"Alright, listen up!"

On the edge of the city ruins, Biao Zi slung his Dragon Assault Rifle over his back. In his hand, he gripped a shard of a Carriage Blade, its base wrapped in cloth. He moved quickly through the wreckage, his voice earnest and raspy as he spoke.

"We've gotten along well enough these past few days. I know some of you still aren't convinced I'm the right man for the job, but I need you to understand one thing: the second we leave the train, the danger level skyrockets."

"No matter what you think of me, out here, we have to act as one. It's the only way we all get back to the train in one piece."

"You all get that?"

His words hung in the air.

"Got it," came the replies.

Hei Wa and another of Biao's loyal bruisers were the first to respond. The others followed suit, their faces serious as they grunted their acknowledgment. The apocalypse wasn't new to them—they all knew how dangerous it was to be anything less than a cohesive unit.

Only one man, the same one Biao and Hei Wa had beaten down a few days prior, let out a defiant scoff.

He was one tough bastard. He hadn't submitted at the start, he hadn't submitted after a beating, and he clearly wasn't submitting now.

Biao shot a sideways glance at the man, his eyes narrowing, but he said nothing. He had spotted a Zombie Wolf slinking silently out of a crushed shipping container behind the man.

The wolf's eyes glowed red. Its body was coiled, muscles tensed, ready to spring at any moment.

Biao saw it all but gave no reaction, acting as if he hadn't noticed a thing. He simply pointed to an open area a short distance away. "We're heading there. It's the best firing position to hit the web."

The other patrolmen followed his finger, their eyes shifting to the new target.

Just then—

A piercing whistle cut through the air. The lurking Zombie Wolf finally made its move, its powerful legs launching it like an arrow straight at the back of the scoffing man!

"Watch out!"

Biao, seemingly the first to react, roared and charged, tackling the man to the ground. The rest of the squad snapped to attention, whipping their rifles around and unleashing a half-magazine burst into the Zombie Wolf as it sailed past its target.

The wolf's body, riddled with bullet holes, crashed into a bloody heap.

The man pinned under Biao finally registered what had happened. A wave of cold fear washed over him as he stared at the dead wolf, his spine tingling.

Biao rose, his expression grim. He clutched his left arm, blood seeping through his fingers. He tore a strip of cloth from his shirt and hastily wrapped the wound.

"B-Brother Biao..."

The man who had been so defiant moments ago was suddenly overwhelmed with shame. He scrambled to his feet and helped Biao up, his voice weak. "Brother Biao, I... I never thought you'd save me. I was... I was giving you such a hard time, and you still saved me. I..."

"It's nothing."

Biao shook his head, his face a stoic mask. He didn't even wince. After the crude bandage was tied, he simply patted the man's shoulder.

"I'd save you or anyone else on this team."

"I'm your leader. It's my job to bring every single one of you back alive."

"That's my responsibility."

"If someone has to die, it'll be me first. Otherwise, how could I face Boss Mang? How could I face any of you?"

"Alright, let's keep moving. We need to finish this mission and get back."

"I..."

The man, who hadn't broken even after a severe beating, finally broke. This was the kind of man who deserved to be their leader. He had faced so much malice since the apocalypse began, but this was the first time someone had been willing to risk their life for him. A powerful sense of camaraderie washed over him.

He clenched his fists, staring at Biao's retreating, and gritted his teeth. "Brother Biao, my name is Shanmaozi." 【TN: "Wildcat"—Chinese nickname】

"I'll repay this debt with my life!"

Walking ahead of him, Biao heard the declaration. The corner of his mouth ticked up in a subtle, almost invisible smile. He cleared his throat, not even turning his head as he waved a hand. "Just keep up. Don't fall behind."

Trying to compete with me? He thought. You think being tough and knowing how to fight is enough to be a leader? You have to use your brain these days, kid.

His left arm hadn't been injured by the Zombie Wolf. He'd misjudged the force needed, and the wolf had only grazed him, leaving him completely unscathed. So, with no other choice, he had discreetly slashed his arm with the shard of Carriage Blade he was carrying.

Of course, he wasn't an idiot. It was just a shallow cut, enough to draw blood. It would heal in a few days without even needing stitches. The blade shard was new, too—it hadn't been used on the Cannibalistic Spider.

But the effect was what mattered. You had to bleed for it.

Saving someone without any cost to yourself and saving them at a price were two entirely different things in the eyes of the person being saved.

He had considered just letting Shanmaozi die.

But...

If they suffered a casualty on their very first mission, even if it was understandable, Boss Mang's opinion of him would surely drop. That wouldn't do.

Besides, Boss Mang already knew Shanmaozi was insubordinate. If the guy ended up dead on their first outing, Boss Mang would definitely have his suspicions.

He'd originally thought that if Shanmaozi remained ungrateful, he'd just find an opportunity for him to have an "accident" later.

But it turned out the kid, despite being stubborn and a bit dense, knew how to repay a debt.

The distance wasn't great, but the collapsed buildings and clogged streets slowed them down considerably.

Along the way, they encountered three more Zombie Wolves.

It was clear that with the Level 3 Cannibalistic Spider gone, other monsters were already starting to test the waters, drawn in by the absence of the apex predator's aura.

"We're here."

Twenty minutes later, Biao raised a hand, and the team halted on the rooftop of a low, ruined building. After the earlier incident, the other patrolmen were now completely obedient, following his orders without question.

In the apocalypse, who wouldn't want a leader willing to save them in a crisis?

Before them was the massive spider web, woven between several high-rise buildings. A dozen or so small spiderlings hung suspended in the air by strands of silk, dangling about ten meters above the ground, swaying gently in the wind.

Below the web, a pack of about twenty Level 1 Zombie Wolves paced, their heads tilted back, drooling as they stared at the helpless spiderlings.

"Brother Biao," Hei Wa whispered, sidling up to him. "We didn't see coming twenty-something zombie wolves. Something feels off. If the wolves are already here, other monsters from the wasteland will probably show up soon."

"It's normal."

Biao's eyes narrowed. "I've never seen a plan that didn't have surprises. It's like our old construction jobs—never met a client who paid on time. You just get used to it."

"We move fast. It's just twenty-odd wolf cubs."

"Everyone, load your weapons. We get closer before we open fire."

"Keep it quiet. Let's move."

They were currently about thirty meters from the pack of Zombie Wolves. At this range, accuracy was hard to guarantee. A little closer, and their hit rate would improve dramatically.