The main district of City 026.
The earlier rampage of the monster hordes had forced the warrior squads that usually explored this place to flee for the time being.
But as the city gradually quieted down, some squads with ulterior motives began sneaking back in.
As the saying went, a man didn't grow rich without a windfall, and a horse didn't grow fat without night fodder.
The strange rampage in the city had surely left monsters dead or wounded in droves. This was a golden opportunity to make a fortune.
As one warrior squad after another entered the city and saw the monster corpses littering the streets, they rushed forward to butcher and loot them.
Suddenly, someone let out a startled cry.
It didn't draw the other squads' attention. Everyone was busy frantically fighting over the monster corpses.
There were dozens and dozens of Junior Beast General and Intermediate Beast General corpses lying on the ground, and among them were even some High-Level Beast General corpses.
"We've struck it rich! We've struck it rich!"
That was what everyone was thinking.
A Junior Beast General's materials could usually fetch between five and fifteen million.
Intermediate Beast General materials sold for at least ten million, and the price could even reach a hundred million.
As for High-Level Beast General materials, those started at fifty million and could go for as much as six or seven hundred million.
Although the vast majority of the corpses scattered across the area belonged to Beast Soldiers, there were still quite a few Beast Generals.
"Captain, get over here!"
"What is it?"
"Come quick! Old Xu, you guys, too!"
A relatively young voice rang out on a street in the main district.
When the warrior squad followed their teammate's voice, they discovered something astonishing.
Right beneath the feet of their youngest member lay the corpse of a Black-Armored Ape King.
"Hiss!"
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath rang out.
Their shocked faces were already breaking into uncontrollable smiles.
It was the corpse of an Intermediate Lord-level Monster, and it looked as though only its chest had been gravely wounded. The rest of its body was intact.
"What does that mean?"
It meant they'd struck it rich!
Once they butchered the Black-Armored Ape King and took its materials back, they could sell them for at least three billion.
For a squad whose strongest member was only an Intermediate Warlord, that was an unimaginable fortune.
They had been a squad for seven years, almost eight, and still hadn't earned half a billion.
One could imagine how stunned they were by the corpse of an Intermediate Lord-level Monster.
"Quick, quick, get to work!"
"Before the other squads get here, let's butcher this monster!"
The squad captain immediately lowered his voice and urged them on.
His words snapped the four members out of their fantasies of sudden wealth. They pulled out daggers and knives, then crouched beside the enormous corpse of the Black-Armored Ape King and started cutting.
"Damn it, why is this monster's hide so thick?"
One of the members couldn't help complaining.
"Shut the hell up! Put every ounce of strength you had as a kid when you were nursing into it!"
"Move! If you really can't cut through it, take your weapon and knock out its teeth—or go for its bear claws!"
"Use whatever method you can. Every bit of monster material counts."
The captain was growing impatient.
He'd realized that even he couldn't pierce the Black-Armored Ape King's hide.
The treasure was right in front of him, yet he lacked the strength to take it away. It was enough to drive a man mad.
With no other choice, he joined his teammates in trying to knock out the monster's teeth.
Fortunately, the monster had died without closing its eyes. Otherwise, they wouldn't even have been able to pry out its eyeballs.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang..."
The sound of metal striking metal rang through the empty street.
It grew more and more frantic.
The squad had no choice. Since they couldn't pierce the hide, all they could do was strike at the gums and hack at the bear claws.
But every strike made a tremendous noise, risking attracting other warrior squads.
There was nothing they could do. They knew that once the noise started, someone was bound to come investigate.
As expected.
Half a quarter of an hour later.
A cry of surprise rang out, barely held back.
The delight and excitement in that voice seemed loud enough to echo over the entire main district.
"A Lord-level Monster corpse!"
Those few short words were like a missile dropped into a calm lake.
The result was explosive.
Nearly every warrior who heard the cry abandoned the monster corpse in their hands and surged toward the voice.
"Captain, wh-what do we do?"
"Damn it, what else can we do? Old Xu and I will stay here. You three, take those two eyeballs and that bear tooth, then get to that tall building and set up the sniper rifle."
"But then you'll..."
"Go! If you wait any longer, you won't get away either. Go!"
"Okay!"
The three squad members grabbed the monster materials and sprinted away.
In less than two minutes.
One figure after another rushed into the street. Every person there stared at the enormous Black-Armored Ape King corpse with greed blazing in their eyes.
"Everyone, why don't we split this Lord-level Monster corpse—"
The warrior squad's captain began speaking, hoping to get everyone to divide up the monster. But before he could finish—
Suddenly, his head exploded before everyone's eyes.
At that moment, a gunshot rang out from afar.
Everyone felt a chill run down their backs. Someone had set up a sniper rifle in the distance.
But before they could find cover, a voice rang out from within the crowd.
"He's dead! Get it!"
At once, three figures rushed toward the Black-Armored Ape King's corpse.
The others, who had been about to take cover, saw them and promptly forgot about the gunshot. They all charged forward.
The Intermediate Lord-level Monster's corpse was like a discarded gold ingot. Whoever could grab it would own it.
"Back off! It belongs to the Howling Sky Squad!"
"Who the hell cares about the Howling Sky Squad? You're nothing but a bunch of dogs."
"You're asking for death!"
"No, you are!"
In an instant, a melee erupted.
In front of the Lord-level Monster's corpse, no one could stay rational. Even those who had been able to were now seeing red.
"Old Wang, take Xiao Wu and find a nearby high-rise. Set up the sniper rifle and machine gun!"
"Captain, who are we shooting?"
"Everyone!"
As gunshots rang out again, screams and curses filled the air. The street had descended into chaos.
But no one noticed the blood-red fighter jet streaking across the sky and hovering above the city.
It was a Blood-Red Triangular Fighter Jet, its sleek lines giving it the appearance of a fierce flying beast poised to attack.