Invincible through Touching Corpses

Lin Xinghai had nothing better to do, so instead of leaving, he sat to the side and watched Gao Mountain arrange the recruitment.

Ling Xiu and the others soon arrived. Under Gao Mountain’s direction, they split up the tasks, applied to the Mercenary Guild, and quickly established a recruitment station.

Gao Mountain was practically rolling in dough now. He adjusted the recruitment terms, most notably the salary, raising it by a full 50% compared to what other First Level Mercenary Corps offered.

These terms immediately attracted a good number of Mercenaries.

Of course, many of the Mercenaries were seasoned veterans; they wouldn’t join a group simply because the pay was high.

They began looking up information on the High Mountain Mercenary Corps, trying to figure out what backing the group had to be so bold with its salary offer.

To their surprise, they quickly discovered it was just a newly established Mercenary Corps, currently possessing only a single Mecha and one Armored Vehicle.

That kind of loadout was considered subpar, even for a First Level Mercenary Corps.

However, some of the more astute Mercenaries noticed something odd: the vice-captain position was listed as filled, but the corresponding profile was hidden.

This was a detail worth mulling over. Some Mercenaries even made an instant connection to the idea of an Affiliated Mercenary Corps.

This piqued their interest even more.

When it came to which type of Mercenary Corps was best to join, everyone knew the answer: the higher the Level, the better.

The problem was, Third Level Mercenary Corps were exceptionally difficult to get into; many didn’t even recruit publicly.

Even Second Level Mercenary Corps rarely recruited openly, and their standards were very high. Besides, if the Mercenaries milling about here truly had the strength, they wouldn’t be struggling to find a group in the first place.

Therefore, after ruling out Third and Second Level Mercenary Corps, the next best thing in everyone’s mind wasn’t a top-tier First Level Mercenary Corps, but an Affiliated Mercenary Corps.

Everyone knew that Affiliated Mercenary Corps were backed by Third Level Mercenary Corps.

Their growth rate was on a completely different level from ordinary Mercenary Corps. Many Affiliated Mercenary Corps could even skyrocket to the rank of Second Level Mercenary Corps.

If the High Mountain Mercenary Corps was indeed a sponsored Affiliated Mercenary Corps, then for these Mercenaries, it was an absolute jackpot.

Mercenaries soon began to probe indirectly. Whenever someone asked if this was an Affiliated Mercenary Corps, Gao Mountain would simply smile and nod.

After all, this was the exact impression he was trying to cultivate. However, when asked which group they were affiliated with, Gao Mountain would only say, "That’s confidential for now. You’ll only find out after joining the Mercenary Corps."

Although this answer raised suspicions among many of the Mercenaries, a considerable number were still willing to join.

This was because Gao Mountain’s terms were very lenient: anyone could apply to leave the Mercenary Corps after staying for just one week.

Seeing such terms, the vast majority of Mercenaries were willing to give it a shot. Even if it was a scam, they would lose a week at most, and besides, the compensation was genuinely good.

A smile couldn’t help but spread across Gao Mountain’s face as he watched the applications pile up.

’If I wasn’t worried about the Morgan Conglomerate turning its attention to us, I would’ve just played the Lin Xinghai card openly. Why go through all this trouble?’

’With Lin Xinghai’s current influence, we’re practically on par with those Third Level Mercenary Corps.’

Lin Xinghai simply watched quietly from the side as Gao Mountain managed everything. A smile touched his lips as he saw the crowd at the recruitment station growing.

’At this rate,’ he thought, ’we’ll probably have all fifty people recruited in three days, tops.’

’And that’s only because my standards are high. Otherwise, we could probably get it done in a single day.’

And so, Lin Xinghai watched movies, played games, and occasionally checked on the recruitment progress. The morning passed quickly.

Around noon, Gao Mountain came over with a dozen or so selected résumés.

Lin Xinghai gave them a cursory glance, saw that they all met his requirements, and approved the entire batch.

That afternoon, he treated the five core members, including Gao Mountain and Ling Xiu, to a meal. Afterward, he left the Mercenary Guild and returned to the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps’ headquarters.

...

"Old Fang, when are we heading out?" Lin Xinghai asked as soon as he pushed open the office door.

Hearing the nickname, Fang Tianhe’s mouth twitched, but he ultimately said nothing, simply nodding. "Alright, let’s go."

Ten minutes later, the two of them arrived in the Upper Level District and headed straight for the Central municipal building.

This was arguably the highest seat of power in the Star Shield Shelter, and its security was top-notch. Guards were posted every few steps.

Combined with the reconnaissance drones visible everywhere, they could truly detect a mosquito flying past.

Lin Xinghai and Fang Tianhe had to pass through three separate security checkpoints before they were finally allowed entry.

Following a soldier escort, the two made their way directly to a massive office on the third floor.

The door opened, and Lin Xinghai saw a stooped figure standing before a floor-to-ceiling window, gazing quietly into the distance.

He was a man in his eighties, with wizened skin, a gaunt frame, and a full head of white hair.

But he stood with perfect stability. To Lin Xinghai’s Perception Power, that stooped back seemed as immense and unmovable as a mountain, a feeling so overwhelming it was almost suffocating.

The old man before him was, without a doubt, a true powerhouse. Moreover, Lin Xinghai had a gut feeling that the man’s power might even be a level beyond the Blood Qi Realm.

Evidently, this elderly man was the supreme leader of Star Shield Shelter, Wei Tianxing.

The old man turned, a benevolent smile spreading across his wrinkled face. He sized up Lin Xinghai for a moment, then beckoned them over. "You’re here. Come, take a look at this scenery. What do you think?"

Lin Xinghai composed himself and walked over. From his spot by the window, he could see blue skies and white clouds, as well as verdant mountains and clear waters in the distance.

"The scenery is beautiful," Lin Xinghai said.

"A pity it’s all fake," Wei Tianxing sighed.

After a brief silence, Lin Xinghai said, "Elder Wei, I believe that one day, it will all be real."

"Haha! Well said."

Wei Tianxing laughed for a moment before saying, "Xiaolin! Do you know why I wanted to see you?"

"Is it about the Seed Plan?"

"Precisely!" Wei Tianxing nodded and gestured toward the sofa. "Let’s not stand around. Have a seat, and we can talk."

Once they were seated, he asked, "Do you know what the Seed Plan is?"

"Isn’t it a plan to train powerhouses?" Lin Xinghai asked, his curiosity piqued.

"On the surface, yes."

Wei Tianxing paused for a moment before continuing in a grave tone. "But in truth, the plan’s original purpose was for a time when human civilization can no longer sustain itself, when we are on the verge of annihilation. The chosen individuals would become humanity’s last seeds, fleeing Earth in spaceships to ensure the continuation of our civilization."