The Door

"Living Corpse King..."

The moment they heard the name of their ultimate target, everyone fell silent.

Before they entered the Street of the Living Dead, the appearance of this so-called zombie leader would have energized everyone. After all, discovering a new type of mutant meant they could finally rise to prominence!

But after enduring this hellish journey, losing nearly 80 percent of their team, and witnessing hordes of zombies like raging beasts, a heavy weight pressed on everyone's heart.

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

That was what Xia Leng had thought at first. When he'd sensed that extremely dangerous, unfamiliar enemy while sneaking into the heart of the commercial district, he'd known that taking it on alone would be unwise. But, deep down, something kept tempting him to investigate, as if doing so would greatly increase his strength.

That was why he'd played two groups 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'd reached the BSS, only about ten people remained in the whole team.

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

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

"He might be telling the truth. I sensed that unusual presence on this floor too..."

Gilbert's lips were pale from blood loss, and he spoke weakly.

Both men had keen danger senses and could detect dangerous enemies before they appeared.

The source of that ominous presence lay just beyond the corner Xia Leng had been leaning against.

And there was only one presence. It seemed there weren't any other zombies on this floor, as though commoners were forbidden from entering the king's bedroom.

The thirteenth floor was a spacious office floor spanning nearly 4,000 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 arranged in neat rows, making it a workplace for society's elite.

Now, however, it was in complete disarray. Desks still stained with blood from the old world lay overturned, and rotten documents were scattered everywhere. Since sunlight had not reached it for years, the entire floor seemed gloomy and damp.

Another reason Xia Leng was sure the BSS was on this floor was the faint trail of blood that stretched all the way up from the ground floor. Now and then, flecks of meat were mixed in.

With his exceptionally sharp senses, he could tell at a glance that the blood and scraps belonged to humans—the same group of refugees he'd seen wiped out the first time he came here!

The living corpses had carried their bodies to this floor, presumably 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 observe the floor.

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

Night vision was also one of the living corpses' traits. Xia Leng had gained it by devouring them!

He scanned the area, but saw no living creatures within his field of vision. Only countless scraps of paper lay scattered across the floor, and the silence was unnerving.

Perhaps the Living Corpse King was farther inside.

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

"This time, you're walking in front! That way, you won't disappear again when we start fighting!" 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 towering Apocalypse Warrior an inscrutable smile, then stepped out from behind the corner and walked straight into the darkness.

Even if he couldn't defeat the Living Corpse King, Xia Leng was confident he could run fast enough to leave these people far behind and use them as bait to hold off the pursuing enemy...

"Damn it, are you making fun of me?!" Philip had never seen him smile at him before. Thinking Xia Leng was mocking his courage, he was about to lose his temper again.

"All right. Don't start fighting among ourselves now. We'll follow him. Everyone, switch on your night-vision helmets and focus. We're about to enter battle."

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

The ten remaining members of the team formed a wedge-shaped attack formation and headed into the shadowy office ruins.

Xia Leng led the way, staying on high alert. The muscles in the arm gripping the Titanium Blade tensed. The moment an enemy appeared, he would strike with all his strength!

He knew that if he had detected the enemy, then the Zombie King must have known they were coming too.

The floor was deathly quiet. Even their already slow footsteps sounded piercingly loud. With every step, their hearts beat faster.

The two mercenaries at the rear carrying spotlights kept sweeping their beams across the area, but they found no signs of life among the ruins. Could the Living Corpse King be hiding under one of the many desks?

If they tried to turn over every desk and check, it would take them more than an hour.

Just as they were almost at the end of the office floor, they spotted a door in the wall. The plaque on it read [CEO Office].

At that moment, Xia Leng and Gilbert both sensed the danger coming from behind the door. The enemy might be right on the other side!!

But no one dared to open it recklessly. There could be a trap waiting for them.

After everything they'd endured, no one dared underestimate the zombies' intelligence anymore...

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

Gilbert made a standard mercenary hand signal, assigning the task to the last surviving demolition expert.

At his command, the demolition expert immediately pulled a sticky bomb from his belt pouch and headed toward the dangerous door.

He cautiously approached, attached the bomb to the door, and began setting the timer.

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

In battle, it was better to strike first with a fierce attack than to sit back and wait.

Even Philip, usually thick-skinned, couldn't help swallowing nervously.

"K!"

The demolition expert finished setting the timer and made a K hand signal. He turned around to head back.

Suddenly, at that very instant!!!

The dangerous presence behind the door surged again, making Xia Leng and Gilbert's pupils widen at the same time!