Chapter 18

Faced with such pressure, an ordinary person would probably be flustered, but the people in the car, except for Lin Xinghai, were all seasoned mercenaries with rich combat experience, and they remained calm as they aimed and fired.

At the same time, as the zombies drew closer, the accuracy of the mercenaries' shots rapidly improved. By the time they pulled the trigger for the second time, two zombies had been headshot.

On the third shot, the number of zombies instantly headshot increased to four.

As for the fourth shot, sorry, there was no fourth shot.

The time it took for these zombies to rush from a hundred meters away to the armored car was too short, and the mercenaries only had time to aim and fire three times.

However, by this point, the number of fallen zombies was already close to half, and they no longer posed a significant threat in terms of numbers. As for their strength, they posed even less of a threat.

Five constitution-type gene enhancers jumped out of the car, wielding large swords or axes, and charged at the approaching zombies.

As for the mercenaries still in the car, they took advantage of the brief moment their comrades were holding off the zombies to aim and fire at close range.

The remaining seven zombies were either chopped down or headshot, and soon all of them had fallen.

Of course, the process was not without its twists. The two mid-level zombies displayed their exceptional abilities.

In direct combat with the mercenaries, they did not fall behind at all. One mid-level zombie even used its powerful claws to deflect a mercenary's axe and then clawed at his chest.

Fortunately, the combat suit the mercenary was wearing was not just for show. Although a gash was made, the inner lining was not broken.

After enduring this blow, the mercenary quickly spun his axe, and with a swift swing, he split the mid-level zombie's head open.

According to Lin Xinghai's estimation, the strength of these mid-level zombies was equivalent to that of a person with 30% gene enhancement.

Fortunately, their numbers were small. If all the zombies were of this level, the battle would not have been so easy.

After the battle, the next step was to clean up the battlefield.

"I'll go too!" Hearing Roger assign tasks, Lin Xinghai immediately said.

Why did he join the mercenary group to carry out this mission? It was for this very moment! He could not afford to miss it.

"Uh!" Roger was momentarily at a loss for words.

Actually, collecting essence crystals was more like a chore. Sometimes, one might not notice and end up splattered with blood. No one wanted to do this dirty and tiring work.

Though new mercenaries had to do such tasks, Lin Xinghai, being a genius, naturally had special treatment and could be exempted from such work.

But Roger did not expect Lin Xinghai to volunteer, and his attitude seemed very enthusiastic!

This made him recall Lin Xinghai's performance during the "First Lesson" yesterday, which made his expression somewhat peculiar.

Could he really have that kind of fetish!

However, no matter how he thought about it, it was none of his business, so Roger did not hesitate and said, "Alright! I'll have Deputy Team Leader Xu Hao teach you some dissection techniques."

Xu Hao, who was sitting nearby resting, immediately looked distressed.

"No need, no need! It would be too much trouble for Brother Xu. I can learn from the other members." Lin Xinghai quickly refused.

What a joke? If someone was watching him, how could he collect the blood qi?

"Heh, self-study is good, self-study is good! Xiaohai, if you have any questions later, remember to come to me, and I'll teach you everything I know." Xu Hao immediately responded, quite satisfied with Lin Xinghai's attitude.

Seeing that Lin Xinghai had said this, Roger had no objections.

Soon, Lin Xinghai followed the five members Roger had named and got out of the car.

However, Lin Xinghai did not immediately start collecting essence crystals. Instead, he pretended to be earnestly seeking advice, looking around with a serious expression.

Of course, no one noticed that every time someone dug out an essence crystal, he would secretly touch the zombie's wound.

The five people collected essence crystals very quickly. In less than a minute, the essence crystals from 13 zombies had been dug out.

At this point, Lin Xinghai had also harvested 13 points of blood qi. He opened the system panel to confirm that his blood qi had increased from 14 points to 27 points.

He still had the two bottles of gene enhancers given by Roger to absorb. If he included those, he could use up to 37 points of blood qi.

"Smooth sailing, I can awaken during this mission!" Lin Xinghai felt elated as he followed the other mercenaries back to the car.

...

"How do you feel?" As soon as he sat down, Roger came over to ask.

"Huh?" Lin Xinghai was a bit confused.

"I mean the strength of those zombies." Roger said.

"Very strong!" After a brief pause, Lin Xinghai spoke honestly.

Don't think that the Skybreaker Mercenary Group easily dealt with these zombies. You have to consider the strength of these people. Except for him, they were all gene enhancers.

Moreover, their weapons were excellent, allowing them to fully utilize their combat capabilities. Even so, one mercenary almost got injured.

Imagine if ordinary people faced these zombies instead of the Skybreaker Mercenary Group. Even with firearms, they would likely suffer heavy casualties.

After all, zombies have strong vitality, fast speed, and a wild animal-like instinct for danger.

When aimed at, they instinctively dodge.

If ordinary people, or even an ordinary army, encountered a horde of zombies in the wild, they would likely not fare well.

This is why, even a year after the disaster, humans still had to live in underground shelters.

Roger gave Lin Xinghai a somewhat surprised look, seeing that his expression was not feigned. He nodded, "It's good that you have this understanding."

"Zombies are indeed very strong. What you saw were just the most common ones. In the city, there are not only more zombies, but mid-level zombies are also very common."

"Even more, there are high-level zombies. Their strength is equivalent to that of a 60% gene-enhanced person. Even I would find it difficult to defeat one in a one-on-one fight."

"Moreover, among these zombies, there is a certain probability of evolving into 'mutated zombies,' which are truly terrifying."

"So, even if your strength improves quickly and you have good equipment, you must never be complacent. Being cautious and careful is never too much when outside." Roger said earnestly.

He said so much because he was worried that Lin Xinghai, being young and impetuous, might cause trouble if he did not follow orders once they entered the city.