Ordinary recruits would have panicked under such pressure, but the mercenaries remained steady. Years of combat had forged iron discipline—every shot was calm, precise.
As the zombies closed in, their accuracy sharpened. The second volley dropped two with clean headshots. The third, four more.
A fourth volley never came. From a hundred meters away, the horde had already reached the armored vehicles.
Nearly half the zombies were down, the rest no longer a real threat. Five physique-type enhancers leapt from the vehicles, blades and axes flashing as they clashed with the charging corpses. The mercenaries who stayed inside fired into the melee at point-blank range.
Within moments, the remaining seven zombies lay broken and still.
Not without danger. The two mid-level zombies proved far tougher. One batted aside a giant axe and nearly tore into its wielder's chest. The mercenary's combat suit absorbed most of the blow, leaving only a deep scratch across the armor. He countered instantly, spinning his axe to cleave the zombie's skull in half.
Watching closely, Lin Xinghai judged their power. A mid-level zombie, he realized, carried the strength of nearly thirty percent genetic optimization. Weak in numbers—but if the horde were all this strong, the fight would have gone very differently.
When the skirmish ended, Roger began assigning cleanup duty.
"I'm going too!" Lin Xinghai spoke before anyone else.
This was why he'd come—he couldn't miss it.
Roger blinked. Normally, new recruits handled corpse collection, but talents like Lin Xinghai were exempted. No one expected him to volunteer. Roger even recalled yesterday's "Lesson 1" and felt his expression turn strange. It can't be that kind of hobby… right?
Still, he shrugged. "Alright. Vice-captain Xu Hao will show you the dissection methods."
Xu Hao grimaced.
Lin Xinghai waved his hands quickly. "No, no, that's too much trouble for Brother Xu. I'll follow the others and learn as I go."
He couldn't risk being watched too closely.
Xu Hao's relief was obvious. "Self-study is good. If you get stuck, come to me anytime."
Roger approved, and soon Lin joined five mercenaries outside. He wore a mask of earnest curiosity, asking questions, observing carefully. But each time a Yuanjing was pried free, he brushed the corpse's wound, quietly siphoning blood energy.
The team worked fast. In less than a minute, all thirteen crystals were recovered. Lin's panel ticked upward: blood energy from 14 to 27 points. With two vials of genetic medicine still unused, his reserves would soon reach 37.
At this pace, I'll awaken before the mission's over! He hid his excitement as they climbed back aboard.
"How do you feel?" Roger asked once he sat down.
Lin blinked. "Ah?"
"The zombies. Their strength."
"Very strong," Lin admitted after a pause.
Yes, the Sky Splitting Mercenaries had handled them easily—but that was because everyone here was a genetic optimizer with top-grade weapons. Even then, one of their own had nearly been injured. Ordinary people wouldn't stand a chance. Firearms or not, casualties would be heavy. Zombies were too fast, too resilient, and too sharp in their instincts.
That, Lin realized, was why humanity still huddled in underground shelters a year after the catastrophe.
Roger studied him, then nodded. "Good. That's the right perspective." His voice hardened. "Remember—what you saw were only common zombies. In the cities, mid-level ones are everywhere. Above them are advanced zombies, the strength of a sixty-percent optimizer. Even I can't guarantee a victory one-on-one."
He leaned forward. "And sometimes, rarer mutations appear. Those are the real nightmares. So no matter how fast your strength grows, no matter what gear you hold—don't get careless. Outside the refuge, overconfidence kills."
His tone was heavy, deliberate. Roger feared youth and arrogance more than any horde.