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墨書 Inktalez
In the office of the second floor management at the Explorer Guild, Mayor Zhao and Director Qian were slowly savoring their tea. His subordinates had gathered over one hundred seventy loyal civilians, each armed with a crude weapon.
These weapons were the result of the benefits they had demanded from the Explorer Guild on the second floor. The two men, seasoned in bureaucratic dealings, were adept at extortion. Although there was a strict oversight from President Sun regarding all corrupt activities, they had their ways of circumventing the rules, playing the game with ease that was far beyond what Sun Zi Wu could comprehend.
Everything was hidden in plain sight, yet they had amassed over a hundred weapons, which could be exchanged for a substantial amount of Ration Tickets—enough to weigh in at over a thousand pounds.
This was still due to the stringent Weapon Control regulations, which prioritized supplying elite members of the Explorer Guild before allowing circulation in the market.
“From now on, the Hope Gathering Place will be ours. We’ll rename it Han Sui Gathering Place. Under the guise of government authority and righteousness, we will draw people in. With our legitimate reputation established, those civilians will come to us like lambs to slaughter, lining up to offer us all their wealth and become our slaves,” Mayor Zhao and Director Qian exchanged smiles, their laughter echoing ominously.
The explorers on the second floor remained oblivious to this sinister plotting; the two administrators often gathered together, laughing maniacally, but no one paid them any mind.
They were merely seen as fee collectors. In their eyes, this job was not much different from that of an old town crier.
“Mayor Zhao, everything is ready. The plan with Ice King has been successful. Gunner, Light Fist, and Old Ghost have all ingested our Delayed Zombie Virus Capsule; it’s guaranteed that they will experience an outbreak of the virus soon,” one newcomer grinned as he spoke.
“Moreover, these viruses are all low-dose special viral infections extracted from Second-Level Zombie fangs. They will definitely mutate but at a low level; at most, they will only become Second-Level Zombies.” He then handed over a detailed report listing all experimental data and clinical trial records.
Each data point could represent dozens of deaths. Yet this man showed no sign of remorse for his actions.
He was Liang Zeqing, head of the Han Sui City Biological Laboratory—a mad scientist who might now be more accurately termed a Zombie biologist. His experiments were exceedingly cruel and had adhered to his principles since the very beginning.
Thousands of civilians had perished under his hands.
It was sheer luck that he had been discovered by one of Mayor Zhao's subordinates while posing as an ordinary person among the refugees; he was immediately captured.
Now, he had reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with Mayor Zhao and Director Qian. Once they seized power, they would provide him with ample experimental environments and equipment along with resources for his experiments.
It seemed that everything beautiful was beckoning to them. Downstairs at the Explorer Guild, crowds began to gather; they did not hide but instead blocked the entrance, preventing anyone from entering or exiting.
These people were Rebels; they aimed to eliminate these explorers first. These individuals possessed military strength as Fellows, and if they were stabbed in the back by them, it could very well jeopardize the Rebels' plans.
"Hello everyone! I am the secretary of Mayor Zhao from Han Sui City. I am here to inform you that the Hope Gathering Place will now be renamed the Han Sui City Gathering Place, under the full responsibility of Mayor Zhao. From now on, everyone will regain their citizenship and take on the duties of a citizen. Everything will return to how it was before the apocalypse." The Mayor's Secretary first painted a bright future, then slowly recounted the pain of the apocalypse.
This was a typical case of reminiscing about past hardships while savoring sweet memories, a common tactic used by the government—promising impossible things to temporarily win people's hearts. Of course, these promises were likely nothing but empty words, with very few ever coming to fruition.
"Hey! I used to live in Han Sui City, even in the Paupers' den in the suburbs during the Post-Apocalypse. It’s been two years since the last relocation, and now it’s been over ten years without even a brick being moved. We residents don’t even dare to repair our homes for fear that as soon as we fix them up, you’ll come for another relocation. But after all these years, have any of your promises ever been fulfilled? How can I trust the government again?" Suddenly, a burly man stepped forward from the crowd. Behind him, a dozen people pushed a tricycle filled with items as if they were scavengers—refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, water heaters—almost everything was there. A dozen computers were piled like trash in cardboard boxes, along with a layer of discarded mobile phones.
"Your situation has lingered in Han Sui City for too long; it is an issue left behind by previous leaders. When the apocalypse broke out, plans had already been arranged. If the apocalypse had not come, you would have been relocated long ago," said the Mayor's Secretary with a stiff expression, like a puppet.
In reality, his words were all just perfunctory. The civilian area was blocked off by dozens of high-rise buildings and situated in a corner of a ravine; even if high-ranking officials came to inspect, they wouldn’t see it. There was no need to bother with such unpleasantness.
Real estate developers would never consider relocating to such a remote area; building there wouldn’t be cost-effective.
Over time, this place had long been forgotten by those in power.
But now that we were in an apocalypse, who would bother investigating? Naturally, whatever the Mayor's Secretary said was taken at face value.
"Damn it! After more than ten years without relocation, you suddenly want to relocate us now that the apocalypse has come? Are you trying to fool us?" The burly man swung his arm, and his companions pulled out weapons from their tricycles.
All were equipped with alloy-tipped guns and steel-barreled rifles—each worth quite a bit in the Explorer Guild. Each member of their group had one.
The quality of their equipment indicated their elite status. In front of them stood two men holding Tower Shields—standard gear for hunting zombies—capable of standing against Second-Level Zombies’ Scorpion Tails. With an additional layer of blankets and tightly wrapped fishing lines on top, once a Scorpion Tail pierced through, pulling it back would be difficult. The others could then rush in and finish off the zombie with gunfire.
As for Third-Stage Zombies, encountering one meant chaos; everyone would scatter without caring for anything else. Whoever managed to escape would count themselves lucky while others would have to fend for themselves.
"Brothers! I've secured a plot of land in the villa area west of the Gathering Place! Tomorrow we’ll hire workers to build villas for us! We can't let these bastards ruin our good days!" The man shouted loudly with great momentum.
Behind him, more and more explorers gathered around; they were returning from successful resource hunts.
At this early stage of exploration, they would scour nearby areas for supplies and return to the Gathering Place to exchange them for Ration Tickets before enjoying a hearty meal at the Explorer Guild.
"Who! Which dog dares to ruin our good days? Are they unhappy seeing us finally able to eat a full meal?" Suddenly, an even larger convoy approached slowly from behind.
The crowd was over a hundred strong, the largest Explorer Team in the Gathering Place, composed entirely of daring men who lived life on the edge, each one a reckless outlaw with their heads held high.
"Dragon Brother is here! Let Dragon Brother come over and judge this situation. These fellows want to ruin our Brothers' good days. Are we going to let them?" A man at the front shouted to the leader of the large group behind him.
"Anyone who tries to ruin our Brothers' good days will have to face us. We just found a bit of peace, able to fill our bellies and occasionally enjoy some beef, and now someone can't stand it?" Dragon Brother strode forward, glaring fiercely at the Mayor's Secretary.
"You are all citizens under the government and should fulfill your civic duty by overthrowing the false leader of Gathering Place, Thief Prisoner Zheng Yifan, and welcoming the great revival of the government," the Mayor's Secretary continued to bluster. At this moment, Mayor Zhao and Director Qian began to step out slowly. The second and third floors of the Explorer Guild were gradually sealed off by him, with everyone inside detained for three hours, while those who resisted were swiftly dealt with.
"Damn it! You call yourself a thief prisoner? The biggest thief prisoner here is you, you bastard! Brothers, take them down! Then we’ll go to the General's Office to petition our leader to capture these ungrateful wolves one by one!" Dragon Brother forcefully pulled forward, yanking the Mayor's Secretary down like he was lifting a chicken, while others quickly rushed up to bind him tightly.
Seeing the situation change, other Rebels also picked up their weapons, ready to resist at any moment.
Tension filled the air; chaos was about to erupt.
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out.
"Everyone stop causing a disturbance! Return to your positions and put your weapons on the ground. Hands on your heads! Explorer Brothers, please clear the way and cooperate with our Bloodbath Legion warriors to deal with these Rebels and restore stability and unity for everyone!" The warriors of the Bloodbath Legion marched in orderly formation. They had only joined the legion less than a month ago, but a month of training had accustomed them to combat with Cold Weapons. They did not stand rigidly; instead, they slightly hunched their backs to maximize their lethality with their long rifles.
If they stood straight, it would only be for show or modern firearm combat.
The archers stood like bows themselves; they didn’t stand completely upright but exuded an intimidating aura that sent chills down spines.
They were professional soldiers; every training session involved battling Zombies. The final training exercise required each recruit to don Plate Armor and face off against a Second-Level Zombie alone before officially completing their rookie status and earning their soldier identity.
Now, filled with fighting spirit, they could not tolerate anyone daring to disrupt their authority in Gathering Place; this was undoubtedly touching their sore spot.
They knew that all their interests were tied to Gathering Place—when one thrived, all thrived. The Military Merit they had accumulated over a month lay quietly in the Military Merit ledger, waiting for them to exchange it for supplies.
Living well in this post-apocalyptic world was rare; accumulating Military Merit felt like saving up their own wealth.
Now someone wanted to destroy this way of life and ruin their families’ benefits—this was absolutely unforgivable!
The blood of the Bloodbath Legion was boiling; they were ready to unleash a massacre, fueled by their need for Military Merit.
Every rebel was worth 10 points of Military Merit. Normally, earning Military Merit required exhausting labor, but now, if they subdued the people in front of them, everyone would share the Military Merit equally. Not to mention the two rebel leaders, each valued at a staggering 0 Military Merit.
No one would turn down easy rewards. Like tigers descending from the mountains, the entire Bloodbath Legion charged into the ranks of the Rebels in teams of five, squads of ten, and rows of zero.
Although not everyone was equipped with Plate Armor, each soldier still wore stab-resistant gear. Each team had two Sword and Shield Soldiers equipped with Riot Shields. The camaraderie among team members was strong; they shared both glory and losses, even dividing Military Merit evenly. At this moment, their cooperation was seamless as they surged into the crowd. The first wave against the Rebels consisted of powerful Pepper Spray and the pressure from Riot Shields. Those Rebels still holding weapons were quickly turned into pincushions by three Pikemen from within their ranks.
The Gas Masks they wore ensured their safety. Honest individuals were fortunate enough to escape with their lives, while those who dared to resist were swiftly dispatched.
"I'll fight you to the end!" A group of over a dozen Rebels charged forward with their eyes shut, wildly swinging their clubs.
The Rebels beside them suffered greatly; a single iron rod could break limbs or cause severe head injuries.
Suddenly, dozens of meters away, a flash of cold light pierced the sky as arrows rained down upon these frenzied Rebels. In just a few breaths, over a hundred arrows fell, leaving no survivors among the group.
"Wow! This is exhilarating; selecting these elite archers was indeed a wise choice."
In the center of the Rebels, Pu Qiang wielded his spear, suppressing any resistance immediately.
The iron spear in his hands was custom-made by Zheng Yifan; its weight was astonishing and could incapacitate anyone it struck.
This weapon suited him best; Wolf Tooth Clubs were not ideal for fighting Zombies—encounters with Second-Level Zombies would lead to defeat. A spear allowed for targeted combat and was a long-term strategy.
Otherwise, a Scorpion Tail would merely result in becoming a Zombie oneself.
"Everyone get down! Kill any who resist." Each member of the Bloodbath Squad shouted this phrase as they kicked weapons away from those lying on the ground, gathering them together for collection by the long Pikemen behind them.
The rebellion had barely begun before it was almost extinguished.
Seeing that things were going poorly, Director Qian and Mayor Zhao from the Explorer Guild immediately prepared to make their escape.
Unfortunately, their rebellion had already angered all the explorers. Before they could blend into the crowd, they were pulled out and tied to the flagpole of the platform where the Mayor's Secretary had just spoken. Sweat dripped from their fleshy foreheads.
"According to the orders of Zheng Yifan, leader of the Hope Gathering Place, all rebels among you are hereby stripped of your rights as members of the Gathering Place, denied your right to appeal, and sentenced to death. The execution will take place immediately." Pu Qiang strode into the center of the crowd, and with a single shot, he killed two of the main offenders—truly killing two birds with one stone. He then raised his right hand and swung it down forcefully at all his subordinates.
Two big shots who once commanded respect in Hansui City during the Post-Apocalypse left this world without uttering a single word.
The resistance members in the crowd were executed swiftly and cleanly, though there were only a few of them.
"Those who repent and turn back will be incorporated into the Daredevil Squad. Survivors after three months will have their rights as Gathering Place members restored, and the Daredevil Squad will receive half of their military merit as official soldiers. If they die in battle, their relatives can claim their registration!"
With just a few words, their futures were sealed. Losing three months of development meant they would forfeit much of their progress. During those three months in the Daredevil Squad, they would serve as a suicide squad, charging ahead to expand territory in the Resort region while clearing out zombies.
The chances of returning alive were slim—perhaps one in ten or maybe none at all.
Who would even bother to care? They should consider themselves fortunate now, for at least they had managed to survive, and there would still be opportunities for redemption in the future.
In this apocalypse, taking a life was as simple as drawing a knife.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the General's Office, the Firestorm Team found themselves in trouble.
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