Chapter 165: Thunder!

Chapter 165: Thunder!

It was clear that Sky City's officials took this event seriously; they had specially dispatched three of their ace teams, along with several TV reporters, lighting technicians, and cameramen. At first glance, it looked like an entire film crew had gone out to shoot a movie, rather than a night hunt.

When Xing Yuan brought Lu Yan, who was an irrelevant person, along, he initially stood out. However, no one paid him much attention as the group sat in the aircraft, all busy adjusting their equipment.

Luoyang, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted Lu Yan sitting next to Xing Yuan. "Captain, you didn't even introduce us to your new brother."

Xing Yuan knew that the chatterbox Luoyang would ask. He sat down in his seat, lowered his gaze to straighten his cuffs, and didn't bother explaining too much. "His name is Lu Yan. He'll be joining us for the night hunt later."

Upon hearing this, Luoyang dug into his ear, somewhat surprised. "Joining us? That's so dangerous. Stray beasts don't have eyes, and if they accidentally injure him, that wouldn't be good."

In his heart, he thought Xing Yuan must have lost his mind to bring someone along in such a situation. When things got hectic, who would have time to look after him? One misstep could cost him his life.

Lu Yan also felt it made sense. Why would he tag along while Xing Yuan and his team carried out their mission? He nodded repeatedly. "I've never been in this kind of situation before. If I end up causing trouble for you, it wouldn't be good. Maybe I should just go back down."

Xing Yuan glanced at him sideways, his tone cool. "The aircraft has already taken off. How do you plan on going down? Jump out?"

He wouldn't need the stray beasts to kill him; he'd die from the fall himself.

Lu Yan perfectly embodied what it meant to be a fragile, useless vase. He stuttered, "But fighting is so dangerous."

Xing Yuan didn't even bother lifting his eyelids. "Of course it's dangerous if you follow them, but following me means there's nothing to worry about."

With his strength, protecting ten Lu Yans would be more than enough.

Strangely, Xing Yuan used to despise people who were timid and useless, yet he surprisingly had the patience to reassure Lu Yan several times, leaving Luoyang and Yan Feng staring in shock.

Was this still the same Xing Yuan who couldn't utter a kind word?

When they privately organized night hunts in the past, there was a group member whose skills were too poor, often dragging the team down. Xing Yuan's vicious tongue had left the person in tears, and they never appeared again.

"A waste isn't your fault, but being a waste and holding others back is shameful. The stray beasts would feel embarrassed to be killed by someone like you. They should have rotted away in their nests!"

Those were Xing Yuan's exact words, which anyone would call heartless and cruel.

That group member, despite their poor skills, seemed stronger than the pretty boy by Xing Yuan's side. They only knew Xing Yuan had a bad temper, but they didn't expect him to be so hypocritical.

Yan Feng kindly suggested, "There's a TV camera crew behind us. You can let Lu Yan stay with them later. It's safer with more people around."

Xing Yuan thought that Lu Yan could see him hunting from beside him, so he didn't object when he heard this.

The seats in the aircraft were arranged like those in a subway car, facing each other with an aisle in the middle. A male reporter sat next to Lu Yan, looking quite familiar. It seemed he was the same person who had been making a fuss on the defensive wall that day. He was engrossed in watching videos on his phone, scratching his head and muttering, "Really... why do others have so many fans..."

Although his phone volume was low, it was set to speaker mode. Lu Yan found the video interface on the phone somewhat familiar. After watching quietly for a moment, he realized it was his own video account.

Lu Yan: "? ? ?"

After a subtle moment of silence, Lu Yan unexpectedly struck up a conversation. "You watch this streamer's videos too?"

Xu Pin Yan was on a mission this time. Not only did he need to restore Sky City's official reputation, which was on shaky ground, but he also had to increase the number of followers. But what sounded easy was difficult to achieve. Seeing Lu Yan's video views and follower count filled him with envy and resentment. Without raising his head, he said, "Little Lu the Exorcist, who hasn't watched his videos? His popularity is soaring right now. It's just that he updates infrequently and doesn't engage in marketing. If he hired a professional team to manage his account, reaching tens of millions of followers would only take a few months."

As Xu Pin Yan spoke, he sighed more and more, eventually putting his phone away. Turning his head, he saw a handsome man staring at him, quite unfamiliar. Instinctively, he asked, "Are you also from the Special Abilities Zone?"

But he had met everyone from Teams One, Two, and Three, and he hadn't seen this person before.

Lu Yan gave an awkward smile. "No, I'm just here to join in the fun."

After saying this, he added, "Just a little assistant."

Xu Pin Yan looked at him appreciatively. "You're brave. Our frontline reporters need your courage in the face of difficulties. You can help them later. There are so many special ability users nearby; nothing bad will happen."

What he said was true. Ever since the Red Sun phenomenon disappeared, there weren't many high-level stray beasts in Devil City anymore. Ordinary people could rush forward and kill them with a gun. Sending out the ace teams was mostly for show to demonstrate the officials' stance; in reality, they didn't need so many people.

So Xu Pin Yan chose the contaminated area as the shooting location for the sake of visual effects.

"No, no, no. That angle won't work. It's not shocking enough, and the special abilities aren't visible. You need to turn sideways and attack. Let's try another take!"

Below the ruins of a building in the contaminated area, Xu Pin Yan had set up a temporary shooting studio. Sitting in front of the lens, he shook his head repeatedly, extremely unsatisfied with the visual effects.

Chong Yuan, who had retaken his position on the rooftop twenty times, was so angry that his face turned livid. Unable to hold back, he cursed, "Are you fucking crazy? I'm a wind user. Of course, my special ability is invisible! Another take my ass. I can redo it, but can the stray beast listen to you and redo it? It's already run away. Am I supposed to kill air?!"

After saying this, Chong Yuan jumped directly off the rooftop, refusing to continue filming.

Xu Pin Yan said, "This is also for the sake of visual effects. Come, come. Since wind abilities are invisible, let's switch to... let's have a fire user step up instead."

He didn't dare command Xing Yuan, swallowing his words at the last second.

The other team leaders exchanged glances upon hearing this. This was the first time they had heard that hunting stray beasts could be staged. At a critical moment, the director, who had gone to squat in the woods due to diarrhea, finally returned. Seeing Xu Pin Yan sitting in front of the lens, giving orders, his anger flared, and he kicked the chair under Xu Pin Yan's butt, tilting it. "You're just a reporter. Is shooting your job? Get out of the way. Night hunting involves the special ability teams actively pursuing stray beasts, with us following behind to record. What the hell are you doing staging shots? Do you think we're shooting a TV drama?!"

It could be said that professionals were different. The director dismantled the temporary studio and found several cameramen to set up in high positions, ensuring that every possible path had a camera to capture the scene. Only then did he allow the special ability teams to freely pursue the stray beasts.

Xing Yuan casually moved his neck, producing a series of bone-cracking sounds that made one's teeth ache. He told Luoyang and the others, "Same as usual. I'll be in one group, and you'll be in another."

He disliked working with others; it was troublesome.

Upon hearing this, Luoyang glanced subtly at Lu Yan, who was not far away. "What about your little lover? Should he stay with the TV people?"

Xing Yuan raised his eyebrows faintly. "There are no special ability users in the TV crew. Of course, he'll be with me."

After saying this, he extended his long arm, directly pulling Lu Yan to his side. "During the night hunt, you'll stay by my side. Don't wander around, understand?"

Lu Yan thought that if he encountered a stray beast, he couldn't control his conditioned reflexes. "I'll only cause trouble if I go. I'll just stay here with the TV people and wait for you."

He really didn't want to go.

Xing Yuan said, "No, you must come."

He wanted Lu Yan to see how cool he looked when he killed stray beasts.

The birth of anything in the world follows its own laws; there is black and white, yin and yang. If deities created hell, then surely paradise must exist. When wanderers wreak havoc among humanity, paragons are born to counter them, hailed as successors of the divine.

As night falls, silence reigns supreme. Dark clouds shroud the moon, while abandoned buildings are overrun by sprawling green vines. Yet, these vines are soon flattened under the swift passage of black silhouettes.

Paragons, each claiming their own street, dart through the darkness. Their heightened sixth sense allows them to detect the presence of wanderers. With abilities unleashed from their hands, the horde of wanderers, drawn out by the scent of humans, are obliterated into dust before they can close within three meters. Agonized shrieks echo intermittently.

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth—the abilities, wrapped in dazzling light, streak across the sky like a meteor shower, a breathtaking spectacle. Yet, it pales in comparison to the awe-inspiring force of wind and thunder combined.

"Boom!"

A bolt of lightning suddenly tears through the dark canopy, followed by rolling thunder. Xing Yuan stands atop the ruins, his hands forming intricate seals. Blue currents swirl around him, and a vast shadow expands behind him. His expression cold, his obsidian eyes reveal a barely perceptible tinge of crimson upon closer inspection. The swarm of wanderers, sensing the air's oppressive aura, scatter in panic but are reduced to ashes by Xing Yuan's web of thunder, not even allowing time for a scream.

Suddenly, another group of wanderers approaches from the left. Without a glance, Xing Yuan snaps his fingers, causing the lightning to explode outward like fireworks, annihilating the group in an instant—a blatant display of skill.

Lu Yan stands nearby, applauding enthusiastically. "Awesome!"

Though Xing Yuan remains silent, a faint smile tugs at his lips. Unaware of his own peacock-like demeanor, he is both proud and showy.

Teams Two and Three, nearby, are speechless. Nie Zhuguang tactfully speaks up. "Captain Xing, you've killed all the wanderers. Shouldn't you leave some scraps for your brothers?"

Xing Yuan thinks that such matters are based on ability. If one is incompetent, they cannot blame others for not letting them have a share. However, since he is in a good mood today, he dismisses the issue. "I'll leave the rest for you. I've hunted enough."

Relief washes over the others. After all, a zero in night hunting would be too embarrassing. They cannot let Team One hog all the glory.

Nie Zhuguang and Chong Yuan signal their team members, who immediately continue their search ahead. The camera crew follows, leaving Team One's members standing in place.

Xing Yuan leaps down from the ruined building, remembering after a few steps that Lu Yan is still up there. He is about to return to fetch him when, unexpectedly, Lu Yan agilely jumps down from the seventh floor, displaying impressive acrobatics.

Xing Yuan frowns slightly, sensing something odd. After all, no ordinary person could leap from the seventh floor unscathed. Unaware of Xing Yuan's thoughts, Lu Yan approaches. "Aren't you continuing the hunt?"

His smile is warm and bright, striking a chord with Xing Yuan's aesthetic. Thus, he momentarily sets aside his suspicions, casually replying, "I don't bother with mere mosquitoes."

Those wanderers, unable to even form a proper shape, are only appealing to Teams Two and Three.

Luoyang leads his team over, comparing numbers as per tradition. "Hey, I hunted fifty today. Quickly, quickly, besides Xing Yuan, is anyone higher than me?"

Yan Feng shakes his head. "I got forty-something."

Ning Que says, "I got forty-two."

Everyone reports their numbers, generally ranging from thirty to forty. When it comes to a young man, his pale face flushes red as he stammers, "I... I'm sorry, I only got eight."

Compared to the seasoned veterans, he clearly lacks experience, his results quite "meager." As captain, Xing Yuan indifferently shifts his gaze, not bothering to acknowledge him—much like a teacher selectively ignoring students whose grades are beyond salvaging.

At the time, Lu Yan finds it strange that Xing Yuan doesn't unleash his usual sarcasm, uncharacteristic of him. Later, he learns that the young man is the sole son of the General Director, specially transferred to Team One for "polishing."

Luoyang pats Zhuo Qun on the shoulder, offering consolation. "It's okay, it's always like this the first time. You'll improve with practice. Captain didn't even scold you."

Zhuo Qun glances secretly at Xing Yuan's profile, his ears red as he whispers, "Captain, I will work harder next time."

Xing Yuan doesn't spare him a look, his brows furrowing in impatience. "Next time, go directly with Team Two. Team One doesn't need beginners."

He actually wants to say that Team One doesn't need incompetents, but he restrains himself somewhat for the General Director's sake. Unfortunately, even the most refined words from Xing Yuan's mouth cannot change the harsh truth. Zhuo Qun's face instantly pales, swaying unsteadily.

Luoyang feels it's unnecessary, discreetly nudging Xing Yuan's arm. Lowering his voice, he teases, "Enough, you even brought your little lover along. At least Zhuo Qun got eight."

Implying that Lu Yan hasn't hunted any.

Hearing him defend Zhuo Qun and, in turn, slight Lu Yan, Xing Yuan lifts his eyelids to look at him, raising a brow. "Didn't you say that a little lover is fine as long as they're good in bed? What's there to compare?"

Lu Yan isn't a member of Team One, so Xing Yuan has no reason to demand anything from him. Besides, although he can't kill wanderers, he excels in other areas—looks and bedroom skills. It's called specialization.

Xing Yuan can find seventeen or eighteen strengths in Lu Yan to overshadow Zhuo Qun.

Confused, Luoyang wonders if he's hallucinating. "What did you just say?"

Has Xing Yuan gone off the rails? Has he really? Surely?

Looking at Luoyang's bewildered expression, Xing Yuan finally understands something. "No wonder BoBo dumped you."

Shocked, Luoyang exclaims, "What?!!!" Damn it, how did it become personal?!

"Explain yourself. What do you mean BoBo dumped me? Clearly, I was the one who dumped him! I have eight suitors in my contact list. Do I need to be dumped...?"

Fuming, Luoyang stutters as he speaks. Suddenly, a piercing scream of anger echoes from the distant darkness, piercing their eardrums painfully. In that moment, almost everyone instinctively covers their ears, retreating several steps in agony.

"Quickly retreat!! There's a big one in the contaminated area!!"

Teams Two and Three, who were originally continuing their hunt, suddenly rush over in a panic. They appear disheveled, pale, and bear various injuries. A pure-white humanoid bird with a human face chases them relentlessly from behind, emitting the piercing shriek.

"Beeep Beeep Beeep! Warning! Warning! T5-level wanderer detected! T5-level wanderer detected..."

Their waist-mounted detectors suddenly blare frantically. Hearing the alert, their faces turn grim. The highest known level of wanderers is only T4. When did a T5 emerge!

"Hurry up and provide support!! Teams Two and Three can't hold on! Lu Yan, Zhuo Qun, get on the aircraft immediately!"

In a flash, several dark figures dash forward to assist. However, the white humanoid bird suddenly surges upward, tracing a parabolic arc high into the sky. Its black-red eyes rotate, then it dives straight toward Lu Yan and Zhuo Qun's location.

It smells it—a particularly delicious human.

Wanderers don't eat their own kind, so the humanoid bird selectively ignores Xing Yuan.

Seeing the situation, Lu Yan's expression changes slightly, surprised that the strange bird would suddenly target him. Swiftly, he pushes the stunned Zhuo Qun aside and rolls away to dodge the giant bird's attack. Sand and debris fly everywhere, making it hard to keep one's eyes open.

Luoyang shouts anxiously, "Bad news! It's flying toward Lu Yan!"

Seeing the humanoid bird heading in Lu Yan's direction, Xing Yuan's heart races with alarm. His face darkens, and he clenches his fists in mid-air, summoning a dense cluster of lightning to blast the wanderer. However, before he can act, a deafening clap of thunder rumbles across the sky—

"Rumble!!!"

A bolt of thunder suddenly descended from the cloud layer, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day. The source of this overwhelming power, however, was not Xing Yuan, but Lu Yan, who had been presumed an ordinary man from afar. Witnessing the anthropomorphic bird extend its blood-red tongue in an attempt to devour him, he was finally forced to make his move. With lightning speed, he formed seals with his fingers, conjuring a thunderous array that summoned bolts from all directions. Pillars of light fell from the horizon, forming a cage that precisely entrapped the monstrous bird within.

In that fleeting moment, lightning flashed and thunder roared, rendering the world colorless.

The oppressive aura of a true powerhouse swept over them, nearly suffocating the crowd. They stared wide-eyed at the spectacle before them, collectively falling into a state of utter shock.