It's Him! He's Here

Every one of them had watched that video.

The combat and tutorial videos posted by the account named "A Yu Loves Playing" were like a beacon in the darkness, letting them know that the high school student in black armor, who fought like a god of war, was right there in the nearby Hongfu Tower.

It was as if they had grabbed onto a final straw; almost every phone that still had battery power was filled with frantic comments under that video, pleading for help while also marking their location.

For that first hour, they were full of hope, looking toward Hongfu Tower every few minutes, expecting that black figure to appear.

But, he didn't.

Time ticked away, and there seemed to be three or four more Abyssal Wolves outside.

Hope was fading as the number of Abyssal Wolves increased, eventually trending toward total extinction.

"He will come, the authorities will come too, we have to hold on..."

Teacher Li secretly turned her face away, quickly wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeve; her voice grew lower and lower, to the point where she couldn't even convince herself.

The interior of the bus fell into a suffocating silence once again, leaving only low sobs, suppressed breathing, and the unsettling pacing of the monsters outside.

Just then!

Xiao Ya habitually looked up again, almost without hope, and cast a glance toward Hongfu Tower.

The next second, her body suddenly stiffened, and her eyes widened as if she had seen something incredible.

She jerked her head back, and because the movement was so sudden, she bumped into the seat in front, making a soft "thud" that caused the students around her to look at her in terror.

"What is it? Xiao Ya? Are the monsters attacking?"

Teacher Zhang asked in a nervous, hushed voice, gripping his fire hammer as if the small tool meant for breaking windows could provide him with a false sense of security.

Xiao Ya grabbed her friend's arm tightly, trembling with excitement, almost incoherent.

"He! No... wait! He's out, he's out! Hongfu Tower! That... that one in the black armor! Lin Yi! He's out, he's right at the entrance!"

What?!

In an instant, it was as if an electric current had surged through the entire bus.

All the children who could still move forgot their fear and the need to hide, struggling to lift their heads and pressing against the bottom of the windows, countless gazes cast eagerly toward Hongfu Tower.

It was true!

Under the glow of the setting sun, a figure clad in menacing black armor, holding a pitch-black staff, stood as still as a statue at the entrance of Hongfu Tower.

That uniquely styled armor, that staff that had slaughtered everything in the video!

It really was him!

Did he see our message? Is he... here to save us?

In an instant, the dying embers of hope ignited and burned wildly in the depths of everyone's hearts!

Then, they saw the black figure move!

Without hesitation or delay, he shot forward like an arrow from a bow, launching a charge directly toward their bus! His speed was astonishing; the heavy armor seemed not to affect his agility in the slightest!

"My god! He's charging over!"

"Be careful! There are monsters out there!" a student couldn't help but whisper, feeling both excited and worried.

On the path of Lin Yi's sprint, there happened to be three Abyssal Wolves wandering between Hongfu Tower and the bus. They clearly noticed this uninvited guest and immediately bared their fangs, letting out threatening growls.

The hearts of everyone in the bus jumped into their throats.

They saw Lin Yi, while sprinting, holding the staff in his right hand while his left index finger flicked out like lightning!

Chi... chi... chi!

Three inch-long, incredibly condensed beams of Azure Blue light instantly crossed the short distance, precisely piercing the skulls of the three Abyssal Wolves.

The lunging motions of the three Abyssal Wolves froze abruptly. They couldn't even let out a scream before their massive bodies collapsed as if their bones had been pulled out, and then, before the horrified eyes of the crowd, they began to crumble and disintegrate without a sound.

A one-hit kill!

A true one-hit kill!

A chorus of gasps erupted inside the bus; seeing it in the video was nothing compared to the shock of witnessing it in person.

Was that blue light the so-called... Source Energy?!

The remaining five Abyssal Wolves were clearly completely intimidated by this sudden, clean, and efficient slaughter.

They saw their companions collapse in an instant and felt that Aura that had already filled them with dread.

And so, they let out a terrified whimper toward Lin Yi, and actually... actually turned around without hesitation, tucked their tails, and fled in a flash toward the distant, ominous-looking Purple-Black vortex.

They ran?

These monsters, which had been so fierce and had trapped them here, were actually... scared away?!

The people in the bus could hardly believe their eyes!

Just then, Lin Yi had already arrived beside the bus like a black whirlwind. He raised his Black Iron Long Staff and tapped "thud-thud" against the window where the plea for help was written.

The people inside scrambled to pull the window open, and then they heard a calm yet slightly urgent, clear voice drift in.

"Is everyone inside still able to move? Get out quickly, follow me to evacuate, and head to Hongfu Tower. There's no time to lose, hurry!"

Silence.

A deathly silence lasted for about two seconds.

Then—

"Waaah!!"

The ecstasy of surviving a disaster and the cathartic sounds of crying and shouting erupted instantly, filling the entire carriage.

"We're saved... we're actually saved..."

"Open the door, open it quickly!"

"Hurry, move these things away..."

The surprise of finding a way out of a desperate situation and the intense will to survive overwhelmed the sorrow and fear, and the atmosphere inside the bus suddenly relaxed.

The boys reacted the fastest, scrambling and crawling toward the pile of schoolbags blocking the door, frantically shoving them aside and tossing them away.

A few girls who had previously learned their families were safe and had now escaped death couldn't help but whisper to each other while shedding tears: "He... he doesn't seem as fierce as he looked in the video... he's actually so handsome... if I were..."

"What are you muttering about! Hurry! Clear the things away, get off the bus, watch your step and don't crowd, move!"

Teacher Li and Teacher Zhang were also so excited that their voices trembled as they rushed to help the students clear the aisle and maintain order.

The bus door was finally pried open just enough to create a gap.

The students scrambled to squeeze out of the bus, breathing in the relatively fresh air outside once again; many of them felt their legs go weak and collapsed to the ground, only to be quickly pulled up by their companions.

"Keep moving, don't stop here, don't worry about me, just run..."

"Escape into Hongfu Tower, there are people there to meet us! Move it!"

"If anyone is dragging their feet and doesn't want to leave, then don't bother leaving at all!"

Lin Yi's voice rang out once again, but this time, it was not only much sterner than before, it was clearly laced with urgency.

He didn't even look back at the survivors, instead gripping his long staff tightly while keeping a vigilant watch in the direction of the Abyss Beast Nest.