Chapter 56: Unknown Forces [Second Update Recommended]

Everyone pounced on the zombies like wolves upon a heap of crystal cores, brandishing their weapons and slaughtering with wild abandon. In no time, the first floor was cleared. As the group pressed on toward the second floor, Luffy remained seated on a sofa by the window, basking in the sunlight outside—something he hadn’t seen for a long time. It had rained endlessly before, but now that the sun shone again, he felt warm and content.

As the sun set in the west, the phrase “A heartbroken man wanders the world” echoed in his mind.

Unexpectedly, Liu Yanmeng sauntered over and sat down on his lap. The soft, supple curves of her body pressed against him, causing Luffy to freeze in surprise—this girl truly knew how to use every trick at her disposal, even resorting to such temptations.

She twisted her hips provocatively. “How does that feel? Enjoying yourself?” Her sultry voice was mesmerizing, exuding an irresistible allure. Luffy could do little to hide his reaction, which made Liu Yanmeng giggle with pride. Just then, Xiaolongnv darted over and pressed Luffy’s face into her ample chest, bouncing with happiness as she crouched before him. The scene was so outrageous that anyone else witnessing it would have been dumbstruck by Luffy’s unexpected good fortune.

But Liu Yanmeng, seeing Xiaolongnv’s actions, grew furious—she nearly tore off her own pants in anger, her face flushed crimson. “Fine, you win!” she snapped, biting her lip before storming off in a huff.

Luffy emerged from Xiaolongnv’s embrace, a little dizzy. These two little vixens were relentless in their teasing—he nearly lost control. But his first time was reserved for Qin Bailing, his secret crush. There was no way he’d give in to these two, not even if it were his idol, Zhao Liying.

At that moment, a startled cry echoed from upstairs. Luffy was surprised; he immediately activated his Samsara Heavenly Eye and saw, on the tenth floor, a fifth-tier zombie—mutated, with four arms and three heads, fused from other zombies into a terrifying abomination. Zeng Hongsen’s group couldn’t possibly defeat such a creature; even their attempts to hold it off had resulted in injuries.

Luffy strode out of the building, bent his knees, and with a powerful leap, soared straight to the tenth floor, cracking the ground beneath him like a rocket. He landed nimbly on the window ledge.

He surged forward, unleashing his Yanmeng Ziwei Step, and in a blur, appeared before the massive fifth-tier zombie.

“Boss, you’re here! This fifth-tier zombie is so strong—several of us are hurt, and we can’t kill it. Look, it’s riddled with bullets and bolts, but it’s like nothing happened,” Zeng Hongsen exclaimed, relieved at Luffy’s arrival. With the boss here, everything could be handled.

“Boss, this monster has powerful regenerative abilities. Zeng Hongsen just slashed it, left a huge wound, and it healed instantly,” Zeng Shuna whispered anxiously.

“I see. All of you, fall back. I’ll take care of it,” Luffy replied calmly, shrugging his shoulders.

The tenth floor was once an office, now abandoned and empty of the living—clearly, this fifth-tier zombie had devoured all others here. The rest of the team retreated, eager to watch their leader deal with such a formidable foe. But just as Luffy was about to act, steel claws appeared outside the window.

People were climbing up, and several men in black combat uniforms leapt through the windows, entering from both sides. Each wore blue battle attire. One was tall and burly, about six feet, two hundred pounds, carrying a modified steel rifle slung across his back, his eyes filled with disdain. Another, slim and short-haired, bore a bronze-hued ring-blade engraved with mysterious sigils, his expression haughty. The third, even taller, with piercing, hawk-like blue eyes and dyed hair, carried a longsword and looked down his nose at everyone.

Beside him stood a voluptuous red-haired woman, her ample curves impossible to ignore, swaying enticingly with each step. She eyed the man beside her with a flirtatious gaze, a laser cannon slung over her shoulder, stiletto heels clicking, her rosy lips exuding sensuality.

“Hey! Leave that zombie for us!” the burly one roared arrogantly. His name was Meng Ziyi.

“Didn’t expect to find a group of survivors with decent strength here. But your strongest is only fourth-tier—do you really think you can kill a fifth-tier zombie? Get lost, and we’ll spare your lives. That zombie is out of your league,” sneered the thin man with the ring-blade, Zhao Hanxin.

“Who are you? Why should we listen to you?” Zeng Hongsen snapped, infuriated by their arrogance.

“We’re giving you good advice. Do you really think your lot can take down a fifth-tier zombie?” laughed the woman, Qian Li.

“No need to waste time talking—just knock them aside,” Tang Ning said coldly.

Around them, more people climbed up the ropes, all dressed in combat gear, armed with advanced weaponry.

With a thunderous boom, Meng Ziyi leveled his enormous steel rifle at the fifth-tier zombie and unleashed a blast of crimson energy.

The zombie shrieked, one of its arms blasted off, and it howled madly, charging straight at Meng Ziyi.

“Boss?” Zeng Hongsen was stunned by this sudden bid to steal their prey.

“Ignore them. Let’s see what happens first,” Luffy said, composed and unconcerned. These strangers were of unknown origin—best to observe before acting.

“All right,” Zeng Hongsen agreed with a nod.

Zhao Liying came over to Luffy and said, “Look, I dug up a lot of crystal cores! I’ve paid off my debt, and I even killed a first-tier zombie.” She took out a second-tier core, visibly pleased.

“Not bad. Are you hurt?” Luffy smiled at her adorable manner.

“No, after drinking those ten body-tempering potions, I’m already pretty strong. I can even kill third-tier zombies,” Zhao Liying said, blushing slightly as she stuck out her tongue.

“Good, keep it up.” Luffy patted her on the head and handed her ten more potions. “These are still first-tier. Once you’ve mastered first-tier, you can move on to the second-tier potions.”

“Okay!” Zhao Liying nodded.

Ma Bi, watching the exchange, looked on enviously. “Wow, the boss is so lucky—even Zhao Liying talks to him like that. I wish I could be like him.”

“In your dreams. Impossible,” Zeng Hongsen retorted, rolling his eyes. The boss was simply in a league of his own.

Meanwhile, the fifth-tier zombie lunged at Meng Ziyi, furious that he had dared to blast off its arm—a clear invitation to death.