Chapter 72: A Bold Offer and Lingering Doubts

Chen Yong’s face froze. Seeing that Yenir had rejected him so decisively, he couldn’t help but speak up urgently:

“Brother Ye, there’s no rush—hear me out before you decide!”

“My grandfather may be a deputy commander, but my father is a Third-Stage Fighter who was appointed to lead Safe Zone No.191.”

“If you join us, I promise you a regiment-level starting salary of 3000 Credit Points a month! And I’ll even toss in an extra 1000 on the side!”

“Join us and I’ll secure a blue-grade weapon for you at no cost. Your family can even take up positions in the Military Department!”

“Once I take over the Safe Zone, there’s every chance you could become my right-hand man!”

With that, Chen Yong looked at Yenir with eager anticipation.

He believed his offer was more than generous—4000 a month, a free blue weapon upon joining, and a guarantee of safety for your entire family. Such terms would have countless Awakeners scrambling.

Not to mention the even better perks that would come later.

Of course, he was offering all this because he recognized Yenir’s potential.

Yet, as usual, Yenir merely shook his head at Chen Yong’s earnest expression, silently indicating his lack of interest.

If Chen Yong could offer a million Credit Points a month, maybe Yenir would consider sticking around for a couple of months. But even if you sold Chen Yong’s entire family, it wouldn’t be worth that much.

Chen Yong’s face went blank, astonished at Yenir’s complete indifference.

Before he could continue his persuasion, a worried voice sounded from behind.

“Brother! Are you alright?”

A young girl carrying a longbow hurried over, her face etched with worry.

Even from a distance, she could tell her brother was mostly unharmed, yet the ambush she had witnessed still lingered in her mind.

Her concern drove her to rush over and check on him.

Still, amidst her worry, a trace of doubt flickered in her eyes.

On her way over, she had overheard her brother trying to recruit this guy.

In her view, although Yenir had performed well, a high-level Second-Stage Fighter was as common in the Military Region as dirt—it hardly justified such a steep price.

After seeing that Chen Yong was fine, she shot Yenir a disapproving look and said:

“Brother, if he’s not agreeing, then so be it. But don’t make it look like we’re begging him.”

“That Ye guy—don’t think that being a high-level Second-Stage Fighter makes you any special. I know plenty of Second-Stage Peak Fighters!”

Hearing his little sister’s haughty remark, Chen Yong’s face darkened.

It was natural for his sister not to see Yenir’s true value; after all, Chen Lan, who specialized in long-range combat and rarely clashed face-to-face with mutants, couldn’t appreciate the impressive skills and quick reflexes Yenir had shown in battle.

Chen Yong, on the other hand, dealt with mutants every day and knew that Yenir’s fighting style was forged in the crucible of life and death.

The fact that Yenir could still muster the energy to help his teammates escape meant he had more to offer—he’d even managed to assess the entire battlefield amidst the chaos!

Sighing, he found himself unable to scold his little sister.

Glancing at the countdown to the fourth round, Chen Yong decided to hold his tongue for now and wait until this round was over to speak with Yenir.

He wasn’t willing to let such talent slip away.

“Brother Ye, we need to head back to our defensive position now!”

“The mutants appearing soon will be at least Second-Stage Peak, and there won’t be any breaks—the assault will be relentless!”

Speaking rapidly, Chen Yong pointed toward the rear and said:

“Next, we’ll wake the soldiers caught up in this incident. The monsters will target them first, giving us the perfect opening to act!”

Listening to Chen Yong’s explanation, Yenir nodded, a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

He knew about the ability to awaken soldier phantoms but wasn’t clear on the details.

However, he had no plans to awaken the soldiers during this round—he intended to delay a bit longer.

According to old legends, once awakened, the soldiers can fight continuously for the duration—a remarkably effective tactic.

For Yenir, the upcoming Second-Stage foes were ones he could dispatch on his own without breaking a sweat.

There was no rush; he could always trigger their awakening at the last possible moment.

After all, his real targets were the high-difficulty Third-Stage enemies and that enticing blue-grade gear that would appear once the soldiers were activated.

……

On the City Wall, Chen Yong looked at Yenir in astonishment.

“Brother Ye? You mean we should hold our ground and stall for a bit longer?”

“Exactly. According to your plan, we can wake them anytime—delaying a little extra only means greater rewards.”

After the brief explanation, Yenir silently glared at the two SSS-level sword techniques displayed on his skill panel.

Sky Rift Radiance, Dimensional Slash.

Both skills were off cooldown, but he planned to keep them in reserve as his trump cards.

Although the Chen siblings appeared reliable and unlikely to strike against him, Yenir always preferred to have a backup plan.

Seeing Yenir’s determination, Chen Yong hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow suit.

While the three of them might not be strong enough to take down the impending monster horde, they could certainly hold out for a while.

When danger truly struck, awakening the soldiers would be a split-second decision.

As the three-minute countdown ticked away, a familiar phantom quickly materialized again on the distant horizon.

Moreover, the sky over the Ruins Battlefield darkened abruptly.

Black clouds gathered slowly, as if echoing the day when this very defensive line had repelled the zombie onslaught.

Feeling the weight of the encroaching gloom, Chen Yong instinctively spoke to Yenir:

“Brother Ye.”

“I heard from my father that this battlefield ruin dates back over fifty years…”

“This defensive line was the last barrier against the northbound zombie onslaught. Back then, the Zhenjiang Military Region mobilized all the forces around the river to guard here, ensuring the survivors of the North China Battle Zone could evacuate.”

“At that time, there weren’t many Awakeners—most of the soldiers on the front were ordinary people.”

“I heard that in that battle…”

A reflective look crossed his eyes.

Chen Yong recalled how Chen Kailai had recounted this history with a somber, melancholic gaze, and he couldn’t help but lower his voice.

“It was brutal…”

“It was brutal…”