Eclipse of Tomorrow

Chapter 8 Bastion of Conflict

JOE was commanding these "laborers." The treatment these hardworking Crawlers received was worse than child labor, or perhaps slightly better. JOE wasn't an unscrupulous boss; he allowed them to take breaks and have some food. Number 10 had provided him with a special zombie feed for cultivating zombies on alien planets, and when JOE tasted it, it resembled a brain in shape and taste. He quickly gave this "zombie delicacy" to the Crawlers. Watching them enjoy it so much sent a shiver down his spine.Since JOE's war fortress required a substantial amount of points, there was a massive zombie slaughter happening around the city. JOE exchanged for a flamethrower and used it whenever he encountered a zombie. He hadn't activated his heat ray because it consumed too much energy, and the Black Hole Devourer was impractical. The flamethrower was highly effective against zombies but carried the risk of burning his own weapons.To prevent himself from turning into a pile of charred debris, JOE had to exchange for a flame-resistant suit and continue the zombie slaughter. The results were immediate, and JOE didn't have to worry about being burned while watching the zombies perish one by one. If possible, he would have preferred to have a Crawler replace him while he snacked on sunflower seeds and watched this zombie massacre theater, with himself as the sole spectator.His points were skyrocketing, and the Crawlers had completed their tasks. JOE returned to the Eternal Grand Hotel, where he found several automated laser cannons set up on the rooftop. Crawlers couldn't operate these cannons, so he had spent some extra points to purchase an automated control system. If anyone tried to attack, these laser cannons would undoubtedly reduce them to dust.It's important to know that a war fortress could take on various forms: fortress form, city form, camouflage form, and fortress form. The fortress form had the most firepower, the city form had the widest coverage, the camouflage form ensured no one would recognize the war fortress, and the fortress form had the strongest defense, as well as the ability to fly or slide on land. A level-one war fortress only had the camouflage form, and the other forms required customization and transformation, which JOE had to understand and accomplish himself.JOE began by exchanging for various metals and alloys. His engineering skills required him to fuse these materials together and infuse them into the war fortress, as well as install high-tech equipment and circuits. Fortunately, he also acquired a few engineering robots to serve as maintenance personnel for the war fortress. After completing these tasks, JOE had almost exhausted his points. He needed to return to Kyoto to earn more points, as killing a Controller and their controlled zombie horde promised additional rewards, as mentioned in the information provided by Number 10.JOE "borrowed" a vehicle and headed north. The Crawlers were patrolling the perimeter of the war fortress when suddenly, two planes flew in from the direction of Blue Xiang City. The Crawlers roared in frustration, unable to do anything about the aircraft. They were Crawlers, not aviators. At this moment, two dark figures swooped down from the sky and shot down the planes. The Crawlers exchanged puzzled glances: could it be that flying zombies had appeared? It seemed like their leader was going to have a tough time! These Crawlers had developed rudimentary intelligence; they could think and reason.JOE's speed was impressive, and Kyoto wasn't far from Northlin. He could reach it in just fifteen minutes at full throttle. JOE looked left and right but didn't see a single zombie shadow. Something felt off. "Awooo!" With the Controller's call, zombies lying in ambush from all directions charged at him."Oh, come on! For crying out loud!" JOE muttered as he dodged the zombie attacks. With the shockwave attack from the Zombie Lord, all evolved and mutated zombies rushed forward. Disgusted as he was, JOE activated his long tongue and claws, scaling a tall building.The Berserkers were smashing one building after another, and JOE kept weaving between skyscrapers. It brought to mind a movie: "King Kong." However, in the film, it was humans who were getting beaten up, while King Kong was smashing skyscrapers. But it seemed like there hadn't been any humans as formidable as this in the movies.JOE was about to be caught by the Berserkers. Suddenly, two black figures descended from the sky and carried him away.JOE noticed that these two beings were entirely black, with wings resembling those of crows. He had never heard Number 10 mention zombies like these before; they appeared to be a new species.To his surprise, when these two "crow-like" creatures brought him back to his fortress, they knelt before him. "Thank you, Master, for aiding our evolution. We will wholeheartedly assist you, putting our heart and soul into it!"JOE was dumbfounded. "What on earth is going on? Please, get up, both of you." JOE realized he had even caught their Three Kingdoms fever, something he used to despise history... for some reason.After a half-day explanation, JOE finally understood. These two had been Three Kingdoms enthusiasts before the apocalypse. After the world fell into chaos, they were among the first to get infected. JOE's flames had inadvertently helped in their evolution. After their transformation, they regained their intelligence and memories, which led them to remember that JOE had facilitated their evolution. They also had a deep sense of righteousness and thought about JOE's strength, as well as the benefits of following him. That's why they had come looking for JOE.JOE appointed them as reconnaissance scouts, and his war fortress, now equipped with computers and weapon systems, was ready for use. This was good news.JOE didn't want humans to discover his war fortress; knowing too much would be detrimental to humanity. If humans attempted large-scale breeding of evolved zombies, thousands of them would become guinea pigs and sacrifices. JOE had yet to encounter anyone with a Light Brain, except for the unfortunate leader who had met his fate before the apocalypse.Thinking about this, JOE made the sign of the cross on his chest, wishing him a peaceful rest.Three days later, the war fortress was almost complete. Next, he needed to establish the power supply to operate the fortress and its weapon systems. Solar and lunar energy alone wouldn't suffice, so JOE added a large windmill to generate wind energy. If he could find a generator, he'd modify it and integrate it into the fortress. But lately, JOE was contemplating how to use the war fortress to eliminate the Controller in Kyoto. Having a treasure chest but being unable to carry it away was a real conundrum. However, NO.10 had been teaching JOE how to utilize the war fortress recently. With enough metal and energy, the war fortress could even obliterate an entire planet. But JOE had no intention of doing that.