Chapter 18: The Catastrophe Arrives

Passing through a secret tunnel, Mo Fan followed Lin Yuxin to the northern side of a mountain in the city.

The rain continued to pour heavily, drenching the city. The dark, gloomy sky cast an oppressive atmosphere over the entire Bo City. In the distance, terrifying roars echoed through the air, sending shivers down Mo Fan's spine.

Mo Fan turned toward the sound and saw blood flowing in the residential areas. It wasn't from farm animals — it was human blood.

Bo City, typically a picturesque southern city with a unique ink-painting style, was now smeared with blood. What should have been a beautiful rainy scene had become a nightmare.

"Awooooo!!!"

A deafening roar shook the city, making everyone's skin crawl.

Mo Fan quickly turned his head toward the source of the sound. What he saw next left him utterly shocked.

A giant black shadow lay atop the iconic Silver Commerce Building, the tallest building in Bo City, which seemed to pierce the gloomy sky. The shadow's tail hung from the tower, stretching nearly halfway down its height. Part of its massive wings extended into the rain, while the other part covered several floors of nearby buildings.

Its head was raised high, and the terrifying roar that shook the city had come from the bloodthirsty maw of this enormous creature.

This was the true culprit behind the catastrophe — the Winged Wolf.

Mo Fan had never seen a commander-level beast before, but even from a distance, he could feel the overwhelming pressure of this powerful being.

Lin Yuxin's heart sank when she saw the Winged Cyan Wolf. At the same time, she noticed that Mo Fan, who had followed her out of the tunnel, remained uncharacteristically silent. 

Even in the face of the Winged Wolf, there was no sign of fear in his eyes.

She knew some things about Mo Fan, but the situation at hand was dire. The Black Vatican was using the Winged Wolf and its pack to attack the city. The Underground Holy Spring would no longer be safe in her hands.

"The Black Vatican's goal is to completely destroy Bo City, turning it into a living hell. The Winged Wolf is powerful, but it alone won't be enough to decimate the city in just one or two days. However, if more monsters of its level appear, even if reinforcements arrive, Bo City will suffer catastrophic losses."

"You need to do two things: First, safeguard the Underground Holy Spring. No matter what, do not let it fall into anyone's hands. I have a strong feeling that the Black Vatican is desperate to obtain the Underground Holy Spring."

Mo Fan accepted the Underground Holy Spring and asked, "Is it really wise to entrust something like this to me?"

Lin Yuxin was stunned by his response. She hadn't expected Mo Fan to ask such a question. But with no other option, she quickly replied, "My identity is sensitive. The Black Vatican will definitely think I have the Underground Holy Spring. I will act as a decoy to draw their attention. Your job is to hide the Underground Holy Spring as best as you can and stay alive. Do not let the Black Vatican find it, and do not let it fall into their hands."

"If things get too dangerous, I'll just drink the whole thing." Mo Fan said with a serious tone.

Lin Yuxin was speechless.

It was a bizarre suggestion, but not impossible. If he drank it, even if monsters devoured him, at most, it would enhance a few small monsters.

Shaking off the oddity of the plan, Lin Yuxin responded, "As long as it doesn't end up in the Black Vatican's hands, you can do whatever you need to."

With that, she left.

Mo Fan watched her go, admiring her bravery for playing the decoy. Though he knew she wouldn't die, her dedication and sacrifice left him feeling a deep respect for her. He thought that if there was an opportunity, he would definitely try to recruit her into his ranks.

After Lin Yuxin left, Mo Fan noticed a group of creatures moving toward Tianlan Magic High School from the back of the mountain.

They were strong and fierce, easily knocking down trees as they moved like a pack of wolves storming into an unprotected sheep pen. Their greed was evident from the way they rushed forward.

Seeing this horde, Mo Fan gave up his plan to find Xin Xia and instead hurried toward the school.

Quickly making his way to Tianlan Magic High, Mo Fan crossed several old alleyways and reached the side gate of the school.

The area was not yet overrun by monsters, and the few residents left were either hiding in basements or fleeing toward the safety zones. The catastrophe had struck so suddenly that many people had just woken from their peaceful dreams, only to find themselves plunged into a living nightmare.

The students were all still at school, preparing for their magic graduation exams. They hadn't even faced the cutthroat competition of the exams yet, and now they were thrust into a nightmare of blood and monsters. It was hard to imagine how terrified they must be.

When Mo Fan arrived at the school, he found Xue Musheng organizing a vanguard team to evacuate.

As they began their evacuation, survivors from the nearby area began to gather at the school. Xue Musheng informed them that his group will scout ahead and that the main group should follow behind them.

Their group of ten moved quickly, heading straight down the main road in front of the school. After crossing a pedestrian street and a small residential area, they would reach the safe zone.

The main road was about a kilometer long and completely jammed with abandoned cars. Even a bicycle would have trouble finding a clear path through the wreckage.

With traffic gridlocked, the only option was to walk. The three kilometers to the safe zone might seem short, but anything could happen along the way.

"There's a Colossal-Eyed Ape Rat by the news stand up ahead." Zhang Yinglu reported, her face pale as she ran back, breathless.

"It's… it's eating a child," Zhang Xiaohou added, his voice shaking.

They had seen the child already dead, but witnessing such a horrific scene up close was traumatizing.

As they moved forward, they reached a large bus that was blocking the road. Behind it, they saw the blood-stained newsstand and the small boy lying lifeless in a pool of blood.

"Where's the Colossal-Eyed Ape Rat?" Xue Musheng frowned, searching the area but seeing no sign of the creature.

"Fire Burst: Rupture!"

Just as Zhang Yinglu was about to respond, Mo Fan cast a spell, sending a blazing blue-green fireball flying past her.

Boom!

The fiery blast erupted behind her, causing her to fall to her knees in fear.

The others were equally startled, but when they saw the charred remains of the Colossal-Eyed Ape Rat, they understood that Mo Fan had sensed the creature hiding nearby.

"These monsters are incredibly cunning. Never let your guard down around them." Mo Fan warned.

"Mo Fan… How did you know the Colossal-Eyed Ape Rat was there? And your fire… it's so powerful," Xu Zhaoting asked, baffled.

Especially after witnessing Mo Fan's Fire Burst, which was even more powerful than his Lightning Strike.

"Mo Fan's fire magic must be enhanced by a Spirit Seed." Xue Musheng said, realizing the truth.

After all, even a Level 3 Fire Burst shouldn't have been able to incinerate three Colossal-Eyed Ape Rat in one strike.

The group was confused. They hadn't learned about Spirit Seeds yet, though Mu Bai, who saw Mo Fan as a rival, found it hard to accept that Mo Fan had such an advantage.

Xue Musheng was about to explain further, but Mo Fan interrupted him, saying, "Our priority right now is to get the thousands of survivors to the safety barrier first. Anything else can wait."

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note:- Thank You "multiverses_sage" for pointing out the Error in the translation. Even with double checks, I sometimes miss some erros. If anyone else finds any errors please mention it in the paragraph comment of that paragraph. I will fix it as soon as possible.