winter.

However, there were also metallic items stocked up in each building—presumably for the transaction of other resources—as well as two fuel generators.

After the inspection, Bai Chen pursed her lips and said, ”Preliminary judgment indicates that they were attacked by the Heartless.”