As Lucas observed the scene, he furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
The intensity of the explosion at the abandoned weapons factory indicated that it couldn't have been caused by zombies or insects. Judging by the scale of the explosion, it was most likely the work of the military.
In normal times, the military would be responsible for protecting humanity, but in the apocalypse, everything had changed.
Lucas initially had no intention of getting involved in this situation since it wasn't his concern. However, he couldn't ignore his mission involving Gehring.
He instructed Anna and the Cobras to stay and guard the food storage, emphasizing that if anything they couldn't handle occurred, they should retreat immediately. Their safety was the only requirement.
With the mute girl in tow, Lucas drove the bus directly to Gehring and Reed, urging them to get on board.
"Let's go, this bus is fast."
Despite its large size and appearance of bulkiness, Lucas's bus was an exception. When it came to maneuvering on the road, it could likely outperform even a tank in the post-apocalyptic world.
Gehring didn't hesitate and pulled Reed onto the bus.
The bus left a strong impression on Gehring and Reed, both understanding that this vehicle was far from ordinary.
Lucas activated the autopilot and set the course towards the abandoned weapons factory.
Another unmanned aerial vehicle appeared in the sky.
If the attackers at the weapons factory were indeed the military, this suicide drone could play a crucial role when necessary.
In the apocalypse, Lucas didn't abide by many rules. He respected the military when they were protecting humanity, but it was a different story if they acted otherwise.
Lucas handed Gehring and Reed some grenades, never taking his eyes off the drone's control panel.
The two drones swiftly flew towards the abandoned weapons factory. After a few minutes, the images displayed on the control panel confirmed Lucas's suspicions.
Indeed, it was the military attacking the weapons factory, but they weren't alone.
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From the aerial view, there seemed to be around two to three hundred people in this "military" group. Among them, only seventy or eighty individuals wore military uniforms, while the others appeared to be ordinary civilians.
The opposing force also possessed individual rocket launchers, and there were at least a dozen of them.
Lucas couldn't fathom why they were fighting against the people at the weapons factory, but he could tell that this "military" group showed no mercy in their actions.
Several dozen bodies and some people writhing in agony lay in front of the entrance to the weapons factory.
Just by looking at the screen, Lucas could almost feel the intensity of their cries.
"Is there anything important inside the weapons factory?"
Lucas suddenly turned to Gehring and asked, unable to understand why this makeshift military would open fire on ordinary people.
"Important things?"
"No, there isn't!"
"When we cleared out the weapons factory, we thoroughly searched it multiple times. Apart from the functional areas like living quarters, the rest was just scrap metal, not even a single usable knife."
"The weapons factory was evacuated in an orderly manner, not in haste. There couldn't be anything important left behind."
Gehring also saw the images on the drone's control panel and shared Lucas's question.
"If there's really nothing there, then there's only one possibility: these people came to seize control of the weapons factory."
"But there are only two to three hundred of them, and there's more than enough space at the weapons factory. Why would they open fire?"
"Don't you accept newcomers?"
Lucas shared his thoughts and suddenly asked Gehring another question.
"That's not true. Gehring and I accept any refugees without conditions."
Reed interjected, his emotions becoming somewhat agitated.
"In that case, you go ahead and negotiate with them while I park the bus a bit farther away. But don't worry, I'll be nearby and ready to intervene at any moment."
Lucas didn't say much and handed two walkie-talkies to Gehring and Reed.
He had been wanting these walkie-talkies for a long time, and he finally found them in the Blue Sky Grocery.
Walkie-talkies were considered rare communication devices in the post-apocalyptic world, as long as there was electricity, they could be used.
The only downside was that their communication range was not very long.
As time passed in the apocalypse, mobile radios, which had once been obsolete, became mainstream again.
At a distance of about one kilometer from the abandoned weapons factory, Gehring and Reed got off the bus and entered a tunnel leading to the factory.
As soon as they left, Lucas instructed the mute girl to stealthily head towards the weapons factory, while he himself stood at the control panel of the combat drone.
The suicide drone flew over the entrance of the weapons factory.
By now, a large fire had ignited there, as the factory was concealed within the forest, making it susceptible to catching fire from the nearby explosion.
Lucas saw that the chaotic military forces had ceased firing. Some people were shouting at the individuals from the weapons factory.
Some were quickly blocking the entrance and exit of the factory to reduce the influx of dense smoke.
After waiting for a short while, Lucas caught sight of Reed's figure amidst the smoke.
As for Gehring, he should also be nearby, but he was hidden, and Lucas couldn't pinpoint his exact location.
After Reed emerged, he said something to the makeshift military, and suddenly, they shot and killed someone from the weapons factory.
At that moment, Reed's figure also disappeared from the camera.
Immediately after, Lucas saw two thick bolts of lightning appear in the sky, directly striking the makeshift military.
Simultaneously, several rockets exploded within the ranks of the makeshift military.
Both sides started firing at each other once again.
Gunshots and explosions could be clearly heard by Lucas.
In the footage, it was evident that the makeshift military was targeting the crowd this time.
Several heavy machine guns suddenly opened fire, and the people from the weapons factory fell down in an instant.
"Lucas, help!"
Gehring's plea for help came through the walkie-talkie.
Lucas didn't respond but immediately gave instructions to the mute girl to take action. He himself grabbed his sniper rifle and got off the bus, running towards the weapons factory.
Based on his analysis earlier, Lucas believed that the makeshift military didn't yet warrant using the only suicide drone.
All the members of the makeshift military and the people from the weapons factory were engaged in a relentless firefight. Amidst the smoke, no one noticed a tall figure charging into the midst of the makeshift military.
It wasn't until the heavy machine guns suddenly ceased firing that they realized the mute girl was fiercely engaged in the battle.