After getting a rundown of the situation, the Mercenary Corps Leaders all had their members take a break.

Some went to the mess hall to eat, others cleaned their Firearms, but most simply closed their eyes to rest their minds.

In truth, the two-kilometer stretch they had just fought through wasn’t all that physically taxing for most of the Mercenaries. A typical mission for them usually lasted at least five or six hours.

But here in Guanghan City, the biggest difference from their usual missions was the sheer intensity and tension of the combat. Everyone’s nerves had been stretched taut for a long time.

Therefore, this outpost was crucial for the Mercenary Corps not so much for physical rest, but for mental recuperation.

The 15 minutes passed quickly. During this time, Lin Xinghai toured the entire outpost and came away quite impressed with its facilities.

It was small but had everything it needed.

More importantly were the outpost’s Defenses. Previously, Lin Xing had only given them a quick scan. It was only after speaking with the officer in charge that he learned this outpost would be continuously reinforced.

The ultimate goal was to withstand the assault of a medium-sized zombie tide exceeding 50,000.

Of course, this required considerable manpower and resources. Such powerful defensive outposts would only be constructed along the two flanks of the cleared area. The outposts in the middle would be scaled down or even dismantled as the Zombie population thinned out.

The Military Department had planned all this in meticulous detail, so Lin Xinghai had no suggestions to add. By the time he had a general grasp of the situation, the rest period was over.

Everyone boarded the Armored Vehicles, and the convoy set off once more, beginning the next phase of the clearing operation.

After the First Division departed, news of their progress was quickly relayed back to the Military Department’s main camp, where Jin Canlan received it almost instantly.

"Well, I’ll be damned. He’s even better than I imagined. He’s leading the worst of the lot, but their rate of advance is faster than the other mercenary divisions. And these casualty figures... tsk, tsk!" Jin Canlan mused, holding the report, his face a picture of awe.

Then, an idea struck him. He immediately ordered his subordinate to post the report on the public notice board. This would help reassure the other Mercenary Corps in the camp.

He also added a line at the bottom of the report: "Everyone, take a look. Guanghan City isn’t as terrifying as you imagine. The First Division pushed two kilometers deep and only sustained one major and eight minor injuries."

Little did Jin Canlan know that when the second report arrived, he would be forced to eat his words and hastily retract his post.

But that was a story for later.

At the very least, this first report did indeed serve as a great encouragement for many of the Mercenary Corps. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Meanwhile, the First Division, led by Lin Xinghai, continued its advance toward the second outpost.

After advancing more than two kilometers, the division finally encountered its first Mutated Zombie: a Spitter.

Without a word, Lin Xinghai personally sortied in his Mecha and quickly returned with the Mutated Zombie’s corpse.

For many First Level Mercenary Corps, a Mutated Zombie was the stuff of nightmares. Yet Lin Xinghai had just dispatched one with such ease, barely causing a ripple. This instantly boosted the entire division’s morale to a new high.

Moreover, with each battle, the entire division’s coordination improved, especially their use of formations, which grew steadily more proficient.

The difference in combat effectiveness between a team skilled in formation tactics and a disorganized rabble was night and day.

Thus, the First Division’s overall strength continued to grow. They reached the second outpost in an even shorter amount of Time, taking a mere half-hour.

This Speed was truly incredible, especially considering their main task was clearing Zombies, not just traveling.

When the division arrived at the second outpost, its defensive fortifications were barely half-complete.

There wasn’t even a designated rest area cleared for them yet.

Fortunately, the outposts were already equipped with large-scale optical stealth systems that concealed all personnel and equipment. As long as they cleared out the nearby Zombies, the area was relatively safe.

So the Mercenary Corps of the First Division had no complaints. They simply disembarked, found a spot to sit or stand, and allowed their frayed nerves to settle.

The Mercenary Corps in the First Division had now grown accustomed to the rhythm of battle. Plus, having witnessed Lin Xinghai’s absolute dominance over the Mutated Zombie, their mental stress was noticeably lower.

As a direct result, after just ten minutes of rest, several Mercenary Corps Leaders proposed that they could already set off again.

Lin Xinghai had no objections, so the convoy hit the road again, heading for the third outpost.

Upon their arrival at the third outpost, the Major General in charge was utterly stunned.

"How did you get here so fast?" the officer asked, dumbfounded.

After all, his Military Department team had set out a full hour before the Mercenary Corps.

But they themselves had only been here for a little over half an hour! Didn’t that mean these Mercenary Corps’ rate of advance was even faster than the military’s own team?

"It was manageable. Our team has good synergy, so our clearing efficiency is a little faster than the other mercenary divisions," Lin Xinghai said with a smile.

"A little faster is an understatement," the Major General grumbled, then continued, "You’ve seen the situation here. You’ll have to rest on the spot. I have other matters to attend to."

"Go on, we’ll see ourselves out after we rest," Lin Xinghai said with a nod. ’The last outpost was at least halfway done,’ he thought, ’but this one barely has a frame up.’

"Wait! Are you planning on heading back after this? Or will you continue clearing Zombies?" the Major General quickly asked.

"It’s too early to head back, and our division hasn’t suffered any losses. Of course we’re going to keep clearing Zombies," Lin Xinghai replied without hesitation.

"In that case, don’t push any further forward. The construction team for the next outpost hasn’t even gone through yet!" the Major General said hastily.

"Er... then where should we go?"

"You can cut across this area to Outpost 32 on Route 2. That way, you’ll help clear out the Zombies between the main lines."

Lin Xinghai nodded. It was a good idea. Their safety would be assured, and it wouldn’t hinder their Zombie-clearing progress in the slightest.

"Okay! If I remember correctly, Outpost 32 is in that direction, right?" Lin Xinghai asked, pointing.

However, he froze mid-sentence. In the very direction he was pointing, a streak of red light shot high into the sky. It then exploded, blooming into a huge, dazzling crimson sphere.

"Is that... a distress signal?" Lin Xinghai asked, uncertain.

The Major General saw it too. The color drained from his face as he grabbed his Communication Device and barked, "Comms, activate the signal booster, now! Find out what’s happening at Outpost 32! Why are they sending a distress call?"