Mercenary Organization

On the ruined streets of the city, a young man walked cautiously along the roadside, gripping a sharp dagger tightly in his hand, occasionally spinning it with a flourish, as if it was an unconscious habit. This young man was none other than our protagonist, Yang Tian.

Over the past few days, Yang Tian had found some useful supplies, such as a map and a dagger. He also fought a few zombies, accumulating enough points to reach a total of nine, although the exchange system was still inaccessible. However, as time went on, Yang Tian noticed something strange—the number of zombies was gradually decreasing.

Until today, the entire street was completely empty, and such a sight made Yang Tian uneasy. A few days ago, zombies roamed everywhere like wandering ghosts, but now there wasn't a single one in sight. This eerie silence made him feel both relieved and suspicious.

Yang Tian remained cautious, his eyes scanning his surroundings vigilantly. His destination was a medium-sized supermarket, which, according to the map, was the closest supply point to his current residence. The canned food he had found at his place was already exhausted, so he had no choice but to venture out. Along the way, he noticed the number of zombies dwindling until today, when they had completely disappeared—a phenomenon that was inexplicable.

Suddenly, Yang Tian froze in place, not daring to move. A scorching pressure came from the back of his head, as if he had been locked onto by something deadly. Slowly, Yang Tian raised his hands, the dagger glinting in the sunlight as he let it fall to the ground with a crisp sound.

In the distance, behind the scope of a heavy sniper rifle, a pair of cold eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of surprise. The sniper's Barrett remained steadily aimed at Yang Tian's head.

"Boss, there's a living person," said Jessica, the sniper, her voice breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" The team leader, codenamed Lion, frowned. A regular person daring to walk so openly on this street? And where had all the zombies gone?

First Encounter with the Mercenaries

The scorching pressure gradually disappeared, and Yang Tian let out a sigh of relief. He picked up the dagger from the ground, his hand subtly pressing on the Five-Seven pistol at his waist. In the distance, the sound of car engines roared as three vehicles sped towards him.

The cars came to a slow stop, and a young mercenary jumped out, grinning as he teased, "Yo! Out here for a sunbath? How does it feel?"

Yang Tian ignored him, but couldn't hide his excitement—this was the first time since crossing over that he had seen another human being.

"Hey, kid! I'm talking to you! Did my 'toy' scare you silly?" The mercenary, codenamed Hound, raised his MA41 mockingly.

"Maybe," Yang Tian shrugged, glancing at Hound's well-equipped gear with a slight hint of disdain.

"Hello, I'm the leader of this mercenary squad, codename Lion. Looks like you're not doing so well," Lion said with a smile, noting Yang Tian's blood-stained white tank top.

"Yeah, just being alive is good enough. Human survival instincts are pretty strong, after all." Yang Tian responded casually, his eyes inadvertently drifting towards a sniper rifle—the source of the scorching pressure earlier.

His gaze followed the barrel upward, revealing a face as cold as ice yet strikingly beautiful. A head of golden hair shimmered under the sunlight, and her blue eyes were filled with a hint of coldness. Yang Tian's eyes quickly moved down again, fixing on the silver Barrett sniper rifle she held.

"Hey, kid! Watch where you're looking, or I'll make you regret it!" Hound growled, his voice tinged with irritation.

But Yang Tian paid no attention to Hound. His gaze was fixed firmly on the sniper rifle—Barrett, the weapon he had loved the most in his previous life's games.

Jessica noticed the intense gaze from Yang Tian, and a flicker of curiosity crossed her eyes. She rarely spoke first, but now she said, "You can sense my killing intent from such a distance—seems like your survival wasn't just by luck."

Yang Tian's excitement grew even more evident. In his previous life, in the game "Biohazard Hero," he had also used this "cannon" before. Its immense power still lingered in his memory.

"Barrett M95, chambered for .50 caliber rounds, bolt-action design for high single-shot accuracy, with a long recoil system to effectively reduce kickback, ensuring the destructive power of the .50 caliber is fully unleashed..." Yang Tian muttered unconsciously, as if reminiscing about his past combat experience.

"Shut up, brat!" Hound yelled angrily, lunging toward Yang Tian.

"Hound, stand down! He wasn't talking about Jessica," Lion intervened, effortlessly blocking Hound's advance as they stood close together.

"Boss, didn't you hear him just now? He was flirting with Jessica!" Hound's eyes darkened with a hint of malice.

"He was talking about the rifle," Lion said, frowning. Hound's constant provocations often strained relationships within the team.

Unwilling to give up, Hound looked toward Jessica, hoping to get her support, but she seemed oblivious to the earlier conversation, merely watching Yang Tian with interest. She was intrigued by his knowledge of the Barrett and even more curious about his actions moments earlier.

In fact, Jessica wasn't the only one who noticed Yang Tian's reaction. Another member of the team, codenamed Leopard, also caught the subtle change. When Hound swung his arm to approach Yang Tian, Yang Tian instinctively bent slightly, reversed his grip on the dagger, and emitted a burst of killing intent. Just as Lion stopped Hound, Yang Tian gradually relaxed, as if nothing had happened.

This brief change was observed by Leopard, whose hand quietly gripped the stock of his rifle. Despite Hound's unpopularity within the squad, they were still teammates at that moment. Yang Tian's quick reaction and precise judgment made Jessica narrow her blue eyes in contemplation.