Chapter 1 (Part 2) – A Dream and a Monster
"Feng," Wei Wen nudged with a sly grin, "look up ahead."
Luo Feng followed his friend's gaze.
In the crowd by the school gate walked a slim girl with a ponytail, wearing light blue jeans and a white polo shirt. Her steps were gentle, quiet. Her expression calm, eyes looking ahead. The sunlight brushed her long hair with a soft golden sheen.
Xu Xin.
Luo Feng's heart skipped a beat. A name etched deep in memory flashed through his mind.
Luo Chen, beside him, noticed the change in his cousin's expression.
'So it's her again,' Luo Chen thought quietly.
Back in their first year, Luo Feng and Xu Xin had shared a class. Since then, even though they'd barely spoken, Luo Feng had never forgotten her. Luo Chen, naturally observant, had known about his cousin's secret crush for years.
"I told you to go for it," Wei Wen teased. "There's only a month left until the college entrance exams. You gonna let her disappear without even saying a word?"
Luo Feng shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Without the Fighter title, there's no point. I can't be distracted now."
Beside them, Luo Chen remained silent.
He understood. This world — Earth, in the age of monsters — wasn't one where soft emotions survived easily. Romance, dreams… they were luxuries for the strong.
> [Sign-in complete.
Location: Xu Xin's presence detected.
Reward: +10 Mental Energy, Partial Memory Unlocked — Sovereign Sword Technique: Formless Flow]
Luo Chen's pupils flickered faintly. Again, no one noticed.
Just ahead, a group of five students stood out in the crowd. In the center was a tall youth dressed in white — Zhang Hao Bai. The pride of the Zhang family. Strong, rich, arrogant. And bitter.
The moment Zhang Hao Bai saw Luo Feng, his expression darkened. He gave a low hmph and turned away.
Luo Chen saw it all. The twitch in Zhang Hao Bai's jaw. The way his fingers flexed instinctively, as if recalling pain. The hatred in his eyes, suppressed but burning.
'Still holding a grudge from that beating in the dojo, huh?' Luo Chen thought.
Zhang Hao Bai may have forgotten one thing — Luo Feng hadn't even gone all out that day. Luo Chen knew. He had watched. And even if Zhang Hao Bai took revenge… he would never touch Luo Feng as long as Luo Chen lived.
The three continued walking.
Cars rolled by. Electric now — cleaner, quieter. The smell of gasoline was long gone. The city looked peaceful.
But peace was a thin skin stretched over a world of monsters.
"BEEP — BEEP —" a nearby car honked twice.
Wei Wen grinned. "Still can't believe we're only a month away from the big exam. After twelve years of studying, it's all coming down to this."
"Yup," said Luo Feng, nodding. "Even if I have the dojo's elite title, I'm not settling for a security job."
Luo Chen glanced sideways.
'He doesn't even know how far he'll go…'
Luo Feng's ambition was just beginning.
And then —
"ANG — —"
A sudden, deafening cry shattered the sky.
It wasn't thunder.
It was sharper. Piercing. Monstrous.
Luo Feng's expression froze. His hand instinctively shot to his ear.
Wei Wen staggered a step back.
Even Luo Chen's gaze sharpened.
Above them, high in the atmosphere — past the 500-meter city defense perimeter — a colossal shadow flashed across the sky.
BOOM!
Shockwaves rippled downwards. Windows cracked. Glass rained from nearby buildings. Screams erupted as bystanders scattered for cover.
A sheet of glass hurtled toward Luo Feng.
"Watch out!" Wei Wen cried.
But before anyone could react, Luo Feng moved — catching the shard mid-air with a quick snap and tossing it effortlessly into a nearby trash can.
"KUANG DANG!"
A perfect throw.
People around them stared in disbelief.
"Nice," Wei Wen muttered, trying to act cool despite his pale face.
Luo Chen didn't move.
He hadn't needed to.
The moment the eagle screamed, his mind had already processed the entire trajectory of the glass, the wave patterns, and every potential impact zone.
He simply watched — silently — like a sovereign observing a storm.
Above, cutting through the clouds like a god of death, flew the Black-Crowned Golden Eagle.
Twenty meters long. A wingspan like a warplane. Feathers that gleamed like metal.
Its presence blanketed the city in dread.
"That's…" Luo Feng looked up.
Wei Wen was practically shaking with excitement. "The Black-Crowned Golden Eagle. Top 3 among eagle-type monsters! Adults can fly at Mach 3.9 — that's nearly 1,326 meters per second!"
Luo Chen said nothing.
But his pupils followed the eagle with perfect clarity, calculating its path, its energy radiation, and — most importantly — its weakness.
'Feather pattern… vibration signature… curvature of the beak. The crown is shielding something. Most likely a sensory organ. Interesting...'
> [Analysis complete.
Species: Black-Crowned Golden Eagle
Flight Speed: Confirmed Mach 3.9
Weakness: Crown Bone Ridge – Flawed Mineral Density Detected (Ke Luo Alloy < Tier 2)]
'So that's how the mystery warrior killed it in the video,' Luo Chen mused.
Wei Wen continued, awestruck. "There's a clip online where a 20mm Vulcan cannon fires 7,000 rounds per minute at one. Not a scratch! And then this blade-wielding martial artist came out of nowhere — sliced the eagle clean in half!"
Luo Feng's heart raced.
So did Luo Chen's.
But not out of fear.
Out of excitement.
'Soon,' Luo Chen thought. 'One day… I'll fly above these monsters. Not just to fight them — but to conquer the universe beyond them.'
"Feng! Snap out of it. We're almost home," Wei Wen said.
The South Coast sector was just ahead — rows of old government apartments. Concrete, narrow balconies, and laundry lines flapping in the wind.
Their home for 18 years.
As Luo Feng stepped forward, still dreaming of one day earning the title Fighter, Luo Chen followed behind — quiet, calm, and knowing:
His true path had already begun.