Donovan Yardley was the High-level Superpower User who had been chosen for the task. A Fire Element user, he had only recently achieved a High-level Superpower. However, he was already considered the apex of Superpower Users at the Argent base, hailed by its people as the "strongest warrior."
A ten-person squad of Superpower Users followed behind him. They were all Level 3, specializing in attack-focused Fire Element abilities.
However, Flora Bloom felt it was unnecessary to select only attack-type Superpower Users. ’For a team meant to cover Donovan Yardley, defensive types would be far more useful than offensive ones.’
Although she was the one who had proposed the idea, the team answered to the Adler family. And when Donovan Yardley learned the plan had come from a young girl like Flora Bloom, the disdain in his eyes was plain for all to see.
"It’s just a zombie siege, isn’t it? It’s not like we haven’t dealt with this before. Since you summoned me here, you ought to hear my opinion!
No offense, but on a matter this important, you’re actually taking a little girl’s unsubstantiated advice? If we are sent out and get injured, we’ll become an even greater liability upon our return.
Why not first try an attack with large-scale destructive weaponry?"
"Well..."
Donovan Yardley’s point was obviously a sound one. Of those present, Simon was the exception; Titan Adler and Liam Todd were more inclined to agree with Donovan.
However, they weren’t about to be the ones to suggest "giving it a try." After all, everyone feared the "what if." What if the young girl, Flora Bloom, was right? What if the large-scale weapons were useless, there really was a leader zombie, and their attack just served to tip it off? Who would take responsibility then?
As they hesitated, Donovan Yardley spoke again.
"Family Head, you saved my life. If you give the order, I’ll go without question! But in my opinion, it’s really not necessary for a horde of this size. Even if those mutated creatures—the snakes, insects, and rats—have changed, they can’t have escaped their original instincts. Bugs fear fire. If we send in some Fire Ability Users, I believe we can end this battle quickly."
Titan Adler’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. He wanted to recruit Flora Bloom, but that didn’t mean he would listen to a young girl’s advice at a critical juncture.
They had never before encountered a combined siege of a zombie horde and other zombified creatures, and it had briefly thrown them into a panic. Donovan Yardley’s arrival brought Titan Adler and Liam Todd back to their senses.
So, Titan Adler looked at Flora Bloom. "Flora Bloom, how confident are you?"
Flora Bloom looked at Titan Adler. "Eighty percent. But if this Superpower User is powerful enough, it becomes one hundred percent." Flora Bloom knew that as long as this High-level Superpower User was skilled enough, he could absolutely eliminate the leader zombie in a short amount of time. That would also minimize the exhaustion of the base’s Superpower Users.
She wasn’t the only one who understood the logic of capturing the ringleader to capture the thieves; she was sure the men present understood it even better than she did.
Titan Adler was baffled by Flora Bloom’s words. He couldn’t tell if she was being recklessly bold or genuinely confident.
Donovan Yardley, on the other hand, found her words utterly baffling. "You’re really taking what a little girl says seriously? Family Head, entrust this matter to me. I’m one hundred percent certain I can repel these monsters!"
Flora Bloom frowned. "’Repel?’ You mean you can’t kill them, that they might just grow back like weeds?"
"Little girl, this isn’t a game. We’re facing a horde of zombies—this is war! Don’t you get it? If we fight these things head-on, our Superpower Users could be injured at any moment. And an injury means they’ll very likely turn into zombies themselves.
It’s a vicious cycle, and humanity doesn’t have the upper hand. Just repelling them buys the base time to grow stronger!"
Flora Bloom frowned. What Donovan Yardley said was correct. Anyone injured by a zombified creature had a very high chance of turning into a zombie. In this war between humanity and the undead, humans were not at an advantage.
’When it came to a siege like this, was I lacking objective judgment?’ she wondered. ’Maybe the leader zombie isn’t as powerful as I thought. Perhaps Donovan Yardley’s method could win this battle after all.’
Flora Bloom hesitated.
Donovan Yardley was clearly a veteran with vast combat experience. He was dismissive of a young girl’s idea, but that didn’t mean he was deliberately trying to shut Flora Bloom down.
"Little girl, I understand your plan. ’Capture the king to capture the thieves,’ right? But have you considered the dangers? I may be powerful, but think about the ten Superpower Users who have to cover me. What happens to them as we try to cross the entire horde to find this leader you’re talking about?
I’m glad you’re able to think about the big picture for the base, but warfare isn’t as simple as you imagine."
"But if you really want to help, I hear you have a very powerful flying mantis for a pet. I wonder, could I borrow it?"
Flora Bloom was surprised by Donovan Yardley’s adaptability. Just moments ago, his eyes had been full of disdain, yet now he was suddenly making a friendly request of her.
"You want Vert to act as your aerial lookout?"
A smile touched Donovan Yardley’s lips. "You’re sharp. Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking. The base’s detection equipment has already been scanning the horde for any trace of that leader zombie. But they haven’t found anything."
"Haven’t found it?" Titan Adler, Liam Todd, and Simon exclaimed in surprise. "Our advanced equipment is among the best in the world! How could it not be found? Have the technicians tried recalibrating?"
Donovan Yardley’s gaze wavered. "You can’t blame the technicians. We’ve faced sieges before, and leader zombies definitely exist. But we always had the geographical and offensive advantage. Zombies below the Middle Level are afraid of firearms, so those leaders never posed a real threat."
"I told you," Flora interjected, "the leader zombie is highly intelligent. Especially one that can command zombified insects. Its spiritual power is exceptional, and its intellect is by no means inferior to a human’s."
Donovan Yardley nodded, a newfound admiration for the young girl named Flora Bloom in his eyes. ’These Family Heads don’t understand these zombified creatures because they’ve spent too long sitting comfortably in their command chairs instead of fighting on the front lines themselves.’
He, on the other hand, frequently fought for his life amidst these hordes, commanding his teams in battle, so he understood them far better than the leaders did. The fact that the young girl before him knew these things was what truly astonished him.
"You’re right. That’s why I need your flying pet to act as a lookout in the sky. If the leader zombie appears, have it warn the Superpower Users. And if it becomes necessary, I’ll use your method—capture the king to win the battle!"
Hearing Donovan Yardley’s words, Flora Bloom suddenly felt a flicker of respect for him.
’When faced with the threat of a zombie horde, some chose to shrink back, while others continued to fight for everyone. I originally thought he rejected my proposal simply because of my age, and I found that hard to accept.’
But after their conversation, she realized that wasn’t the case at all. ’It’s true that my proposal is the best way to minimize losses among the base’s Superpower Users. But that’s only on the condition that *I’m* the one going to assassinate the leader.’
’Realistically, was there anyone in this base besides myself who had the ability to break through a siege of tens of thousands of zombified creatures, find the leader, and assassinate it single-handedly? As powerful as Donovan Yardley was, he couldn’t even break through a horde of that size.’
’I was shortsighted.’