Monster attack

Hiss.

The instant the pristine white train opened its doors, a figure turned slightly sideways and darted through the twenty-centimeter gap.

The train was luxurious and comfortable, its technology mind-blowing, but he did not want to stay aboard a moment longer.

The boy stood on the ground and glanced at his wristwatch.

Balance: 1550.

One bus ride nearly bankrupted me.

Then.

The boy turned and looked up at the sky.

The Geometry Design Group's teardrop-shaped building floated silently ten thousand meters overhead.

Countless aircraft and robots flew back and forth, repairing the damaged structure.

The "teardrop," once nearly severed, had now been restored to its original position. With only a few finishing touches left, the building would be as good as new.

"Boss Meng's money and technology still fall a little short of that former city lord of Baofan City."

"But this is impressively efficient all the same."

The boy looked toward the open ground ahead.

Numerous temporary buildings had been erected there, with people bustling in and out.

The boy spotted him at once.

Dressed in a black suit, Meng Jihe stood in front of the temporary buildings with his hands behind his back and his brow tightly furrowed, looking up at the Geometry Design Building.

He was probably overseeing the repairs.

Even though the truth was already plain.

Qin Yiguan still felt as though he were dreaming.

That really was Boss Meng, his older brother from the orphanage, whom he had not seen in over a decade.

Earlier, he had thought it was a dream born of longing.

He had never expected it to be real.

Of course, that also meant the terrifying Half-Mechanical Crow was real.

The boy walked slowly between the buildings and came up behind Boss Meng.

Several men in black suits nearby, presumably employees of Boss Meng's company, noticed the boy first.

Displeasure immediately crossed their faces.

To them, President Meng's younger brother was a coward. After the crisis yesterday, he had panicked and simply logged out.

But they were well disciplined, and their displeasure vanished almost instantly.

One of them called out, "President Meng, your brother's here."

Meng Jihe turned, his furrowed brow immediately relaxing. "Yiguan, as one of the half-humans, you shouldn't log out carelessly. The real world isn't necessarily safer than this place. At least... you still have me here!"

At the sight of the "real" Boss Meng, however, the boy's eyes grew slightly moist.

The men in black around them shook their heads faintly.

Yesterday's ordeal must have left a deep scar on the kid.

"What happened yesterday really caught me off guard."

"I still don't understand it. I can't make any sense of it."

Meng Jihe looked at the Geometry Building overhead. "Ke Qiming took Rong Qian, too. There's still been no word of her."

The boy frowned as well. "Doesn't the Experimental Zone have any law enforcement at all?"

Meng Jihe shook his head. "None."

Then Meng Jihe added, "But I heard the Research Society designated that mechanical crow yesterday as a capture target. Its abilities have something to do with an entirely new system inside the Experimental Zone. That's far beyond my understanding. I don't have any information to go on."

The boy pondered this, recalling rumors he had once heard. "The Research Society is famous. They're a very powerful organization."

But Meng Jihe sighed, his expression complicated. "I pulled some strings and found out that although the Research Society located the crow... none of the three capture squads they sent out over the past twenty-four hours came back alive."

The boy went rigid.

Meng Jihe added, "I also heard that monster can grow stronger through human fear, with no upper limit. It's just... unbelievable."

Meng Jihe clenched his fists. "I wonder how Rong Qian is doing now."

Just then.

A terrifying cry suddenly rang out from the horizon!

An enormous black silhouette appeared in the distance, beating its metal wings as it plunged toward them!

Cries of alarm erupted all around.

"It's that metal monster bird!"

"It's gotten even bigger! It's at least two hundred meters long!"

A fat man with patchy, balding hair stood on the Half-Mechanical Crow's back.

"It's Ke Qiming!"

"So that mechanical crow really is his tool!"

Meng Jihe looked up at the sky, his eyes wide with fury.

But the Ke Qiming before him seemed like an entirely different person.

Before, he had been nothing more than a sinister-looking businessman.

Now, the balding fat man's suit was spattered with blood, and his face was twisted into a savage grimace. His eyes were sunken, his eyeballs seemingly veiled in black smoke. His teeth were clenched, and saliva streamed from his mouth like a beast's, scattering in the wind.

It felt.

As though he had stared at a demon for too long and finally become one himself.

"Hahaha!"

"Even the Research Society's capture squads can't stop me! I can kill everyone!"

Standing on the giant crow's back, Ke Qiming roared, "I can kill anyone I hate!"

A chill ran down everyone's spine!

Only then did they notice that the giant crow was carrying someone in its beak.

It was the beautiful Rong Qian, her clothes disheveled!

"Meng Jihe!"

"Today, I'm going to kill you and erase you completely!"

"And I'll destroy your Geometry Design Building along with you!"

"Disappear! Be destroyed!"

"Haha! Destroy it all!"

High overhead, Ke Qiming screamed hysterically, utterly crazed, as though he had lost all reason.

For some unknown reason, his rage had been amplified countless times.

Then.

The mechanical crow's wings sliced through the air with a terrifying shriek.

The people below knew how horrifying the crow was. Fear gripped their hearts, and they all backed away.

The Half-Mechanical Crow suddenly threw its head back, tossing Rong Qian high into the sky like a withered leaf!

Caw...

The crow cried out, lowered its head, and angled its body like a sharp sword, diving straight toward Meng Jihe!

The men in black suits recoiled in sheer terror.

At the same time, the crow seemed to sense their fear again, and its wings grew several more meters!

"Everyone, get back!"

Meng Jihe waved his hand and shouted, but he himself stepped forward, glaring up at it!

Meng Jihe was still just as he had always been, afraid of nothing!

Besides, in a situation like this, he could not stay among the crowd. He was Ke Qiming's primary target.

At that moment, the device on Boss Meng's wrist glowed faintly, and a blue defensive force field lit up around his body.

Three thousand meters!

Two thousand meters!

The Half-Mechanical Crow closed in at tremendous speed, carrying an aura of utter devastation!

The men in black suits hesitated, their faces stricken with terror. Should they... stand beside their boss and face that monster?

But the creature overhead was far too terrifying, like a demon descending upon them.

One thousand meters!

Eight hundred meters!

At that moment, the men in black suits finally lost their courage and slowly retreated!

Meng Jihe did not blame them. He simply gritted his teeth and glared into the sky.

Everyone's courage had its limits. There was no point forcing them!

But just then.

A somewhat slight, thin figure quietly took his place beside Meng Jihe.

Meng Jihe was utterly stunned.

"Yiguan?"

"What are you doing, kid?"

"Hurry up and hide!"