CHAPTER 1636: CHAPTER 1630: GOING TO BE A DESERTER AGAIN?

Yong turned to look at Ghost Head behind him. Following his praise, Brother Shi behind him also gave a thumbs-up. The two of them were now completely convinced by Yong’s sharp shooting skills!

With smiles on their faces, Yong also mimicked them and laughed along.

Boom!

At that moment, an explosion sounded from the distant sky, grabbing everyone’s attention. At first, the group was startled and thought it came from the Third District. Once their emotions settled, they realized it had emanated from the central area of Sanctuary City.

"What’s happening over there..."

"No need to worry."

Yan Jiang squinted as he watched for a while. The captain next to him quickly handed over a coat, which Yan Jiang casually draped on before speaking, "Someone has arrived. Take your Squad Seven and head to the western defense wall to gather. I’ll go greet these people first."

"Understood!" the captain replied. Then he glanced at Yong, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "What about him?"

"He’s coming with me."

Yan Jiang’s gaze remained fixed on the direction of the central area. The explosion wasn’t caused by any event but was instead the result of high-tier humans creating sonic booms while moving at extreme speeds!

"Let’s go."

Yan Jiang waved at Yong. Yong took a look at Brother Shi and Ghost Head, and seeing this, the two merely nodded at him and motioned toward Yan Jiang’s retreating figure, indicating he should follow quickly. They couldn’t guarantee if Yong understood their intention, but thankfully, Yong didn’t hesitate, seemingly catching their meaning instantly, and hurried after Yan Jiang.

"Form up! Stand straight!"

As Yan Jiang left, Squad Seven’s captain immediately shouted. Ghost Head and Brother Shi quickly stiffened their expressions and fell into formation at the back row, forming a small platoon with the other soldiers. After reporting their numbers one by one, there were a total of eleven people. The captain paced back and forth at the front, waiting. Soon, the other members who had gone earlier to request reinforcements returned, bringing the total up to fifteen.

According to the structure within Dangerous Sanctuary City, each company consists of nine to thirteen squads, with each squad typically having no fewer than sixteen members and no more than eighteen.

The two scanned their surroundings. Some soldiers bore traces of old wounds, especially Squad Seven’s captain, whose neck displayed a large area of white scars from healed injuries. It wasn’t hard to tell this squad had experienced a harrowing ordeal that led to a significant reduction in numbers. This opened the opportunity for the two to join. The squad, counting Yong as well, would have been complete, but with Yong taken by Yan Jiang, the squad remained scarred and incomplete from its previous battles.

"Alright, everyone’s here, hurry to the defense wall. Don’t make the others wait too long."

"Yes!"

The two echoed back, and under the captain’s lead, they jogged toward the western defense wall. As they glanced northwest again, they couldn’t tell if it was a mere illusion, but the purple hue there seemed to have deepened. Even the clouds in the sky grew increasingly dark, making breathing more difficult.

"Hey, brother?"

After a short jog, Ghost Head fixed his eyes on a soldier beside him. The man had a square-shaped face, a distinctive low, rumbling voice, and was missing one ear, which gave the impression of a warped spiral. Aside from carrying the standard laser weapon and exoskeletal armor pack like the others, he also had a bulging pouch at his waist, filled with salves used to treat wounds. He claimed these had saved many lives before, although some were destined to slip beyond the grasp of death.

"What is it?"

The soldier noticed Ghost Head had called him and turned to ask.

Ghost Head hesitated briefly before saying, "Did you know about the Zombie King in the Third District?"

"Yeah, it’s not a secret amongst us soldiers. Only the common civilians aren’t aware. Those prepping to flee probably still think the anomaly there is something we caused."

"Huh? Aren’t you scared?"

"Not scared..." The square-faced soldier hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Weren’t you holding enlistment applications earlier to join us?"

"That’s right! Before we even found you, this whole mess happened."

"That’s strange."

"What’s strange?"

"No one briefed you on psychological training?"

"Psychological training? We just learned about this recently; where would we find time to attend some class?"

"Well, let’s just say Yan Jiang might’ve been one of the last people to get the news—some of us knew by five or six in the morning."

"Seriously... So, what does that psychological training involve?"

"It’s hard to explain in a short time. Basically, it’s about preparing ourselves to face certain realities. Whether it’s brainwashing or not, most of us stopped bothering to figure it out. We can only hope the higher-ups deliver on their promises."

"Who are ’the higher-ups’?"

"Who else?"

"Alright, I get it now." Throughout the conversation, the square-faced soldier’s tone carried subtle tremors. Ghost Head didn’t know what a Zombie King looked like; his understanding came only from the internet’s depictions of the Abyssal Zombie King and local Zombie Kings. As for the Nightmare Zombie King from Lan Ou Continent, it remained a total enigma. To date, no video footage of the Nightmare Zombie King existed.

It was precisely this feeling of the unknown, coupled with the cursed thoughts triggered by the mere term "Zombie King," that stirred a shadow within Ghost Head’s heart, despite his immense courage.

The streets appeared deserted, with only a few ragged civilians wandering around, seemingly scavenging for supplies. However, upon spotting Ghost Head and his squad of soldiers, they quickly fled in terror.

Occasionally, blood-tainted sewage and a scattering of corpses were visible—victims struck by lethal weaponry during prior unrest. Surrounding shops were in complete disarray; everything essential for daily life had been looted.

There were even instances where some individuals wielding laser weapons worked to haul entire shelves with their companions. Yet, upon spotting Ghost Head and his group, they abandoned their loot and fled.

Dangerous Sanctuary City seemed void of civilians, leaving only soldiers like them behind...

"Everyone seems to have fled. Why are we still guarding this place?" Ghost Head couldn’t help but wonder aloud. Dangerous Sanctuary City’s current situation highlighted an imbalance of soldiers outnumbering civilians. Abandoning the city entirely and fleeing seemed more logical. Continuing to defend it—whether successful or not—would mean a needless sacrifice of lives!

"What, you scared? Ready to turn tail and be a deserter once again?"