Rotting Land: Survive-Chapter 524 - 517: Hidden Black Shadow (Part 2)

Hearing Lin Junfu’s reminder over the radio, Xu Renjie instinctively tightened his grip on the crossbow’s trigger, and then lowered his voice to instruct Lei Tong and Hua Biao to stay alert. Simultaneously, he contacted and recalled another search team on the same floor, which consisted of Wei Dazhuang, Wang Qiang, and Wang Zhongyu.

Thus, the two teams merged into one, moving one in front and the other in the rear. Old Xu’s team led the charge, while Wei Dazhuang’s group took the rear, staying on guard and ready to provide support.

The six of them advanced slowly, each with tense expressions, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Room by room was checked and then sealed shut, with all safety messages relayed to Old Xu’s hand-held radio.

Suddenly, Lei Tong, who was moving forward, stopped in his tracks. Before anyone else could inquire, he immediately raised his hand to signal a halt.

Then, quietly and carefully, he approached the wall in front of him, slowly crouched down, and peered closely at it.

In his eyes, he saw fine black smudges along the wall forming a mark about an inch long. Following this trace downward, Lei Tong discovered a bit of sticky liquid.

He dipped his finger in it, brought it up to his nose, sniffed twice, and then rubbed it slightly before swiftly stepping back to report to Xu Renjie in a low voice, "Captain, it’s left by those beasts!"

The moment these words were spoken, everyone’s faces went rigid; the implication of the beasts entering the mansion was clear and alarming.

Right away, Old Xu did not dare to be careless. He quickly transmitted this information through the radio to everyone inside the villa.

"Attention everyone, we cannot confirm where the beasts are right now, nor how many have come in. Please ensure your own protection during the search. Also, Zhang Zhicai, Tang Xiaoquan, guard Wei Yang and the others!"

After finishing his instructions, Xu Renjie gazed intently at the unseen residue at the corner of the wall.

Judging from the recent actions of the beast, it seemed different from the ordinary zombies they usually encountered.

Under normal circumstances, an ordinary zombie, upon encountering fresh prey, would attack indefinitely.

Yet this beast, although it launched necessary attacks, did not keep on upon being separated by glass, unlike most beasts.

Instead, it chose another path, seeking a breakthrough!

Does this imply that the beast already has an understanding of "tactics"?

Thinking of this, Xu Renjie was stunned.

It’s known that mindless zombies are terrifying, but ultimately they’re just idiots—fighters with courage but no strategy, easy to handle.

But if zombies start having "intelligence," then humanity would be in deep trouble.

While contemplating, Old Xu and his team reached a new room.

Lei Tong and Hua Biao took their positions on either side of the door.

Meanwhile, Wei Dazhuang, Wang Qiang, and Wang Zhongyu each held weapons to block all the exits outside the room.

Once the formation was set, Old Xu twisted open the door, then raised his crossbow, the tip aiming straight inside.

Up, down, left, right—with reflexes honed over years—Xu Renjie scanned the nearly 40-square-meter room in less than two seconds.

Thanks to the sparse furnishings inside, Old Xu confidently declared it "Safe"! 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Relieved, those holding positions at the door, including Wei Dazhuang, promptly retracted and stood down. Old Xu hurried inside to close the two open windows.

But just as he latched the locks, the torn "thread marks" on the curtain caught his attention.

Seeing this, Old Xu looked back around the previously inspected "safe" room. Soon, he noticed something unusual with the dangling curtains from the chandelier above.

A few strands of the bead strings were tangled, evidently due to some external force.

This suggests that the beast initially entered from this room!

Through these anomalies, Xu Renjie decisively judged the beast’s initial entry point.

Linking it to the leftover liquid Lei Tong discovered earlier, it seemed...

Considering a certain possibility, Xu Renjie quickly stepped out of the room.

Seeing his tense demeanor, Lei Tong and Hua Biao vigilantly asked, "Captain! What’s wrong? Did you find anything?"

Xu Renjie solemnly glanced at the group of soldiers before him, responding in a low voice, "I’ve checked. The beast entered the villa from this room, and if nothing unexpected happened, it’s probably already..."

His eyes shifted to the corridor at the corner; Xu Renjie’s face turned grim, "It’s probably already left the third floor, down to the ground floor!"

"Then let’s hurry downstairs!" said Wang Qiang, who was impatient upon hearing Old Xu’s deduction, and immediately wanted to bolt down the stairs.

However, Old Xu halted his action.

The reason was simple: His judgment was just speculation, and since it was speculative, it could be incorrect.

Therefore, adjusting now wouldn’t mean much, besides, the brothers at the floor below aren’t to be underestimated. Even if they encountered the beast and couldn’t match its strength, they could still protect themselves.

"No need. Let’s first finish clearing the third floor, then head down," Old Xu’s personality had always been unyielding, and Wang Qiang knew this too well. Despite being unwilling, he listened to the command.

However, things don’t always go as expected, because almost immediately after Old Xu finished his instruction, a series of crashing sounds came from the second floor.

Goddamn! The beast is indeed on the second floor!

This time, Wang Qiang bolted out like a cannonball.

Following suit, Wei Dazhuang, without saying a word, dashed after him wielding two gleaming scythe blades.

In contrast, Wang Zhongyu remained calm, didn’t rush recklessly, and maintained his vigil at the original spot, earning a nod of appreciation from Xu Renjie.

On the battlefield, situations change rapidly; acting rashly under the slightest provocation isn’t bravery, it’s recklessness!

Take Wei Dazhuang and Wang Qiang, for example. Though their departure was driven by a desire to protect others, they didn’t consider if their leaving would threaten their remaining comrades, nor did they think if they’d be ambushed going alone.

Time was pressing, and Xu Renjie could no longer stop the two, so he made other arrangements: "Alright, Xiaowang will come with me downstairs, while Lei Tong and Hua Biao, you guard the staircase. Ensure the beast stays on the second floor this time!"

"Yes! Captain!"

After these orders, Xu Renjie hurriedly led Wang Zhongyu down the stairs, while Lei Tong and Hua Biao took positions at the stairway entrance.

Back to back, shoulder to shoulder, one facing down, the other up, ensuring their safety was guaranteed.

Meanwhile, inside the monitoring room on the second floor, danger was looming. Due to the urgency, Lin Junfu, who had returned to the monitoring room earlier, was so focused that he didn’t notice the door wasn’t shut. This small oversight provided an opportunity for the beast and put him at a deadly risk. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please cast your vote on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)