It's him! He's here!

Every one of them had watched that video.

The combat and instructional video posted by the account "A-Yu Loves Playing" was like a beacon in the darkness, revealing to them that the high school student in black armor, who fought like a god of war, was right there in the nearby Hongfu Restaurant.

Clinging to it like a last straw, almost everyone with a phone that still held a charge frantically left comments under that video, begging for help while marking their location.

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

But he didn't.

Time ticked away, and the number of Abyss Wolves outside seemed to have increased by three or four.

Hope, along with the growing number of Abyss Wolves, was becoming increasingly slim, eventually verging on extinction.

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

Teacher Li 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 could barely convince herself.

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

Just then!

Xiao Ya, out of habit and with almost no expectation, lifted her head and glanced toward Hongfu Restaurant.

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

She jerked her head back, hitting the seat in front of her with enough force to make a dull "thud," which drew terrified looks from the students around her.

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

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

Xiao Ya grabbed her friend's arm, trembling with such excitement that she could barely speak.

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

What?!

In an instant, a jolt seemed to pass through the entire bus.

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

It was true!

Under the glow of the setting sun, a figure clad in menacing black armor and wielding a black iron staff stood at the entrance of Hongfu Restaurant like a statue.

That uniquely styled armor, that staff that had wreaked havoc in the video!

It really was him!

Did he see our messages? Is he here to save us?

In an instant, the flame of hope that had been on the verge of extinguishing roared to life, burning wildly in everyone's hearts!

Then, they saw the black figure move!

Without hesitation or delay, he shot forward like an arrow from a bow, charging directly toward their bus! His speed was astonishing; the heavy armor seemed not to hinder 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, filled with both excitement and worry.

Right in Lin Yi's path, three Abyss Wolves were prowling between the restaurant and the bus. They clearly noticed this uninvited guest, immediately baring their fangs and letting out threatening growls.

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

They saw Lin Yi, sprinting with his staff in his right hand, point his left index finger forward in a lightning-fast sequence!

Chi. Chi. Chi!

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

The lunging motions of the three beasts froze abruptly. Before they could even let out a whimper, their massive bodies collapsed as if their bones had been pulled out. Then, to the horror of the onlookers, they began to crumble and disintegrate into nothingness.

A one-hit kill!

A true one-hit kill!

A gasp rippled through the bus; seeing it in person was far more shocking than watching it on video.

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

The remaining five Abyss Wolves were clearly shaken to their cores by this sudden, clean slaughter.

They had seen their companions drop dead in an instant and felt the aura that had already terrified them.

With a fearful howl directed at Lin Yi, they turned tail without a second thought, tucking their tails between their legs and fleeing toward the distant, ominous Purple-Black Vortex.

They ran?

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

The people in the bus could hardly believe their eyes!

Just then, Lin Yi arrived beside the bus like a black whirlwind. He raised his black iron staff and tapped "thud-thud" against the window where they had posted their plea for help.

The people inside scrambled to pull the window open, and a calm yet urgent, clear voice drifted in.

"Is everyone inside still able to move? Get out quickly and follow me to evacuate to Hongfu Restaurant. No time to lose, hurry!"

Silence.

A deathly silence lasted for about two seconds.

Then—

"Waaah!!"

The wild joy of surviving a brush with death 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 and move these things!"

The surprise of finding a way out of a desperate situation and an intense desire to survive overwhelmed the grief and fear, and the atmosphere inside the bus suddenly eased.

The boys reacted the fastest, scrambling and crawling toward the pile of schoolbags blocking the door, frantically shoving them aside in a chaotic mess.

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 look as fierce as he did 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 trembling with excitement, hurriedly assisting the students in clearing the aisle and maintaining order.

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

Students scrambled to squeeze out of the bus, breathing in the relatively fresh air outside once more. Many collapsed to the ground as their legs gave out, only to be quickly pulled back up by their companions.

"Move, don't stop here. Don't worry about me, just run."

"Escape into Hongfu Restaurant, there are people there to receive you! Move, now!"

"If anyone wants to drag their feet and stay behind, 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 as he kept a vigilant watch in the direction of the Abyss Beast nest.