Chapter 143: Respect

The thick-lipped man had no suspicions whatsoever, assuming that codenames were usually assigned by leaders or team captains, which made it entirely normal.

At this moment, Mushroom suddenly asked, "Where are you guys from?"

"Peace Village in the suburbs, of course."

The thick-lipped man replied without a second thought, blurting it out immediately.

"Ahem!"

Tian Gang, standing nearby, gave a light cough, feeling quite displeased. Could his own stronghold just be blurted out to anyone?

"Stop talking nonsense and keep moving."

"Oh..."

The thick-lipped man understood what he meant.

He thought to himself, what was the big deal? As partners, the other side would find out sooner or later anyway.

However, he refrained from bringing up sensitive topics and switched to other matters instead.

"Mushroom, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

Little Mushroom shook her head. She found the word "boyfriend" completely foreign, as zombies were incapable of experiencing romantic feelings between males and females.

Hearing this, the thick-lipped man was overjoyed, taking it as a hint directed at him.

Consequently, he leaned his body a bit closer to Mushroom.

Catching the strong scent of a human, Little Mushroom felt as though a "cake" had been placed right beside her mouth, and she could not help leaning closer to him as well.

They could be considered to be in "mutual affection."

The thick-lipped man felt extremely pleased inside, clearly sensing that she was interested in him.

"Beautiful, what do you think of me?"

"You... are exceptionally wonderful."

Mushroom turned her gaze toward him and swallowed a mouthful of saliva with a gulp.

The thick-lipped man was instantly ecstatic. In this current apocalyptic era, one should indulge in pleasure whenever possible—who knew whether tomorrow or an accident would arrive first?

"Then... can you give me a kiss?"

"Is that really okay?"

Little Mushroom's bright eyes flickered, her expression showing a hint of genuine excitement.

"Mm-hmm."

The thick-lipped man nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself that this was like a pair of underwear catching fire—it was blazing!

With the two of them now standing very close, Little Mushroom did not stop her steps. She licked her red lips and leaned toward the thick-lipped man's cheek.

"Hehehe..."

The thick-lipped man chuckled secretly to himself, preparing to enjoy a sweet kiss from the beauty.

Little Mushroom figured that she had finished asking where they were meeting and where they came from; the task assigned by the boss was basically complete, so now she could finally have her meal, right?

With that thought, a flash of frenzied bloodlust crossed her eyes. Her previously even teeth suddenly turned sharp, and fangs like steel awls jutted out.

The thick-lipped man, being quite sharp-witted, instantly sensed something was amiss. He hurriedly turned his head to look, only to find that the beauty's face had transformed into something terrifyingly horrific.

Moreover, the distance between them was infinitesimal—they were right in front of each other, almost pressing nose to nose.

The thick-lipped man had no time to dodge at all.

Little Mushroom opened her ferocious mouth and bit fiercely into his neck.

"Argh—!"

In an instant, a shriek resembling a slaughtered pig exploded through the pitch-black subway tunnel.

Bitten by a zombie of Mushroom's caliber, the thick-lipped man could not break free at all. Soon, his entire body was convulsing as the blood was rapidly drained from his veins.

Just before his death, a thought crossed his mind: it seemed the accident had arrived first after all...

"Oh no!"

Tian Gang and the others nearby instantly noticed the situation, their complexions changing drastically. They had not expected that the cute and naive beauty from moments ago was actually a man-eating monster.

One of the young men, who possessed speed enhancement abilities, reacted extremely quickly. He whipped out an alloy dagger and lunged straight at Mushroom.

Mushroom's fierce pupils flashed as she instantly dodged to the side.

However, a young woman narrowed her eyes, channeling her energy to raise a series of earthen walls that blocked Mushroom's retreat route.

Simultaneously, a mental attack pressed inward toward the area.

Tian Gang, acting as the leader, was even more fierce. Lightning crackled all over his body as he threw a heavy punch forward.

These individuals cooperated seamlessly, unleashing a thunderous onslaught the moment they struck.

Little Mushroom pushed her hands outward, and instantly countless fungal spores flew out like a white, hazy mist, intercepting the human attack.

Even so, these humans possessed genuine strength, all of them hovering around the B-plus rank, and they managed to shatter the fungal spores in succession.

"Die!"

Tian Gang's face twisted with ferocity as he closed in right before her.

Little did they know that in the darkness behind them, a pair of bright eyes was watching coldly, remaining as detached, calm, and poised as a mere spectator.

It seemed Little Mushroom's mimetic ability was formidable, but combat was her weak point. Moreover, she had only recently fused with the fungal crystal core, so it was completely normal for her to struggle against a few humans.

With a thought from Lin Dong, a terrifying zombie domain expanded.

This time, a crushing pressure swept forward like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the humans.

The lightning on Tian Gang's fist was still crackling, and just as it was about to strike Mushroom's face, his body abruptly froze in place!

ط"What... is this?!"

He was struck with overwhelming terror. Trapped within the crushing pressure, his head was forced around like a marionette on strings, turning back to look.

He saw a slender figure stepping out from the darkness.

Dressed in a pristine white shirt with an indifferent yet exceptionally handsome expression, the figure walked straight up to a mental-type awakener, reached out slender fingers, plunged them directly into the person's skull, and plucked out the crystal core.

The entire process was casual, effortless, and natural, as if it were the most matter-of-course task in the world.

"This..."

Watching his companion's corpse collapse to the ground, Tian Gang felt his eyes split with rage.

That immaculate white shirt was far too iconic; it belonged to the absolute overlord of Jiangbei City, a terrifying and peerless Zombie King!

"He found out after all..."

Seeing her boss make a move, Little Mushroom ignored the remaining humans and scampered sheepishly to Lin Dong's side, her expression turning docile and obedient.

Having gone on her very first operation, she had no idea how well she had performed...

Lin Dong offered a word of praise.

"You did well."

"Heeheehee~~"

Little Mushroom instantly beamed with joy.

Meanwhile, the three surviving humans felt their expressions darken to the point of dripping water.

"Earth Armor!"

A female awakener roared fiercely as the soil on the ground churned, wrapping around her body. Utilizing earth elements for protection, her physical defense soared, allowing her to finally manage a clumsy movement within the terrifying zombie domain.

She raised a massive fist and smashed it straight toward Lin Dong.

In Lin Dong's eyes, this strike carrying immense force possessed zero threat. With a casual lift of his hand, he slashed forward with a long blade.

A razor-sharp blade light flashed coldly, instantly slicing through the layer of earth, piercing her skull, and sending a crystal core flying outward.

The earth elemental energy dissipated as the woman's corpse tumbled downward.

"Is this the true power of the supreme overlord?"

Tian Gang was gripped by paralyzing fear.

As B-plus rank awakeners, they were considered elites of the Black Scorpion organization—otherwise, they would never have come to cooperate with Tecorp. Yet in the face of Lin Dong, those companions of his could not withstand even a single blow.

Killing a human to him was seemingly as effortless as pinching to death a tiny chick...

Lin Dong took two steps forward and swung his blade once more, harvesting the life of the speed awakener.

In the pitch-black corridor, only Tian Gang remained.

Staring fixedly as the slender figure walked toward him, he felt as though the Grim Prince of Death was approaching, the countdown to his life officially ticking away.

Overwhelmed by intense terror, Tian Gang's legs trembled violently as he felt a warm, damp sensation in his crotch, accompanied by a yellowish liquid leaking out.

"B-Boss... actually, I've always respected you deeply. I had no intention of offending you..."

"Then why did you pee yourself?"

"Just... watering our friendship..."