Chapter 203

Chapter 203

On the summit of the volcano, once covered in silver frost, a monster with outstretched wings screamed at the earth below, declaring "I have arrived."

The world dimmed, leaving only this fiery presence visible.

The remaining snow instantly vaporized into white smoke, and red lava surged from the volcano's mouth.

Given the professionalism of the Special Operations Group members, it would be a foolish mistake to mislabel an S-level threat as A-level. Even if they didn't recognize it, the aura was unmistakably different.

Thinking about how the Black Mask Organization had computer geniuses who lacked combat skills but excelled in logistics, Ji Xinghai seemed to understand something.

He slowly drew his upgraded weapon, a silver-blue long knife resembling a saber. As he activated the mechanism, the long knife transformed into a longbow within moments.

Triggering the hidden energy stones, three faintly blue arrows appeared at his fingertips as he drew the bowstring with his other hand.

A wave of air churned around the metal giant. The man and the bird faced each other across a distance of a kilometer.

"Despicable! It must be that damned Black Mask Organization interfering!"

The world's attention was focused on this live stream. Even at ten times the speed, there were always viewers who caught every crucial detail, aided by countless sharp minds analyzing and speculating. These spectators understood the situation better than the other students inside.

"In the holographic world, all high-star monsters are born in certain secret realms. Like the Night Owl couple, these monster nests are usually intercepted by high-ranking members of the Special Operations Group immediately upon appearance, preventing them from successfully birthing. Yet here, an S-level monster has managed to emerge?"

"It seems the Black Mask Organization has significant influence within the Special Operations Group's lower ranks. They could intercept information about this S-level secret realm, downgrade its rating, and selectively send it to Ji's map."

"Hmm? Was it selectively sent?"

"A clear fact: A-level monsters often attract more than one hunter. Previously, someone always appeared alongside Hai Brother's mech, but due to the mech's deterrent power, they had to withdraw. This time, only Hai Brother arrived alone. Something strange is definitely going on."

Their analysis heightened the tension among the already confused viewers. Although this wasn't the first S-level monster encountered, recalling the three-headed snake with its mindless heads, which was hard to look at, and now seeing this firebird that dominated the scene upon birth, the difference was stark.

Moreover, last time, many people were needed to take down the three-headed snake. This time, it was just Ji Xinghai alone.

Not to mention, there was a despicable team lurking in the shadows, making this a nightmare start.

However, those who had studied Ji Xinghai's equipment and skills remained optimistic. The silver-blue mech maintained its composure even in unexpected situations.

Another reason for optimism was that Ji Xinghai hadn't fully revealed himself, keeping many of his spoils undisclosed. Perhaps some of these spoils contained skills and equipment useful in this moment.

If A-level monsters were regional lords, then S-level monsters were undoubtedly the kings of the monster world.

Even the dull three-headed snake showed remarkable power when united against external threats. This newborn firebird, despite having wings spanning merely twenty to thirty meters, emitted heat intense enough to melt steel, scorching the air.

Ji Xinghai drew the bowstring, gathering immense force at his fingertips.

The minerals he brought from the Night Owl nest were sold, except for the top-tier ones, which he kept to craft his current weapons and energy stones. Though it cost him considerable contribution points, it gave him the confidence to face an S-level monster.

From the summit to the foot of the mountain, the distant pressure from the powerful opponent was palpable, and the arrows in his hand were ready to launch.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz."

The firebird finally moved, letting out a cry to the sky. With a gentle flap of its wings, the awakening volcano spewed golden lava amidst rolling black smoke. The intense flames on the firebird's body seared the eyes of anyone who dared to look directly.

Though Ji Xinghai was in the mech, shielded from the blinding light, he still felt uncomfortable.

As the firebird radiated brilliance, the temperature around the mech soared, causing a buzzing sound from the cockpit's slight vibrations.

Prepared energy released a thin, constant-temperature layer outside to protect both the mech and the pilot inside.

Ji Xinghai remained motionless. The energy field around the monster was full and egg-shaped, making it difficult for his three arrows to penetrate. He needed to wait until it truly took flight, during which there would be a few seconds of energy disruption and reformation, the perfect moment to strike.

The mech, with the bowstring fully drawn, waited for the moment the arrows would release.

To outsiders, it seemed the silver-blue mech was paralyzed by the S-level monster's overwhelming presence.

Though the hidden observers were also stunned by the spectacle, they harbored a peculiar disdain: the top-ranked student was nothing special.

They had deduced the true identity of Rank 101 from multiple sources, identifying him as a 'Chosen One' from an obscure academy called the Hungry Academy.

Despite being a civilization in decline, they had a history of designing mechs to resist dimensional monsters emerging from the sea. Thus, this person had gained early recognition from mech designers, allowing him to master these metallic beasts sooner.

This explained why the top-ranked student could lead so far, thanks to his luck and experience with mechs.

But the cautious leader had set up intricate traps, even using the S-level monster nest, considered the top resource by the predecessor, the Black Hats.

With such arrangements, even the top-ranked student would leave his life here.

In those few seconds, the firebird moved. Its wings stirred the wind, disrupting the energy field into a scorching storm. The volcano roared, and lava boiled. As the firebird prepared to ascend, a sharp whistling sound approached. In its black eyes, a blue glowing point appeared.

The arrows left the bow, blades unsheathed, carrying immense energy. In an instant, they reached the firebird.

Though a newborn monster, fighting was innate. Despite not recognizing the arrows, it instinctively controlled energy to defend and destroy the threatening objects.

The three arrows attacked from different directions. The newborn monster king cried out, accompanied by erupting lava. Superheated temperatures swept the sky, melting the metal signal tower atop the volcano into liquid. However, the arrows glowed brighter, encased in ice crystals.

If this attack failed, another would follow. It flapped its wings, generating swirling winds. Red lava and hissing steam wrapped around the rapidly spinning tornado, aimed at the arrows.

Finally, the central arrow turned into white mist upon encountering the energy vortex. The two remaining arrows soon followed suit, dissipating into mist.

"Whoosh—"

The firebird, now above the volcano, let out a triumphant cry. In that instant, it sensed a cold killing intent from the mist. Before it could react, a long knife descended from above.

Breaking through the mist and lava, the reaper with his long knife was already before it. "What's happening? I can't see anything, damn it." The hidden observers crouched at the foot of the volcano, watching the eruption, black smoke, and golden bird light, along with the boiling red lava.

The silver-blue mech had moved, firing three arrows and then rushing into the lava and smoke with its transformed long knife. From their vantage point, they couldn't discern what was happening inside.

"Unbelievable, the S-level monster is so powerful it triggered a volcanic eruption. That city at the foot of the mountain is probably doomed."

One person looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, and this was just the beginning. Who knew how it would end? Would there really be a full-scale volcanic eruption? No one knew how long their high-temperature protective suits could hold up.

Of course, they didn't know that the biggest difference between an S-class monster and an A-class monster is that S-class monsters come with natural disaster attributes. Their appearance is always accompanied by the fury of nature.

The earthquake from the three-headed serpent and the volcanic eruption from the firebird follow the same principle. That's why the Special Operations Group's first priority upon discovering a high-level monster's lair is to deal with it before it emerges.

Even if they can't solve the problem, the Special Operations Group will certainly notify the people at the foot of the mountain to evacuate in time.

But this time, due to the Black Mask's concealment and subsequent series of chaotic actions, the people in the city at the foot of the mountain could only hastily drive away—entering a safe shelter wouldn't help much if the volcano erupted.

"NPCs, they'll die anyway." Another person squinted at the activity on the volcano, cursing, "Damn game, killing an NPC actually got me a wanted notice, forcing me to hide all over the place, damn it."

"Why did you kill an NPC for no reason? NPCs can't... Ah! Ahh, get out of the way!"

The little rats hiding in the corners were scared out of their holes, fleeing in all directions. It turned out that the mech and the firebird were tearing each other apart as they rolled down from the summit, landing right where they were.

"Whoosh—" The feather-scattered firebird struggled to flap its wings, finally breaking free from the metal restraints and flying several meters. As a ranged magic user, it was foolish to engage in close combat with such a steel brute.

But just as it flew that short distance, the metallic giant leaped up like a cat, extending its claws and pouncing on the firebird, dragging it down and slamming it harshly onto the trembling mountainside.

Immediately, lava surged forth even faster.

In the real world.

"...” The head of the JiuZhou Command Unit turned to look at his fat cat, which was secretly scratching its butt.

Perhaps he was overthinking it, but Ji Xinghai's pounce on the firebird was almost identical to how his fat cat tormented the neighbor's parrot.

The stunned firebird, disoriented but not backing down, nailed the mech's arms with its claws and spat a burst of intense flames at the cockpit.

The mech giant promptly broke off the arm caught by the bird's claws, and above the fracture, a crystal released a blue energy shield, barely blocking the ray that could melt the cockpit.

Then it pressed the struggling firebird down with its knee, and as the bird prepared for another blast, it pulled out its other relatively intact arm, grabbed one of the bird's legs, and twisted it backward, breaking it.

The firebird choked on a mouthful of hot air, its health bar plummeting once again. Just before it went berserk, a metal tube with a clamp extended from the broken arm, grabbing the firebird's neck and slamming it repeatedly into the ground.

It happened so fast, leaving only a blur.

At this point, the firebird's health was below 30%, while the silver-blue mech's broken arm was mostly melted through, exposing its intricate internal structure, looking far worse than the firebird, likely with less than 20% health left.

"Tough guy, no wonder he made it to the top of the rankings." The mech, connected to the body, prioritizes flexibility, and its components are linked to the pilot's pain receptors. When the mech's arm was broken, the pilot felt the exact pain. And the large burn holes in its body...

"Stop musing, the opportunity is here!"

A severely wounded S-class monster and a damaged mech—the latter's value has dropped significantly, but the employer didn't specify it had to be intact. The entire Black Mask team, except logistics, was mobilized for this moment.

"Move!"