Chương 43: Chapter 43：Bloodline

"It just chose me," Emma asked with confusion in her voice.

The phoenix nodded.

"Well, since you've been added to the system, do you know why it chose me?"

"I don't know for sure, but honey, your bloodline has always done something good for this world, minus your mom, of course. I think it's just a chance for you to meet the bloodline's expectations," the phoenix replied.

Emma sat in silence, absorbing the information. So it was leading her to a mission against the zombies. "So, what is this screen for?"

"To talk to the other territories and bases, of course. Honey, you didn't think you could just do all of this by yourself, did you?" The phoenix asked, its eyes twinkling.

Emma took a deep breath. "You know, this is too much to process at this time of night. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, my child. Sleep well." The phoenix vanished from the screen. Emma led Happiness back to the puppies' room, gave each of them a pat, and then returned to her bed. Exhausted but filled with purpose, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Amy and the civilians at Autumn's base were equally shocked as they looked out their windows. Except for the Krank family, who had been there the longest and were used to everything popping up brand new, they were excited about the new changes.

The scientists were overjoyed to find a new building, just as Emma had promised, just for them. The original lab building for the trusted scientists had been updated to a whole new level. There was also a gym, a training field, and a children's playground, which Lily and her new friends happily ran to at the sight of them. More houses had suddenly appeared around them; all the existing houses seemed to be renewed, sturdier, and newer than before.

In the forest territory, Amy walked over to the training field, her mouth wide open as she stared at the impressive sight. Emma appeared behind her, with the five puppies surrounding her. "Ready for your training today?" she asked with a smile.

Amy groaned, realizing she had forgotten about training due to the month-long mission. "Do I have to?"

Emma chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Yes, you do. We all need to be at our best."

Amy sighed, looking at the field. "Fine, but you're making breakfast after this."

"Deal," Emma agreed, giving Amy a playful nudge. "Let's get started."

Emma stood behind the control station, her fingers hovering over the start button. The early morning light cast long shadows across the training field. Amy stood at the ready, a determined look on her face. Emma pressed the start button, and the floor panels slid open with a soft whirring sound. Dummies began to emerge, their lifeless eyes fixated on Amy as they shuffled forward, mimicking the undead.

Amy gripped the knife Emma had given her, its cold weight unfamiliar in her hand. She moved at first slowly and clumsily, many times almost bumping into the dummies herself. As she got more used to it, she weaved through the obstacles as if in a deadly dance, her nose taking off their cold plastic heads. Emma watched carefully, a small smile playing on her lips. She pressed the button for the next level, and the dummies sped up, their movements more flexible and challenging.

Amy changed her tactics as the levels went up, using her supernatural powers to fend off the advancing dummies. Leaves and wood flew off her hands as she struck with both force and power. Just as one of the dummies reached out and grazed her arm, the entire field of dummies sank back into the ground with a mechanical hum. Amy dropped to the floor, panting heavily, sweat glistening on her forehead.

After letting Amy rest for a while, Emma walks over to her and says, "Let's go eat now," offering a hand to pull Amy up. Amy took it, her grip weak, as Emma pulled her up.

As the two ate, Emma tore a piece of bread in one hand while tracing lines on a map with the other. The map was spread out on the table, marked with notes and routes. Amy slowly moved her body in that direction, laying her head on the table while eating. She picked up her head and looked, noticing Emma drawing a line connecting two dots: the location they had found in the desert and one in Geetin.

"Are we going to Geetin?" Amy asked, her eyes widening at the realization.

Emma looked up, her expression thoughtful. "We can't just go to Geetin unless we have a helicopter, so I'm still thinking about it."

After their meal, Emma walked to the control room, leaving Amy to continue training with the puppies. She sat down; this time the phoenix was not there. She scanned the map displayed on the screen, noting the concentration of dots in rural areas compared to the sparse dots in the city. Following the tutorial, she zoomed in using the buttons until she found a big dot on the map, the Aries Base. The other dots around it were small. Emma stared at the dot and the message button, her thoughts swirling furiously. Just as she stood to leave, the screen turned bright green with a soft "ding," and a message from Aries Base appeared. Emma sat back down, her heart racing. She pressed the listen button, and Mr. Zheng's voice filled the room.

"Hello, Emma. I hope this is the right base we're contacting. We are having a new mission next week with other bases, following Minas Base to a resource point they have found. There will be loads of food and ammunition there. Would you like to join?"

Emma leaned back in her chair. Her base didn't need more food and ammunition—they were well-stocked, and with the reward system, she felt secure. Just as she settled into her thoughts, ready to say no, a familiar "ding" rang in her mind. A new mission notification appeared: "Gain Ruver as a New Territory."

Emma's eyes narrowed in annoyance. She was convinced the reward system could read her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she began to think again.

Minas Base. In her past life memory, that base had been started by college students from Minas University, the top school in the world, which had the good luck of being in a rural area. She tried to recall if she knew the leader, but her position at Falming Base had never given her the chance to meet any of the high-ranking individuals there. This mission, however, was an opportunity. She will get the opportunity to see which territories and bases she might pull into her own to start the war against the zombies and reclaim their cities.

Emma pressed the message button, and a record voice feature appeared on the screen. She leaned in and spoke clearly, "See you next week, Mr. Zheng."

Aries Base ——————————

Mr. Zheng raised his eyebrows as the message from Emma came through almost immediately. In his office, Cassidy started cheering, her excitement clear.

"YES! So, can I go on the mission?" Cassidy asked, her eyes shining with eagerness.

Mr. Zheng let out a sigh. "Yes, you can go," he finally agreed.

Cassidy's grin widened, but Mr. Zheng's mind was still on the dangers that might happen on the mission. Their last investigation showed that the mission would take them through some zombie-heavy routes. He was concerned because Cassidy's powers weren't as strong as Mark's and the others.

However, with Emma joining the mission, he felt a sense of comfort. There was an unspoken trust in Emma's abilities, one he hadn't fully realized until now. He believed in her power and leadership, even if he hadn't seen it himself before.

"Prepare yourself well," Mr. Zheng said, his tone serious. "This mission won't be easy."

Cassidy nodded, her excitement calmed by the gravity in her father's voice. "I'll be ready."

"Did you explain to Xyla why last time we only gave her that many guns?" Mr. Zheng switched the topic. He had noticed a better relationship between the two after the previous mission.

Cassidy's grin came back. "Yeah, she said she understood since that was all the guns we had left."

"Good, I would like your relationship to remain this way."

————————————

"Ready?" Emma asked, placing her hand on the doorknob.

Amy nodded, gripping her knife tightly. Emma opened the door and stepped through, instantly transitioning from her forest territory to a completely new area. Her sword was raised, prepared for any threat, but she quickly realized she was in the office of Autumn Base. With a sigh of relief, she poked her head back through the door and pulled Amy, who was poised for combat, into the office with her.

"We're in Autumn's Base?" Amy asked, confused.

Emma nodded. "Less driving. This is awesome," Amy said excitedly, her nervousness easing.

Jared, who had just entered the building to head to his office, dropped the papers in his hands when he saw them. "Ms. Emma, you're here," he said, looking confused. "The gate didn't announce you this time. How?" He glanced out the window at the gate, then back at Emma, his confusion deepening.

"I have my ways, Jared. Don't worry about it," Emma replied, handing him the dropped papers. Jared took them, still looking puzzled but trusting Emma's words.

Emma let Amy roam free to catch up with her old friends while she explored the new additions to Autumn Base. The atmosphere was energetic, with scientists working around in their upgraded labs and children playing on the new playground, people walking in and out of the grocery store, taking care of animals, planting, and Emma even saw a few on the training field. Emma looked at the kids who were playing on the slide, her lips turning into a smile. She wondered if she could find teachers for them this time. The crisp air was filled with the sounds of laughter and conversations, and the setting sun cast a warm, golden glow over the base.

After familiarizing herself with all the new additions, Emma returned to her office to make plans. She was confident that the reward system had secured the base's external defenses well, but she wanted to make sure they were equally safe from internal threats. She wanted drones similar to those in her forest territory, capable of shooting down targets, and a defense-attacking system that they could use from within.

With a list of her ideas in hand, she approached the regular scientists. "If you guys need anything, tell me."

The scientists looked up from their work, nodding eagerly.

————————————

As the days passed, Emma meticulously added to her list of what she needed and what she wanted to bring back from the outside once she began reclaiming the cities. She knew there were countless resources just lying out there, untouched by humans since the outbreak. There were unopened snacks, untouched furniture, medical supplies, and bottled water—all essential items that could significantly benefit humans. She also knew that she needed more civilians. More people would mean moving their base from an agricultural level to a manufacturing level, increasing their ability to rebuild society.

Emma glanced out the window, lost in thought. She remembered the factory where she had saved Amy, Jared, and the others. After this new mission, she will be going back to that place and claiming it as her territory, and maybe it will just automatically become part of Autumn's base.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice coming from the gate. It was Cassidy; her voice was filled with excitement and urgency. "Emma, we're here! Time to go on the mission!"

SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
01lyq

Hey everyone,

I have some news: I might be rewriting this whole book. Writing and imagining things have always been my biggest hobby. When I started this book, I didn't plan things out well because I knew it was either start writing now or never get to it.

After thinking about it and writing the new chapter today, I realized that the story isn't set up the way I want. I know I can write way better than this, so I'll be fixing the bugs and problems I've noticed. This will take a few weeks, so see you all next week.

The old chapters will be deleted and replaced with the fixed version. Thank you to everyone who continues to support me.

- LYQ

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