The Door

"Living Corpse King..."

The moment the group heard the name that served as their ultimate objective, a sudden, deathly silence fell over them.

Had this so-called zombie leader appeared before they entered the Street of the Living Dead, it would have sent everyone into a frenzy of excitement; after all, discovering a new type of mutated creature was synonymous with striking it rich and rising to the top!

However, after enduring this hellish journey, sacrificing nearly 80% of their members, and witnessing these monstrous, flood-like hordes of corpses, a heavy, suffocating weight pressed down on every person's heart.

If even the minions were this difficult to deal with, would they stand a chance against the upcoming Boss...

Xia Leng had harbored this exact thought from the beginning. When he first sensed this extremely dangerous, unfamiliar enemy while infiltrating the center of the commercial district, he knew that fighting alone would be an unwise choice. Yet, a subconscious urge kept tempting him to investigate, as if the encounter could grant him a significant boost in strength.

That was why he had manipulated two mercenary squads into fighting alongside him, though he hadn't expected the living corpses encountered along the way to be even more troublesome than imagined!

Now, having reached the Boss, the entire team was reduced to only about 10 members.

"Hey! Are you trying to play us again?! Where did you run off to when the fighting started earlier?!"

Philip marched over, burning with rage, intending to grab the man before him to demand answers, but he was blocked by Captain Gilbert.

"His words might be true. I, too, have sensed that peculiar aura on this floor..."

Gilbert spoke weakly, his lips pale from excessive blood loss.

Both of them possessed exceptional danger-sensing abilities, allowing them to detect the presence of dangerous enemies in advance.

Just behind the corner of the wall where Xia Leng was leaning lay the source of this dangerous aura.

Furthermore, this was the only aura present; it seemed as if no other zombies existed on this floor, as if a king's bedchamber would not tolerate the presence of commoners.

The thirteenth floor was an incredibly spacious office level, nearly 4,000 square meters—roughly the size of a football field.

The floor had originally been rented out as a securities firm, filled with rows of neat desks and chairs, a workspace for the social elite.

But now, it had been reduced to a scene of devastation. Desks stained with the dried blood of the old era were overturned, and rotting documents were scattered everywhere. Because sunlight rarely reached this deep, the entire office floor felt incredibly gloomy and damp.

Another reason Xia Leng was certain the Boss was on this floor was a faint, difficult-to-detect trail of blood that stretched from the bottom of the stairs all the way to this level, occasionally mixed with tiny specks of flesh.

With his keen perception, he could distinguish at a glance that the blood and flesh belonged to humans—the very same group of drifters he had seen wiped out during his first visit here!

The living corpses had been transporting the bodies of those drifters to this floor, presumably as offerings for the Living Corpse King to consume!

Once the mercenaries and the two captains had caught up, Xia Leng carefully poked his head out to begin observing the interior of the floor.

After devouring those dozens of living corpses on the stairs, Xia Leng realized his night vision had been slightly enhanced, allowing him to see clearly within a range of several dozen meters in the dark.

Night vision was also one of the traits of the living corpses, now acquired by Xia Leng after consuming them!

He shifted his gaze, but within his field of vision, he saw no signs of any living things; only countless scraps of paper lay scattered on the floor, and the silence was unnervingly eerie.

Perhaps the Living Corpse King was still hiding in a deeper location.

"Let's keep moving forward. It might be hiding in some dark corner," Xia Leng said.

"This time, you walk in front! So you don't disappear again when we start fighting the enemy!" Captain Philip was determined to keep a close eye on this man; deep down, he still didn't trust him.

Xia Leng said nothing in response. He simply flashed a bizarre smile at the burly Apocalypse Warrior, stepped out from behind the corner, and walked straight into the darkness.

Even if they failed to defeat the Living Corpse King, Xia Leng was confident that his escape speed would allow him to leave these people far behind, using them as bait to hold off the pursuing enemy...

"Damn it, are you mocking me?" Philip, seeing him smile at him for the first time, assumed he was being ridiculed for his cowardice and immediately prepared to lash out again.

"Enough. This is no time for infighting. We'll follow behind him and keep moving. Everyone, activate your night-vision helmets and put all your focus into the coming battle."

Gilbert took a deep breath, followed behind Xia Leng, and raised his rifle with his slightly trembling, injured arm, maintaining a combat stance.

Now, the remaining 10-man team formed a "person"-shaped attack formation and stepped into the gloomy office ruins.

Xia Leng walked at the very front, maintaining high vigilance throughout. The muscles in his arm gripping the Titanium Blade were taut; the moment the enemy appeared, he would unleash a full-force attack!

He knew that since he had detected the other's presence, the Zombie King must have also become aware of their arrival.

The floor was deathly quiet. The footsteps of the group, already slowed to an extreme, sounded piercingly loud, and everyone's heartbeat quickened with every step they took.

The two mercenaries at the rear carrying searchlights occasionally swept the area with their beams, but aside from the ruins, they found no signs of any living entity. Could the Living Corpse King be hiding under the countless desks?

If they had to overturn every desk to check, it would likely take hours.

Just as the group was about to reach the end of the office floor, they suddenly noticed a door on the wall ahead, with a nameplate reading [CEO Office].

At that very moment, Xia Leng and Gilbert sensed the dangerous aura emanating from behind that door almost simultaneously. The opponent was likely right on the other side!!

However, no one dared to rashly open the door, as there was no telling what traps might be waiting for them.

After the hardships they had already endured, no one dared to underestimate the intelligence of the zombies anymore...

"Go, use the sticky explosive to blow that door open."

Gilbert made a standard mercenary combat gesture, signaling the last remaining demolitionist in the group to carry out the task.

Upon receiving the order, the demolitionist immediately pulled a sticky bomb from his pouch and walked toward the door that concealed the danger.

He approached the door with extreme caution, attached the sticky bomb to it, and began setting the detonation timer.

Everyone held their breath, aiming their weapons forward. Once the door was blown open, it would be their moment to launch a surprise attack on the enemy!

In battle, it was better to take the initiative and launch a fierce assault than to be passive.

At this moment, the tense atmosphere was so thick that even the thick-skinned Philip couldn't help but swallow hard.

"K!"

After setting the detonator, the demolitionist made a K gesture and turned around, preparing to head back.

Suddenly, at that very instant!!!

The dangerous aura behind the door surged violently once more, causing the pupils of both Xia Leng and Gilbert to dilate simultaneously!