Chapter 130: The King's Gaze

The group’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, and they immediately set off in that direction.

Further ahead on the street, a battle was raging. Ye Jian had indeed dispatched a significant force: three full squads of awakened individuals and five hundred armed personnel. These soldiers had been hand-picked from the survivors. Following the recent development of the "Human Evolution Serum," those injected with it reached the Brain Core stage, possessing combat prowess that rivaled elite zombies.

Their weapons were no longer firearms, but uniform alloy longswords. Because the bones of elite zombies were incredibly dense, guns struggled to kill them; a well-wrought alloy blade was far more effective. In the hands of a skilled warrior, a single strike could sever a zombie's head, which also conserved resources. In addition to these fighters, there were many second-generation cyborgs—controlled by artificial intelligence, they were precise, perfectly rational, and formidable in strength.

In truth, the Tech Corporation had developed rapidly during this period, seeing massive improvements across the board. Yet, compared to Lin Dong’s subordinates, they seemed like amateurs facing masters.

Within the ferocious horde, the massive figure of Tank was strikingly prominent. He roared, lifting a wrecked vehicle from the roadside and hurling it into the crowd. Nearby, the zombie tiger Xiaobai bellowed, a sound that shook the very air, its claws turning humans into pulp with a single swipe. The Doctor, meanwhile, lurked insidiously in the alleys, observing the fray. Whenever a critical moment arose, he would launch a surprise psychic attack, leaving the awakened fighters in agony.

The leader of the Hunter King Strike Team was a rugged man named Yang Yunfeng. With a resolute face and sharp features, he scanned the battlefield, his eyes narrowing. "This isn't right! Why are there more and more zombies?"

According to intelligence reports, the Zombie King of this area was dead. Theoretically, the horde shouldn't possess such cohesion, yet several Zombie Kings were acting in perfect, unified coordination. "They should be turning on each other..."

As Yang Yunfeng watched, more elite zombies flooded from the street corner, their blood-stained faces snarling with intense malice. More? At this rate, they wouldn't be able to hold them back much longer.

From a high-rise building nearby, a savage roar erupted. Looking up, he saw several figures fleeing in a panic, leaping from the structure in a disheveled state—it was Luo Qian’s team. Yet, right on their heels was a dense swarm of zombies, led by the bloodthirsty Xiao Ba. The creatures followed them, leaping from the building in a chaotic, clattering rain of limbs.

"Damn it!" Yang Yunfeng shouted in alarm, gesturing to his men. "Move! Watch out for the zombies above!"

The awakened fighters looked up and immediately launched a counter-offensive. A few, however, were too slow; they were crushed by the falling bodies and immediately torn apart by the ravenous horde.

"Hehehehe~" Xiao Ba grinned wickedly. He realized the path they were taking was excellent, leading them straight into a large group of humans. With a flash of speed, he dove into the ranks of the armed personnel, beginning a frantic harvest of the Brain Core-stage fighters.

"Did you lead these zombies here?" Yang Yunfeng demanded sharply.

Luo Qian, covered in a fine sheen of sweat and breathing heavily, felt a flicker of relief as she saw the zombies distracted. "I came to warn you! The Zombie King here isn't dead—retreat immediately!"

"What?" Yang Yunfeng’s expression darkened. He frowned deeply, thinking to himself that it was she who claimed they were dead, and now she claimed they were alive. Were they playing a game with him? Still, with this many zombies, it certainly felt like they were being guided by a King. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he knew that if Luo Qian was right, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Brothers, fall back!"

The others, having long wished to retreat, sighed in relief and immediately tightened their formation, fighting as they withdrew. Yet, many were dragged down by the zombies during the retreat and ripped to shreds.

"My god! These zombies are too ferocious!"

"Just keep moving!"

The awakened fighters were gripped by terror, sensing that the zombies in this sector were different—perhaps due to a higher degree of evolution, they were exceptionally savage. Tank, Xiao Ba, and Xiaobai were all in hot pursuit.

The group scrambled to escape. Luo Qian’s team, being the fastest, saw the edge of the sector approaching and let out a long breath, though she remained deeply shaken. Today had been far too dangerous; one wrong step would have meant death. Or perhaps... the fact that they were even alive was merely a stroke of luck.

But just then, Luo Qian caught a glimpse of something. On the roof of a skyscraper ahead, a slender figure stood at the very edge.

"Huh?" She froze, immediately stopping in her tracks. "Stop!"

"What's wrong, Captain Luo?" a nearby fighter asked.

"He's up there!" Luo Qian’s face turned deathly serious. Though he was far away, she was certain she hadn't mistaken him. That handsome face, that white shirt—the memory was far too vivid.

"Who?"

The other fighters were puzzled, but as their gazes followed hers, they quickly noticed the figure on the rooftop.

Lin Dong stood at the edge of the towering building, as if a single step forward would send him plummeting into an abyss. He looked down, his gaze cold. The wrecked vehicles on the street below appeared the size of ants, and the retreating humans were nothing more than tiny black specks. He surveyed his territory, looking down upon the world with the gaze of a king.

"Time to close the net."

As he spoke, countless vines surged from the ground in the street below. Like long, writhing serpents, they wove together into a giant web, blocking the path of the fleeing humans.

"Argh!"

Screams of agony shattered the air. Several humans were hoisted into the air by the vines, which pierced their flesh and quickly drained them into withered husks.

"It's over!" Luo Qian stared, her heart sinking. With an ambush in front and pursuers behind, the zombies had completely surrounded them. The narrow patch of ground they stood upon was about to become their graveyard. Despair washed over her; the Zombie King was too strong, and this encirclement felt calculated, as if it had been a premeditated game of cat and mouse.

"Captain, is there any other way?"

"There is no way out. Fight to the death!" Luo Qian said, her eyes hardening.

"Understood!" her team members grit their teeth and agreed.

Behind them, Xiao Ba, Tank, and the others had caught up. The dense swarm of zombies was like a tidal wave, moving with terrifying speed. The slower fighters were immediately swarmed, pinned to the ground, and torn apart.

The sounds of gnawing, agonizing roars, and desperate wailing became constant. Of the five hundred Brain Core-stage fighters, only a few dozen remained. Yang Yunfeng’s brow was furrowed, his eyes bloodshot. Looking around, he saw nothing but zombies—they were like savage ghouls, tearing into his comrades. In the distance, a few crows with blood-stained beaks picked at severed limbs. The scene was grotesque and surreal.

"Is this... hell?"