The Door

"Living Corpse King..."

At the sound of the name they had all been working toward, the group fell completely silent.

Before entering the Street of the Living Dead, the appearance of this so-called zombie leader would have filled everyone with excitement. After all, discovering a new type of mutated creature meant they could make it big from then on!

But after enduring this hellish journey, losing nearly 80 percent of their members, and witnessing the monstrous tides of corpses...

A heavy weight pressed down on every heart.

If even the underlings were this hard to deal with, would they stand a chance against the BSS they were about to face...?

That had been Xia Leng's first thought. When he sensed the extremely dangerous, unfamiliar enemy in the heart of the commercial district, he knew that taking it on alone would be unwise. Yet some instinct kept tempting him to investigate, as if doing so would greatly increase his strength.

That was why he had manipulated two squads of mercenaries into fighting alongside him. He just hadn't expected the living corpses they encountered along the way to be even more troublesome than he'd imagined!

Now that they had reached the BSS, only about ten people remained in the entire group.

"Hey! Are you trying to play us again?! Where were you when the fighting started?!"

Philip strode over in a rage, ready to grab the man in front of him and demand an explanation, but Captain Gilbert stopped him.

"What he says might be true. I sensed that unusual presence on this floor, too..."

Gilbert spoke weakly, his lips pale from blood loss.

Both men had an exceptional sense for danger and could detect dangerous enemies before they appeared.

Just around the corner behind Xia Leng, who stood with his back to the wall, lay the source of that dangerous aura.

And there was only one such presence. It seemed there weren't any other zombies on this floor, as if commoners weren't allowed in the king's bedchamber.

The thirteenth floor was an immense office space, nearly four thousand square meters—about the size of a soccer field.

It had once been rented by a securities firm. Hundreds of desks and chairs had been neatly arranged inside, a workplace for society's elite.

But now it lay in ruins. Desks still stained with blood from the old world had been overturned, and rotten documents were scattered everywhere. With sunlight unable to reach the floor for years, the entire office was gloomy and damp.

Another reason Xia Leng was certain the BSS was on this floor was a barely visible trail of blood that stretched all the way up from the lower floors. Here and there, it was mixed with tiny scraps of flesh.

His senses were sharp enough to tell at a glance that the blood and flesh belonged to humans—the group of refugees he had seen wiped out the first time he came here!

The living corpses must have carried their bodies up to this floor, probably as an offering for the Living Corpse King to eat!

Only after the mercenaries and the two captains had come up did Xia Leng cautiously peek around the corner to survey the floor.

After devouring dozens of living corpses on the stairs, Xia Leng had noticed that his night vision had improved slightly. He could now see several dozen meters into the darkness.

Night vision was also one of the living corpses' traits. Now that Xia Leng had devoured them, he had gained it too!

He shifted his gaze across the floor, but saw no living creatures within sight. Only countless scraps of paper lay scattered on the ground, and the eerie silence was unsettling.

Perhaps the Living Corpse King was farther inside.

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

"This time, you're taking the lead! That way, when we get into a fight, you won't disappear on us again!" Captain Philip was determined to keep a close eye on the man. Deep down, he still didn't trust him.

Xia Leng said nothing. He gave the burly Apocalypse Warrior an inscrutable smile, then stepped out from around the corner and walked straight into the darkness.

Even if they failed to defeat the Living Corpse King, Xia Leng believed he could outrun the others by a wide margin. He could leave them behind as bait to hold off the pursuing enemy...

"Damn it, are you making fun of me?!" It was the first time Philip had seen him smile at him. Thinking Xia Leng was mocking his courage, he was about to fly into another rage.

"Enough. This isn't the time to turn on each other. We'll follow him. Everyone, activate your night-vision helmets and focus. The fight is coming."

Gilbert took a deep breath and followed Xia Leng, raising his rifle with an injured arm that trembled slightly as he settled into a combat stance.

The ten remaining members formed a V-shaped attack formation as they advanced into the dark office ruins.

Xia Leng led the way, staying on high alert. His hand tightened around the Titanium Blade, the muscles in his arm tensing. The moment the enemy appeared, he would attack with all his strength!

He knew that since he had sensed the enemy, the Zombie King must have sensed their arrival as well.

The floor was deathly quiet. Even the group's already slow footsteps sounded painfully loud. With every step, everyone's heart beat faster.

The two mercenaries at the rear, carrying searchlights, swept their beams across the surroundings now and then. But aside from the ruins, they found no sign of life. Could the Living Corpse King be hiding beneath one of the countless desks?

If they tried lifting every desk to check, it would probably take them all day.

Just as they were about to reach the far end of the office floor, they spotted a door in the wall ahead. Its nameplate read [CEO Office].

At almost the same moment, Xia Leng and Gilbert sensed the dangerous aura coming from behind the door again. The enemy might be right on the other side!!

But no one dared to open the door rashly. There could be a trap waiting for them behind it.

After everything they had gone through, no one dared underestimate the zombies' intelligence again...

"Go. Use the sticky explosive to blow the door open."

Gilbert made the mercenaries' standard hand signal, ordering the last remaining demolitions specialist to carry out the task.

The demolitions specialist received the order, immediately pulled a sticky bomb from his belt pouch, and walked toward the dangerous door.

He cautiously approached it, attached the sticky bomb to the door, then began setting the timer.

Everyone held their breath and aimed their weapons ahead. The instant the door blew open, they would launch a surprise attack!

When fighting, it was better to take the initiative and strike hard than wait passively for the enemy to attack.

The tension even made the thick-skinned Philip swallow nervously.

"K!"

After setting the detonator, the demolitions specialist flashed a K hand signal and turned to head back.

Suddenly, at that very instant!!!

The dangerous aura behind the door surged again. Xia Leng and Gilbert's pupils both widened at once!