Although we got a chance to catch our breath in the abandoned town for the time being, everyone knew clearly that this was just the calm before the storm. The Steel Alliance wouldn't give up chasing us so easily, and this abandoned town was not a long - term safe haven. We had to find a way to survive in this wilderness as soon as possible and figure out how to improve our strength to face the challenges that might come in the future.
"Our top priority now is to collect enough supplies." I said to the exhausted team members. "Food, water and weapons are all crucial for our survival."
Jack nodded and said, "Yes, and we also need to find a safer place to build a new base. This abandoned town is too easy to be discovered."
So, we divided into several groups. Jack and I led a group to look for food and water, while Tom and Kevin took another group to collect available weapons and tools. Amy and her medical team stayed in the town to take care of the injured team members and look for materials to make medicines.
Jack and I searched carefully in the ruins around the town. Food was extremely scarce in the wasteland. Most plants had mutated due to radiation and were inedible. We could only hope to find some abandoned warehouses or shops that might have some undamaged supplies.
"Look, there seems to be a warehouse over there." Jack pointed to a dilapidated building in the distance.
We approached the warehouse carefully, on the alert for any possible danger around. Pushing open the door, a pungent smell filled the air. In the dim light, we saw some old shelves and scattered boxes on the ground.
"Quick, look for something useful." I said.
Everyone started rummaging through the warehouse. Soon, we found some canned food and a few bottles of clean water. Although the quantity was not much, it was a great harvest for us.
"There are also some tools here." a team member shouted.
We walked over and found several axes, hammers and some ropes. These tools would be very useful in wilderness survival.
Just as we were about to leave the warehouse, we suddenly heard a low growl. From the corner of the warehouse, a huge mutant beast slowly walked out. It was more than two people tall, covered in black scales, and its eyes glowed with a fierce light.
"Be careful, this is a mutant lizard." I said warily.
The mutant lizard opened its huge mouth, let out a roar, and then pounced on us. I quickly drew out the dagger from my waist and prepared to fight. Jack and the other team members also picked up their weapons and got ready.
In the fight against the mutant lizard, we fully utilized our teamwork ability. I was responsible for attracting its attention, while Jack and the other team members attacked from the side and the back. After a fierce battle, we finally managed to kill the mutant lizard.
"That was close. This mutant lizard was really tough to deal with." Jack gasped.
We cut some meat from the mutant lizard. Although the meat didn't taste good, it could provide us with some energy in this resource - scarce wilderness.
Meanwhile, Tom and Kevin's group also had a good harvest. They found some guns and ammunition in an abandoned factory, which greatly improved our weapon equipment.
When we got back to the town, we distributed the collected supplies. Everyone sat around, ate a simple meal, and then started discussing the next plan.
"I think we can build a new base in the nearby valley." Tom said. "It has a 险要 terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there is also some water around."
Everyone thought it was a good idea, so we decided to go to the valley the next day to start building the new base.
In the following days, we were busy building the base in the valley. Everyone had their own tasks. Some were responsible for cutting down trees to build houses, some for digging defensive fortifications, and others for collecting more supplies.
As the base was gradually built, our lives became more stable. But we didn't let our guard down. Every day, we would arrange team members to patrol to prevent a sudden attack from the Steel Alliance.
In the process of surviving in the wilderness, we also continuously improved our abilities. Through battles with mutant creatures, the team members' fighting skills became more and more proficient. Lynn used the collected materials to upgrade our weapons and equipment.
However, the peaceful days didn't last long. One day, the patrolling team brought back bad news: they had found a reconnaissance team of the Steel Alliance, which meant that the Steel Alliance already knew our location.
"Looks like they're coming again." I said seriously, looking into the distance.
We immediately held an emergency meeting to formulate counter - measures. This time, we wouldn't be as passive as last time. We had a stronger base, more powerful weapons and equipment, and a more united team. We believed that no matter how big a threat the Steel Alliance brought, we could defeat them.