Xiao Feng chambered a round into the Black Angel, then stepped boldly to the threshold of the Dark Dragon Cult's cavernous stronghold. Raising the rifle with unwavering resolve, he switched it to rapid-fire mode. In the pitch-black depths of the cave, he pulled the trigger—unleashing the first shot.
A thunderous bang shattered the silence. He hadn't bothered with a suppressor—every ounce of the Black Angel's devastating power needed to be preserved. The sleek bullet, spinning violently with trailing sparks of light, whistled through the air and pierced the eye of a grotesque beast. A sharp crack followed—its skull erupted in a burst of bone and brain.
Xiao Feng's brow furrowed as he stepped forward and fired again. A second monstrous creature collapsed with a shattered head.
Rain and the two mercenaries, along with the shadowy pack of wolves, followed Xiao Feng into the ominous cavern. Gunfire rang out in rhythmic bursts as one massive creature after another crumpled before them. In that moment, Xiao Feng resembled a reaper cloaked in wrath, emerging from the abyss to harvest the lives of creatures that never should have existed in this world.
The Black Angel alone could barely penetrate the hide of D-class beasts, yet here it was dispatching C-class monsters with chilling ease. But the truth lay deeper.
Each bullet that left the barrel was seized mid-flight by Xiao Feng's psychic force—infused with his mental energy, granting it immense propulsion and deadly precision. With the power of thought layered atop the rifle's force, the rounds tore through eye sockets and burst through skulls with surgical cruelty. In this synergy, he had achieved the power to slay C-class monsters in a single shot.
Rain and the others, ignorant of this mental amplification, could only stand frozen in awe, the icy wind tearing at their backs as wonder and terror rooted them in place.
But the wolves did not hesitate. With a chilling howl, Bai Bai surged forward, leaping to Xiao Feng's side. Xiao Feng mounted swiftly, and together they charged, leading the savage pack into the mouth of the beast.
Bai Bai tore through the enemy like a living battering ram. The C-class wolves followed in a frenzy, each movement brimming with bloodlust, falling upon the enemy like a tide of darkness.
Mounted atop Bai Bai, Xiao Feng continued his relentless barrage, shooting down one beast after another, aiding the wolves in their merciless extermination.
As Rain and the others ventured deeper into the cavern, the cold began to abate. They desperately wished to support Xiao Feng—but their own strength was too meager to be of any use.
Rain's brows remained tightly knit. All she could do was worry—about Xiao Feng, about the wolves, and about the memory of his embrace that still lingered like a phantom warmth against her chilled skin.
Xiao Feng fired again and again, even as Bai Bai's furious charges made targeting difficult. Yet each shot found its mark—one bullet, one kill.
Just when Xiao Feng believed their tactics might prevail, a monstrous figure erupted from the shadows.
It was enormous—built like a living tank—and it barreled into Bai Bai with terrifying momentum. Despite Bai Bai's B-class strength, the collision hurled the white wolf through the air.
Bai Bai cried out mid-flight as Xiao Feng was flung from its back. He twisted in the air, stabilizing himself with uncanny grace, and unleashed a flurry of shots toward the behemoth.
But the bullets sparked harmlessly against its armored hide. They couldn't even scratch it.
Landing deftly, Xiao Feng looked up—and beheld the true form of their foe.
A monstrous, grotesquely obese lizard, clad in natural armor so thick it resembled forged steel. Its bulk was staggering—like a sentient armored vehicle, complete with protrusions like jagged stones adorning its head, granting it devastating ramming power.
If not for the vastness of the cavern, such a creature could not have moved at all. Yet as Xiao Feng took in the smooth, artificial walls of the cave—walls like those of a concrete bunker—realization struck. This wasn't a natural formation. This was a corridor… of a military facility.
But that truth no longer mattered. What mattered was the enemy before him.
Bai Bai, bloodied but defiant, rose with a low snarl. Its eyes locked onto the hulking reptile, and with a feral cry, it lunged again.
But the monster was no dull beast. It spun in place with surprising agility—its massive tail lashed out like a battering whip.
With a thunderous crack, Bai Bai was sent flying once more.
The rest of the wolf pack howled in fury and charged, but the lizard stood like a living bastion in the heart of the cave, its rumbling growl betraying no fear.
Behind it, an army of beasts surged forward in a counterattack. The two feral forces collided with an ear-splitting roar, locking in a brutal struggle of fangs and claws.
Xiao Feng watched the carnage unfold, his brows knitting tightly. The chaos, the scale of the beasts—how could he possibly stop this?
Each time Bai Bai rose, it was slammed down again, the pain plain to see. Xiao Feng's heart ached for the creature.
Though no solution presented itself, he rose to his feet without hesitation and charged toward the fray.
Behind him, Rain cried out in alarm, her voice trembling: "Xiao Feng—!"
He turned to glance at her—this pure-hearted girl who worried for him—and offered her a fleeting smile.
Then, without another word, he dove into the heart of the storm, leaping once more onto Bai Bai's back, and from there—into the air, straight toward the monstrous lizard.