CHAPTER 576: CHAPTER 576: UTENSILS

Leader Shi stood on the wall, looking down at the scene below. His hands were still shaking. He could not believe what he had just witnessed.

The battlefield was no longer a battlefield. The zombies were gone, scattered into dust and broken bones.

The ground was filled with crystals, shining faintly under the moonlight. Soldiers from Hope Base walked slowly, their steps calm, as if they had just returned from a stroll and not from a deadly fight.

"Is this... is this really happening?" Leader Shi whispered to himself.

Han Zhu, standing beside him, was equally shocked.

"Leader, I have fought many battles in my life, but I have never seen anything like this. Those soldiers... they are like gods."

Leader Shi nodded slowly. "Yes... gods with rolling pins and spatulas."

Down below, some of the Hope Base soldiers were sitting right on the battlefield.

One soldier took out a piece of roasted meat from his pocket and ate it.

Another gulped down a bottle of glowing juice, and suddenly his wounds closed and his muscles bulged even more.

A third soldier was laughing as tiny metal nanobots stitched up his bleeding arm, the little machines moving so fast they were like silver sparks.

Han Zhu’s eyes widened. "Leader, look! Those little things... they are healing them!"

Leader Shi leaned forward, gripping the stone wall tightly.

"Nanobots... so it is true... Hope Base has such things."

Some of the Cedar Base soldiers were whispering among themselves.

"Are we dreaming?" one asked.

"No," another replied, his eyes glued on the Hope Base soldiers.

"This is real. They eat food and get stronger. They wave kitchen tools like weapons. And they have machines that heal them instantly. This is not a normal army... this is something else."

When the battle was completely over, Leader Shi gave the order for the gates of Cedar Base to be opened.

The Hope Base soldiers entered like heroes returning from a long journey.

Inside, they lay on the ground and laughed. One soldier patted his chest. "Ah, what a ride. That was fulfilling!"

Another nodded, holding up a bag full of crystals.

"We gained so much today. Look at all these. With this, I can probably get ten thousand crystals as reward."

The soldiers around him cheered loudly, clapping hands and grinning.

Leader Shi stood there frozen. His own men, the Cedar Base soldiers, watched the Hope Base soldiers with wide eyes full of respect. Some even approached them shyly.

One Cedar soldier pointed at the rolling pin.

"Um... excuse me, can I ask? Why are you using that... that thing? Is it really... magical?"

The Hope Base soldier grinned and waved the rolling pin proudly.

"Of course it is powerful. Look! With this I sent a zombie flying. Do not underestimate the kitchen. In Hope Base, even spatulas can cut steel."

Another soldier pulled out his spatula and swung it lightly, making a sharp sound through the air.

"See? This is not a normal spatula. It is crafted by our blacksmiths. Stronger than swords, sharper than knives."

The Cedar soldiers gasped, their mouths open. For a while, the whole base was filled with laughter and proud explanations from the Hope Base soldiers.

They showed off their strange weapons, each one boasting about how many zombies they had smashed or sliced.

"It is like a trademark," one of them said, waving his ladle. "This is the pride of Hope Base!"

Leader Shi, however, was not laughing. His eyes were focused on something else.

He watched carefully as another soldier’s nanobots crawled over his injured leg, weaving metal threads to close the wound.

The process was fast, clean, and almost magical.

He turned to one of the Hope Base soldiers.

"These... these nanobots... where do they come from? Can we... buy them?"

The soldier smiled proudly.

"Of course! In Hope Base, you can buy anything. But it is not cheap. Still, if you make a trade link with our base, you will have the chance to buy not only nanobots but also food, weapons, and many other treasures."

Leader Shi’s heart beat faster. "A trade link... with Hope Base?"

"Yes," the soldier replied.

"It will be a little expensive for you, but think about it. With our goods, your base will grow strong. It is a lucky thing if you get the chance."

Leader Shi nodded quickly, his mind racing.

"Yes... yes, you are right." He turned toward Han Zhu, who gave a small nod.

Both of them already understood. They had to make this connection no matter the cost.

Soon, it was time to hand out the promised crystals.

Leader Shi brought out the bags himself.

He gave the first one to the captain of the Hope Base soldiers.

"As promised, one hundred thousand crystals," Leader Shi said firmly.

"And here are the spoils, all the crystals and materials from the battlefield. Take them all."

The Hope Base soldiers hesitated.

"Wait... Boss Su only asked for half, not the full amount. Are you sure?"

Leader Shi chuckled.

"Yes. Take it. You saved our base. If not for you, Cedar Base would already be destroyed. Compared to that, these crystals mean nothing."

The Hope Base soldiers looked touched. One of them bowed slightly.

"Leader Shi, you are a good leader. We will definitely tell Boss Su about this kindness."

Leader Shi’s eyes flickered. He caught the hidden meaning in their words. He asked quickly,

"Then... does this mean I can... meet Boss Su directly?"

The soldiers exchanged looks. One of them finally said,

"It is possible. Boss Su usually does not meet outsiders, but if Leader Shi wishes, we can try to arrange a direct meeting."

Hearing those words, Leader Shi’s eyes lit up.

"Really? That would be... an honor."

He tried to keep his face calm, but inside his heart was racing.

He had always been curious about Boss Su. He has seen her in alliance as a old woman.

But Leader Shi, as an illusion master himself, had doubts.

He could sense something strange, something hidden. He believed Boss Su was not as she seemed.

Han Zhu whispered beside him, "Leader... are you sure you want to meet her? She is powerful. Dangerous."

Leader Shi smiled faintly. "Precisely why I must meet her. Power like that... we cannot ignore. If there is even a chance to build a closer tie, I will take it."

The Hope Base soldiers were still laughing and showing off their utensils, completely relaxed. To Cedar Base, the battle had been hell. To them, it was like a festival.

Leader Shi looked around and whispered to himself,

"This Hope Base... they are too strange. Too powerful. If we can ally with them, we might survive the coming storm. If not..." He shook his head.

"Then Cedar Base will be nothing more than dust."

Han Zhu heard his words and nodded silently. Both of them knew.

.....................................

Narak stood on top of a cracked tower. His red eyes glowed like burning fire as he looked in the distance. He could see the lights of Cedar Base, he could hear the faint sound of cheering, the sound of victory. His sharp claws dug into the stone.

"They celebrate," Narak growled, his voice cold and full of fury. "They celebrate while we... we return with nothing."

Behind him, Sarak and Tarak stood nervously. The two zombie generals shifted from foot to foot, their large gray bodies hunched, their claws scraping against the ground.

Narak turned his burning gaze toward them. "I gave you both a simple task. Attack a single base. Destroy it. Yet what happened? Failure. You could not even take down one small Cedar Base."

Sarak lowered his head, his sharp teeth grinding together. "It... it was not our fault, Lord Narak. We had a plan. We were ready. But then... they came."

Tarak nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, the new soldiers. We were just about to finish it. But Boss Su’s soldiers appeared suddenly. Nobody told us they would be there. Nobody!"

Hearing their words, Narak’s eyes grew darker. He stepped forward, his shadow falling over both of them. "Excuses," he said sharply. "Always excuses. You blame the reinforcements. You blame the unexpected. But the truth is simple. You were weak."

Sarak’s heart filled with anger. He wanted to shout back. He wanted to say it was not fair. But when he saw Narak’s terrifying eyes, he swallowed his words.

Tarak, however, could not stay quiet.

"But... but those soldiers were too strange! They were so strong, stronger than anyone we have faced before. How can humans eat food and suddenly get stronger? How can they use... kitchen things as weapons? It is... it is not fair!"

Narak’s face twisted with rage.

"Not fair? You dare speak of fair? In this world, there is no fair. There is only power. And in Hope Base, almost every soldier is powerful. Not just their leaders. Not just their generals. Almost everyone."

His voice rose like thunder. "Compared to them, you are nothing. A pair of useless zombie kings who cannot even finish a simple mission."