Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Commander Peng's surprise lasted only a moment. Although he hadn't expected things to change so quickly, it was within his expectations.

He quickly regained his composure, his gaze becoming serious: "Continue."

Staff Officer Chen composed himself and continued his report in a steady voice:

"After practical testing, our standard rifles and light machine guns have become negligible in damaging the torsos of Tier 3 zombies. Even if a sniper rifle is used to accurately hit the head, it can only penetrate the skull and cannot destroy the brain nerves inside."

"Our advantage in firearms against zombies may not last much longer."

Staff Officer Chen took a deep breath, walked to the regional map of Guangzhou, pointed to an area marked with a red circle to the north, and his tone became increasingly heavy:

"Commander, according to the established clearing plan, our army's core objective for the next phase is the wildlife park to the north and the surrounding area. Based on yesterday's feedback... the situation is not optimistic."

"That place is infested with a huge number of zombie animals and mutated beasts that resemble human superhumans."

They not only retained most of their former aggression, speed, and hunting instincts, but were even strangely enhanced in some aspects.

"Based on the data brought back by the scouts, and a comparative analysis with the data from the third-tier zombies encountered yesterday..."

"Deep within that area, a considerable number of Tier 3 individuals have most likely been spawned. It... is becoming a nest for a high-level mutated creature."

After the report was completed, the command room fell into an icy silence.

Commander Peng stood still, as if nailed to the spot by an invisible force, completely motionless.

This veteran, who has spent decades in the military and has ingrained the concepts of "firepower superiority" and "equipment-based victory" into his very being, is experiencing a shock far greater than any ordinary tactical setback.

That was more than just bad news on a tactical level; it was a shake of faith—one day, you were suddenly told that the "gun" you trusted and relied on most might soon lose its invincible edge.

"Heavy firepower..." After a long while, Commander Peng's voice rang out, with a hint of barely perceptible dryness.

He slowly turned around, his gaze locking onto Staff Officer Chen as if it were a physical object. "Have you tried it? I mean, targeted, large-caliber, or special heavy weapon tests."

Staff Officer Chen nodded solemnly: "We've tried it, Commander. The 12.7mm anti-materiel sniper rifle, under ideal range and angle, can penetrate the skull of a third-order target, but the bullet deforms severely during penetration, and the energy decays beyond expectations, making it impossible to achieve a one-shot kill."

"Secondly, there are man-portable thermobaric weapons. The explosive shockwave and instantaneous high temperature can severely damage their body tissues and even cause limbs to break, but it is difficult to damage their heads. They can still maintain amazing mobility and aggression."

Every word and every piece of data struck Commander Peng's heart like a cold hammer.

He turned to the window again, gazing at the city skyline covered in snow and ice. The broad shoulders that had borne countless burdens seemed to sink slightly.

"Where is the superhuman unit?" Commander Peng asked without turning around, his voice regaining its usual calm.

Staff Officer Chen's tone this time carried a hint of caution: "Based on the current battle analysis, in a battle between equals:"

Those with C-level or lower abilities are basically unable to confront them head-on and can only use restraint as their main strategy.

Class B ability users can entangle and maneuver with their ability characteristics and tactical cooperation, but killing them alone is extremely risky.

A-level ability users are capable of independently fighting and eliminating opponents.

Then, with a hint of joy in his voice, he said, "It's worth mentioning that we've discovered a warrior with an A-level metal enchantment ability."

The blades of cold weapons, after being modified by his special abilities, can relatively easily break through the reinforced defenses of third-tier targets, even their heads.

Warriors equipped with such specialized melee weapons, even at the C-rank, possess the ability to fight and even coordinate attacks against Tier 3 targets.

He paused, then continued, "However, this warrior's current ability level is only second-tier. Limited by his mental strength and energy recovery speed, he can only complete the enchanting of a maximum of twenty such weapons per day. In the short term, it is far from being able to fully equip them."

Commander Peng's eyes finally lit up: "Good! This is a direction! Low ability level is not a problem, immediately mobilize resources and fully support their ability improvement and weapon production!"

He paused, then his thoughts quickly expanded: "At the same time, issue a special announcement, offering even more generous compensation to recruit and absorb talent with similar support or production-type abilities both inside and outside the shelter! We need all abilities that can enhance our combat capabilities, such as metal enhancement, weapon forging, and armor manufacturing!"

"Yes, Commander!" Staff Officer Chen was also inspired by this decisiveness and his spirits lifted.

At this moment, Staff Officer Chen stepped forward, tentatively stating after careful consideration: "Commander, regarding the cleanup of the zoo... I have another, albeit immature, idea."

"Speak." Commander Peng did not turn around, his gaze still fixed on the map.

"I heard from the official shelter in Guangzhou that there are many A-level and S-level talent superhumans in the Shanshui Garden."

Staff Officer Chen carefully considered his words, "Since our next objective is so challenging and conventional weapons have limited effectiveness, could we consider cooperating with the Garden of Nature alliance?"

"Cooperation?" Commander Peng finally turned around, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, but his eyes showed that he was listening attentively.

"Yes, cooperation." Staff Officer Chen's tone became more steady. "It doesn't involve command authority, and it doesn't involve merging. It's just about the single objective of clearing the wildlife park area. We're inviting them to send their elite forces to cooperate in the operation."

We provide detailed intelligence, heavy firepower support from the perimeter, and some logistical support, while they provide the cutting-edge combat capabilities to deal with the high-level mutants in the core area. This complementary strength allows us to achieve our objectives with minimal cost.

Commander Peng did not answer immediately. He walked slowly a couple of steps in front of the table covered with maps, his hands behind his back.

He had never before had the opportunity to cooperate with a powerful civilian armed force in his long military career.

But the apocalypse had already shattered countless old rules, and he had always admired Lin Chen's actions in rescuing ordinary people.

Of course, he didn't know that Lin Chen was doing this so that more people would help him earn crystal cores. Even if he did know, it wouldn't matter, as he believed countless people would be willing to accept this kind of deal.

Most importantly, he thought of the young faces of the soldiers who might be filling the zoo.

"That's a good suggestion." Commander Peng stopped and said in a steady voice, "Let's try to make contact and see what their intentions and conditions are. With the nation in crisis, we should unite all forces that can be united."

Seeing the commander's approval, Staff Officer Chen nodded: "Alright. After we complete the current phase of our mission, I will personally go to Shanshui Garden to communicate with Lin Chen in person. It will probably take another four or five days."

"Alright." Commander Peng nodded. "You will be fully responsible for handling this matter. Maintain a proper balance; show sufficient sincerity while clearly defining our bottom line. Remember, cooperation is the means; completing the cleanup mission and ensuring the safety of the people are the ultimate goals."

Although he admired Lin Chen's actions, he didn't understand the person, and some things needed to be made clear beforehand.