In a city inside Anna Country, Monsters roamed the streets, hunting for humans who hadn't fled.
Beneath a roadside manhole, a woman held her breath and watched the outside world through a tiny hole in the cover.
Behind her were several men and women—survivors who had ducked into the sewers the moment disaster struck.
"No Monsters outside. If you're leaving, do it now," the woman whispered to the others after a moment.
A young man shook his head. "We'd better wait for rescue. Who knows what's out there?"
She looked at the rest; seeing the same fear, she sighed and climbed toward the manhole alone.
She knew no one was coming; staying meant starving—or being found.
What they didn't realize was that, a hundred meters from the manhole topside,
a huge-eared, rat-like black Monster crouched on the ground.
Hearing faint sounds from below, the rat Monster grinned cruelly: "Didn't expect fish still in the net."
It sprang, arcing several meters through the air before slamming back to earth.
Bang! Its claws shredded the concrete like tofu, exposing the sewer pipe beneath.
Rip! The pipe tore open, and the rat figure shot inside as a black blur.
"Hahaha, humans, here I come!" It raced through the sewer and spotted the group ahead.
They turned at the noise—only to meet razor claws.
"Aaaah!"
The woman, manhole cover half lifted, paled at the screams and scrambled up.
'There's still a Monster here—run or die.' She sprinted toward the city's edge, glancing back.
"Haha, think a puny human can outrun my claws?" the rat Monster jeered, bursting from the sewer behind her.
Blood-splattered, it loped after her with a savage grin.
"Help! Somebody help!" Her legs buckled; she staggered drunkenly onward.
She prayed someone—anyone—would come.
"Scream all you like; no one's left to save you," the rat Monster leered.
It glanced down—its rat-hood had doubled in size. Time for some fun.
One human left—perfect entertainment.
"Another straggler?" a calm voice said from the left.
The rat's head snapped round; a red energy blast filled its vision.
Splat! Its head exploded, body toppling.
Luo Yulong stood in sleek black combat gear, ponytail high.
He holstered his spear, ignoring the fleeing woman.
A sunglassed man stepped from a side street: "Captain, city's clear—just cannon fodder, all Level Two Awakened."
Luo Yulong eyed a distant patch of black ash. "This isn't the main battlefield; we mop up and move."
This city, closest to Anna Country's capital, was where sub-Level Five personnel landed to clear Monsters.
Level Five fighters headed for the capital.
"They should be arriving about now." Luo Yulong opened his phone, patched into satellite feed.
Satellites swarmed above Anna Country; other sensors were jammed, so only extreme zoom worked.
"What's that!" Fu Ping jabbed at the screen.
A white blur streaked toward the heart of the storm.
Meanwhile, a hundred-meter Earth Dragon soared toward the capital.
Long Zhengqing and the team stood on its head, the colossal storm wall looming ahead.
"Couple of Monsters still flying—look tasty," Wan Tianhong pointed left.
Far off, a bird-man and two Monsters cruised at a hundred meters.
"Huo Tian, go cull them and catch up," Long Zhengqing ordered.
"On it." Huo Tian leapt, eyes bright—easy prey beat unknown capital foes.
For him, scrapping small fry beat facing mystery enemies.
Outside the capital, atop a mountain peak,
Jiang Yan watched the white streak rocket into the storm.
'What the—someone's riding it!' He spotted a figure inside the white sonic boom.
Blood Master tensed. "Massive energy signature."
At the storm's core, Malgoth lifted both dragon heads; yellow lightning lanced skyward.
Thunder rolled as the bolts speared toward the incoming missile.
At its tip, Bai Wenliang stood with hands behind his back, smiling at the lightning. "Such a warm welcome—this mythic being has quite the temper."
He raised his left hand and flicked a finger.
Hum! Air twisted; a shockwave shredded storm clouds and met the twin bolts.
Boom! A titanic blast shook the sky, audible to Jiang Yan dozens of kilometers away.
"Master, incoming," Blackgold pointed across the sky.
Jiang Yan followed the gesture; a hundred-meter Earth Dragon appeared on the horizon.
Seven figures lined its head. As Jiang Yan's group watched them,
they studied the mountain—only prominence for miles, the Monsters impossible to miss.
Long Zhengqing locked eyes with Jiang Yan, authority in his tone: "Didn't expect to meet the Monster Association's president here."
"That's him? Even cuter than the photo," Qin Wan chirped, peering across the kilometers.
The picture had been from Jiang Yan's school days; less than a year later his aura had transformed.
Jiang Ao glared venomously. "Since he's here, let's cut him down—thinks he's a big shot after trashing the world."
Below, on the summit, Jiang Yan stepped forward, arms spread.
"Xuanjian Division, at last. Since learning of the Awakened world I've heard endless boasts about your prowess—yet I've seen only underhanded tricks."
His soft voice carried kilometers; Wan Tianhong glanced at Zhao Zhenyi at the taunt.
It was the first time the mighty Xuanjian Division had put a bounty online—and the director had approved it.