Chapter 20: Listen Up

The men stood frozen in fear, their bodies trembling with shock as they struggled with the scene that had happened just before their eyes. Emma's smile widened with satisfaction as she recalled the traps she had set among the trees, cleverly hidden so no one could see. With a mental command, she activated the concealed net hidden beneath the leaves, ensnaring one of the men in its grasp with a swift and efficient motion. However, Scarred Face's sharp instincts detected the sudden movement, allowing him to escape the trap just in the nick of time.

Emma's expression remained calm and collected as Scarred Face turned to flee, his footsteps pounding against the ground in a frantic attempt to escape. With steady precision, Emma aimed her gun in his direction, her finger poised on the trigger. As Scarred Face drew nearer to the safety of the car, Emma pulled the trigger, the boom echoing through the air as he collapsed to the ground in a heap.

With a triumphant grin, Emma descended from the highest floor of the house, her gaze fixed on the man trapped in the net among the trees. Despite his struggles, the net held him firmly in its grasp, refusing to give up on his desperate escape attempts. As Emma approached, a predatory gleam flickered in the man's eyes, accompanied by a sinister smile.

"Little girl," he taunted, "put me down now, and we can still work things out. Or else." With a menacing flourish, he brandished his gun and leveled it at Emma's head. 

Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly at the audacity of people nowadays. But outwardly, she pretended to be scared as she walked towards the trapped man. With calculated precision, she reached out as if to comply with his demands, her trembling act hiding the determination in her eyes.

In one swift motion, Emma slapped the gun out of the man's grasp, her mental powers springing into action. With a focused intensity, she directed her mentalness at his brain, the lethal force causing him to slump lifelessly in the net in less than a second.

Surveying the scene with a heavy sigh, Emma knew there was still work to be done. She took a moment to bury the body and check the usability of the car before stowing it away in her storage room with the others. With the immediate threat neutralized, she returned to her task at hand, she strengthened her traps with more determination.

In the aftermath of the intruders, Emma redoubled her efforts, placing traps everywhere throughout the forest. Over the following weeks, she watched as her points steadily increased, rising by the contributions of the Kranks. However, she knew she needed to progress faster. 

The following day, after making sure her puppies were well-fed and secure, Emma set out in her RV toward a nearby tourist attraction site. Her goal was simple: to scout for any remaining survivors who could increase her civilian numbers and help her get points more rapidly. However, her plans took an unexpected turn when she spotted a factory along the way.

With hope, Emma changed her course, deciding to check out the factory before going to the tourist site. Even though the tourist site had a lot of people, there was barely any place to hide over there, so there would be more zombies than humans. While she wasn't sure how things could be at the factory. There might still be groups of survivors. 

As Emma navigated the road leading to the factory, she couldn't help but notice the increasing presence of zombies along the way. With each passing mile, the undead hordes grew in number, pounding on her windows and making guttural roars of hunger. With a flick of a switch, Emma activated the fire gun mounted on the exterior of her RV. A low hum filled the air as the weapon came to life, emitting a bright burst of flames that licked hungrily at the encroaching zombies. The intense heat engulfed the undead, reducing them to ashes in a matter of seconds. But attracted by the fire the zombies continue coming at her. The air around her car was filled with burning flesh mixed with gasoline but she couldn't smell it, so it didn't affect her driving forward. 

Finally, she arrived at the front of the employee dorms, bringing her RV to a halt. With a cautious glance around, Emma surveyed the surroundings, her eyes darting from one corner to another in search of any signs of life.

Activating the telescope mounted on her RV, Emma extended it high into the sky, the lens capturing a detailed view of the area. She carefully scanned the different floors of the dormitory, her heart sinking slightly as she observed the hallways flooded with zombies, their twisted forms shuffling aimlessly in search of prey.

However, just as Emma's hope began to drop, her gaze shifted to the top of the building, and her eyes widened with excitement. There, against the backdrop of the bright sky, she spotted a group of survivors, their figures clear against the looming threat of the undead horde. It was clear that they were in a desperate situation.

Remains of supplies littered the rooftop, with only a few bottles of water and a bag of ramen remaining to sustain the ten people huddled together. Their desperation was noticeable as they frantically pushed anything they could find against the door, attempting to barricade themselves from the encroaching zombies. However, Emma knew from her experience that the door would provide only temporary safety; at best, it could hold off the increasing size of zombies for half an hour.

The loud banging on the door echoed in the air, attracting the zombies downstairs. While most of the zombies were drawn upstairs by the commotion, Emma's presence with her vehicle had also attracted their attention, helping the survivors a bit.

With determination coursing through her veins, Emma activated her microphone system and maneuvered her RV a safe distance away from the besieged dorm rooms. With a steady voice, she spoke into the mic, her words echoing with authority, "Listen up, This is Emma Lin. Your savior."

The survivors atop the dorm turned their attention toward the source of the voice, their faces reflecting a mix of uncertainty and hope. Emma's eyes narrowed in focus as she continued, her voice firm, "Either you do all you can and prevent the zombies from breaching for the next twenty minutes, or you die."