Chapter 289: Chapter 289

The decision to transform the three major cities into A-level combat zones was quickly delivered to the public, notifying the residents of the disaster-stricken city to leave the disaster area as soon as possible. The authorities would provide rescue assistance within three days, after which the military would completely enter the combat zone, cease broad rescue operations, and begin a circle-tightening assault on the Magic Beasts.

This announcement prompted heated discussions, but since the Seven Great Families had previously made such decisions, people could only lament for the victims in the city, praying that they would receive military aid during the Magic Beast Tide’s resting period. Many help posts appeared online, sharing the experiences left by predecessors, informing them how to self-rescue and find safe places to hide.

However, for the victims in the disaster area, it was like a bolt from the blue. The feeling of suddenly being abandoned filled their hearts with infinite despair. The surrounding severed limbs and bloody corpses constantly reminded them of their impending fate. They weakly scavenged food from damaged packaging on the ground to relieve hunger and dragged their injured and immobile relatives, trudging step by step toward the outskirts of the city.

A passing Flying Magical Beast unfolded its enormous and magnificent wings, its sharp fangs swooping down and tearing open the skull of a mother holding an infant. The gliding position of the flying beast dragged the mother’s body for more than twenty meters, leaving only the cry of the infant ringing out in the warm embrace that held him tight until death, playing an unquenchable lament for this disaster.

Soon after, a young, clear voice resonated in the ruins. A fresh-faced young man in a red, white, and black baseball jacket jumped down from a medium-sized Magma Hunting Dog. He quickly ran to the corpse of the mother and carefully cradled the crying infant into his arms.

The infant had a pair of bright doe eyes that closely resembled those of the young man. Lightly touching the infant’s soft cheek with his index finger, the young man couldn’t help but click his tongue lightly, "Such a fragile life."

"Little Zhe! Watch out above!" From behind, Xi Pingzhe’s teammate shouted a loud warning. Xi Pingzhe raised his eyes and saw a Flying Magical Beast diving at him from the sky!

Xi Pingzhe smirked disdainfully, and his Magma Hunting Dog leapt up, biting the Flying Magical Beast and pinning it to the ground. The scorching lava spewed from its mouth instantly engulfed the Flying Magical Beast!

"Just an E-level, too weak." Xi Pingzhe cradled the crying infant, flipped onto the back of the Magma Hunting Dog, "Let’s go, back to the air-raid shelter!"

The air-raid shelter was a product from the early days of dungeon turmoil. However, now with underground dungeons rampant, air-raid shelters were no longer good hiding places. Many shelters had collapsed or were buried. Finding a somewhat safe air-raid shelter to hide and wait for rescue was indeed fortunate.

"The notice is out, after three days of rescue time, Qing City, Hong City, and the Sealed City will be transformed into A-level combat zones." On the way back to the air-raid shelter, a middle-aged male teammate said to Xi Pingzhe.

"Three days?" Xi Pingzhe frowned slightly, "How many people can be saved in three days?" The source of this content ɪs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥

"It seems they’re planning to give up; we need to leave as soon as possible, or we’ll easily be trapped in the city." Another teammate added, "If an A-level Magic Beast Tide breaks out here again, we won’t be able to handle it with our capabilities."

"You should go first when the time comes, I’ll stay." Xi Pingzhe waved his hand, "My brother’s unit will arrive soon, I’ll join the military for search and rescue, having Magic Beasts makes transporting the wounded more convenient."

Several teammates exchanged glances, then shrugged helplessly, "All right, be careful."

The group headed towards the air-raid shelter they previously found, where they had gathered immobile injured people over the past two days. Some of the injured chose to stay voluntarily to care for them, searching nearby for food, water, or medicine.

"We need to find a wet nurse for this child." Xi Pingzhe teased the infant in his arms. The crying infant, seemingly tired, gently gripped Xi Pingzhe’s index finger into its mouth, the tearful doe eyes drowsily fixating on Xi Pingzhe.

"Isn’t formula enough instead of a wet nurse?"

"Which do you think is easier to find, a wet nurse or formula and bottles?"

"I don’t think either is easy to find," a teammate replied, "Wait a minute, doesn’t that mean we also have to find diapers for him?"

"Babies are so much trouble..."

The group chatted as they planned to try their luck at the collapsed nearby supermarket. Suddenly, they felt a tremor on the ground. The Magma Hunting Dog seemed to sense something and immediately started to run.

"It’s a B-level Magic Beast!" Xi Pingzhe’s face darkened, "Two B-levels! Quick, quick find a hiding place!"

Upon hearing this, the teammates’ hearts tightened, and they immediately ran towards the nearby ruins to find a safe hiding spot out of the Magic Beasts’ line of sight.

Clutching the infant tightly, Xi Pingzhe rode the Magma Hunting Dog at full speed over the ruins. Although the Magma Hunting Dog was not very large, it was not easy for it to squeeze into the nearby hole in the ruins. His gaze hurriedly swept around, and he quickly spotted a hole that would allow the Magma Hunting Dog to slip through with surprise.

"Go!" Xi Pingzhe led the Magma Hunting Dog to squeeze inside. Meanwhile, the two B-level Lion Deer Beasts also stepped into the ruins, strolling casually through the city, sniffing the air now and then, seemingly searching for edible prey.

Xi Pingzhe saw through the gap the two B-level Lion Deer Beasts, and inhaled sharply, muttering in his heart, "This is so unfortunate, why is it the Lion Deer Beast!"

The control skill of the B-level Lion Deer Beast is extremely formidable. Once trapped by its fourth skill—the Golden Liquid Cage, one would be toyed with like a cat playing with a mouse, either suffocating to death or being tortured slowly to death...

They must not be discovered...

He focused intently on the Lion Deer Beasts, not daring to breathe deeply, hoping to wait for them to leave this area. However, the two Lion Deer Beasts suddenly jumped onto a nearby ruin at the sound of a magic beast’s wail, making it clear that not only humans are avoiding the Lion Deer Beast, but low-level magical beasts are also hiding themselves.

The continuous wailing of low-level magical beasts made the Magma Hunting Dog tremble slightly, and Xi Pingzhe firmly pressed on it, soothing its panicked emotions. However, due to his excessive focus on the state of the Magma Hunting Dog, Xi Pingzhe ignored the baby in his arms—

The cry of the beast startled the baby into sudden crying, turning Xi Pingzhe’s face pale. He suddenly looked up to see a B-level Lion Deer Beast charging toward him!

"Damn it." Xi Pingzhe immediately tucked the baby into the Defense Helmet and tossed it to the Magma Hunting Dog beside him. He crawled out of the hole and, facing the rapidly approaching Lion Deer Beast, drew an A-level knife to confront it!

The sharp blade left a scar on the Lion Deer Beast, and the injured beast instantly had its ferocity triggered, launching a sound wave attack toward Xi Pingzhe!

The immense force of the sound wave sent Xi Pingzhe flying thirty meters away. He only felt a jolt in his head, then spat out a mouthful of blood, with blood also seeping from his nose and ears. Gritting his teeth, he shouted "Rock King," and the Magma Hunting Dog rushed out of the hole, running toward Xi Pingzhe.

Xi Pingzhe leaped onto the back of the Magma Hunting Dog, his gaze fiercely meeting the B-level Lion Deer Beast head-on. He knew well that only by fighting fiercely could there be a chance of escape.

B-level magical beast, merely B-level...

Xi Pingzhe tightly gripped the A-level dagger in his hand, with his fingertips almost piercing his palm. The opponent was only three times larger than an adult lion. With an A-level armor and an A-level knife, coupled with B-level strength, a desperate fight wasn’t impossible—

The young man with the baby face was full of killing intent, and the murderous aura honed in the instance made his momentum soar. The Magma Hunting Dog leaped up with him, as the young man dove onto the back of the Lion Deer Beast, stabbing hard with the A-level knife in his hand!

"Roar—" Feeling the threat on its back, the Lion Deer Beast violently twisted to throw Xi Pingzhe off. The golden light glinted faintly on the antlers atop its head, and in the next moment, a massive blob of metallic liquid suddenly appeared, enveloping the still airborne Xi Pingzhe instantly!

"Shit!" Xi Pingzhe’s face turned blue; how could it use the fourth skill right from the start! It’s not fair!

The Lion Deer Beast lightly stamped its foot, and the metallic liquid transformed into an irregular gap cage, trapping Xi Pingzhe within. Clearly, it didn’t intend to let Xi Pingzhe suffocate to death but wanted to toy with him for a while.

This undoubtedly gave Xi Pingzhe a chance to fight for survival. He swung the A-level knife, slashing fiercely at the cage bars, intending to cut through the cage and escape.

On the side, seeing its Contractor trapped, the Magma Hunting Dog, bare teeth, ran at the Lion Deer Beast to buy time for him.

"Rock King, no!" Seeing this, Xi Pingzhe shouted, knowing the Magma Hunting Dog couldn’t possibly beat the Lion Deer Beast, and it was undoubtedly a death sentence. But after giving Xi Pingzhe a deep look, the Magma Hunting Dog still chose to risk its life, assaulting the Lion Deer Beast!

The Lion Deer Beast glanced indifferently at the Magma Hunting Dog, not taking this C-level magical beast seriously at all. As the Magma Hunting Dog charged forward, it merely raised its antlers slightly, and a metallic spike, two meters long, shot toward the Magma Hunting Dog’s chest.

The Magma Hunting Dog immediately spewed out a pillar of lava to counter the impact of the metal spike, but then another B-level Lion Deer Beast, having finished its hunt, also aimed a metal spike at the Magma Hunting Dog!

Xi Pingzhe, eyes reddened, roared, his gaze trembling with uncertainty on whether to open his eyes and face the tragedy caused by his weakness, or keep them closed, unable to bear witnessing the fate of his contracted beast.

Just as the metal spike side-charged, about to pierce through the Magma Hunting Dog’s rib cage, suddenly, an unidentified object fell from the sky with a "thud"!