Chapter 172: Born in the Stormy Night

The bodyguards were truly panicked. Their modern weapons hadn't even scratched the evil creatures. They were already planning their escape routes, each mentally reserving their last bullet for themselves should they face a painful demise.

The current situation was a bit complicated.

Well, extremely complicated.

They had brought out tools and were steaming a bear paw in a pot. Just because they were bodyguards didn't mean they lacked other skills; they were quite capable chefs.

Without such skills...

Did they really think they could attract girls by driving a Ferrari with one hand?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

Just like when they went to the seafood market to buy seafood, say abalone, they could tell with a sniff whether it was fresh or not.

The evil rooster stared blankly into the distance.

Its beak was still bleeding. It desperately wanted to tell its comrades, "I'm really not a traitor! It was just a misunderstanding! Believe it or not, I've already told you the truth!"

The evil steel bear had died tragically, its body torn apart.

Within Yanhai City...

The quiet waiting was torture for everyone.

Gu Ao, who loved to show off his muscular physique by lifting weights, had stopped flexing. He was too tired. He wondered if the evil creatures were even coming. If they weren't, he wanted to go back to the gym.

The one-eyed man stood on the rooftop of a building, facing the wind, staring into the distance. He silently lit a cigarette, the oppressive atmosphere easing with the first puff.

Those who enjoyed smoking lit up as well.

They began to exhale clouds of smoke.

Then the complaints started.

"Are the evil creatures coming or not? Don't tell me this is all a misunderstanding," Lin Daoming said. He hoped it was a misunderstanding. The golden talismans he had refined recently represented months of work.

Avoiding a fight would be the best outcome.

Liu Haichan said, "The evil creatures are likely regrouping. Once they've reorganized their ranks, they'll definitely launch a unified attack."

Only the leaders could speak freely and share their speculations. The ordinary members remained silent, not because they didn't want to speak, but because they didn't yet have the right to.

Not only were they anxious, but the citizens watching the official media livestream were also on edge.

Some citizens, whose homes were in Yanhai City, desperately wanted to know the outcome. If the evil creatures didn't come, that would be the best. But if they did arrive, they hoped the special department members could drive them away and protect their homes.

And hopefully, without damaging any buildings.

"Jin Heli, have you detected anything? Why haven't the evil creatures arrived yet?" the one-eyed man asked. He was the commander of this battle, leading the city-level powerhouses of Yanhai City against the strongest of the evil creatures.

As time passed...

A sense of panic spread.

Soon...

Jin Heli's voice came through.

"The evil creature forces are stationed outside the city. They haven't moved yet. We don't know what they're doing, but they haven't left. We need to continue observing."

The one-eyed man frowned. Strange evil creatures. What were they up to?

They could go outside the city and fight the evil creatures, but tactical simulations showed that they would be at a disadvantage in the open suburbs without any buildings for cover.

A large number of evil creatures swarming them would be terrifying.

Jin Heli hadn't seen Sun Xiao's livestream yet.

And she wouldn't be able to for a while.

At this critical moment, everyone was focused on monitoring the data. Just now, they had detected an energy fluctuation reaching level seven, but it quickly disappeared.

Clearly, the evil creatures were up to something. Why else would a level seven energy fluctuation appear and then vanish without a trace?

...

"It smells so good!" Old Zhang's nose was exceptionally sensitive, like a dog's. Although the comparison might not be flattering, it was accurate.

Lin Fan stared at the steaming bear paw, his eyes shining, drool dripping from his mouth.

"Xiao Bao, this is bear paw. We've had it before. It's really delicious. Eat more later, so you can grow taller."

He liked to share good things with his good friends.

Xiao Bao looked at the steaming bear paw. Honestly, he didn't dare to eat it. He had seen where it came from: that terrifying evil creature whose head Lin Fan had exploded, then chopped off its limbs with a kitchen knife. The bloody scene had shocked Xiao Bao's young heart.

He didn't dare to eat.

He didn't even have the slightest desire to.

Lin Fan skillfully divided the bear paw among his friends: one for Old Zhang, one for Xiao Bao, one for himself, and of course, one for the hen.

"Hen, this is for you. You contributed the most. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have thought of such a good plan. Eat it while it's hot. It's best when it's piping hot."

Such a friend, who knew how to share good things, was the kind whose friendship many envied.

The evil rooster looked at the bear paw in front of it, a drop of chicken sweat slowly trickling down.

It had been forced into a corner.

These foolish humans must have suspected something. It was a clever evil creature, a hero among evil creatures. It knew the principles of being undercover: when suspected, never panic, and always use your intelligence to resolve the situation.

The camping atmosphere was peaceful.

But for the evil rooster, it felt fraught with danger.

The bear paw in front of it was its way to prove it wasn't a traitor. The humans' intention in offering it the bear paw was to make it consume the flesh of its comrade. What a terrifying test! And even more terrifying was the fact that its fellow evil creatures were watching.

To eat or not to eat?

But honestly...it did smell good.

Cluck! Cluck!

The evil rooster crowed, its message clear:

"I'm not a traitor! I'm undercover! Everything I'm doing is for the future of evil creatures! My endurance and sacrifice deserve your respect!"

Lin Fan stroked the hen's head and smiled. "I know you're happy, but we're friends. I never forget my good friends when I have something good."

The evil rooster lowered its head, tears of humiliation streaming down.

"Steel Bear, I hope you can forgive me."

Then, the evil rooster's head bobbed like a machine gun, tearing and biting at the bear paw. Even a split beak couldn't stop it. Everything it was doing now was to maintain its cover.

It really was delicious.

A surge of energy flowed into its body.

Its injured beak, replenished by the energy from the evil steel bear, gradually healed.

Seeing the hen eating so happily, Lin Fan smiled. Good, as long as his friend was satisfied, that was his greatest wish. Then he looked at Old Zhang, who was holding the bear paw and tearing at it, his mouth covered in juices.

Xiao Bao stared at the bear paw but didn't touch it.

"Xiao Bao, doesn't it suit your taste?" Lin Fan asked.

He saw Xiao Bao hesitating and wondered if the bear paw wasn't cooked well. Come to think of it, he hadn't asked Xiao Bao's preference and had just steamed it. Maybe Xiao Bao didn't like it prepared this way.

"No, I'm just full. You can have it," Xiao Bao said, pushing the bear paw toward Lin Fan with a forced smile.

Lin Fan had already demonstrated his appetite by devouring the bear paw in large bites. He was still hungry. Seeing Xiao Bao's insistence, he didn't say anything more and picked up the bear paw, eating it in big mouthfuls. It was truly delicious, even better than the last one.

"Lin Fan, I can't finish it. I'm so full," Old Zhang said, handing the remaining half of the bear paw to Lin Fan. He rubbed his round belly. He hadn't even eaten much, but he was already stuffed. Even though he wanted to eat more, he couldn't force himself.

In the distance...

The evil creatures roared.

Traitor!

Traitor!

They had seen the evil rooster eating their comrade right in front of them. This was unforgivable.

Roar!

The roar of an evil liger echoed through the mountains and rivers. Its powerful body radiated explosive strength. The surrounding evil creatures obediently made way for their king.

The evil liger glared angrily ahead. Without a word, it charged towards Lin Fan. The tragic death of the evil steel bear had shown them that this human was powerful.

It wasn't afraid.

Among the evil creatures, it was considered strong. Its father was a tiger, and its mother a lion. The wind was strong that night, and the rain was heavy. They had sheltered from the storm in the same cave. A fire burned within, and a bolt of lightning split the night sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder.

The rest followed.

Some things just happen naturally.

With the head of a lion and the body of a tiger, its fur was golden, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. It moved with incredible speed, its imposing manner intimidating. Its roars shook the earth.

The Yanhai City monitoring department immediately detected the energy fluctuation.

"Energy fluctuation reaching level nine."

"This is an extremely powerful evil creature."

The monitoring department members exclaimed, analyzing the energy fluctuation and calculating various data. Then, they exclaimed again.

"The energy fluctuation is still rising. It has reached the highest threshold of level nine."

If the energy fluctuation continued to increase...

It would reach the city-protector level.

When the one-eyed man heard the news, his expression turned serious. Damn it, what were the evil creatures doing? Hiding outside the city, what were they planning?

Continuously emitting energy fluctuations, were they trying to lure them out?

This wasn't advantageous for them. Without any buildings for cover, they would be completely exposed. The evil creatures could attack from all directions. While it might not be a problem for him, it would significantly increase the danger for the other members.

Destroyed city buildings could be rebuilt.

But if people died, they were gone forever.

Sun Xiao held his phone and exclaimed,

"Look what I see! That golden evil creature! I've never seen anything like it, except maybe in some picture books."

His exclamation made the viewers in the livestream hold their breath.

Then the barrage exploded.

Everyone was asking what kind of evil creature it was. It was so dazzling, like a moving sun.

Sun Xiao's voice trembled:

"Everyone, this is an evil liger, a hybrid offspring of two evil creatures. They are extremely rare. In the animal kingdom, it's the offspring of a lion and a tiger, with a survival rate of only one in five hundred thousand. Even among evil creatures, there's only a one percent chance of survival."

"But every evil liger is a terrifying existence."

"They have no weaknesses and are considered the most perfect type of evil creature."

"We're in danger."