Descent

Three days later, as September 9th arrived, Lin Chenxing and his group were waiting for the official cleanup operation while pushing forward with their preparations at maximum efficiency, when everything changed.

Crisis descended!

Starting with the endless creatures of the ocean launching an attack, countless birds and beasts mutated into 'Monsters' and began to assault human settlements!

In the early hours of September 9th, islands across the sea issued warnings as sea beast riots broke out; countless marine animals swam upstream along rivers and began attacking humans along the banks.

Despite the resistance of the military, who relied on vast amounts of artillery and gunfire, there were simply too many sea beasts; as one wave died, another replaced it, slowly pushing forward.

Seeing that resistance was futile, the flight began, and with it, the riots.

Crowds scrambled toward the airports, desperate to board the few remaining planes.

However, all the politicians and the wealthy had already arrived, and the masses could only watch as the first plane slowly took off.

Under the guidance of the military, the crowds began to move toward the remaining planes in batches.

In just half an hour, all the planes were fully loaded.

They took off, only to explode in the sky above the sea before the eyes of the desperate crowd.

Not a single plane escaped.

Everyone on those planes died.

They died in the mouths of the avian monsters.

One could only see, out on the sea, a massive number of birds weaving through the wreckage scattered by the explosions, plucking up one black speck after another.

The desperate crowd fell into even deeper despair...

Although many soldiers and kind-hearted souls remained on the islands, determined to save others, no one could survive the siege of the countless sea beasts.

As the sun set, a deathly silence fell.

This was only the first wave of attacks.

In the early hours of September 10th, the same scene descended upon the coastlines, riverbanks, and lakeshores of every continent.

Nations that had witnessed the tragedy on the islands via satellite spent the night evacuating residents from the seaside and the edges of major water systems.

However, they had forgotten one thing.

Animals did not just come from the oceans and waters; they also emerged from the depths of the mountains and even from within the cities.

As if by prior agreement, the riots arrived while everyone was completely caught off guard.

Cries, pleas for help, and screams echoed incessantly.

At this moment, social order collapsed.

At the foot of the Taihang Mountains, in Chuilong Town.

The sound of explosions rang out incessantly, piercing the sky, and the gunfire never ceased.

Firelight tore through the horizon, illuminating the earth as if it were broad daylight.

Huge figures constantly prowled, flew, or slithered, as if savoring something, or howling from time to time.

Building after building collapsed, kicking up massive clouds of dust that shrouded the streets.

People were fleeing constantly, hoping to see a glimmer of hope emerge from the despair.

In a dark corner of a house, a father and daughter were whispering to each other.

"Dad, I feel like staying in the town will only get more dangerous. If there were a basement, it would be fine, but we don't have one here. If we keep hiding like this, we'll be discovered sooner or later."

"Xiao Mo, how can we escape now? The town is full of these monsters; where could we even go? It's impossible. Let's stay here for a while longer if we can; at least we're still alive. You saw the people who fled from the building next door—they were only a few hundred meters away and still got caught. If we're going to run, we should wait until the nearby monsters are gone."

"Dad, here is what I'm thinking. Didn't that person who just died try to open his car door? Since the car unlocked, it means the keys must be in his hand. We should find the right moment, take his car, and go find a safer place."

"But that doesn't feel right, taking someone else's car just like that. Besides, our own car isn't far away; it's just outside the residential complex gate."

"The longer we stay outside, the more dangerous it gets. Given the situation we're in now, why worry about things like that?"

"Well, alright then." After saying this, the man's gaze shifted from wavering to firm, as if he had found something to rely on. "Then which direction should we head? It's better to decide now so we can find our way when the time comes."

The woman looked at the man, a bit surprised, but she didn't dwell on it and said, "The closest place that has a relatively safe underground space and can provide enough food seems to be the basement of the Dingsheng Residential Complex. There's a supermarket there, and it's a basement; the doors there can also be easily locked shut."

The man nodded, and the two of them crouched down and quietly walked toward the window.

After circling the room and confirming that no monsters were visible in the area around the house, they both let out a sigh of relief and began to move toward the door.

Once they opened the door, they immediately dashed toward their predetermined target.

At this moment, a Cat-type Monster, seven or eight hundred meters away, was gnawing on a corpse; it lifted its head, looked toward the source of the sound in confusion, let out a soft meow, and immediately turned its body and leaped away.

It wasn't just this Cat-type Monster that noticed; several other types of monsters did as well, the furthest being a kilometer away.

The father and daughter hurriedly opened the car door, started the engine, slammed the pedal to the floor, and sped away.

Just seconds later, the nearest Cat-type Monster reached the spot where the car had been parked and prepared to chase after the vehicle, which had already driven a dozen meters away.

However, these monsters were ultimately just animals that had become stronger and smarter; their instincts had not vanished. Just like a cat encountering a mouse, only a few would persist in the chase, especially when there was plenty of other delicious food nearby that was much easier to obtain.

Because of this, throughout the pursuit, the car eventually arrived at the Dingsheng Residential Complex without any major incidents, as the monsters scattered along the way after discovering better food sources.

However, the row houses at Dingsheng Residential Complex appeared inexplicably silent, as if the monsters had already cleared out the crowds and departed.

The father and daughter drove their car directly to the entrance of the supermarket, stepped out quietly, and crept inside, hiding behind cover with every step.

They looked upon the supermarket, which was in a state of total disarray, with various shelves toppled over onto the floor.

Amidst the scattered merchandise, patches of blood flashed into view from time to time, along with some gruesome remains of corpses.

The stomachs of the father and daughter began to churn incessantly, but for the sake of their plan, they could only cover their noses and mouths and force themselves to press on.

Upon reaching the kitchenware section, the two each selected a handy blade; those with sheaths were tucked into their waistbands, with one hand resting on the hilt, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

When the two reached the dry goods section, they suddenly felt a chill, as if something were staring at them.

Following this, the two stood back-to-back and began to move slowly toward the direction of the exit.

After a black silhouette flashed by, the two finally saw the thing that had been watching them: it was a panther with a body of solid black, its scarlet eyes staring at them in a way that made them feel extremely uneasy.

The Black Leopard circled the two slowly, making not a single sound with its footsteps; every step was incredibly soft, yet appeared filled with immense power.

The man drew the knife tucked at his waist, aimed it at the Black Leopard, and prepared to strike at any moment.