Chapter Forty-Two: Laying Out the Plan (Part Two)

“How confident are we in taking those warships?” In the office, Guo Lang looked at Abel, who was gradually adapting to the serum, and posed his question.

According to Thomas, the base was equipped with a primary destroyer, two main frigates, a primary submarine, a primary supply ship, and several missile boats—resources of immense value that Guo Lang desperately needed. Clearing the island by conventional means would require a month of meticulous planning at the very least. Hainan Island’s environment was pristine, and tens of thousands traveled there annually. On top of that, over a thousand engineers maintained the island’s infrastructure—a staggering number. Establishing a base would mean eradicating every last undead on the island, for the main Nightfall structure, the Tree of Life, was unlike the buildings of other races—it lived and contained prodigious life essence.

The nematode undead were different from those infected by the origin virus. The latter bit living beings because the virus compelled them to spread infection, but nematode undead were parasites—they bit for blood and sustenance. The Tree of Life’s allure far surpassed that of any human body; a newly sprouted tree could reach ten meters in height and grow exponentially by the day. Some saplings could even shoot up to a hundred meters instantly, with roots stretching out for dozens of kilometers. Such a powerful life form would inevitably attract swarms of undead once planted. Guo Lang’s small team could handle scattered undead, but if besieged by thousands, even their enhancements wouldn’t save them.

Normally, even with a hundred enhanced soldiers, it would take over a month to clear the island. But with warships, it would be different. Concentrated firepower could wipe out the majority in the early stages, significantly accelerating their schedule for returning to their own dimension. Time was precious—the sooner they returned, the greater their advantage, and Guo Lang was deeply anxious.

Abel clenched his fists, feeling the changes in his body. Amazed, he exclaimed, “Incredible—this sensation! Now I understand why that big guy could flatten me with a single punch!”

“Hmph!” Thomas sneered. “The serum is just a boost. You got flattened because of the sheer difference in strength.”

“Oh really?” Abel wasn’t one to back down. Flashing a toothy grin at Thomas, he shot back, “I don’t buy it!”

“Can we get back to the point?” Guo Lang looked helplessly at the two.

“Hmph!” Abel and Thomas exchanged glances. Abel then turned to Guo Lang and laughed, “Boss, this stuff is amazing. When will my brothers get their share?”

Guo Lang rolled his eyes, thinking to himself what a tough nut Abel was. Somewhat exasperated, he replied, “Weren’t you the one who insisted on testing it first? Once the plan’s set, they can come up, sign the contract, and take their dose.”

“Man, the contract signing is surreal! I thought that only happened in those over-the-top action movies. Never thought I’d experience it in my lifetime. Life is truly extraordinary!”

“Stick to the subject!” Guo Lang wondered if all big guys had this kind of personality.

“Ahem!” Abel cleared his throat and spoke gravely, “Our arsenal is just as Thomas described. To add, we have five missile boats—brand new Haminas, each capable of 150 kilometers per hour and armed with five missiles. Every missile boat is also equipped with unmanned drones—the X-79 model, recently developed by Bernock Industries. These drones can carry up to 600 pounds of sensors and weapon systems, have a range of 600 to 900 miles from their mother ship, and can maintain flight for twelve hours or more, carrying cameras, missiles, and satellite comms.”

“That’s impressive.” Guo Lang’s desire grew stronger. He pressed on, “Roughly how many undead are on those warships? Are the ships clustered together?”

“The destroyer has about 290, each frigate around 190, missile boats between 12 and 45, the submarine about 60, and the supply ship around 130. As for their locations...” Abel spread his hands in helplessness. “Unfortunately, they’re all docked together at the maintenance gantry in the base port—very close to the main base. Even with suppressed gunfire, the undead’s cries would attract others from the base. I’d estimate at least five hundred in total.”

“That many?” Guo Lang frowned.

“That’s not a lot!” Thomas shook his head. “Standard crews include the captain, first officer, several helmsmen, engineers for maintenance, weapons operators, signalmen, radar officers, technicians for electronics and weapon systems, cooks, medics, and various support staff. Even with increased automation over the years, a destroyer still typically has two or three hundred crew.”

“What about a stealth operation?” Kelly suggested from the side.

“How?” Guo Lang rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you see the surveillance footage? The base is tiny. Five hundred people crammed inside, often in groups of twenty or more. How are you going to sneak in? And do you think everyone can approach the undead to within three meters like Alice without being detected?”

Abel was astonished. “Someone can do that?”

Kelly smiled. “She’s our ace. Incredibly skilled.”

“Really? I’d like to meet her.”

Thomas’s face hardened. “Let’s focus.” He turned to Guo Lang. “What’s your plan?”

Guo Lang bit his lip in thought, then responded seriously, “A frontal assault.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Abel nearly jumped up. “That’s five hundred! We nearly lost an entire company to five of those things before. What do you think five hundred will do?”

“It’s different now,” Guo Lang replied earnestly. “The undead rely on melee attacks. With our current firepower and 150 men, the ratio is only three to one—not overwhelming. If we use the terrain wisely, we can eliminate them without casualties.”

“But those monsters are fast, and our men’s accuracy isn’t that high. At their speed, they can cross a few hundred meters in seconds. Ranged attacks aren’t as effective as you think—unless you use the armored car, but its heavy machine gun is loud enough to draw every undead at the port.”

Guo Lang shook his head. “Using the armored car’s heavy machine gun is too risky. The port must have over ten thousand people. If we draw them all in, we’re finished. We’ll have to rely on light machine guns with suppressors.”

“Light machine guns?” Abel swallowed hard. “You’re joking, right?”

“You haven’t fully adapted to your new abilities. After the serum, you’re as strong as the undead—more versatile, too. Agility and mental acuity are greatly enhanced. Anyone with military training will see their accuracy multiply. Try it yourself—hitting fast-moving targets is much easier now. Maybe not perfect accuracy, but seventy percent is realistic.”

“Is that so...” Abel felt his mouth go dry.

“Don’t be nervous, friend.” Thomas clapped him on the shoulder, chuckling. “They’re not as scary as you think. On my way here, I took out three with just a knife.” He flexed his muscular arm, revealing a faint scar. “See? That’s the mark they left.”

Abel stared. “That small? You call that a wound?”

Thomas grinned. “It was much bigger at first—down to the bone. But the healing is so strong, it shrank to this in two days. Nothing I could do about it.”

“Alright,” Abel conceded, nodding. “I trust you wouldn’t risk your life and your men’s on a whim, right, boss?” He looked seriously at Guo Lang.

“Of course,” Guo Lang replied with a laugh. “I’ll be fighting alongside you. If things go wrong, we’ll go down together.”