Outside on the street, the clash between the Awakened Ones and the Monsters raged with frightening intensity. Energy blasts streaked across the sky, the ground was already torn apart, and the surrounding buildings began to collapse.
"Hahaha! Die, brat!" A four-armed, two-meter-tall Monster charged at a woman whose back was turned to him, roaring with laughter.
The woman had just finished off one Monster. Hearing the commotion behind her, she turned to see the creature rushing at her and her face paled: "I won't make it!"
Bang! Just as the four-armed Monster was about to kill her, a figure slammed into him at blinding speed; the terrifying force blasted the Monster apart, blood and flesh spraying everywhere.
Martial Bear stood behind the woman, flashing a grin of pearly whites. "Beautiful darling, are you alright?"
As he spoke he rubbed his bald head, the greasy look on his face making the female Awakened's scalp crawl. "Group Leader Martial, thank you—I'm fine."
"Good, good. Then I'm off to rescue someone else!" With a smile, Martial Bear began carving through the battlefield.
His body was monstrously strong; with one punch the Monsters had no time to react before they exploded into bloody mist.
Shluck!
Behind the building, a two-meter-tall paper man in black armor swung a paper axe and cleaved a three-meter black Monster in half.
Right now at least ten identical paper warriors stood here, cutting through the Level Three Monsters like vegetables.
Behind them Wang Li stood calmly; whenever his ten fingers twitched, an armored paper warrior would instantly behead another Monster.
"It's Wang Li, leader of the Xuanjian Division's Group Twelve!" The attacking Monsters froze, staring at the paper figures in dread.
"Great work, Leader Wang—let's wipe these freaks out!" an Awakened fighter shouted in delight.
The sudden horde of Monsters had almost overwhelmed them with sheer numbers.
Two Level Fives had appeared in front of and behind the command building, blocking the assault and inflicting heavy casualties on the Monsters.
When Ruan Meng stepped out of the building, he sensed that the two group leaders had already beaten back the attackers, leaving many dead or wounded.
His brows knitted. "What is the Monster Association trying to achieve, sending these cannon-fodder to die?"
A brazen attack without any top-tier fighters looked like suicide; he couldn't fathom the enemy's intent.
"Why, counting heads, of course." At that moment a gentle voice came from his left.
Ruan Meng turned to see a 2.6-meter centaur-like Monster with three eyes approaching.
Green flames burned beneath his hooves; on his back was a white backpack, a tube running from it into a white helmet that covered the upper half of his head.
Lei Xiangchen smiled faintly. "Ruan Meng, leader of the Xuanjian Division's Group Nine—abilities: Mental-type morale boost, forced calm, forced control. Though your combat strength ranks at the bottom among the leaders, I'd still like to test your mettle."
Ruan Meng studied Lei Xiangchen while the dossier surfaced in his mind: "Lei Xiangchen, Cadre of the Monster Association, Level Four Mental-type Monster. But did you come alone to die?"
"Of course not." Lei Xiangchen grinned and pointed toward the main gate.
Ruan Meng looked over to see that the entrance had become Martial Bear's personal stage.
He was single-handedly massacring the Monsters that rushed him.
Thud-thud-thud!
Heavy footsteps echoed as a five-meter giant clad in thick white bone armor barreled down the road.
Every step cratered the asphalt.
"Bald bastard, come fight me!" the armored giant roared, accelerating.
White bone surged from his left hand, forming a three-meter bone lance in an instant that he thrust viciously at Martial Bear.
Martial Bear's face flushed with rage. "A punk who's not even Level Five dares call me bald? I'll kill you!"
Boom! The ground exploded as he shot toward the oncoming Han Qi, every fighter instantly clearing a circle for them.
Veins bulged on Martial Bear's right arm as he smashed his fist into the spear.
Crash! A thunderous bang rang out; the bone-armored giant staggered back a step, the lance's head shattered and cracks webbed across the shaft.
Martial Bear stood unmoved. He'd gained the upper hand, yet his face darkened—his opponent wasn't even Level Five, yet he couldn't finish him.
"Hahaha, is that all you've got, Group Leader?" Han Qi laughed wildly; white matter gushed from the lance and swiftly repaired it.
The colossal figure lunged at Martial Bear again.
"Don't get cocky!" Being taunted by a Level Four made Martial Bear's pride sting.
Bang-bang-bang!
The two clashed again, lance against fist. Enraged, Martial Bear drove the much taller Han Qi backward.
Yet the longer he fought, the more alarmed he became—he could suppress the Monster, but killing him would take far too long.
"Their Level Five is tied up—kill these Awakened!" Seeing Martial Bear occupied, the Monster horde charged the Awakened once more.
Behind the building, explosions now rocked the air.
Bang-bang-bang!
A three-meter Birdman flapped high above, scattering a storm of feathers that rained down and detonated throughout the Awakened ranks.