Chapter 49
Zhuang Yexing really didn’t want to admit that this was his fault, but the Xenogenics that arrived were each stronger than the last, far exceeding the current boundaries of human comprehension, and not a single one was something they could rival.
The Giant had already noticed the food scattered everywhere and wriggled excitedly. Unfortunately, its massive body was stuck fast in the rabbit hole, rendering it unable to move. It simply stuck out its long tongue, nimbly wrapping it around a sluggish rabbit.
One small rabbit wasn’t even enough to fill the gaps between its teeth. The Giant shifted its attention to the humans, who were slightly larger than the rabbits, and shot out its tongue once more.
The saliva-drenched tongue was both disgusting and foul-smelling. Yu An was utterly repulsed and hurriedly dodged backward. Xu Yening scooped him up in one arm and pulled out a gun from who-knows-where.
“Bang!”
The specialized bullet dealt multiplied damage to Xenogenics. A small hole was blasted through the Giant’s tongue, blood gurgling out to form a large puddle on the floor.
The Giant let out an agonized howl, glaring at Xu Yening while panting heavily. But when its gaze landed on Yu An, it paused for a second or two, tilting its head in confusion.
This aura… was a bit familiar.
The Giant’s brain hadn’t developed well, and it was notoriously famous for its stupidity in the Xenogenic world. It racked its brains for a long time but still couldn’t figure out Yu An’s anomaly.
All it cared about were two things: whether something was edible or not.
This small two-legged beast didn’t look like it had much meat on it, but since it was with that annoying two-legged beast, it was equally annoying. Eat him!
The Giant gathered all its strength and craned its neck, wanting to swallow Yu An and Xu Yening in one gulp. Xu Yening, his face unchanging, fired his gun at its eye. However, the Giant had been on guard and shut its eye beforehand; the bullet struck its eyelid without causing any real damage.
Yu An was carried by Xu Yening as he dodged all over the place, swaying back and forth until his head spun. Seeing that twisted face lunging at them again, he suddenly heard a sigh from Xu Yening above his head.
In an instant, the Giant stopped moving. Its incredibly ugly face rapidly aged, wrinkles constantly sprouting across its skin, and its movements became sluggish.
However, this only lasted for a few minutes. Xu Yening seized the time to quickly run to the doorway, a place the Giant couldn’t reach.
Fu Yunshu followed closely behind him. Gu Ersheng grabbed Gu Yixing, who was frozen in place, and forcefully dragged him out of the classroom, while the rest of the personnel urgently evacuated as well.
The Giant could only watch helplessly as its food slipped away. Restricted by the narrow rabbit hole, it couldn’t chase or hunt. Its eyes practically split open with anxiety as it roared and struggled to break free from its confinement.
Outside the classroom, Xu Yening looked at the recovering Giant and let out a sigh. “Man, this thing is really strong.”
Zhuang Yexing questioned him, “Aren’t you S-rank? Did you really go all out?”
“Even though I’m S-rank, I’m the weakest one among them. Is there a problem with me not being able to beat it?” Xu Yening didn’t look the least bit guilty. “If you’re so capable, why don’t you call over Ling Xingcheng and the other strongest fighters?”
“Xingcheng gege is at home cooking.” Yu An leaned close to Xu Yening, sniffing at him with his small nose, and narrowed his eyes in intoxication. “Do you want to find him? But his leg is broken; he can’t help us fight this big monster.”
As he spoke, he unconsciously rubbed against Xu Yening again. Smells so good~
It was the scent of food.
Hearing that Ling Xingcheng was injured, Zhuang Yexing’s expression looked as if he had just lost millions. The Institute was down yet another top-tier fighter—what were they going to do? They couldn’t seriously call Patriarch Lin over, could they?
If that man took action without holding back, they would all end up dead alongside the monster.
“If worst comes to worst, we’ll just call Lin Huaichen over. His precious son is right here, anyway. Wait, what kind of look is that, little guy?”
Xu Yening pressed his index finger against Yu An’s forehead, narrowing his eyes dangerously. Was it his imagination? The way this kid looked at him was like looking at a delicious chicken drumstick.
Yu An took a deep breath and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. “I’m just a little hungry…”
Xu Yening was shocked, still finding the time to bicker with Yu An during this critical moment. “I brought you so much food, and you’re still not full? Your dad clearly said you were easy to feed.”
Yu An silently lowered his head. “I am very easy to feed.”
With a dark face, Zhuang Yexing pulled the adult and the child out the door, scolding them, “Is this the time to be talking about this?! Look at the situation we’re in! Whether you’re full or not can wait until this is over!”
The old man had already been tormented to the point of exhaustion by the current situation, pacing around anxiously. Even Xu Yening opted not to provoke him further.
Yu An was scolded so thoroughly that he didn’t dare say a single word. “I understand, Grandpa Zhuang…”
The Giant in the classroom let out deafening roars, the school building shaking slightly with its struggles. Zhuang Yexing’s expression was grave as he made several phone calls, reporting the situation to the Institute.
“The current rank is above S-rank… Xu Yening’s Life Force Plunder is useless… You must send people over immediately; there are residential buildings near the school…”
Yu An pricked up his ears. So his ability has to do with life force. No wonder he knew the students inside weren’t in danger just by standing outside the classroom.
“ROAARGH—!”
The Giant’s roars rang out sporadically. One of its hands had already broken free and was pressed against the floor, trying to yank itself up like pulling a radish from the dirt.
It probably wouldn’t be long before this Giant was free.
Gu Yixing muttered nervously, “We’re doomed, we’re doomed. If a monster this big gets out, the existence of Xenogenics definitely can’t be hidden anymore. The Institute will tear us apart for sure.”
Fu Yunshu held the Snow Snake. “We’ve never seen this Xenogenic before, and the previous two were also very strange. Just where did they come from?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Didn’t you see that rabbit hole that connects to different spaces?” Gu Ersheng rubbed his chin, turning to look at Zhou Xia. “Now your rabbit has really caused a huge disaster.”
Zhou Xia’s mind was reeling. He opened his mouth. Although he didn’t know what exactly was happening, it definitely had to do with Tu Yao. “I-I’m sorry…”
Tu Yao only cared about Zhou Xia. Its small paws tugged at his waistband.
[Let’s go quickly, these two-legged beasts can’t catch us now.]
Yu An puffed his cheeks angrily.
[You’re not allowed to leave!]
He trotted over to Zhou Xia, grabbed Tu Yao—who was hiding behind his leg—and pointed into the classroom, very angry. “You caused this, now you put it back.”
Tu Yao flailed its four limbs wildly.
[Ying ying! Let me go, you big traitor, you spy among Xenogenics!]
Smack!
A small tentacle whipped its head. Tu Yao shuddered and instantly turned cowardly, its large ears drooping limply as it put on a deceptive display of being the most well-behaved bunny in the world.
Claude spoke up:
[Since it’s disobedient, just eat it.]
Tu Yao’s eyes instantly went wide with horror as it stared at Yu An. Meeting Yu An’s deep blue pupils, it shivered all over. It was all because of Yu An’s docile and harmless appearance that Tu Yao had almost forgotten he was also an Ushatos.
Even though he was just a cub, he was still an apex predator who could easily crush it to death.
Tu Yao cried “ying ying” at Zhou Xia.
[Goodbye Xia-xia, I’m going to be eaten. You have to take good care of yourself, and absolutely do not let anyone bully you ever again.]
Zhou Xia couldn’t understand what it was saying, but seeing its pitiful look made his heart melt into a puddle. But because of him, the current situation was already disastrous. He hesitated before speaking, “An-an… it’s all my fault. Tu Yao only did these things because of me. I’m willing to accept the punishment. It’s okay even if you kill me.”
The word “kill” made Yu An very uncomfortable. “They won’t. The uncles and aunties at the Institute are all good people…”
“Well, that’s not exactly true.” Zhuang Yexing shattered Yu An’s fantasy. “I am here specifically to kill him.”
Yu An looked at him with a pout. Despite having lived most of his life, Zhuang Yexing still had no resistance against soft creatures like children. He turned his head away. “Go tell the higher-ups, I’m just a guy doing his job. But if he can resolve the current predicament, maybe his merits can offset his crimes.”
Yu An immediately poked Tu Yao. “Did you hear that? Zhou Xia gege doesn’t have to die. Speak up quickly.”
Tu Yao’s ears remained drooping.
[I don’t have a way either. That rabbit hole is already connected to another space, and the ones coming through are all our natural predators. We can’t beat them at all.]
It tentatively raised its head.
[How about… you go eat them all?]
Yu An: “…”
He glanced at the Giant’s ugly, grotesque face, getting goosebumps all over his body. That method was decisively ruled out.
Seeing the Giant’s range of motion increasing, Zhuang Yexing looked at the crowd and made up his mind. “The kids leave first, the rest stay with me. We absolutely cannot let the Giant enter the residential area.”
Just as he finished speaking, another voice came from the stairwell, accompanied by impatient muttering. “Seriously, what’s wrong with your school? It’s already eleven o’clock and you still haven’t let the students go home. Don’t you know the parents waiting at home will be anxious?”
Ling Xingcheng’s figure slowly appeared, leaning on a crutch. In that instant, he seemed to be cloaked in a blindingly radiant light. Everyone looked at him with the burning, passionate gaze reserved for a savior, their eyes brimming with intense excitement.
“What’s the situation?” Ling Xingcheng looked completely bewildered. “Old Zhuang, why are you here too?”
“ROAARGH—!”
The Giant roared right on cue. Ling Xingcheng cast a suspicious glance into the classroom. “Holy sh*t, this thing looks fking disgusting. What’s that professional term called again? Right, the Uncanny Valley effect. Tsk tsk… so ugly.”
“Wait a minute…” Ling Xingcheng sensed something was off. He scrutinized the Giant, his brows furrowing bit by bit. “S-rank… there’s actually a wild S-rank Xenogenic…”
Yu An asked expectantly, “Can you beat him?”
Ling Xingcheng clicked his tongue, scratching his slightly messy hair. “Before my leg was broken, probably. Now… I’ll probably kick the bucket the moment I go up.”
To think even Xingcheng gege was helpless. Yu An pursed his small lips, looking disappointed.
“You can’t blame me for this.” Ling Xingcheng rubbed his soft cheek. “If it wasn’t for that good brother of yours—that bastard named Chausier—if he hadn’t beaten me like this, would I have been reduced to such a weakling?”
Speaking of Chausier, Ling Xingcheng couldn’t help but feel irritated. “By the way, he’s pretty strong. How about you summon him over? He’d definitely have more than enough power to beat this thing.”
Yu An shook his head. “But I can’t contact him.”
“Fine then.”
Ling Xingcheng grew even more irritated.
“An S-rank Xenogenic…” Zhuang Yexing was pale with shock, his hand holding the phone trembling slightly. “Xingcheng, how about you give Patriarch Lin a call and ask him to come over?”
Ling Xingcheng was wary. “Asking me to go disturb his sleep in the middle of the night? Are you trying to murder me? Old man, your heart is truly toxic. Why don’t you go yourself?”
“That’s not what I meant!” Zhuang Yexing said angrily. “That bastard blocked me centuries ago. I simply can’t reach him.”
“I left in a hurry and didn’t bring my phone.” Ling Xingcheng looked at Xu Yening, recognizing his identity. “Then you go. Aren’t you two old classmates?”
Xu Yening spread his hands. “He blocked me back when we were still students. I can’t help you.”
Ling Xingcheng: “…”
He was genuinely curious just how many people Lin Huaichen had blocked over the years.
After a moment of silence, the three of them simultaneously turned their gazes to Yu An. Ling Xingcheng pressed his hands on Yu An’s shoulders, entrusting him with this heavy responsibility. “Now we can only rely on you, Little Crown Prince. Hurry up and call your Royal Father and Mother for help. It’s best if you can get them both here.”
Yu An hesitated for a moment.
Ling Xingcheng was shocked. “He couldn’t have blocked you too, right? Has his madness reached such a level?”
“Papa didn’t block me, it’s just…” Yu An pulled the dormant Little White out. “It’s Little White’s shutdown time right now. I don’t have a phone, so I can’t contact Papa.”
Ling Xingcheng, Zhuang Yexing, Xu Yening: “…”
Damn it, Lin Huaichen, you have so much fking money, would giving your kid a phone bankrupt you?!
Sensing something, Yu An suddenly looked up, staring straight in the direction of the Giant. “Over there… another Xenogenic is coming.”
Zhuang Yexing already had psychological trauma. His heart leapt into his throat, and he gulped. So now the Giant’s natural predator is coming?
An existence beyond S-rank… is the world going to end?
“Bzzzt, bzzzt—”
The faint sound of insect wings wasn’t very obvious, but the Giant acted as if provoked by something, frantically beating its own body and tearing at its skin with its nails. From the torn flesh, a small black bug flew out, landed on the Giant’s back, bit open a small hole, and burrowed back into the flesh.
The Giant’s body visibly deflated, its howls growing weaker and weaker, as if its insides had been hollowed out, leaving only a layer of skin and bones struggling to hold it together.
Finally, the Giant collapsed with a crash. Countless black bugs poured out of its mouth, their sheer numbers nearly filling the entire classroom. The buzzing sound they made was ear-piercing.
Ling Xingcheng pulled Yu An back a bit. “How is a kid like you so bold? Don’t get so close.”
Yu An pointed at the flying bugs. “They seem to be getting bigger.”
It wasn’t Yu An’s imagination. The flying bugs formed a circle, devouring each other. The circle grew smaller, while the remaining bugs grew larger and larger. The final bug left standing was a full ten meters across.
The classroom was too small. With a flick of its tail, a wall shattered to pieces, leaving half of its body outside the school building.
Xu Yening sighed in exhaustion. “My money…”
The giant black bug flew for a while before coming to a standstill. Its pitch-black shell turned grayish-white, and a crack spread down the middle of its body. Sensing something was wrong, Ling Xingcheng condensed flames in his hand and hurled them at it.
The scorching fireball exploded upon contact with the black bug. The black bug let out a muffled cry, the crack widening, and a pair of resplendent purple wings unfolded. A beautiful butterfly emerged from the bug shell, spreading its wings.
In all fairness, this butterfly was quite beautiful.
Yu An’s eyes reflected its beautiful silhouette, and his mouth opened slightly in awe.
Ling Xingcheng was in no mood to appreciate it. “Oh great, this one is above S-rank. We’re going to croak right here.”
[Food food food… beautiful little butterflies are the tastiest.]
A voice suddenly broke through the Ushatos’ internal communication channel, which had been silent for a long time. Yu An froze. Hearing the voice getting closer, an ominous premonition rose in his heart.
It couldn’t really be Them, could it?
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