Right Here, Right Today

If this tide of beasts consisted only of Level 3 monsters, then the mech legion under Molten Rock's command could handle it with ease.

But if Level 4 monsters joined the battle, the situation would be completely different.

A standard third-generation Decider mech could take on three Level 3 monsters at once. Some specially modified third-generation mechs could even face more.

But a single Level 4 monster could take on more than three third-generation mechs at once!

Two years ago, when the first Level 4 monster, Abomination, landed in the capital of Olyria, everyone had been certain that the fully deployed "New Freedom" mech legion would stop it out in the open ocean.

But no one had imagined that Abomination would destroy all five second-generation mechs in just twenty-seven minutes.

It was only when the civilians, their faces painted and celebration placards in hand, saw Abomination charge toward the city on its deadly rampage that they realized the nightmare had truly begun.

By the time the Watchman Alliance killed Abomination in the Olyria Basin at the cost of twelve mechs, seventy-nine hours had passed since it landed.

Before Abomination fell, it had destroyed seven cities, including the capital of Olyria, leaving fourteen million dead and twenty-two million injured.

People called this brutal battle the "Hell Disaster." From that point on, voices questioning the Watchman Alliance gradually began to rise all over the world.

After the battle, humanity began to reconsider monsters, no longer viewing them merely as "beasts with extraordinary destructive power." Abomination had displayed terrifying strength and intelligence far beyond human expectations.

By now, humanity had built even more powerful third-generation mechs, but Level 4 monsters remained the greatest threat of all.

They were savage, cunning, and devastatingly powerful.

Mechs were being upgraded, and monsters were evolving too!

"It's Thunderclap, Siren, and Avenger!" Molten Rock recognized the three enormous beasts from several thousand meters away!

Yu Xiao's system immediately provided information on all three monsters.

[Monster Name: Thunderclap]

[Monster Type: Type III]

[Energy Level: 4]

[Monster Rating: Strength 8, Agility 8, Defense 7]

[Monster Characteristics: A purely physical monster resembling a crocodile. Its body is covered in scales impervious to conventional armor-piercing weapons. Its thirty-five-meter-long tail can flatten a hill with a single swing.

Its limbs are extremely thick and powerful. Its forelimbs are as large as its head, and it can tear apart any material other than Herculean metal in three strikes. Whether in water or on land, Thunderclap is as agile as the most nimble third-generation mechs.]

[Weak Points: Lower jaw, abdomen, the connection between the spine and head]

According to the Alliance's records, Thunderclap had appeared only twice. The first was three months after the "Hell Disaster," when it attacked the Logan Allied Nations' joint military base in the Boundless Sea. After destroying four second-generation mechs, it escaped into the sea.

The second was during the "Defense of Dorland" a year ago, when it was killed by the third-generation mechs Gospel Angel and Fearless Warrior, working in tandem with a particle impact cannon.

Since Thunderclap disappeared after its first attack, the Watchman Alliance had never been able to confirm whether the one killed in Dorland was the same monster that had launched the earlier raid.

[Monster Name: Siren]

[Monster Type: Type III]

[Energy Level: 4]

[Monster Rating: Strength 6, Agility 9 (in water)/7 (on land), Defense 6]

[Monster Characteristics: Siren's body resembles that of a sea serpent, but its upper body is broader and more muscular than its lower body. Its body has only one organ: a spine running its entire length.

Siren has no other organs on its body, only a huge mouth that can split into four sections and six flexible appendages capable of releasing a million volts. When its entire body glows blue, its appendages discharge electricity, and it can spit plasma from its mouth.]

[Weak Points: Waist, tail, entire body (when charged)]

Siren had only been discovered a year ago. It attacked Hein's largest port city alongside Avenger. Although Siren was highly vulnerable to physical attacks, its abilities were lethal to any mech.

Energy weapons had little effect on it, while conventional firepower worked surprisingly well. During the battle in which it attacked alongside Avenger, the Golden Gate Base lost four third-generation mechs. In the end, Siren was killed in a strategic missile strike.

[Monster Name: Avenger]

[Monster Type: Type III]

[Energy Level: 4]

[Monster Rating: Strength 7, Agility 6, Defense 8]

[Monster Characteristics: Avenger stands upright on two legs and has a body like a human's. Its entire body is covered in a black carapace that grants it tremendous resistance to physical and energy attacks.

Black bone spurs can grow from Avenger's shoulders and be used for long-range attacks. Beneath the carapace on its chest is a special heart, which allows it to spit flames hot enough to melt inferior Herculean metal.]

[Weak Points: The joints connecting its limbs to its torso, the special heart beneath its carapace]

Avenger appeared at the same time as Siren, but its body was the most unusual of all monsters. Its carapace let it effectively withstand all kinds of attacks, and its way of moving was very similar to that of a mech piloted by a human. This caused immense trouble for Golden Gate Base.

Avenger was eventually killed by the third-generation mech Lone Hero.

Now, three Level 4 monsters that had once dealt humanity devastating blows had appeared together!

Their return shattered the consensus humanity had reached—that every Level 4 monster was unique.

Combined with the seemingly endless tide of beasts, Yu Xiao could practically foresee the fate of everyone present.

Their mechs destroyed. Their lives lost.

But for Yu Xiao, this was an opportunity that came with both risk and reward!

If he could stand alone in this crisis and slay at least one Level 4 monster,

then he would not only gain a huge number of evolution points, but also make everyone present reconsider Xingtian's strength—and raise his Mech Soul level!

With that in mind, Yu Xiao opened the shop under the evolution system and looked at his remaining evolution points.

10,000.

That was the total he had earned by fighting desperately to kill a large number of Level 3 monsters during the tide of beasts, added to what he had left over from before.

But that was the most he could earn without spending any evolution points!

All three mechs under his control were in bad shape. Forget fighting Level 4 monsters—even facing a Redback Shrimp could get them torn apart.

In his previous life, Yu Xiao had liked hoarding things. He hoarded his living expenses when he was in school, his salary after he started working, supplies whenever the store had a sale, and game currency whenever he played games.

That was why his friends in his previous life had nicknamed him "Little Hoarder."

But whatever Yu Xiao hoarded, he did it so he could build up his resources and unleash them at a critical moment!

If he didn't seize this opportunity, no one could guarantee there would be another.

Yu Xiao opened his eyes once more.

"Right here, right today!"

[Exchange successful. Thank you for your patronage.]

[Available Evolution Points: 0]