There were no human survivors near the burning pile of zombie corpses. Lu Heng observed from high in the sky for several minutes but found no sign of any people.
It didn't make sense. After zombies were burned to ash, the crystals within their bodies would remain. Usually, to obtain these crystals, people would gather around after burning the zombies to collect them, and there would certainly be guards left to watch the area.
Unless, of course, these corpses had already had their crystals removed. But if the crystals were gone, there would be no need to burn the bodies, as the crackling sound could easily attract zombies from elsewhere.
However, Lu Heng soon spotted signs of human activity not far away.
A group of people, about thirty or so, were fiercely killing zombies below. From their actions, it seemed this group had the upper hand.
The group below finished their brief battle in about half an hour, with the surrounding zombies eliminated. A few stragglers were still running towards them, but the people below had clear divisions of labor: some were collecting crystals from the zombie bodies, while others were keeping watch around the perimeter.
Moreover, everyone was very quiet. Apart from the occasional zombie howl, any others were quickly dealt with by the sentries.
After clearing this batch of zombies, two fire ability users from the group stepped forward and unleashed flames upon the piled-up zombie corpses, instantly engulfing them. Black smoke gradually rose.
Someone below made a gesture, and then the thirty-odd people moved on to another location without sustaining any injuries.
Lu Heng realized these people specifically sought out zombies to attack. They weren't out searching for daily necessities but were dedicated to hunting zombies for their internal crystals.
Most of these individuals were at the fourth-tier level, with seven or eight at the fifth-tier.
They found another spot and created a trap on the ground to lure zombies. Soon, a zombie was caught in the trap, letting out a piercing howl that attracted many zombies from the surrounding area to rush towards them.
At this moment, the group had already found a safe position. Earth ability users had erected a sealed space, their human presence concealed. Thus, when the zombies rushed over, they did not discover their hiding spot.
"This group is quite clever," Lu Heng's lips curved upwards slightly. Finally, in this apocalypse, he had found a group of human survivors who prioritized upgrading.
Lu Heng continued to observe the people below from high above. Fortunately, they were all focused on their tasks, their attention fixed on the situation on the ground.
Lu Heng patiently watched the humans below. Eventually, they cleared all the zombies in this area, and nearly ten piles of zombie corpses had been burned.
The people below tidied up and then systematically headed towards a small town nearby.
Lu Heng followed from above, watching them return to the town. The town was surrounded by man-made walls. Although the walls were not very high, they were somewhat effective in preventing zombies from easily crossing.
Moving further in, the group arrived at a developed residential complex.
The perimeter walls of the complex were built very sturdily. While not as formidable as the established bases in Dragon City, they were sufficient to defend against nearby zombies.
"Let's go, we'll go meet them."
Lu Heng nudged the Gryphon, then tightened his grip on the reins. The Gryphon swiftly swooped down and flew into the stronghold.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack..."
"An ability animal is attacking the base!~"
"Fire quickly!"
As Lu Heng guided the Gryphon downwards, he had already anticipated the panic of these people and their eventual attack on him.
Therefore, he manipulated the wind to flow rapidly around the Gryphon. The bullets fired from their firearms were caught by the hurricane, their speed and direction altered, dancing in the air with the wind.
"What's going on? Look, why are all the bullets gathering in the air?"
"What kind of ability is this? Can a wind ability do this? How many levels would that require?"
Within the hurricane, Lu Heng's voice emerged: "I'm here to talk. Stop firing, don't waste your bullets."
"There are survivors too?" Those outside, enveloped by the hurricane, could not see clearly inside. They could only vaguely discern a massive wild beast circling in the air.
Initially, they thought a mutated beast was attacking them, but they hadn't expected a human.
"Quickly stop the attack, everyone be on guard." Someone in the noisy crowd commanded loudly.
Seeing that the attack had stopped, Lu Heng waved his hand, gathering all the bullets that were flying around in the hurricane.
The moment the Gryphon landed, the hurricane stopped spinning and dissipated into nothingness. The bullets that Lu Heng had just collected scattered across the open ground in front.
"It really is someone."
"What kind of animal mutated into this? It looks a bit strange."
"I haven't seen it before. I know some animals change their appearance after mutation."
"Even with changes, the basic form is usually traceable, but look, the giant bird has four legs. Have you ever seen a bird with four claws?"
"This person can actually intercept all our fired bullets?"
"Shush, stop discussing. This person looks like they're not low level."
Constant murmurs surrounded Lu Heng and his mount. Those who had never seen a Gryphon were astonished by its peculiar appearance.
"Who is your administrator here?" Lu Heng, standing on the Gryphon's back, looked down at the people below.
"I am the town mayor, Li Qiang."
Such a commotion had drawn the administrator out. In this apocalypse, when facing crises, administrators could always step forward and fight on the front lines, which was much better than before the end of the world.
After all, in a world where might makes right, people's mindsets had changed considerably.
"Li Qiang, would it be convenient to find a place to talk?"
"Certainly. What should I call you?"
"Wuming City, Lu Heng."
"Then Mr. Lu, please come down and we can discuss it in a room. However, your ability animal..."
"It can stay in the open space outside."
Lu Heng leaped off the Gryphon's back. However, to be safe, he also released the Golden Eagle.
"What? When did another ability animal appear?" Li Qiang, looking at the giant eagle that suddenly appeared on the Gryphon's back, asked in surprise again.
"Heh heh, my ability is to command these animals, so you don't need to be too surprised."
"There's such an ability?"
"Yes, it's the apocalypse, and zombies have appeared, so anything else is not surprising."
"Indeed. Then Brother Lu, please accompany me to the room to talk. I will instruct the people below not to provoke them while they are outside."
"Well, there's no need to fear anyone provoking them. Those who aren't afraid of death can try to approach them."
Hearing Lu Heng's words, the people around them all retreated. Some of them had encountered the ferocity of mutated animals in this apocalypse. Such a large mutated giant bird, even by stomping its foot, could kill many people. They truly dared not come forward to test it.