End

The battle was over. Xia Zhi cut off the Tiger Mastiff King's left ear and placed it in his backpack.

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

Several sharp sounds split the air, and three figures suddenly appeared.

Leading them was an officer with a lieutenant colonel's insignia on his shoulder.

The martial artists from the military's Emergency Rescue Team had finally arrived.

The lieutenant colonel swept his gaze across the rooftop. The traces left by the battle and the scent of blood lingering in the air all indicated that the fight was over. The sight of the Tiger Mastiff King's corpse, its head severed from its body, made his heart tremble.

He glanced at Xia Zhi, who was breathing slightly heavily, in surprise. "You took it down alone? Are you injured?"

"I'm fine. How can you kill monsters without getting hurt?" As Xia Zhi's breathing gradually steadied, he said, "Tonight's fight was really satisfying!"

Xia Zhi replayed his battle with the Tiger Mastiff King in his mind. If he had not been a Mind Controller, if the Bone Refining Chapter had not strengthened every bone in his body, then he would have been the one to die here tonight.

"Haha, good kid. You've got what it takes to be a martial artist."

The lieutenant colonel, whose heart had been tense ever since receiving the rescue order, could not help laughing when he heard Xia Zhi's answer.

The other two officers in the rescue team also smiled faintly, their gazes toward Xia Zhi carrying a measure of approval.

"Rescue Team, bring Quasi-Warrior Xia Zhi and the Tiger Mastiff King's corpse back to the Command Room together."

At that moment, an order came through the lieutenant colonel's communication watch.

"Received."

After replying, the lieutenant colonel gestured to his two subordinates, then said to Xia Zhi, "Come with me."

With that, he leaped from the rooftop, soaring more than ten meters into the air.

Xia Zhi immediately followed. After two more consecutive leaps, the pair sped toward the outskirts of the town.

At that moment, inside an office building two kilometers away from the residential building where Xia Zhi had fought the Tiger Mastiff King.

The floor-to-ceiling windows had long since shattered, and the cool night wind poured directly into the room, howling as it passed through.

Li Qiang stood by the window, straining to look in Xia Zhi's direction.

"Why has there been no movement? At first, I could still hear beast roars. Why is there nothing now?"

With the physical enhancement of a Warrior level martial artist, a distance of two kilometers could be observed under good visibility.

However, in the pitch-black night, the residential building Xia Zhi had been in was also the shortest building in the area.

Blocked by the shadows of the high-rises, Li Qiang could not see what was happening over there with his eyes alone.

"He must be dead! The F-class monster Tiger Mastiff King is nearly as strong as a human Beginner Wargod level martial artist. That trash is only an Intermediate Warrior level martial artist. He definitely wasn't a match for it."

"Haha, he's dead, and I can pass the assessment."

"Li Wei will give me another ten million in cash tomorrow." Thinking of this, waves of smug satisfaction rose in Li Qiang's heart. He failed to realize that, in the darkness behind him, a pair of icy eyes had been watching him for a long time.

The thick pads on its paws allowed the Shadow Cat to approach its prey without making a sound.

With the wind filling his ears and thoughts of the ten million in cash he would receive tomorrow, Li Qiang, whose nerves had been taut all this time, finally relaxed somewhat.

At that moment, he had no idea of the danger closing in behind him.

"Hm? Something's wrong!" Immersed in his joy, Li Qiang suddenly sensed an extremely faint sound of breathing behind him.

Realizing something was wrong, his face turned deathly pale. He instinctively turned around, and the last image he saw was—

A pair of blood-red eyes and sharp fangs about to sink into his throat.

The abandoned room fell into darkness once more.

In the silent night, the sounds of flesh being torn apart continued to ring out, accompanied by the occasional low growl and chewing of a monster, seemingly filled with pleasure.

Inside a large building not far from Monster Town.

After following the lieutenant colonel from the rescue team here, Xia Zhi saw the higher-ups from various factions seated on sofas the moment he entered. Gazes carrying all kinds of emotions converged upon him.

Supervisor Zhuge Tao's gaze was warm and gentle. When their eyes met, he gave Xia Zhi a faint nod.

The man seated beside Zhuge Tao was Wang Zhihong, the president of Jiangnan City Thunderbolt Martial Arts School Headquarters. He had a full beard and was currently staring at Xia Zhi with blazing eyes.

When he noticed Xia Zhi looking over, he raised an eyebrow, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

At that moment, the other two officers from the rescue team carried in the Tiger Mastiff King's corpse and head.

The simply treated wounds were no longer bleeding, and the bloodstains on the corpse had been wiped clean.

Dong Hao nodded. "You've worked hard. Return to your posts and remain on standby."

"Yes, sir."

The lieutenant colonel saluted once more, nodded to Xia Zhi, then left the room with his two subordinates.

At that moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the Tiger Mastiff King's corpse on the ground.

In particular, they stared at its neck, which had been severed by a single slash. Looking at the smooth cut, Zhou Feng, the Jiangnan City HR Alliance President, who had a somewhat effeminate air about him and wore a designer suit that made him look more like a successful businessman, praised Xia Zhi. "At only eighteen, you already possess such movement techniques and strength. It truly is unbelievable."

Xia Zhi merely nodded at Zhou Feng's praise and said nothing.

The silent military officer Dong Hao finally turned his gaze toward Xia Zhi. "Xia Zhi, tell us what happened."

After seeing Zhuge Tao nod faintly at him, Xia Zhi began recounting the events to the higher-ups, from discovering Li Qiang's appearance, to the Tiger Mastiff King's sudden attack, and finally the battle in which he killed it.

When they heard that the Tiger Mastiff King had immediately attacked after Li Qiang appeared, and that Li Qiang had promptly fled afterward—

Having realized something, Dong Hao swept his eyes over Zhou Feng, the HR Alliance President beside him, who looked as though he felt nothing at all.

After Xia Zhi finished, Dong Hao pondered for a moment before saying directly, "The military district will investigate this matter thoroughly and give you an explanation."

After glancing at Zhuge Tao, who was silently watching from beside him, he continued, "In martial artist combat assessments, the corpses of monsters killed by Quasi-Warriors have always belonged to the military district."

"However, since an accident occurred this time, the materials from this F-class Tiger Mastiff King's corpse will belong to you!"

"The materials from an entire F-class monster corpse are worth roughly twenty thousand Huaxia Coins. Since you killed it alone and directly prevented potentially serious consequences, the military district will purchase it from you for one hundred thousand."

After hearing this, Xia Zhi saw that Supervisor Zhuge Tao had no objection and agreed. "All right. I'm willing."

Hearing Xia Zhi's answer, Dong Hao said with satisfaction, "We will investigate this matter together with the Security Bureau."

"Xia Zhi, go get some rest first. I believe the monster's left ear you obtained will be enough for you to pass the assessment."

"After the assessment ends tomorrow morning, you'll be a true martial artist. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Xia Zhi said.

Then, under the guidance of an officer nearby, he left the room.

After leaving the tall building and heading toward the temporary campsite, Xia Zhi saw that some Quasi-Warriors who had ended their assessments early were already there.

When they saw Xia Zhi emerge from the building, his body still marked with mottled bloodstains and looking as though he had just finished a fight, expressions of surprise appeared on their faces.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared before Xia Zhi.

With pale yellow hair and a gloomy expression, it was Li Wei, whom he had not seen in a long time.

This was the first time Xia Zhi had met him since being reborn into this world.

Compared to the Li Wei in the original owner's memories, there was no change besides his expression becoming even gloomier upon seeing Xia Zhi.

Seeing Xia Zhi appear before him completely unscathed, Li Wei felt the veins on his forehead throb wildly. The fury in his heart made him want to destroy everything in front of him.

What is that useless Li Qiang doing? How could such a meticulous plan fail? Why isn't that trash Xia Zhi dead yet?

Xia Zhi looked at Li Wei, whose rage was boiling over even as he desperately suppressed it, and smiled disdainfully.

Without slowing his steps, he stopped looking at Li Wei. Only when he was about to pass him did he speak softly. "That F-class monster, the Tiger Mastiff King, was a little weak."

When Li Wei heard Xia Zhi's words, especially the words Tiger Mastiff King, his eyes widened as he stared at him in disbelief.

After saying that, Xia Zhi ignored Li Wei and walked away.

Just a brainless rich second-generation kid. Xia Zhi thought. During a martial artist combat assessment watched by every faction and organization, he actually dared to play such underhanded tricks. Did he really think everyone was an idiot?

Staring blankly at Xia Zhi's retreating figure and thinking of what he had just said, Li Wei muttered in disbelief, "How is it possible? How could that trash withstand an enraged F-class monster?"

"Where is that useless Li Qiang? Why hasn't he come out yet?"

Here comes today's Chapter Two~ I'm writing out of love and need all my readers' support and encouragement! My thanks!