"Alright, understood. Leave five people behind to guard. Report any unusual situations immediately via radio. The rest of you, get your gear ready and follow us into the building. Two more of you, go and remove the searchlight from the tank and bring it with us."
Gilbert calmly issued the orders, and everyone was soon ready to delve into the trade building, which was shrouded in darkness and danger.
Summer picked a sharp and heavy titanium alloy long blade. Under the light, it gleamed with a sharp metallic luster. It was one of the best weapons he had used in years.
"Are you sure the commanding zombie king is in this building? I don't want my men to come back empty-handed, and you know how Parick can be."
Gilbert turned to Summer, seeking reassurance. The building before them was eerily quiet.
"We'll find out once we go up. Don't worry, I'll go with you. If you find I'm deceiving you, feel free to deal with me on the spot as Parick would."
Summer's ever-calm demeanor made it hard for Gilbert to read his thoughts.
"Damn it! No need to be so cautious. If we don't take down that zombie king, I'll deal with this kid myself to honor my fallen comrades!"
Captain Philip, with a volatile temper, grabbed his giant double-edged sword. He was eager to vent his frustration and glared at the "culprit" behind all this chaos.
Under Philip's lead, everyone began advancing toward the open entrance of the trade building.
Behind them, the zombies blocked by the searchlights roared wildly, as if threatening the team to stay away from the building.
"Damn it! What do these monsters eat? Their voices are so loud."
Captain Philip, at the front of the team, exuded a sense of intimidation with his imposing figure and the massive sword in his hand.
Behind him were over thirty mercenaries, divided into three teams. The powerful close-combat Tigers were split into two teams, with the Falcon team, responsible for long-range fire support, in the middle. Additionally, some scouts were dispatched to probe ahead.
The trade building's facilities had long ceased to function. The interior was even darker than the streets outside, with visibility reduced to mere inches.
Two mercenaries brought the searchlight from the tank to the lobby entrance. The nearly 2-meter-wide light was aimed at the hall.
Click!
Once the light was turned on, the dark hall was instantly illuminated, and the interior was fully revealed.
The once-grand trade building's lobby was now a scene of devastation. A luxurious crystal chandelier lay shattered on the floor, its embedded crystals scattered around, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors under the light.
Valuable sofas, intricate sculptures, marble tables, and large displays were all in disarray, with nothing remaining intact.
Scattered broken documents and faint dried bloodstains hinted at the chaos, bloodshed, and despair that had erupted when the Black Rain first struck five years ago.
However, contrary to expectations, there was no sign of a hidden zombie horde ready to ambush them.
Two scouts carefully entered the lobby first. Their helmets had night-vision capabilities, allowing them to barely see into the dark corners beyond the searchlight's reach.
But no living creatures were found. The entire lobby was an eerie, deathly place, fitting for a horror movie from the old days.
Just as the scouts were about to report the lack of anomalies to the captain, a strange gurgling sound came from above.
The two scouts instinctively looked up to see the ceiling covered in scarlet glowing dots, flickering randomly like stars in the night sky.
"What is—"
Swoosh!
Before they could make out what the red dots were, a vine-like tentacle suddenly fell from above, wrapping around one scout's neck and dragging him off the ground, straight up to the ceiling!
The other scout, stunned, quickly shone his flashlight upwards, and his eyes widened in terror!
The ceiling was filled with hundreds of bat-like mutated zombies, their tongues hanging down like dense vines from a rainforest, causing an involuntary shiver.
The first scout was instantly torn to pieces by the mutants, devoured completely.
"Up—"
The remaining scout realized he couldn't escape and tried to warn his team about the trap above. However, before he could finish, he was also dragged up by thorny tongues.
The others outside witnessed this scene. The two scouts had sacrificed their lives, revealing the danger inside.
"Damn it… Adjust the searchlight to illuminate the ceiling!"
Captain Gilbert, seeing his team lose two more members, angrily issued the command.
With the intense light now aimed at the ceiling, a chilling roar echoed through the lobby!
Roar!!!
Immediately, hundreds of mutated zombies were illuminated by the sudden bright light, scrambling wildly across the walls and ceiling!
Some lost their balance and fell heavily to the ground, and as they struggled to get up, they were instantly shot to pieces by the enraged team members at the entrance!
The lobby was filled with a chaotic mix of monster roars and intense gunfire. When some mutated zombies attempted to break through the deadly light and attack the team, they were cut to pieces by the Tigers, who had been lying in wait.
"These pests! Let me show you how to crush them!!"
At this moment, Captain Philip's bloodthirsty rage was ignited by the scene. Gripping his double-edged sword tightly, he charged into the dangerous lobby.
Roar!!!
As soon as he stepped in, two mutated zombies, seemingly lying in wait, leaped from the corners to attack the imposing man!
Hmph!
Captain Philip snorted coldly, remaining calm as the zombies approached.
Boom!!
Philip struck out with his massive left fist, hitting the approaching zombie on the left with such force that it was sent flying, crashing into the wall. Its brain matter and skull shattered into a mess, leaving it unable to get up again!
The mutated zombie on the right, seeing Philip's approach, prepared to attack. Philip raised his huge titanium alloy sword and effortlessly performed a graceful slice.
Snap~~
The zombie was cleaved into several pieces that fell to the ground. Its still-living head rolled to Philip's feet, emitting a final, unwilling growl…