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"If you're capable of venturing deep into the Street of the Living Dead, why don't you bring back that so-called Living Corpse King yourself and show us?"

Parick crossed one leg over the other and lounged comfortably in his executive chair, looking at the other man with an air of superiority.

Seeing that the person in charge still intended to press him for answers, Xia Leng put on an impatient expression.

"You know that we Apocalypse Hunters all have a keen sense for danger. That Living Corpse King is powerful, and I'm no match for it. But since you still don't seem to trust me, I can go to another mercenary company. That way, you won't have to worry about me setting you up or deceiving you."

Xia Leng made as if to get up and leave. Parick's pupils immediately widened slightly!

No one had ever dared behave so rudely in front of him. Though he disliked having his subordinates fawn over him, he also disliked being disrespected.

If any of his other subordinates had acted so insolently in his presence, their fate would have been no more pleasant than being thrown into a furnace.

However, the lure of a new kind of evolved creature he had never encountered before, the Living Corpse King, and his favorable first impression of this cold man calmed Parick's rising anger.

"Hahaha, you're interesting—far more interesting than anyone else I've ever met. I like your straightforward nature. As it happens, two teams have just returned to base after completing their missions. Take those people and hunt down that Living Corpse King for me!"

Parick stood and straightened his slightly wrinkled white shirt. Then he picked up the phone on his redwood desk, dialed a number, and began making arrangements for the hunting party in a few brief words.

With his back to the person in charge, Xia Leng let a flicker of cunning pass through his eyes. He had already achieved his first goal. His second was to find a way to get information about the Land of Corpse Cold out of this company...

"The personnel have all been arranged and are waiting at the entrance. Do you want to set out now, or rest for a while first?" Parick put down the phone, sat back down, and asked Xia Leng with a smile.

"Let's go now. Who knows when the sun might set again, or when it'll rise."

Xia Leng replied coolly. With the Blacklight Virus bolstering him, he didn't feel the slightest bit tired, even after his earlier battle deep in the Street of the Living Dead.

Just as he was about to leave the office, Parick called after him one last time. "You've been so considerate of our company. What kind of generous reward would you like?"

"Ask me when I make it back alive."

As soon as Xia Leng stepped out of the person in charge's office, he saw the butler Jonathan standing outside with his eyes closed and his hands clasped over his chest, as if praying for something.

But the moment he heard the door open and close, Jonathan jumped. He snapped his eyes open and saw his benefactor standing before him, looking as cold as ever.

"You're out?! How did it go? Did Lord Parick believe you?"

Jonathan hurried over and asked anxiously. After all, his own life was at stake, too.

"I don't know. It depends on whether we can capture that Living Corpse King. Do you want to come with me?"

Xia Leng turned and gave the butler, who was so adept at handling people, a cold look.

"Cough. I-I think I'll pass. I still have lots of work to do in the Fortress. I can't leave..."

At the thought of leaving the safety of the Fortress and heading for that terrifying, gloomy street, Jonathan hurriedly came up with an excuse to refuse.

"By the way, what are those rooms over there for? Why are they connected to your boss's office?"

While Jonathan was on edge, Xia Leng casually slipped in the important question.

"Those rooms? Oh, besides being in charge of the Fortress, our boss Parick also serves as an adviser to the company's research team. But people of our lowly rank aren't qualified to know what they're researching."

Jonathan answered honestly. He wasn't interested in finding out, either. He understood that the less he knew, the better off he'd be.

Afterward, Xia Leng and the butler took the elevator back to the surface.

After parting ways with the butler, Xia Leng headed for the Fortress's main gate by himself. The two mercenary teams Parick had assigned to accompany him to the Street of the Living Dead's commercial district were waiting there.

After leaving the Fortress, isolated from the rest of the world, Xia Leng saw two fully armed mercenary teams standing before the towering walls under the blazing sun. Among them were quite a few Baptized Ones radiating a formidable presence.

Even from a distance, he could hear some of the soldiers in the teams complaining.

"Damn it, I just got back from a mission, and now they've got us working again. This company really squeezes its employees dry!"

"Shh, keep your voice down, or the captain will hear you. With his temper, he'll strip you naked and throw you out under the sun..."

Xia Leng's keen senses picked up the complaints coming from the teams, but he walked over without a care.

"You're the important person Lord Parick mentioned?"

At that moment, a burly man blocked Xia Leng's path and addressed him in a haughty tone.

Xia Leng looked up. Once again, he faced a nearly two-meter-tall Apocalypse Warrior with a fierce expression and a muscular build. His strength seemed to be somewhere between the second and third ranks, and he was probably on the verge of breaking through to the third.

"Yeah. You're Captain Philip, right? We can set off now."

Xia Leng replied blandly, then walked right around him, giving the self-important Apocalypse Warrior a humiliating first impression...

"You!"

Philip froze, then grew a little angry. He couldn't sense the aura of a Baptized One from the other man, yet Xia Leng dared to ignore him like that. Could he be a mind-enhanced intellectual?

Still, he didn't go after Xia Leng. Since Parick had placed such importance on him, he must have some special ability.

So, petty as he was, Philip quietly filed away his displeasure...

"Hello, I'm Gilbert, captain of Falcon Squad. I hear you're an Apocalypse Hunter like me?"

Another man approached with a smile, giving off a distinctive aura. Compared with Philip, the first man, he was a perfect gentleman.

Xia Leng looked him over: his dark complexion, keen eagle-like eyes, and outstretched arm—not especially thick, but lined with streamlined muscles—made it clear at a glance that he was an agility-enhanced hunter. Xia Leng extended his own hand and shook his.

"Hello. Can we set off?"

Xia Leng's tone was still as even as ever, but compared to usual, even offering a greeting was quite an exception...

"Hahaha, I'm guessing you're an agility-enhanced hunter, too. You're in a hurry, so let's get going now. Philip, get your team to start the vehicles. Let's go hunt to our hearts' content again!"

Then Xia Leng heard several deafening engines roar behind him!