The Same Goal

Inside this cramped elevator, two massive Tier 3 Strength Baptized Ones occupied nearly two-thirds of the space!

The atmosphere grew heavy the moment they stepped inside.

Steward Jonathan wished he could crawl into the elevator's ventilation shaft, terrified that any move he made might provoke the displeasure of the punk-styled youth before him.

Only Xia Leng maintained his usual paralyzed, icy expression, acting as if the people in front of him were nothing more than air, completely unbothered.

This caused the two bodyguards to frown involuntarily; what exactly was this guy's identity?!

If he were an ordinary refugee, upon seeing their Tier 3 Strength status, he would surely be dominated by biological instinct—fear—just like the steward beside him, trembling so violently he wouldn't dare draw a full breath.

But if he were an equal, or even someone with strength exceeding their own, how could they fail to detect any special aura radiating from him?

Just as the two bodyguards prepared to interrogate this suspicious individual about his identity:

Ding~

A crisp electronic chime sounded, and they reached the tenth floor, the button they had pressed.

"Hey, what are you two spacing out for? My old man didn't pay you to stand there and pose."

The punk-styled youth, who possessed only the aura of an ordinary person, had already stepped out of the elevator and was urging the two Tier 3 Apocalypse Warriors with an impatient tone.

Helpless, the two warriors, who possessed immense power yet were reduced to being someone else's bodyguards, took one last look at Xia Leng before stepping out of the elevator.

Ding~

The elevator doors closed.

The heavy atmosphere vanished instantly, and Steward Jonathan, who had been holding his breath until his face turned beet-red, finally resumed normal breathing.

"Whew~ I was suffocating. Why would a spoiled brat like that suddenly have an interest in the office area? And you—how did you dare stare directly at his bodyguards earlier? You have to know, he is..."

"The young master of your company, right?"

Before the steward could finish his sentence, Xia Leng spoke the words casually. Even a fool could have guessed the situation; Baptized Ones acting as bodyguards for an ordinary person?

Either they were incredibly wealthy, or they held immense power—the kind capable of controlling the rules of this apocalypse.

"So you knew! Then why did you dare stare at that person? He is the son of Trof, one of the founders of the Komodo Mercenary Company."

Steward Jonathan wiped away cold sweat, wondering why this guy's nerves were so thick, as if he didn't know how to spell the word "humble."

When facing someone who held the power of life and death over you, being humble when necessary was never a bad thing.

"Mm."

Xia Leng responded indifferently, nearly causing the steward to vomit blood from frustration...

"Sigh... when we go up to see Parick later, don't keep that sour face on. He's already in a bad mood today..."

Ding~

Just as Steward Jonathan was earnestly lecturing Xia Leng on the points he needed to be careful about, the elevator reached the top floor.

However, the situation here was not what Xia Leng had imagined.

He had expected this to be the hub of the entire fortress, a highly fortified area with a guard every three steps and a machine gun every five.

But that was not the case.

The spacious top-floor corridor was completely empty. There were no guards, not even a speck of debris; it was kept impeccably clean, the milky-white tiles polished to a mirror finish that clearly reflected their silhouettes.

Beyond that, the entire hallway contained only a few office doors and the General Manager's office at the very end.

Seeing Xia Leng's confusion, Steward Jonathan explained: "Actually, I have to tell you the most important thing to keep in mind: Parick has a severe case of mysophobia. He cannot tolerate anything messy or chaotic. Since you're relatively clean right now, I brought you straight here. Once we enter his office, absolutely do not do anything like picking your nose!"

Xia Leng scoffed at this. In an era where people couldn't even get enough to eat, only these types of people still clung to such pampered habits.

After the steward finished instructing him on how to be cautious and restrained, Xia Leng followed behind him toward the wide door at the end of the corridor.

The long, narrow hallway was now occupied only by the two of them, quiet to the point of being eerie. Every step they took produced a faint echo that resonated through the corridor.

As Xia Leng passed several closed office doors along the side, his keen hearing caught a faint, buzzing sound coming from within.

It sounded like the noise generated by mechanical operations, though it was subtle; otherwise, it wouldn't have been placed near the ears of a man like Parick, who couldn't tolerate the slightest bit of noise.

When passing the final office door—the only one with a window—Xia Leng cast a casual glance inside.

The sight caused his expressionless face to widen in shock!

In this last office, a group of people in white lab coats, looking like scholars or professors, were busy at work.

They held record books, seemingly performing some kind of recording or calculation on display screens. The tables were covered in various chemical apparatuses, as if they were researching something highly precise.

However, Xia Leng's attention was not on them, but on the massive white whiteboard on the wall, covered in various equations.

Amidst the dense, black-marker-scrawled calculation equations, Xia Leng's electronic-eye-like vision precisely locked onto one term: Land of Corpse Cold!

With just a single glance, Xia Leng had spotted the place name that had "haunted his dreams"!

Beyond that, he also saw the strange names "Mechanical Lost City" and "Sea Emperor Waters." Could these also be code names for mysterious bases from the old era?

It seemed the Komodo Corporation, and perhaps other organizations, were also searching for the answers he sought!

Yet, after discovering this major secret, Xia Leng's expression returned to its usual cold indifference in an instant, as if nothing had happened, and he simply walked past the mysterious room.

Although he and the Komodo Corporation shared the same goal, it didn't necessarily mean they would be partners. Exposing his intentions might only bring more trouble upon himself.

Xia Leng had originally intended to ask if a high-level executive like Parick would know this place name, but it seemed there was no need to ask now; he would have to find an opportunity to sneak into that office earlier and investigate for himself.

Not long after passing the previous mysterious office, they arrived at the door of Parick's spacious office at the end of the corridor.

The general manager's nameplate, a relic from the old era, still hung on the door and had not been removed.

Butler Jonathan signaled for Xia Leng to remain silent, then stepped forward and knocked on the door three times with extreme caution.

"Lord Parick, I have brought the person up. The guards below should have already informed you, correct?"

About three seconds after the butler finished speaking, a languid voice drifted from within.

"Mm, come in."