Chapter 12: Sovereign, Full Firepower!

"That Li Dantong, what a waste," the boy thought irritably, *resentment bubbling beneath his calm facade.* "She couldn't even deal with a weak human and got herself killed. If it weren't for her, this level of alertness wouldn't have been triggered."

*His emotions surged, and a faint, almost imperceptible red light flickered in his eyes.*

Though his face still wore a casual expression, as he scanned the endless stream of humans before him, there was a glint of hunger, a predator sizing up its prey.

All premium blood food.

If it hadn't been for their mother's command to remain in hiding and to refrain from feeding, they would have long since lost control.

How much longer? When would they finally feast...

"Pay attention to that student, the one standing near the school gates," Shen Hao said, his focus trained on a particular figure. "He's a monster. And not just any monster, but one with an unusually powerful aura—far stronger than the others."

"That one? He's from Mr. Liu's class," an officer next to him interrupted. "His name is Che Zhangjie. He's Jiang Yang's neighbor—they live in the same apartment complex. He's probably waiting for Jiang Yang. The two always leave together."

"How many students are left now?" Shen Hao asked.

"Roughly eight hundred."

Shen Hao's eyes locked onto Che Zhangjie.

He knew very well that Jiang Yang was the one who had committed suicide under the weight of his suppression.

*But if these monsters had a way of confirming the life and death of their kind...*

"Pick up the pace! I'll keep up!"

"Yes, sir!"

The school gates opened further, and the students began exiting faster and faster.

Seven hundred, six hundred, five hundred...

Shen Hao's fingers moved swiftly, marking each monster he could identify while keeping one eye on Che Zhangjie.

Until there were only four hundred people left on school grounds.

Suddenly, he noticed something—Che Zhangjie's expression twisted, feral and grotesque.

"They've discovered us. Let's give them a little 'welcome gift,' shall we?"

It was their mother's command, relayed at precisely that moment.

The color of blood spread rapidly beneath his skin.

"Open fire!" Shen Hao roared, kicking the car door open and darting forward like a flash.

At the same time, gunfire rang out—bang, bang, bang. Blood sprayed from bodies as Che Zhangjie and the other "monsters" Shen Hao had marked were struck with precision by snipers who had been lying in wait from afar.

Che Zhangjie, in particular, became the target of relentless assault. Under the heavy-caliber sniper rifle's barrage, he was blown apart entirely!

The horrifying, sudden scene left the remaining students frozen in their tracks.

*And then, came the screams—piercing, terrified shrieks.*

The crowd descended into chaos, students scattering in every direction, panic spreading like wildfire. Some collapsed to the ground, trembling and wailing uncontrollably.

But Shen Hao paid no heed to any of that. His eyes remained fixed on "Che Zhangjie."

No, even after being blown apart, it was clear—it was still alive.

It now resembled nothing but a grotesque mass of blood, shattered bones, and shredded flesh, all writhing together in a manner that mocked the very limits of human sanity.

Even then, the remnants of its vocal cords, buried somewhere unrecognizable, emitted a guttural growl.

"Move! The hunt begins now!"

With the wet, sloshing sounds of blood churning, scarlet sprays erupted amidst the crowd.

Within the remaining hundreds of students, forty or fifty "monsters" could no longer conceal themselves, unleashing torrents of blood that twisted into savage weapons. Without hesitation, they lunged at the now-defenseless and utterly unprepared students around them!

But, in that exact moment.

——!

The world came to a halt.

Not truly halted—no. Every living being, every soul in that instant, was rendered completely motionless.

A being of supreme divine authority had descended in this very moment!

Shen Hao's eyes burned with shimmers of starlight, as if suns, moons, and galaxies converged within them. Behind him, a vast and ethereal shadow materialized faintly, seated upon a grand throne.

The Cosmic Sovereign. The One. The All.

For the first time, the Dominator Pressure went into full force!

In this singular moment, Shen Hao felt something inexplicable being drawn out of him—perhaps his soul, or maybe his consciousness—merging seamlessly with the surrounding space, and ruling over all existence.

*It was an indescribable, ineffable sensation.*

It felt as though he were perched high above on a throne, overseeing the cosmos.

But this sensation lasted only an instant. Almost immediately, a wave of bone-deep dizziness crashed through him, rattling every nerve.

*This frail mortal vessel could not possibly contain such a supreme status.*

And yet, in that brief, unparalleled moment of absolute control—even if limited in range—it was enough for the circumstances at hand!

"Kneel," Shen Hao uttered, the word leaving his lips like a decree, the force of his will rippling outward and striking every monster with unerring precision.

Thump. Thump.

In the blink of an eye, as the Dominator Pressure dissipated, every single one of the once-bloodthirsty monsters fell to their knees.

Trembling. Cowed. Prostrated at Shen Hao's feet!

The remaining humans, whether students or soldiers like Yang Jun, were struck by an instant, unnameable suffocation, their minds blanking out momentarily.

When they regained their senses, their eyes widened in disbelief at the impossible scene before them.

There stood Shen Hao, clothed in an ordinary white outfit, calmly amidst the kneeling swarm of monsters.

He looked like their master. Their king.

Even Yang Jun, even the soldiers, stood paralyzed in collective shock.

Because the sight was simply too staggering!

Mere moments ago, they had believed they were about to witness an unpreventable massacre. They thought the remaining students—those lucky enough not to have been replaced—were destined to be slaughtered by the monsters.

But in the next moment, all the monsters were groveling in fear! Wailing! Trembling!

In front of this lone figure, those grotesque, terrifying monsters were no more than ants to be easily dominated!

The sheer magnitude of the reversal struck like a thunderbolt.

But at that moment.

One of the trembling, submissive monsters suddenly let out a pained howl, its entire body sizzling as its blood began to evaporate rapidly.

"No!"

"No! Mother!"

"Great Sovereign, spare us!"

"Master!"

"..."

One after another, the monsters met the same fate. No matter how they writhed or screamed, they couldn't stop the inevitable—a complete loss of all blood, leaving behind only desiccated corpses.

Shen Hao's brows furrowed slightly.

Until the last monster—Che Zhangjie—raised what remained of its head, locking onto Shen Hao with its mangled face. Blood churned within its shattered form as its voice emerged, coarse and strangely feminine:

"This is only a small 'welcome gift,' Chosen One. You cannot save your world. It belongs to us!"

Shen Hao met its grotesque gaze, starlight flashing in his eyes.

In that instant, Che Zhangjie recoiled as though seized by an overwhelming terror, and then disintegrated into a blood-colored mist, leaving behind only dry, broken remnants.

"Is that all?" Shen Hao sneered faintly.