Volume One Mutation Chapter Thirteen Preparations

As dusk approached, the sky, now free from the heavy pollution of exhaust fumes, was no longer shrouded in gray haze; instead, it gleamed a deep blue, with only a few clouds drifting lazily in the wind. If one overlooked the few giant wolves leaping and prowling on the ground, everything appeared tranquil and harmonious.

Within the small resettlement camp, a crowd of terrified faces turned toward a young armed police officer. His expression was grave, and his tone solemn as he declared, “Please don’t worry. Our reinforcements will arrive soon. Until then, we will do everything in our power to protect your safety!”

An elderly woman, trembling with fear, shuffled up to the young officer, grasped his hand, and pleaded, “Child, with so few of you, there’s no hope against those monsters. You’re all still young—take what food you can and flee! Take the children with you. Whoever can survive, let them survive!”

“What nonsense are you spouting, you old fool?” A plump woman in a red dress rolled her eyes and snapped sarcastically, “If you want to die, go feed yourself to the wolves! Maybe if they’re full, they’ll leave on their own!” She cast a sidelong glance at the old woman.

“That’s right, officer, don’t listen to her ramblings. You can’t leave! We have no vehicles—there’s no way we can outrun those monsters. You mustn’t abandon us, or we’ll be done for,” a man muttered timidly.

“Yes, officer, isn’t help coming soon? Just hold out a while longer. If it comes to it, try to lure those monsters away!” The crowd grew noisy, echoing these sentiments in scattered voices.

“You’re the police—it’s your duty to protect us. When the monsters come, fight them! Don’t you have guns?”

The young officer listened in silence to the bickering. In times of danger, human nature reveals itself in all its facets. Before him was a living tableau of the human condition: some, desperate to survive, cared nothing for others’ lives. Perhaps, in the eyes of some, his own life and those of his comrades meant nothing at all.

“Ma’am, we will not abandon you. Rest assured, we will do everything we can to keep you safe.” With a glance at the others, the young officer ignored the ongoing arguments and turned to leave the camp.

Outside, in a hastily assembled tent, several armed police officers were deep in discussion. Upon seeing their leader enter, one immediately reported, “Captain, the wolf pack has entered our radar range—nine of them in total. What’s strange is, they’re heading straight for our camp. At their current speed, they’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

The young officer frowned. “Have you contacted headquarters? When will reinforcements arrive?”

“We just did. They said support has already been dispatched from G15 and should arrive within half an hour,” replied the communications officer, his tone heavy. Twenty minutes until the wolves arrived, but support would take thirty. Judging from the reconnaissance drone’s footage, these mutant wolves would not be easily dealt with. In that crucial ten-minute gap, anything could happen. All they could do was fight desperately and try to hold out as long as possible.

The young officer sighed. “Let’s hope help comes sooner rather than later. Zhang Chi, gather everyone—including the outposts nearby. Bring them all in!”

Five minutes later, the team was assembled outside the camp. The young officer stood before them and addressed the troops: “Brothers! The wolf pack will be here in fifteen minutes. These wolves are not only massive, but also incredibly fast. They can snap a tree as thick as a basin with a single charge. Are you afraid?”

“No!” came the chorus from the dozen young officers, though their voices lacked conviction. Since the catastrophe, many had fought with the army to clear out small groups of ordinary zombies and some smaller mutant beasts. While none of those creatures survived the military’s firepower, the terror they inspired was etched deep in every participant’s memory.

Handguns were nearly useless against mutated zombies—only machine guns could injure them, and it took at least ten bullets to bring down even a standard zombie. The small mutant beasts were even more agile, able to leap ten meters from a standstill, making them far more dangerous. With their current equipment, the squad would have struggled even against nine mutated zombies, let alone these giant wolves. None of them felt confident, though no one said it aloud. Only the ordinary people in the camp seemed to cling to hope.

“I know you’re afraid. So am I! But fear is useless. No matter how scared we are, we must pick up our weapons, protect ourselves, and protect the people behind us. Do you understand?” The young officer’s face was stern, and he added, “Reinforcements will arrive within ten minutes after the wolves get here. We just need to hold out for ten minutes.”

“Captain, is help really coming? G15 is hundreds of kilometers from here—even by air, half an hour isn’t enough,” one officer muttered, glancing away.

“If I say they’ll make it, they’ll make it! Zhang Chi just contacted G15—they assured us reinforcements are on the way. Pick up your guns and hold out for ten minutes! Can you do it?”

The captain’s words rekindled hope and steeled their resolve. Ten minutes—it was all they needed.

“Yes!” This time, their unified shout was filled with conviction, embodying their will to win and their readiness to die for survival.

The young officer then ordered everyone to man the prepared defensive lines and distributed all available weapons and equipment, arming every man to the teeth. “Captain, should I try calling G15 again? Maybe support can come earlier?” Zhang Chi, the communications officer, suggested quietly.

“No. Anything can happen in ten minutes. Our reinforcements are surely coming as fast as they can. Zhang Chi, go distribute some guns among the able-bodied men in the camp. Ask if any are willing to fight with us. If not, leave the weapons for self-defense. Without sentries, they’ll at least have a chance if they encounter stray zombies,” the young officer murmured.

“Good idea, Captain. I’ll get on it.” Zhang Chi’s eyes brightened. If the civilians were willing to help, maybe they really could hold out for ten minutes. Shooting wasn’t complicated—a quick lesson would suffice. With wolves that size, surely some bullets would hit.

As Zhang Chi left in high spirits, the captain felt a wave of bitterness. He had gone to the camp earlier, hoping to find volunteers. Yet before he could say a word, their attitudes were clear: when disaster looms, everyone fends for themselves. If not for the dangers outside, he believed these people would have already fled, leaving his squad and the old or young behind.

The more he thought, the more bitter he felt. They’d only been sent on a straightforward evacuation mission. The army had already cleared out most monsters in the area. But fate had other plans—a crisis of this magnitude was upon them.

When the unmanned drone sent back images of the wolves, he’d felt icy dread from head to toe, his body drenched in cold sweat. Perhaps this time, there really was no escape. Damn this apocalypse.

True to form, Zhang Chi returned in defeat, looking utterly dejected. Catching sight of his captain, the usually stalwart officer couldn’t hide his frustration: “Captain, those people look respectable, but they’re more cowardly than children. I asked for help, and they accused us of trying to use them as bait because we were afraid to die ourselves. Even the few who considered helping were convinced otherwise. How can people be like this? Do they think they’ll be safe if we all die? That nothing will happen to them?”

The young officer sighed and tried to console him. “If they’re unwilling, so be it. It’s their choice—we can’t force them. Did you give them the guns?”

Zhang Chi grew angrier. “I did, but they complained it wasn’t enough, demanded more ammo, and even said, ‘How long will this last? If the monsters aren’t dead when we run out, will you take responsibility?’ It’s infuriating!”

The captain managed a wry smile. “Clearly, we can’t count on them. We’re on our own. Let’s go dig more pits and lay more mines, try to hold out until reinforcements arrive. Whether we live or die, at least we’ll have done our duty. If I survive this fight, I’m going to request a transfer to the front lines to hunt monsters. That’s better than protecting such ‘civilians’ as these.”