SWNOVELXO Chapter 514 I'll Take You Home_3
Yao Hai immediately came over to report.
"Then let's go."
"Huh—huh? Go? Now?"
Yao Hai and Su Jie were both bewildered.
Wang Tao had mentioned something similar before, telling them to pack up and follow him. They thought it was a slip of the tongue, and when Wang Tao left to deal with the zombies, they didn't ask any further. But now, it seemed that Wang Tao was indeed planning to take them away right now!
But from their lookout, there were no convoys outside!
Were they going to walk?
That's four hundred kilometers! Walking in this kind of weather? That would be crazy! Even if they could make it, it was doubtful that many would survive. Yao Hai even suspected he might die on the way...
"Don't worry, just follow me out. Oh, and dress warmly, it might be a bit cold later on."
"...Okay!"
Yao Hai and Su Jie exchanged glances, unclear about what Wang Tao meant. Since they had chosen to trust him, they could only follow through to the end. They began to wonder if Wang Tao's convoy was nearby but had not yet arrived...
Click—
The door to the air-raid shelter opened once more, this time the main gate, allowing snowflakes and cold air to rush into the base, giving them an involuntary shiver.
Wang Tao seemed indifferent to the low temperatures. He stepped outside and put a finger to his lips.
"Whistle—"
A loud whistle sounded from Wang Tao's mouth, startling Yao Hai and the others. After all, "maintaining silence" was one of the essential laws of surviving the apocalypse.
Yao Hai did not question Wang Tao but instead became alert, ready to lead the survivors back at the first sign of zombies nearby.
But suddenly, Yao Hai felt a shiver run through his body, a premonition of impending death!
Not just him, but Su Jie and the others felt it too. Especially when they saw a shadow on the ground, their fear reached its pinnacle.
They stiffly looked up to see a giant eagle, blocking out the sun, hovering above them.
"Mutant Eagle!!!"
Yao Hai nearly wet himself from the sheer intimidation of being face-to-face with the mutant eagle, which was a thousand times more terrifying than watching it through surveillance equipment!
He felt his legs go weak!
"Retreat quickly!"
He reacted swiftly, calling on everyone to retreat back inside.
However, other than himself and another Awakener, the rest, including Su Jie, seemed to be frozen solid with fear.
The reason was the massive gap in levels between them and the Golden Eagle; they were petrified by its aura and couldn't move!
"Don't worry, it's one of ours."
Wang Tao waved his hand.
Yao Hai then remembered that there was the powerful Wang Tao at their side!
But what did "one of ours" mean?
His mind couldn't catch up again, or perhaps... he couldn't bring himself to believe it.
Amidst this enforced shock, the Golden Eagle finally landed in front of Wang Tao. Considering the presence of ordinary people, the Golden Eagle moved slowly, fearing it might blow them away inadvertently. But unbeknownst to it, this slow and imposing approach terrified many.
"Did you have fun?"
Wang Tao said with a smile, stroking the Golden Eagle's beak, which was as large as steel.
"Chirp~"
The Golden Eagle indicated that it had nothing better to do, so it had hunted down all the Flying Zombies in the vicinity.
"...Well done!"
Wang Tao commended it, then loudly addressed the stunned crowd behind him:
"Just climb up from its wings, then sit on its back."
He seemed to overlook the fact that the Golden Eagle's intimidating presence was too strong; those with a lower level than the Golden Eagle probably had their legs turn to jelly... but no matter, the Golden Eagle wasn't going to eat them.
Wang Tao's voice brought them back to reality.
They looked at Wang Tao, then at the giant Golden Eagle beside him, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Hurry up! Climb up from Mr. Eagle's wing!"
This time, Su Jie spoke up smartly.
Although she still couldn't suppress her instinctive fear, seeing the Golden Eagle not attacking Wang Tao and that they were allies, her fear diminished somewhat. So she quickly spoke up.
"Right, right, hurry on up, don't waste Mr. Wang's and Mr. Eagle's time!"
Reminded by Su Jie, Yao Hai also promptly spoke up.
Not knowing the Golden Eagle's name, they decided to courteously refer to it as Mr. Eagle.
The others, seeing that the Golden Eagle wasn't attacking and hearing Yao Hai and Su Jie's words, began to shake off some of their fear. They were still afraid, but they managed to start moving.
So, they shakily made their way onto the Golden Eagle's huge, ground-level wings.
"Mr. Wang, I..."
Yao Hai's heartbeat raced, but he didn't know what to say. However, all his previous doubts were resolved—the reason Mr. Wang had come was by riding this giant eagle!
"This is Xiao Jin, a Golden Eagle, and also my good friend. Get acquainted."
Wang Tao said with a smile.
"X-Xiao Jin, Mr.!"
Yao Hai stuttered, overwhelmed by the eagle's imposing presence.
"Chirp~"
Xiao Jin chirped softly.
Though Yao Hai couldn't understand its meaning, he suddenly felt a surge of excitement, thrill, and even pride—such a powerful Golden Eagle had communicated with him!
"Who's going to go on the first trip, you or Su Jie?"
Wang Tao asked.
"Let Su Jie go first! I'll go with the second group of people!"
Su Jie had no objections, efficiency was needed at this time, no time for pleasantries.
"Alright. Get on then."
The Giant Eagle was huge, able to carry five hundred survivors on its back. Although it was a bit cramped, they would reach their destination in two to three hours—even being squished together would be warmer.
After the first batch of five hundred survivors and Su Jie were aboard, Wang Tao and Lightning also jumped onto Xiao Jin's back.
Whoosh—
The Giant Eagle flapped its wings, lifting the thirty-ton load with ease, and took to the skies.
"Hold tight, I'm taking you home."