The jagged, broken shaft pierced through the monster's brain, extinguishing its final spark of life—yet even in death, its momentum remained.
Like a living cannonball, its massive frame came crashing down, slamming Lin Qiye violently to the ground.
In truth, the only reason Lin Qiye had been able to slay the creature was his unnaturally acute dynamic vision and the divine might of the Seraph. His physical strength had not improved in the slightest. The beast weighed no less than two hundred kilograms—there was no way he could free himself quickly with mere brute force.
To make matters worse, after forcibly invoking the Seraph's power, Lin Qiye felt utterly drained, as though every last ounce of energy had been siphoned from his body. His limbs were limp, his head spinning.
And at that moment—the second monster, hidden in the shadows all this while, stirred at last.
The silent predator lurking in the distance finally bared its fangs.
It surged forward on all fours, weaving through flickering lamplight, its silhouette twisting like a specter in the dark. A crimson tongue writhed grotesquely in the air.
Lin Qiye saw its movements with perfect clarity—but in his current state, dodging was impossible. All he could do was watch, helpless, as those gleaming fangs hurtled toward him.
When the creature was but two meters away, Lin Qiye's pupils contracted.
Within the reach of his perception, a presence—faster than the beast—was closing in.
A figure.
A human being.
Whoosh—!
In a sudden blur, a shadow fell from the night sky, landing with both feet firmly on the ground. A gust of wind rose with him, lifting his blood-red cloak and revealing the profile of a middle-aged man.
Neither handsome nor particularly plain, he looked like any ordinary uncle you might pass on the street—so unremarkable that one might overlook him entirely.
But in his eyes burned a lethal resolve—sharp and blinding, like unsheathed steel.
He crouched slightly, fixing his gaze on the monster now barely a meter away, his right hand steady on the hilt of the blade slung across his back.
"Ting—!"
A crisp note rang out as the blade slid free. Pale blue steel shimmered in the moonlight, slicing the air in a swift, silent arc.
A plain, unadorned straight-blade.
Its edge carved a gleaming crescent as it clashed with the creature's claws, a shower of sparks bursting forth on impact.
With a low growl, Zhao Kongcheng's muscles tensed as he stepped forward fiercely—forcing the hulking monster, a beast as massive as a brown bear, to stagger back.
Lin Qiye stared in disbelief.
He had battled that monster himself—knew firsthand the terror of its strength. And yet this man had driven it back in a single strike?
Who was he?
Zhao Kongcheng didn't pause. The moment he pushed the creature back, he pressed forward with uncanny footwork, moving like a shadow that clung to its prey. His blade flashed again and again, slashing jagged wounds across the monster's body.
The beast shrieked in fury, its venomous gaze locked onto Zhao Kongcheng. Its elongated, spear-like forelimbs rose, aiming to skewer the infuriating human.
But two brilliant arcs of light sliced through the air—the limbs fell, severed.
Before it could scream again, a chilling glint lit up Zhao Kongcheng's eyes. His blade swept in a lightning-quick strike toward the creature's neck.
The pale blue steel passed cleanly through flesh and sinew. The next moment, the monster's head spun into the air—
—and hit the ground with a dull thud, rolling lifelessly.
"Click—!"
The blade returned to its sheath. The dark red cloak was soaked in blood, but so similar was the hue that one wouldn't notice unless they looked closely.
Zhao Kongcheng spared not even a glance at the corpse. Calmly, he drew a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and pulled out his radio.
"Two ghost-faced targets neutralized. Call in cleanup."
Then he stowed the device away and walked unhurriedly to Lin Qiye, who had just managed to get up.
The two stood in silence, facing each other amidst the pools of blood, shadows long in the moonlight.
Time passed.
Finally, Zhao Kongcheng broke the stillness, unable to contain himself.
"…Was I cool just now?"
Lin Qiye: …
He stared at the man's eyes for a moment, then replied, deadpan: "Cool."
"Damn right," Zhao Kongcheng grinned. "Wanna be as cool as me?"
"No."
"…Why not?"
"Too dangerous."
Lin Qiye's tone was serious.
Zhao Kongcheng was momentarily speechless. "But you saw it for yourself—you've got powers people only dream of. Don't you want to be like a superhero?"
"No."
"…Because it's too dangerous?"
"Exactly."
Zhao Kongcheng rubbed at his temples. This kid… was hard to handle. And yet, here he was—dragged into this mess, gifted with terrifying power.
"Alright then. This isn't the place to talk. Let's go somewhere quieter." He paused, then added, "By the way, my name's Zhao Kongcheng. I'm not the bad guy."
"Lin Qiye." Lin Qiye blinked and nodded obediently. "I believe you. Wait here—I need to grab my schoolbag. My notes are still in there."
"…Go on." Zhao Kongcheng waved, a little exasperated, and sat on the curb.
Any other person would've been scared out of their wits by now. But this kid? He was worried about homework.
And more importantly—he had just been rejected.
Seriously?
He had pulled off every move in his arsenal! Those last few strikes were practically cinematic!
He hadn't gone this hard even when sparring with the Captain…
Speaking of which—how was the Captain? That masked king was no pushover…
Zhao Kongcheng sat there without a shred of dignity, cigarette dangling from his lips, lost in thought.
Something's off.
A beat passed. Then, in a flash, he shot to his feet and looked around in a panic—
Where the hell did the kid go!?
Zhao Kongcheng stood frozen for a dozen seconds, mouth agape, unwilling to believe what had just happened.
"…That little brat ran away?!"
"Big bro, why are you home so late?"
Yang Jin looked up at the weary Lin Qiye, puzzled. "Where's your cane?"
"I ran into something on the way," Lin Qiye replied, forcing a smile as he slipped off his shoes. "It broke."
To keep his brother from noticing the scar at his temple, Lin Qiye wound the black ribbon back over it. The cane really had snapped—and rather than bring it back and worry the family, he had left it behind.
"No worries. We'll get a new one… Did you handle it?"
"Yeah. It's done."
From the balcony, Xiao Heilai scurried over, rubbing against Lin Qiye's leg before flopping down and exposing his belly.
Lin Qiye crouched, absently rubbing the dog's stomach. "Auntie's not back yet?"
"Mom's on the night shift. She'll be home in the morning."
"Got it. Finished your homework?"
"Almost."
"So much homework in middle school… totally insane," Lin Qiye muttered, then added, "If you're tired, just leave it. If the teacher complains, I'll deal with them."
Yang Jin smiled. "I'm nearly done."
Lin Qiye nodded. "I'm wiped. Gonna turn in. You sleep early too."
"Okay."
Dragging his tired body into his room, Lin Qiye was about to close the door when Yang Jin called out again.
"Bro… Are you really okay?"
"I'm fine. Sleep soon. Oh—there's milk in the fridge. If you wake up early, heat some up."
"Got it, bro."
"Night."
"Night."
The door closed softly. Yang Jin stood outside, hugging Xiao Heilai, gazing at his brother's room.
He gently stroked the dog's head. "You felt it too, didn't you?"
"Woof!"
Lifting his eyes to the dim moonlight beyond the window, Yang Jin murmured:
"There's a scent of blood on him…"