Chapter 31: The Golden-Rank Leader

Xu Han moved swiftly through the streets of Mulintown. Before long, he reached the outskirts of the settlement. Gazing down, he saw the tide-like surge of exotic beasts below. The wisest choice now was to lay low; if these creatures discovered him, it would be a death sentence. Fortunately, their target was Donghai City—they had no time to concern themselves with stray humans nearby.

With nimble leaps, he landed lightly on the roof of a three-story building, intending to rest there for a moment. But suddenly, a powerful aura washed over him. He turned his head.

Approaching from a distance was a golden tiger, massive as an elephant, each step making the earth tremble as if a small earthquake had struck. Trailing behind the golden tiger were two more colossal beasts. One resembled a lion, the other a tiger, but the latter boasted a sharp horn atop its head. The lion was entirely crimson, its mane roaring with flames.

Xu Ye narrowed his eyes. “Could this be the golden-rank leader hiding deep within Mulintown?” He activated his Eye of Appraisal to examine the giant feline:

[Name: Earth-Splitting Tiger King (Gold Rank Leader)]
[Race: Tiger Clan]
[Level: ???]
[Skill 1: ???]
[Skill 2: ???]
[Skill 3: ???]
[Skill 4: ???]
[Skill 5: ???]
[Skill 6: ???]

As expected, it was the golden-rank leader! Xu Han thought to himself. Even though his Eye of Appraisal had reached level 2, he still couldn’t pierce the depths of this leader’s power. He then turned to the horned tiger beside it:

[Name: One-Horned Demon Tiger (Silver Rank Leader)]
[Race: Tiger Clan]
[Level: ???]
[Skill 1: ???]
[Skill 2: ???]
[Skill 3: ???]
[Skill 4: ???]

Still, the details were hidden.

He then looked at the flaming lion:

[Name: Blazing Fury Lion (Silver Rank Leader)]
[Race: Lion Clan]
[Level: 25]
[Skill 1: Flame Jet LV.1 (Spews fire at opponents, inflicting a burning status; cooldown: 1 minute)]
[Skill 2: Scorching Heat LV.1 (Enters a heated state, doubling the power of all skills for 10 seconds; cooldown: 5 minutes)]
[Skill 3: Flame Storm LV.1 (Summons a storm of fire to attack enemies, inflicting continuous damage for 10 seconds; cooldown: 4 minutes)]
[Skill 4: Lion King’s Roar LV.1 (Lets out a fearsome roar; weaker enemies who hear it are thrown into terror and cannot use any skills for 3 seconds; cooldown: 1 minute)]

A level-25 silver-rank leader—its fighting power was terrifying! Any ordinary player caught in its flames would be reduced to dust in an instant, and yet it was the weakest of the three. Around them surged hundreds of elite-ranked exotic beasts. Without powerful defenders, Donghai City would surely fall! Xu Han sighed inwardly. But such matters were beyond his reach; he could only wait quietly on the rooftop. If Donghai were to fall, he’d simply go to another city. He had only just crossed over into this world and felt little attachment to Donghai. It was only a pity about that apartment.

...

On the eastern walls of Donghai City, the city’s defenders stood in grim formation. Cannons lined the parapets, ready for battle. On the square below, thousands upon thousands of garrison soldiers stood with weapons at the ready, awaiting the inevitable clash. In their eyes, excitement and fear mingled—but above all, there was resolve. The unyielding determination to defend their home, no matter the cost.

Lord Mayor Li Zhentian ascended the wall. General Chen Gang, commander of the garrison, strode over and raised his right hand, palm inward, to his chest—a military salute. Li Zhentian returned the gesture in kind, his expression grave.

“What’s the situation?” he asked solemnly.

Chen Gang’s face was grim. “According to our scouts, the vanguard of the beast horde is less than five kilometers from Donghai. In about five minutes, they’ll reach the city limits.”

Li Zhentian nodded slightly. “Do you see our old friend?”

With a wry smile, Chen Gang turned to gaze into the distance. That immense golden figure was approaching step by step.

“There it is, our old friend.”

Li Zhentian’s gaze grew even more somber. “It seems our old friend has grown even stronger since the last time.”

“I fear we’re in for the fight of our lives today,” he said quietly.

“If all the beasts attack at once, there can be only one outcome,” Chen Gang replied, pausing before he continued in a low voice, “the city destroyed, its people wiped out.”

Li Zhentian laughed, his smile light and free. “From the day I became mayor, I never once thought of abandoning Donghai and running for my life. If the city stands, I stand; if the city falls, I fall.”

Chen Gang grinned, punching Li Zhentian’s chest. “Drop the act! You think I don’t know you’re scared inside?”

“Have you sent for help from the neighboring cities?”

Li Zhentian rubbed his chest, glaring at him. “What do you think? Of course I have! I even sent an urgent request to the Provincial Command at Zhenhai. They should be sending several fifth and sixth-tier powerhouses. If we can just hold out until they arrive, Donghai will survive.”

Chen Gang nodded. “That’s the best news I’ve heard today.”

But Li Zhentian’s voice grew heavy. “The trouble is, it’ll take at least an hour and a half for them to get here. Whether we can last that long is another question.”

Chen Gang sighed deeply. “We’ll do our best. At the very least, we can’t be cowards.”

As they spoke, a garrison soldier approached and respectfully reported, “Lord Mayor, General—the representatives from Dragon Kingdom University request an audience.”

Li Zhentian nodded. “Bring them in.”

“Yes, sir.”

The soldier hurried away. Before long, a group of people approached, led by Zheng Zucai, with Li Yu and the others following behind. Zheng Zucai stepped forward and bowed solemnly.

“Zheng Zucai from Dragon Kingdom University, at your service, Lord Mayor.”

The others followed suit with respectful bows.

Li Zhentian waved his hand. “There’s no need for such formalities, Professor Zheng. I assume you’re here to arrange a flight out of the city? Don’t worry, I’ll see to it right away. General Liu, arrange an aircraft for Professor Zheng and our honored guests from Dragon Kingdom University.”

“Yes, sir,” Liu Qiang replied with a nod and turned to make arrangements.

But Zheng Zucai spoke up, his tone resolute. “Lord Mayor, we have come to join the defense and stand with Donghai in its time of need!”

Li Zhentian was stunned, then burst out, clapping his hands in exasperation, “Absolutely not! That’s sheer madness!”