Don't Be So Sure, Things Never Go the Way You Expect

"Ding! Final target, E-49 has been deployed!"

The system's voice suddenly rang out. Meng Lang and Fang Ran stiffly exchanged a glance, then, as if by unspoken agreement, both looked down toward the ground below.

They saw a surge of black mist, the ground itself seeming to bubble like the surface of a furnace. Then the black mist abruptly rose, coalesced, flew up from the earth into the air, and slowly condensed into a massive figure.

"Oh?"

The captain of Qing Ting's team, a young girl, perked up as she watched the gathering black mist, then sensed the positions of the others in this city.

It looked like there was still some time before the nearest person arrived—enough to prepare something.

On the rooftop, Fang Ran swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he asked Meng Lang:

"Old Bro, what the hell is that thing?!"

"Didn't you hear? E-49!"

Meng Lang lowered his voice, speaking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Fang Ran was still frozen stiff. Holy shit, why was that thing so huge?! This was way beyond anything he'd ever seen!

D-27 was just an ordinary zombie, right?

So E-49, which was ranked higher than D-27, should at most be the size of an animal, shouldn't it?

But Fang Ran had no idea that last time he'd just happened to run into D-27's disguised true form. Now, watching the thing below grow bigger and bigger, finally stopping at the height of a three-story building, a pitch-black monster the size of a dinosaur, he roared inside his mind!

This is fucking nothing like I imagined!!!

Wait, that坑主人 Power Bank from before was supposed to send me to fight something like this?!

"Little bro, don't panic. It's just the bottom of the barrel among E-Rank 50. Definitely not that strong, trust me!" Meng Lang comforted Fang Ran.

Hearing this, Fang Ran relaxed a little. Then he heard that bastard Meng Lang add:

"Even though two E-Rank scrubs like us would still kick the bucket if we ran into it."

Go to hell!

Fang Ran really wanted to spit in his face, but he also knew that fighting that thing down there—forget winning, just looking at its size and the mental block—he absolutely had no chance.

And Fang Ran had that gut feeling of someone who always got screwed: that sword with the massive power from last time? He definitely couldn't pull that off again.

"Old Bro, what do we do? I feel like more and more people are flying toward us."

Fang Ran's face was grim as he watched figures flying toward them from a distance, his mouth twitching.

Damn! I knew there were people who could fly!

"Little bro, hold steady, don't panic. Zero kills, Chicken Dinner is our motto!" Meng Lang used his big cloak to shield them both, speaking with a fearless air. "Relax, those guys are definitely after the special reward for killing the target. They won't have time for us."

"Oh, is that so?"

Fang Ran nodded seriously, instantly believing Meng Lang's words, and confidently calmed down.

Fang Ran was brimming with confidence.

Meanwhile, inside the supermarket Mansion, a silver-white streak of light zipped through corridors and rooms.

Finally, Ling found the place she'd been looking for.

[Equipment Power Supply Room]

[Authorized Personnel Only]

Ignoring the words written on the door, Ling used her telekinesis to open it, flew inside, and looked at the power control equipment with its blinking indicator lights. She let out a low, resentful laugh:

"You forced my hand. If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll never learn!"

Fang Ran, who had successfully chickened out, had thoroughly pissed off Ling. So Ling decided to give him a lesson he'd never forget—one that would make him remember for life and never dare to pull this kind of stunt again!

And since Fang Ran was determined to stay hidden, Ling couldn't force him to fight.

So.

In her soul-data form, Ling curled her lips in a little devil's smile, using her telekinesis to control the equipment, forcibly adjusting several settings. These settings controlled the entire Mansion's power supply!

That's right, Ling's plan was exactly that!

First, attract a bunch of E-Rank mobs to surround this place.

Then, trigger an electrical overload to blow up the entire Mansion!

At that point, surrounded by enemies on all sides, let's see how you and that shady friend of yours can keep hiding!

Ling ground her little fangs in malicious glee:

"Just wait, Fang Ran. To make sure this Mansion goes down, I've thought of everything—not just oil and fire, electrical explosions, I even considered a dust explosion~"

"Once Ling attracts enough monsters and then fully overloads every device in this Mansion with high voltage, then—"

Ling wasn't worried at all. She had calculated everything perfectly. Fang Ran, Meng Lang, and all those people outside—no one would ever discover the traps she'd set.

Fang Ran, I can't wait to hear you scream when you're surrounded by monsters.

"Hehe~" Just imagining that scene, Ling let out a soft laugh, utterly confident.

Down in the plaza's battle zone, E-49 had fully materialized. A body the size of a small dinosaur, pitch-black hide, and limbs that clearly radiated strength. If you had to describe it, it was like a demonically enhanced saber-toothed tiger, as if it had really been dropped in from somewhere.

Whoosh!

The wind fell sharply as a figure in a cape descended on a whirlwind, glancing around at the empty surroundings and muttering excitedly to himself:

"Great! I'm the first one here!"

That special reward is mine now!

He thought elatedly, then waved his hand and silently chanted something unknown, forming a wind blade in his palm. But just as he moved to strike E-49 first, several more figures arrived!

One wore massive metal gauntlets, his whole body wreathed in fighting spirit.

One gripped a longsword, his eyes sharp and greedy as they locked onto E-49, then turned maliciously toward the first man.

The last carried an array of weapons and firearms on his person, a silver Desert Eagle in hand, striding fiercely toward the center of the square.

Of course, the participants in this scene weren't just these few!

Fang Ran's first impression had been right—there were plenty of people on that transport plane, a full fifty in total. The reason only these few appeared here now was simple.

The others strong enough to compete had been eliminated.

And the rest, knowing they had no chance to fight for the final target, had hidden themselves away, only taking out the minor mobs.

The four now surrounded E-49, each on guard against the others, while E-49 itself seemed to sense the danger, hissing warily at the four who were gradually encircling it.

"What's the play here?"

The man with the metal gauntlets and fighting spirit spoke first. He was C-Rank, the highest among the four, and he asked coldly as he watched the other three, who seemed unmoving.

"What play? Whoever takes it, keeps it!"

The sword-wielding man sneered in reply. The other two didn't argue, as if in tacit agreement.

"Ha! Fine! Then come and try!"

Catching their intent and realizing he might be the first target, the C-Rank man laughed grimly and struck first!

He lunged fiercely at one of them!

The other three didn't lag behind, unleashing their abilities! Not only did they turn on the C-Rank man, but they also struck at E-49 at the same time!

Wind blades, sword energy, and the roar of gunfire!

All exploded across the street!

In the shadows, a girl's figure quietly appeared behind a billboard, surrounded by electromagnetism, not a trace of her presence leaking. She smiled confidently and snapped her fingers lightly.

The intense electric light she had laid in ambush at her feet instantly spread and surged, attacking the four!

This was the move she had been preparing all along. Though only one C-Rank was among them, a truth countless had affirmed in Night Battle was that you could never know how bizarre an opponent's ability might be.

So she had chosen the safest approach.

The girl was utterly confident.