Chapter 56 Keith Hughes
It wasn't until many years later that William personally encountered a Monster Baby, and he deeply realized the terrifying nature of this little thing.
For anyone, it was a nightmare.
But the people now were still unaware of it.
William knew that many people would die today, but he had no intention of stopping it.
Humans still needed to understand that the principle of a direct relationship between risk and reward remained applicable even in the apocalypse, and it often involved death.
If humans did not understand this point, or more precisely, if they could not grasp it deeply, then no one would live long.
William had no obligation to remind his own kind because he was taking great risks as well, even greater risks.
Moreover, even if he did remind them, no one would understand, and it might even cause unnecessary trouble.
William instructed Natalie, "Take the walkie-talkie, Natalie. When we starts, you need to hide there. If you spot a monster about three feet tall carrying a golden bag, notify me."
He said to Lucy, "Lucy, you stay here to observe, report to me the battlefield situation you see, and pay special attention to the movements of this little monster. I will be lurking near the bank building. If you can confirm the movements of the little monster, report it immediately. Natalie and I will converge in the direction you indicate."
The two women listened carefully to the tasks assigned by William, keeping them in mind.
"Later, there may be many unseen creatures here, as well as countless zombies. Don't be afraid. Lucy, you will be relatively safer, but not absolutely. So, if you encounter a danger you can't handle, you can retreat first. If there is an opportunity, continue to find a high point to report the situation and the location of the little monster to us. If not, go here," William continued.
He pointed to a building behind him. "Wait for me and Natalie there."
Then, he turned to Natalie and said, "If you spot the target, be sure to notify me. Although that little monster may not be powerful, it is very difficult to track its traces, and it can summon many mutant creatures. Do not act alone. Finally, regardless of the outcome, after I give the signal, you go here and meet Lucy. Do you remember?"
Natalie nodded. William trusted Natalie quite a bit because she was decisive, always able to identify the essence of problems, and obedient.
William uttered, "This action will be very dangerous. You all need to be mentally prepared. If you want to withdraw, there is still time."
The two women shook their heads, looking serious but showing no signs of backing down.
Without any warning, a huge light suddenly lit up at the edge of Moon Lake, overshadowing even the sunlight and forcing the three to squint.
Then, the sound of tank treads roared at the end of the street. Along with this sound, a distant horn began to echo nearby, its sound carrying far in the air, reaching most of the district.
The Treasure Plate had been activated, and the Monster Baby finally appeared!
"Let's go!" After uttering these words, William rushed out first.
The city had three districts, with the Peaceful District, where Moon Lake was located, not being the largest in terms of area. There was a university town, a square, and a park, making it the most scenic area in the city.
At the beginning of the apocalypse, the number of zombies here was relatively few.
However, the number of mutant creatures here was the highest among the three districts. After the distant horn sounded, many survivors in high-rise buildings witnessed a shocking scene.
All sorts of strange creatures emerged from unexpected places and corners, madly rushing toward Moon Lake and forming lines on the ground one after another.
The most terrifying were the hordes of zombies.
These monsters, originally scattered in various blocks, gathered toward Moon Lake at the call of the horn. Wherever they passed, any creature other than their kind would be attacked.
Survivors and mutant creatures alike became their targets. Anyone who dared to stand in their way would be torn apart and devoured.
Half the district became agitated, and in just a moment, carnage was everywhere. The strong scent of blood wafted through the air, stimulating all life beneath its enveloping smell.
Keith Hughes was the first to discover the Treasure Plate and turn it, as well as the leader of the first team of survivors to arrive.
Although the apocalypse had just begun, humanity had shown the same strong adaptability as before, especially those who were boldly ambitious, finding ways to survive and even thrive.
As the saying went, life would find its own direction.
Undoubtedly, Keith was such a person. After the apocalypse began, he stayed in his shop, using a brand-new long-handled wrench to smash the head of a customer who had turned into a zombie. After trembling for hours in the face of the corpse, Keith felt a change within himself.
He no longer feared.
At dawn, he dug out a crystal that looked out of place among the filthy and putrid corpses, then ran back to the residential area where he lived.
But to his dismay, what he found was despair.
His parents had turned into those monsters, feasting on a corpse in their kitchen, a corpse that turned out to be his son, whom he had raised alone after his divorce!
After standing dumbfounded for a while, Keith let out a mournful cry and ran out of the house.
He was lucky not to be caught by zombies during this period of mental confusion. When he came to his senses, he encountered several survivors who had gathered together.
Those who could roam outside were all bold individuals who had fought zombies, even killed them. Keith, as a middle-aged businessman, was intelligent and strong and had no attachments. When faced with danger twice, he fought the zombies fiercely, saving this temporary small team several times. Therefore, he earned their admiration and behaved like the leader.
The early days of the apocalypse were a time of brutality. Whoever was ruthless could gain more influence. After a period of time, the apocalypse became similar to peacetime, where those who could provide more for their followers, those with more cunning methods, and those with more intelligence would wield power.
Ten hours ago, Keith and his group were searching for water nearby, but the supermarkets were all occupied by a large number of zombies, so they dared not go. Someone suggested going to Moon Lake to see if there were any bodies in the lake. If not, the boiling water would be clean enough to be used for drinking. In that case, they would eliminate the need to worry about water for some time.
So they arrived at Moon Lake and discovered the Treasure Plate emitting a money-like scent in the shallow water area. Meanwhile, they also found out about the use of magic crystals.
Keith activated the Treasure Plate and received the prompt.
It was the first time he had heard of things like evolution potions and professional scrolls, which made him realize that this world not only had terror but also hope.
With self-awareness, he honestly passed on the information, first informing another group of survivors he encountered in a small area, who then told others.
Later, Keith met some soldiers who were out looking for supplies.
Being smart, Keith took the initiative to cooperate with the military, assisting them in this operation. His reward was evolution potions.
The drive for evolution made this small team very excited, and they were among the first to arrive at the scene.
Full of anticipation, they arrived at the edge of Moon Lake just before the ten-hour mark, temporarily blinded by the sudden appearance of bright light like many others.
When they regained their sight, Keith saw a small monster about three feet tall, with a single eye open, looking at them with interest.
Keith was a bit stunned. Just as he was in a daze, he heard the little monster mumble something incomprehensible.
After that, the little monster, somewhat cute, showed a dissatisfied expression. It picked up a blue horn hanging from its waist and began to blow it.
It was then that Keith noticed a bulging golden bag on its back.
