My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 750

Then, Sparrow's voice crackled through the radio once more with a report."Young Madam! We've spotted an evolved zombie up ahead. I believe it noticed us, but instead of attacking, it fled—straight in the direction of our destination. Should we pursue it now or wait for the main group before making a move?"

It seemed Sparrow had learned his lesson from his recent encounter with the mutated tree. No longer charging ahead recklessly in the name of scouting, he had returned to being cautious, no longer letting overconfidence cloud his judgment.

After hearing Sparrow's report, Kisha released her smaller katana, letting it continue slicing through zombies under her telekinetic control. She reached for the walkie-talkie and pressed the button to respond.

"I figured as much. There are stronger zombies out here—normal evolved ones, some even at peak level 1. The fact that they're not fighting each other for territory and seem this organized suggests there's a higher-level evolved zombie up ahead, possibly directing them."

Her tone was calm but firm as she continued, "Don't engage. Just observe and maintain a safe distance. Stay close enough to the main group—we can't afford to split up too much."

She knew Sparrow would catch the deeper meaning behind her words. Sure enough, a moment of silence followed before his quiet, acknowledging nod came through the line.

"Understood, Young Madam. Tristan and I will stay alert for any signs of an ambush ahead. We'll keep a safe distance—close enough that if something does happen, we can hold out long enough for backup to reach us," Sparrow replied steadily.

His response was met with a brief but approving "Hmm" from Kisha.

Kisha was relieved to see that Sparrow understood her hidden warning not to pursue the evolved zombie. From the way it had acted, it was clearly trying to bait Sparrow and Tristan—either to ambush them directly or to lure the main group into a trap.

If they had fallen for it, it would've made it much easier for the evolved zombie to pick them off one by one. Thankfully, thanks to her reminder, Sparrow caught on to the strategy.

He chose instead to maintain a safe distance from the group—close enough that if he and Tristan were targeted, Kisha could still deploy the Scarlet Bees to buy them time while she and Duke rushed to assist.

Sparrow returned to his mission, crouched low on the rooftop behind a large ventilation unit. From time to time, he peeked out cautiously to observe the surroundings. He had already set up a makeshift alarm system to avoid being caught off guard—just five seconds of warning would be enough for him to either brace for battle or retreat quickly.

But Sparrow wasn't relying on the alarms alone. He knew that evolved zombies had gained awareness, and with that awareness came the possibility of heightened observation skills.

They might notice his traps or even anticipate his precautions. With that in mind, Sparrow remained on high alert, relying just as much on his instincts as he did on his equipment.

As soon as he finished his report, Sparrow glanced toward the spot where Tristan was stationed. Tristan lay flat on his stomach atop the rooftop, carefully scanning the area through a pair of binoculars.

They had positioned themselves on the tallest building in the vicinity—only about ten floors high, but still the best vantage point available. The surrounding area was filled with sprawling factory buildings and wide roads, and because the factory dealt with harsh chemicals, it was built at a distance from the nearest structures.

Even though Sparrow and Tristan were still a good distance from their target factory, they remained on high alert. Up ahead, the landscape offered fewer hiding spots and even fewer elevated positions. It would soon become much harder to stay concealed—or to observe the enemy without being seen.

The last 500 meters leading to the factory consisted of nothing but a vast stretch of open land, broken only by a perimeter of wired fences and the looming factory buildings beyond.

Currently, Sparrow and Tristan were stationed in the dormitories once used by factory workers who preferred to stay close to their jobs. Ahead of them stood the factory complex itself.

If they planned to remain hidden after entering the vicinity, their only real options would be the rooftops or the watchtowers scattered around the premises—structures originally built for guards to monitor activity inside and outside the compound.

While there were more watchtowers deeper within, they offered little in the way of cover. In truth, those elevated points would leave them far too exposed.

Just before the factory fences lay a wide stretch of road, and it was there that Sparrow and Tristan chose to pause and report back, seeking instructions on whether they should pursue the evolved zombie they had spotted earlier.

Sparrow carefully peeked toward their destination. The area surrounding the factory was swarming with zombies—many of them still dressed in their work uniforms, making it easy for him to identify them as former factory employees who had turned after the blood rain.