In addition to what was previously mentioned, Mo Shao also packed away a large number of phones, laptops, and other electronics.
After all, while the internet was currently down, it didn’t mean it would stay that way forever.
At the very least, local area networks would still exist. By carrying these devices, she could eventually download content or use them for local communication.
Secondary to that was satellite communication. The satellites were naturally still functional.
After all, the world above the Kármán line remained unchanged.
Of course, they were affected to some degree, as various ground stations and satellite signal control units required recalibration.
In her previous life, it had taken roughly three months for things to recover enough to support limited satellite communication.
Even then, it was restricted to a tiny minority of people.
Furthermore, satellite communication only worked in the Real Realm; signals couldn't be received within the Phantom Realm.
This was because, when viewed from space, the Phantom Realm appeared as nothing more than a line—hardly even that, as it possessed almost zero thickness.
Consequently, signals simply couldn't penetrate it.
However, communication would improve slightly by the late stages of the apocalypse.
Since the Phantom Realm didn't just bring superpowers but also a significant amount of high-tech items, it actually accelerated development in a certain sense.
The only reason it took until the late stages to improve was that, due to the constant threat of monsters, priority was always given to developing weaponry.
...
One of the few things Mo Shao hadn't planned on collecting but ended up taking a ton of anyway was clothing.
Well... Little Ka had dragged her off to pick some out.
In Little Ka’s words, she had been wearing the same outfit for far too long and needed some spares just in case.
So, Mo Shao eventually left with a massive pile of clothes. After all, clothing did have its uses.
However, she primarily chose functional pieces, such as down jackets, which could be used for camouflage or concealment.
In a frozen environment, someone not wearing a coat would stand out like a sore thumb.
She even stumbled upon a set of Elaina cosplay clothes... someone must have prepared it for the upcoming Halloween before the world ended.
In any case, it belonged to her now. She figured she might have a use for it later.
She also took some everyday clothes and underwear, ignoring the stylish but impractical options.
Under these circumstances, Little Ka did her best to find the most attractive pieces among the functional ones... whatever, Mo Shao let her have her way.
...
After gathering their supplies, they began their final preparations—which mostly consisted of making "armor" for themselves.
They DIYed protection using various materials found in The MixC, similar to the classic "book armor" seen in zombie novels, though significantly stronger.
With more abundant resources, everyone put a lot of effort into crafting gear that could withstand zombie bites.
The greatest pressure when fighting zombies was the fear of being bitten.
That pressure was far greater than fighting Tacet Discords. Getting bitten meant infection, which was simply too dangerous.
Of course, Mo Shao was immune. It was a classic apocalypse trope: once you had abilities, you didn't have to fear being bitten by zombies.
Little Ka had also secured a crystal core for herself, having found a mutant plant that was both easy to handle and surprisingly powerful.
Mo Shao had scouted it for her from the air. It was a Banyan tree. It was a pity there weren't more of them; otherwise, they would have harvested a few more.
As for the ability Little Ka acquired... she could produce Glazed Fruit—yellow, small, tomato-like things.
But that wasn't all. She could also produce Laurel Leaves and Cypress Olives. Combining the three resulted in a "Glazed Laurel Salad."
This happened to be Katicia’s favorite food in the game... did the ability actually depend on the wielder's inner desires?
Setting aside that meta-observation, the ability was quite good. The three ingredients each had unique effects.
Specifically, they increased Strength, Defense, and Stamina.
Moreover, she could produce them in advance and store them, making her a support-class food producer. Such individuals were highly sought after in the apocalypse.
However, Mo Shao couldn't help but wonder why both she and Little Ka had ended up as support types.
She mused over it for a moment but ultimately didn't dwell on it.
It didn't really matter. Both of them were already powerful enough offensively; adding some utility was a good thing.
...
Afterward, the team members hopped onto bicycles found in a specialty shop within The MixC.
As for the collected items, they were first packed into chests and then loaded onto several vans.
While there were many obstacles on the road, with so many people, moving them aside was a simple task.
With everything ready, they systematically cycled onto the main roads away from the zombie hordes, heading toward the western edge of the city.
The team formation was as follows: Mo Shao flew ahead to scout the path, while Little Ka and several of the stronger members brought up the front and rear.
Yu Jie and Fang Dongwei—one a Gulpuff and the other a Wind user—leaped across the rooftops, observing the surroundings from both sides.
They stayed completely clear of the main zombie concentrations.
Occasional stray zombies encountered along the way were easily dispatched.
With so many people and so many bows, the zombies were picked off from a distance; very few even managed to get close.
They also had shields to block any attacks, and those with enough strength could simply bash the zombies away.
Only on very rare occasions did they encounter troublesome mutated zombies, but the powerhouses in the team handled them with ease.
Mo Shao didn't even need to intervene. A single volley from the three mages—Li Danhua, Yang Shanbie, and Tu Sisheng—wielding Fire, Ice, and Lightning, respectively, was enough.
Hardly anything could withstand that kind of barrage!
...
As they moved through the city, they also picked up a considerable number of survivors along the way.
The route they were taking was the path with the fewest zombies, so it naturally had the most survivors.
Of course, they didn't go around shouting with megaphones; that would be far too noisy and attract every zombie in the area.
They only picked up those who proactively ran down to meet them or found ways to signal for help.
Tang Bing and Tang Yi were among them.
Since the newcomers were full of questions upon seeing a team whose entire style seemed completely out of place, Mo Shao grabbed a stack of flyers and had the siblings explain things to them.
To be honest, Mo Shao found it quite entertaining to watch from the sidelines as the groups shifted from confusion to collective bewilderment.
Eventually, the team safely navigated their way through the zombie-infested city.
Not a single person died during the journey. The few who were accidentally bitten were saved using crystal cores.
Given the way Mo Shao had organized them, this team was effectively over-tuned for the current environment.
Combined with their prior scouting and preparation, they weren't likely to run into trouble unless something truly unexpected happened.
If they ran into a crisis everywhere they went, they might as well just give up the ghost right now.
Rate on N.U.
