Chapter 87

Chapter 87

"Thank you all for your efforts in Gufstvela. The monsters around the city have been completely eradicated..."

Compared to previous meetings, the atmosphere in the venue was much more relaxed this time. Ao Qi glanced around at the exhausted crowd, raised his glass, and offered words of gratitude.

After setting down his glass, he gestured for the bearded man to also say a few words of thanks.

As the bearded man spoke, Luo Ci sat in Roland's arms, curiously eyeing the various alcoholic beverages on the table. A Sentinel's physical capabilities were enhanced to their peak, making food less essential for them. Most Sentinels preferred alcohol for its stimulating effects on the nerves.

"Bring me a bottle of BALLANTINE and a bucket of ice," Sha Ni Lu called to a staff member.

The staff quickly fulfilled Sha Ni Lu's request. Luo Ci watched as Sha Ni Lu skillfully poured the liquid into a glass.

The amber liquor reflected the dazzling glow of the chandelier above. With a gentle swirl, the settled hues shimmered like polished cat's eye stones, while the clinking of ice against the expensive glass produced a pleasant sound.

Luo Ci's ear twitched at the sound of the ice, and she tugged at Sha Ni Lu's sleeve with her tiny hands. "What's this?"

"Alcohol," Sha Ni Lu replied, amused by the little one's interest. He wasn't in a hurry to drink anymore, instead teasingly swirling the glass in front of her. Her round eyes followed the movement of the glass, making him chuckle. "Come sit with me and I'll give you a taste."

Feeling the child squirm in his arms, Roland tightened his grip and glared expressionlessly at Sha Ni Lu. "Children shouldn't drink alcohol."

Sha Ni Lu tsked. "So strict. A little sip won't hurt."

"Roland is right. Children shouldn't consume alcohol," Zhong Shijin chimed in, noticing the commotion. He signaled a staff member to bring beverages suitable for children.

Gufstvela was evergreen all year round, and since it was abundant in flowers, many drinks incorporated petals. For example, the cheese cup brought by the staff contained jelly flowers, looking absolutely beautiful.

Luo Ci's attention was instantly captured. Blinking her big round eyes, she fiddled with a small spoon, trying to scoop out the petal jelly from the cheese cup.

The sight of the little one puffing out her round, baby-soft cheeks in concentration as she played with the spoon melted the hearts of many who were secretly watching.

Chen Wang, hands in his pockets, had been discussing something with Ao Qi when he suddenly sensed something and turned his gaze in a certain direction. "It seems we have guests arriving."

Ao Qi was puzzled, but less than two minutes later, a staff member stumbled in from outside. "Monster wave! There's a monster wave outside!!"

The relaxed atmosphere in the room vanished instantly.

Was this the "guest" Chen Wang had mentioned? Ao Qi's expression turned grave. "Where?"

The staff member stammered, "H-heading this way!"

Monsters appeared randomly, and no one could predict their location. By the time they were spotted, they had already formed a horde, surging toward them like a tide.

The resort hotel was owned by the bearded man, who was very familiar with the premises. He instructed his subordinates to operate a control panel, and the walls of the hall gradually turned transparent, revealing the distant scene outside.

The walls were made of high-strength, transparent reinforced glass.

On the opposite shore of the lake, a dense swarm of monsters writhed, twisting and tearing at each other while emitting horrifying, shrill cries that made everyone's skin crawl.

The lake was no barrier for the monsters. Without the need to breathe, they plowed through the water, charging toward the hotel.

The bearded man asked, "How many monsters are there?"

Aikote, responsible for Gufstvela's surveillance and aerial imaging, quickly responded, "A conservative estimate... at least ten thousand."

The room exploded into panic. Someone gasped sharply.

Ten thousand monsters!

Even in an A-class gate, such numbers were almost unheard of. This was a true monster horde.

Ao Qi remained relatively calm. After discussing with Chen Wang earlier, he had anticipated this based on the increasing frequency of monster appearances.

The bearded man, however, sighed in relief. At least the monsters were heading toward them rather than the city, where most residents were ordinary civilians. If the horde had appeared there, even with reinforcements, the city would have been devastated, possibly utterly destroyed.

Given how much effort it had taken to clear the previous monsters, many Sentinels paled at the sight of such a massive horde. In contrast, the Tansapa members were practically vibrating with excitement.

*Crack...*

Luo Ci heard a noise behind her and slowly turned her head.

A massive, two-story-tall angular-headed monster was pressed against the glass outside. Its head, encased in a bizarre diamond-shaped metal casing, streamed with water as it climbed up. Clearly displeased, it gnashed its densely packed fangs, the source of the earlier sound—its teeth scraping against the reinforced glass.

*Crack, crack...*

Even the specially reinforced glass was no match for an A-class monster, shattering like sugar glass under its bite.

The glass on one side was quickly pierced.

The bearded man, closest to the breach, snatched the twin axes from his belt—a pair of gleaming golden axes. As an ice-type Sentinel briefly immobilized the monster's forelimbs, he swung the axes at its head.

*Clang!*

The impact was like striking an impenetrable cement barrel. The bearded man staggered back, his sturdy arms numb and trembling from the recoil.

"Hell's teeth, this thing's hard!"

The monster's hide was much tougher than expected... Aikote, who often served as an analyst for the guild, noticed faint rust-red patches on parts of the monster's limbs. His wrist device beeped incessantly. Was this a mutation causing its increased durability?

While the monster was temporarily immobilized, several physically enhanced Sentinels attacked its skull with their weapons. Yet, their strikes only managed shallow gouges, failing to penetrate.

*Screee—*

After ten relentless strikes from the bearded man, a tiny fissure finally appeared in the monster's armored skull. But before he could celebrate, the monster twisted its head, shedding the damaged layer like a molting lizard.

It had only lost a layer of skin it was already preparing to shed.

Luo Ci, still curled safely in Roland's grasp, tilted her head slightly. She noticed the monster lolling its head as if selecting prey, and a vague sense of unease settled over her.

Sure enough, as if sensing something, the newly-shed monster broke free from the ice Sentinel's restraints and lunged straight for her, jaws gaping wide.

*Hssss—*

Luo Ci abruptly turned her head, clamping her fuzzy ears flat. The monster's movements suddenly fell silent. Peering with wide, liquid-blue eyes, she saw Chen Wang standing nearby, slightly turned, one hand gripping the monster's skull.

The previously unbreakable skull now looked as soft as putty in his grasp.

Luo Ci only glanced at it briefly before focusing entirely on Chen Wang's face. A few strands of black hair fell over his forehead, framing his sharply angular, icy features. His dark eyes, like a lightless forest swallowing all illumination, radiated casual indifference. Yet, the faintest flicker in his gaze revealed a chilling detachment.

His murmur carried an elegance and nonchalance incongruous with the carnage around them.

"What a pity. You chose the wrong direction."

A sea of monsters crawled up from the lakebed, each at least three stories tall, their throats emitting low, rasping snarls as they attempted to overrun the resort. Their massive forms nearly engulfed Chen Wang—until their movements froze mid-action.

The horde began to decay from the head downward—skin, muscle tissue, cells—as if being methodically dissolved. With a negligent flick of his hand, Chen Wang reduced them to skeletal remains, which collapsed with a deafening crash, sending up great plumes of dust.

The bearded man's mouth fell open involuntarily. A Jin complained, "Boss works too quickly."

Luo Ci blinked her round, childlike eyes, gripping Roland's clothes, when suddenly she heard the sound of pattering rain. Looking out the window, she saw rust-colored raindrops falling from the sky, nearly blotting out the view. A twisting, rust-colored vortex swirled into view in midair.

It was the Gate—missing for nearly five days.

And it had appeared right above the resort hotel.

Coincidence or provocation...

The rust-colored Gate was dripping with venom, as if the toxins were about to spill out. With every rotation, it brought a downpour of rust-colored rain.

Like a bloody deluge from above.

Ao Qi couldn’t fathom what awaited beyond. He turned to Chen Wang and said, "It's too dangerous for you to go alone. I’ll send some Class A Sentinels with you."

The degradation rate of the rust-colored Gate was faster than they had anticipated—they only had this one chance.

Chen Wang: "Pass. I won’t have the focus to babysit in there."

He slowly removed his gloves. "But I do have one favor."

For Chen Wang to ask a favor? This was serious.

Ao Qi had a bad feeling but decided to agree anyway. "Name it. Consider it done."

"Not a single scratch on Snowball."

So that was it.

Ao Qi let out a sigh of relief. "Of course. Even across different guilds, protecting Guides is hardwired into Sentinels. We won’t let Snowball come to any harm."

Zhong Shijin glanced at the distant tide of monsters and added, "We’ll definitely keep Snowball safe."

The hall was too loud. Luo Ci pricked up her ears but still couldn’t make out what they were saying. She just caught Chen Wang’s nod, then watched him give Zhong Shijin and Sha Ni Lu some final instructions before stepping alone into the rust-colored rain. The downpour was so dense that his figure quickly vanished from sight. Frantic, she wriggled in Roland’s grip, wanting to chase after him.

She tired herself out struggling, but the little one’s chubby hands still reached in that direction, her lips quivering, fat tears welling up.

"Ge… ge…"

Roland knew Snowball was worried about the guild leader. He stroked her hair gently, soothing, "The guild leader will be fine."

Seeing Snowball whimpering, her snow-white lashes damp, A Jin’s heart ached. He chimed in, "Yeah, Snowball, the guild leader will be okay."

Luo Ci sniffled and buried her face in Roland’s chest, then peeked at Zhong Shijin.

Zhong Shijin crouched down and comforted the sobbing child. "A Jin is telling the truth."

Only then did Luo Ci slowly stop crying—she believed him.

A Jin looked crushed. "Wow, how could Snowball trust the vice-leader over me?"

Sha Ni Lu swirled his wine glass lazily and scoffed. "With your rep? You’ve got zero credibility."

"What’s wrong with my usual image?!" A Jin jumped up. "The monster tide is right here. Wanna bet again on who kills more?"

Another wave of monsters emerged from the lake. The prism-headed creatures tore off their own metal skulls and hurled them into the hotel. Toxic fumes poured endlessly from the metal casings, instantly shrouding the entire hotel lobby in a toxic haze.

"Tch." The wine glass shattered, amber liquor spilling everywhere as Sha Ni Lu’s aura turned lethal. "Bring it on!"

Another wave of monsters had arrived.

Luo Ci rested quietly in Roland's arms, her eyes darting around to observe the surroundings, knowing that staying obedient in this situation was the best help she could give.

The pendant on her chest gave off a faint glow—the Dawnlight Core had been activated. As the toxic gas spread, flecks of light formed a transparent white shield around her.

The gas filled the venue, visibility dropped sharply, as if they had plunged into a sea shrouded in thick mist. Some unprepared sentinels inhaled the fumes, dropping to their knees in pain. Ao Qi remained composed, coordinating attacks against the monsters while distributing isolation masks to those without protective gear.

Glass shattered nearby. Luo Ci turned her head and saw a blurry, doll-like monster pressed to the glass, holding dozens of red balloons in its hands.

The balloons drifted in through the cracks, exploding one after another.

The toxic bursts sent struggling sentinels into hallucinatory delusions, some even attacking their own teammates.

"Wake up already." A Jin snapped his fingers, a gust of wind erupted that instantly cleared the poisonous fog. Luo Ci's eyes darted around—earlier, the gas had been too thick to see anything, and she had been deeply worried about the Tansapa members.

But now, it seemed the toxins had no effect on them. She relaxed a little in relief. Across the lake, thunder roared as Sha Ni Lu had already plunged into the monster horde.

Zhong Shijin stood by the lakeside, repeatedly freezing the vast lake. The monsters within were crushed and shattered in the cycle of freezing and thawing.

Yet, some airborne swarms still approached the resort hotel from above, tossing balloon dolls down one by one. The gas quickly engulfed the building again, leaving those inside disoriented, unable to tell up from down.

A Jin rode the wind straight into the flying horde, his arm piercing through the skull of their leader. Wind blasted through its skull as he shouted Sha Ni Lu’s name. In an instant, lightning answered—Sha Ni Lu’s thunderbolts ignited the wind blades, setting off a massive explosion.

"Boom—"

The flying horde was pushed back—for now.

But time passed, and the monsters returned like an endless tide of locusts, wave after wave.

"Ah… this is exhilarating!" Sha Ni Lu’s eyes blazed with frenzied gold, reveling in the surge and expenditure of energy. Whenever he felt himself slipping, he would return to the little one’s side—the only place that kept him sane.

Unlike the Tansapa members’ enjoyment, most sentinels were far from pleased. Those below S-class struggled as their bodies reached their limits from overexertion. Many gasped for air, their limbs trembling—a clear sign of exhaustion.

The hall reeked of rot and blood, littered with the corpses of monsters and comrades alike. Many had grown numb, swinging their weapons mechanically in the toxic, blood-soaked haze.

Just as everyone was nearing their breaking point, the monster horde surrounding the resort suddenly vanished.

The rust-red rain ceased.

Ao Qi and the others sharply lifted their gazes, while Luo Ci blinked in confusion. A crimson figure emerged from the swirling rust-red vortex.

Chen Wang’s black hair was stained red with blood, his coat dripping with it at every step. His presence radiated a terrifying, unrestrained ferocity. The rhythmic thud of his boots against the ground matched the sharp, golden intensity of his eyes—wild yet perfectly balanced by his cold expression.

Behind him, the entire rust-red gate slowly melted away.

It was like watching a figure stride out of an oil painting, vivid and surreal.

This was nothing like an S-class sentinel.

The silence was deafening. Many couldn’t even stand, lying flat on the foul-smelling tiles, staring wide-eyed at the scene. Even the bearded man, sprawled on the ground with bruises and a cigar-strewn face, strained to keep his eyes open, watching in awe.

Zhong Shijin stepped forward to meet him.

"Where’s the monster?" Ao Qi asked, referring to the boss of the warped gate.

Chen Wang tilted his head slightly and tossed a bag at him, smirking. "Right here."

Ao Qi’s breath hitched—inside was nothing but a handful of crystallized cores.

The S-class gate had truly been cleared by Chen Wang alone.

Witnessing this scene, even though he had mentally prepared himself, Tu Lang was still deeply shocked.

He couldn't help but murmur, "The difference between us is too great."

Xie Yin supported the swaying Tu Lang. "Don't worry, Chen Wang is about to lose control soon. No one can stop him."

Tu Lang said, "But Little Snowball is an S-class guide..."

Xie Yin shook his head. "That won't help. Chen Wang is an SS-class sentinel."