A piercing beam of white light shot into the distance, illuminating a dark figure a hundred meters away. Caught off guard by the sudden glare, the creature instinctively squeezed its eyes shut.
Without hesitation, Rice activated the trigger on the laser cannon. A resonant buzz filled the air as a crimson beam shot forth, streaking toward the panther. Yet the beast, its instincts sharpened by countless battles, swiftly veered right. The beam narrowly grazed its left haunch, missing its skull by mere inches.
A blood-curdling roar tore through the night—the six-legged panther had been enraged. It pivoted sharply, now charging at the vehicle from the flank.
"Lin, lock onto the target!"
Lin answered with grim resolve. "Understood."
He fired up the off-road vehicle with expert precision, maneuvering it as though it were an extension of himself. The headlights once again caught the beast in their blinding glare.
Rice unleashed another shot. This time, the laser cannon struck true, hurling the panther to the ground in a violent tumble. Yet it refused to fall—mortally wounded, yes, but not defeated. Its uncanny speed had made a clean kill nearly impossible.
"We've got a problem," Rice muttered. "The cannon's down."
A wry smile played across Xiao Feng's lips. "Who said it's useless?"
As if anticipating this very scenario, he pressed his palm to the cannon's energy port. A surge of current coursed from his body into the weapon. Slowly, the power gauge began to rise.
Just then, Lin shouted, "Heads up! It's charging again!"
Xiao Feng turned. There it was—the six-legged beast, staggering but resolute, lunging toward them once more. Though its steps faltered, and its eyes were clouded with pain, the fury in its snarl remained undimmed.
Xiao Feng glanced at the energy gauge—still below half. He and Rice swiftly adjusted their aim, tracking the beast's erratic trajectory.
The beast drew closer—ten meters, eight, five...
Buzz—another shot fired.
A red beam lanced through the darkness and struck the panther again. It tried to dodge, twisting its face away at the last moment. But the blast tore across its left cheek and seared into its shoulder. The two-meter-tall, nearly four-meter-long monstrosity now bore twin gaping wounds, black blood oozing from its charred flesh.
Under the brutal glare of the headlights, the panther staggered and collapsed with a final, agonized howl.
Xiao Feng drew the black alloy blade from behind his back. Without hesitation, he leapt down from the vehicle, swiftly crossing the ground to face the beast as it struggled to rise, hatred burning in its glassy eyes.
The panther snarled, baring its fangs at Xiao Feng, as though it still believed it could drag him into death's embrace.
Holding the blade firm, Xiao Feng murmured, "You creatures should never have set foot in this world. You belong to the abyss—and I shall return you there."
In a flash, he vanished from the panther's front, appearing at its side. His left hand gripped the beast's neck fur, and with a clean thrust, he drove the alloy blade into its throat.
Under the pale light, his motion was swift, surgical. The blade sank to the hilt. Then—crackling—electricity surged from his body into the weapon, which conducted the current deep into the creature's frame. The six-legged panther convulsed violently, writhing under the electrical assault. Moments later, it lay limp, twitching feebly in a pool of its own blood.
But Xiao Feng showed no mercy. With a grim expression, he pressed down, slicing clean through the beast's windpipe.
From the off-road vehicle, Rice and Lin looked on as Xiao Feng calmly dismembered the creature. Lin lit a cigarette, handing one to Rice.
"Xiao Feng's getting more formidable by the day."
Rice exhaled smoke thoughtfully. "That brat's picked up a surprising arsenal of powers. I can't figure out how his body holds so many."
"Abilities aside," Lin replied, "his ruthlessness is what sets him apart. He's got talent. I'll take him to meet our leader at Kill in a few days."
"Your boss? Who?"
Lin grinned. "That's a secret. If you really want to know... join Kill."
Rice laughed heartily. "I've got my own mercenary group. Hunting beasts, bagging trophies—it's enough to survive. Why sign up for a life of blood and blades?"
As they spoke, Xiao Feng had already slit open the panther's abdomen. When he pulled back the thick hide, a faint glow seeped through the entrails.
He smiled. The soft green radiance was unlike the blue hue of previous magic crystals. Reaching in, he extended his fingers toward the light.
But at that moment, Rice noticed a pulsing orange-red dot on his watch display, drawing near at an alarming speed.
"What's this red-orange marker?" he asked.
Lin took a drag on his cigarette. "That means... a Class-D magical beast."
Rice furrowed his brow. "A D-class?"
"What?" Lin's voice sharpened. "You serious? A D-class is coming this way?"
His casual demeanor evaporated in an instant. "Damn it! You should've said so earlier! We can't handle that kind of monster!"
Then he shouted to Xiao Feng, who was just retrieving the green magic crystal. "Xiao Feng! Move! A D-class beast is closing in fast!"
Still basking in his triumph, Xiao Feng snapped to attention. With a swift leap, he landed back on the vehicle, the reek of blood still clinging to him.
Rice climbed inside as well. Lin slammed the ignition. The black four-wheel-drive roared to life. Tires screamed against the earth as the vehicle executed a tight spin, kicking up a cloud of dust before tearing off into the night, fleeing the predator that lurked just behind the darkness.