Chapter 381 - 62: Return to the City, a Drastic Change

A powerful, berserk force surged into his mind, assaulting Lu Chao’s every nerve.

The stabbing pain was like being pricked by steel needles. He could almost see a massive, bloodthirsty, winged shadow reflected in his mind’s eye, threatening to devour his spiritual power entirely.

Just then...

HUMMM!!

The Crimson Fire sun from his Observation Method trembled violently, unleashing boundless light and heat.

The bloodthirsty shadow formed from black mist rapidly dissolved. The Fixed Star Observation Method had once again demonstrated its immense power.

’That was close...’

Lu Chao came to a halt, standing in the glass corridor of Sub-level Two.

His eyes cleared as a bead of sweat silently trickled down his face.

He peered through the specially reinforced, explosion-proof glass toward the far end of Sub-level Three.

In the gloom, the pair of lantern-sized, scarlet vertical pupils had vanished, as if the whole encounter had been a mere illusion.

But his Life Sensing had already been activated.

A three-dimensional map materialized in his mind once more. The brutal and malevolent presence stood out starkly, like a blood-red moon reflected in the darkness.

’Transcendence Level...’

If he had only been suspicious before, the Spiritual Shock confirmed it. That was undoubtedly a Transcendence Level Beast King.

A creature at the pinnacle of the Superpower Level could dominate any region of the wilderness.

But why would a Beast King of that caliber be here?

’Did a Wild Beast King wander in here by mistake, or...’

The words of the "Mutant Beast Domestication and Biological Weapon Program" flashed through his mind, and a theory surfaced. ’Could this be the biological weapon created by this very experimental base?’

’Or perhaps, the real reason this base was shut down and abandoned?’

With no clear answer, he began to weigh whether he should proceed deeper.

If he used his Titan’s Power, he might be able to hold his own for a bit, but defeating it—let alone killing it—would be incredibly difficult.

BUZZ BUZZ!

Just then, his watch vibrated, interrupting Lu Chao’s train of thought.

He glanced down at its brightly lit screen.

He had deliberately disabled his satellite positioning before exploring Nanyun Mountain.

Now, however, the Superpower Bureau had sent a flood of rescue messages. A Superpower Level expert from the Special Investigation Team was leading a team his way, repeatedly sending him communication and location-sharing requests.

They were already close to Nanyun Mountain.

’Forget it.’

Shaking his head, Lu Chao made his decision.

Risking a fight wasn’t a guaranteed success. Besides, the commotion could expose the secrets of Nanyun Mountain.

With that in mind, he cast one last glance into the gloomy depths of Sub-level Three before turning to leave.

The crisp tapping of his footsteps gradually faded into the distance until they could no longer be heard.

Sensing the movement, a black mist seemed to ripple in the gloom of Sub-level Three, and the lantern-sized, scarlet vertical pupils reappeared.

They swam with violence and bloodlust, yet also held a flicker of curiosity.

...

WHIRRR!!

A hovercar streaked through the sky, arriving over a valley near Nanyun Mountain.

The scorching sun hung high in the sky.

Gusts of wind kicked up clouds of dust.

Night had given way to day.

Gao Hu and the others stood at the cabin door, anxiously scanning the ground below for any sign of Lu Chao.

Looking around, they could see numerous Mutant Beasts roaming the valley and the surrounding terrain.

There were vividly colored Blood Pattern Python Beasts, as thick as water buckets, with tough scales that could deflect even small-caliber bullets.

A dozen or so armored eagles circled high above, occasionally diving down, while jackal-like Mutant Beasts gnawed on corpses on the ground.

Overnight, the landscape had been completely transformed.

A Beast Tide had descended upon the area, leaving total annihilation in its wake. The bodies of the warlord’s soldiers were mangled beyond recognition, their torn limbs scattered everywhere. Not a single one had survived.

"Damn it."

Gao Hu and the others looked grim at the sight.

’So many Mutant Beasts... Did something else happen last night?’

’In that case, wasn’t Leader Lu caught in the Beast Tide too?’

The members of the reinforcement team grew anxious. A dozen drones were deployed, spreading out in a search pattern with the valley at its center.

The Superpower Level expert leading the team also wore a grave expression. He led Gao Hu and the others to the ground, where they began searching among the corpses for any sign of Lu Chao.

Ten minutes, half an hour, an hour...

The search yielded nothing. The drone footage showed only a barren wasteland teeming with hundreds, if not thousands, of Mutant Beasts.

Finally, just as their spirits sank and they began to suspect the worst...

"We have a signal!"

Wang Dali suddenly roared from inside the hovercar’s cabin, shouting to Gao Hu and the others, "It’s Leader Lu! Leader Lu is alive!"

...

WHOOSH!!

A short while later.

The wind howled as a black search drone hovered to a stop at his side.

Lu Chao stood on a cliff behind Nanyun Mountain, feigning weakness. With a pale face and a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, he watched the silver hovercar land.

"Leader!"

Gao Hu shouted excitedly as he rushed over with Wang Dali and the others.

They could never forget the image of him risking his life to stay behind and cover their retreat the day before.

"COUGH, COUGH..."

Lu Chao let out a deliberate cough, managing a weak smile and a nod.

Only then did the group notice his weakened state, and they hurriedly asked what had happened.

"You could say I got lucky."

Shaking his head, Lu Chao explained, "A Beast Tide erupted nearby, and a Beast King appeared. It held up Di Xiong and his man."

"If it weren’t for that, I’d never have been able to turn the tables and make it out alive."

He was using the nearby Beast Tide to obscure the truth. The corpses of Di Xiong and his man were so mangled that it was impossible for anyone to determine what had really happened.

Gao Hu and the others had no reason to doubt him. They quickly helped support him and called for a medic to treat his injuries at once.

"Leader Lu."

The Superpower Level expert from the Special Investigation Team who led the reinforcements was named Xu Pingsong. He had shaggy hair, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, and looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Upon hearing Lu Chao’s explanation, he looked him up and down, his expression growing complicated.