Ambush

"Understood. Five men stay behind to keep watch; report any anomalies via comms immediately. The rest of you, gather your gear and follow us into the building. Two more men, go dismantle the searchlight from the tank and bring it with you."

Gilbert deployed his orders with calm composure. Everyone was already geared up and ready to delve into the Trade Tower, a place where endless danger lurked within the darkness.

The weapon Xia Leng chose was a sharp, heavy titanium alloy long blade. Under the light, it revealed a keen metallic luster; it was the finest weapon he had used in all these years.

"Are you certain the Living Corpse King commanding the horde is inside this building? I don't want my men returning empty-handed, and you know how Parick's temper is."

Gilbert turned to look at Xia Leng, wanting to confirm once more, for the building before them was far too quiet.

"Why not go up and see for yourself? Rest assured, I will accompany you. If you find I am deceiving you, it wouldn't matter if you executed me on the spot in Parick's stead."

Xia Leng's perpetually calm gaze made it impossible for Gilbert to discern what this man was truly thinking.

"Damn it, what's with all the dithering? If we don't slaughter that damned Living Corpse King up there, I'll slaughter this brat instead to pay tribute to my fallen men!!"

The hot-tempered Captain Philip grabbed his giant double-edged broadsword. He had been bottling up his rage along the way and was itching to vent it, glaring fiercely at the "culprit" who had caused all of this...

Subsequently, led by Philip, the entire group began to advance toward the open entrance of the Trade Tower.

Behind them, the living corpses, blocked out by the "absolute zone" formed by the searchlight, let out wild roars, as if threatening the group to go no further into the building.

"Damn it! What do these freaks eat to have such loud voices?"

As an Apocalypse Warrior, Captain Philip walked at the very front of the formation. His burly physique and the giant double-edged broadsword in his hand were enough to exude an overwhelming sense of oppression at a single glance.

Behind him were over 30 mercenary members divided into three squads.

The Tiger Squad members, with their formidable melee and defensive capabilities, were split into two groups, sandwiching the Falcon Squad, who were responsible for long-range fire support.

At the same time, scouts were dispatched to probe the terrain ahead and the enemy situation.

Every facility in the Trade Tower had long since ceased to function. The interior of the building was even darker than the streets; walking inside was like stepping into a void where one could not even see their own fingers.

Two mercenaries moved the searchlight dismantled from the tank to the entrance of the lobby, aiming the massive, nearly one-meter-wide lamp directly into the hall.

Click!

The light turned on, and the gloomy lobby was instantly illuminated by the intense beam, revealing the interior to everyone at a glance.

The Trade Tower, once the face of this city, had long since been reduced to a scene of utter devastation.

A massive, luxurious crystal chandelier lay smashed on the floor, its embedded rhinestones scattered all around, shimmering with a multicolored glow under the light.

The expensive sofas, exquisite sculptures, marble tables, giant monitors, and everything else had been mangled beyond recognition; not a single item remained intact.

Scattered, shredded documents and faint, dried bloodstains made it easy to imagine just how chaotic, bloody, and desperate the scene must have been five years ago when the Black Rain first broke out.

However, aside from these desolate sights, there was no hidden nest of living corpses as they had imagined, waiting to launch a surprise attack.

Two scouts cautiously stepped into the lobby first. Their helmet visors were equipped with night-vision, allowing them to barely make out the dark corners the searchlight couldn't reach.

Yet, not a single living creature was found in any corner. The entire lobby was filled with a gloomy, deathly aura—it would have been the perfect set for a horror film from the old era...

Just as the two scouts finished their sweep and were about to inform the captain that it was safe to proceed, they heard a sound.

Gurgle~

Suddenly, a sound like a throat gulping echoed from above their heads!

Both scouts instinctively looked up, only to see the high ceiling covered in scarlet, glowing specks, flickering irregularly like stars in the night sky.

"What is..."

Swish!

Before they could see what those red dots were, a piercing shriek rang out. A vine-like tentacle suddenly dropped from high above, coiled around one scout's neck, dragged him off the ground, and hauled him straight up to the ceiling!!

The other scout, reacting in shock, turned on his portable flashlight and shone it upward, his eyes widening until they nearly split.

The ceiling was packed with mutated zombies hanging like bats—there were hundreds of them!

Their dangling tongues were as dense as vines in a rainforest, enough to make anyone's skin crawl at a single glance!

As for the scout who had been snatched first, he was torn to shreds and devoured by the swarm of mutated zombies in an instant...

"Up..."

The remaining scout knew he couldn't escape, so he tried to warn his companions about the trap on the ceiling before he died. However, he only managed to utter a single word before he, too, was snatched up by several barbed tongues...

The group outside had naturally witnessed this scene. The two scouts had used their lives to prove just how dangerous it was inside...

"Damn it... Adjust the searchlight! Aim it at the ceiling!!"

Seeing that his team had lost two more members, Captain Gilbert roared the order in a fury!

Following this, as the intense light beam struck the ceiling, a shrill, mournful roar echoed through the lobby!

AWOOO!!!

Instantly, hundreds of mutated zombies were caught in the sudden glare, scrambling frantically across the walls and ceiling!

Some lost their balance and crashed hard to the floor from the heights. As they struggled to crawl up, they were instantly turned into beehives by the furious team members at the entrance!

In an instant, the roars of the monsters and the intense gunfire merged into one. Whenever a mutated living corpse attempted to break through the lethal light to attack the group, they were hacked into mincemeat by the Tiger Squad members lying in ambush by the entrance!

"You vermin! Watch how I grind you all to dust!!"

At this moment, Captain Philip, the Apocalypse Warrior, felt his inner bloodthirsty, violent desires ignited by the scene. He gripped his giant double-edged broadsword and marched straight into the dangerous lobby.

ROAR!!!

The moment he stepped inside, two mutated living corpses, as if they had been lying in ambush, lunged from the corner at the burly man!

Hmph!

Captain Philip merely let out a cold snort, completely unruffled, just as they were about to strike!

BOOM!!

Philip instantly lashed out with his massive left fist, slamming it into the rotting face of the corpse attacking from the left, sending it flying dozens of meters until it slammed into the wall; its brains and skull shattered into a pulp, and it could no longer crawl back up!

As for the mutated living corpse on the right, seeing it was about to sink its teeth into his body, Filite simply raised his massive titanium alloy dual blades and performed a blade flourish with effortless ease.

CRACK~~

The mutated living corpse was sliced into several pieces that tumbled to the ground, while its still-living head rolled to his feet, letting out a hiss of resentment...