"Is this divine punishment sent down by the Deities?"

"What did we do wrong, how did we end up provoking divine punishment to descend upon the world?"

Staring at that gigantic, nauseating, and terrifyingly bizarre monster, those who liked to worship all kinds of gods and buddhas couldn’t help having such thoughts pop up in their hearts.

While everyone else was seized by fear and started fleeing in all directions, this group of people instead dropped to their knees, muttering non-stop, no one knew what they were saying.

"Monster... monster..."

In a village not too far from the monster, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy had just finished draining the waste water from his body.

When he turned around, he happened to see that huge and ugly monster.

His heart instantly gave a jolt, his legs going weak.

He wanted to turn and run on the spot; after all, a monster that huge was absolutely not something he could possibly contend with.

In front of that monster, he figured he was just a little side dish, not even enough to fill its teeth.

At the same time, many people in the village opened their windows and looked over in his direction.

These villagers all either frowned, or looked puzzled, or had anger burning in their eyes.

"What are you yelling for?"

"You brat, disturbing me while I’m drinking—are you out of your mind?"

"Chumphon, what happened?"

"Yeah, what were you shouting just now?"

"Huh? Why is the ground trembling a bit?"

"Could it be an earthquake?"

Just as the villagers were confused, the boy, thinking everyone here was neighbors, kindly reminded them, "Everyone run, quick, there’s a terrifying monster over there!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately ran back home, ready to take his younger brother and sister and bolt.

Anyway, he’d already kindly warned them; if these people still didn’t take it seriously, then he couldn’t do anything about it.

After all, the monster was already here, and there wasn’t much time left!

"Big brother, what’s wrong?"

Two little kids came out of the boy’s house, one looking seven or eight, the other about three or four.

They had heard their brother shouting inside the house just now, so they’d come out full of confusion to see what was going on.

"The monster’s here!"

"Hurry and get dressed, we’re running toward Sheng Mei!"

The boy hurriedly helped his younger siblings get dressed, then grabbed them and ran toward the edge of the village.

The boy’s strange behavior completely dumbfounded the villagers watching.

Had this kid’s brain gone wrong or something?

Otherwise, why would he suddenly start shouting for no reason?

And now he was running out with his younger brother and sister in tow...

"What did Chumphon say just now?"

"He... he seemed to say there was some kind of monster?"

"Did this kid watch too many movies or what?"

"Haha, that’s what I think too!"

"Wait... did you guys notice there was another tremor?"

"I felt it too, my bed just shook along with it!"

"Could it really be an earthquake? Everyone hurry out and take a look!"

These villagers all thought the tremors they’d felt just now were a sign that an earthquake was coming.

So everyone immediately rushed out of their houses.

Only, once they came out, they immediately saw, just like that boy earlier, a gigantic and hideous monster slowly closing in on their village.

And as the monster moved, the quake-like tremors felt more and more real...

"M–monster!"

One villager couldn’t help crying out in alarm.

The others all stared wide-eyed, almost unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Run! Run for your lives!"

No one knew who shouted that, but only then did the villagers snap back to their senses.

And so, everyone, just like that boy earlier, frantically started fleeing toward Sheng Mei.

...

Lu Heng stood on the Shadow Beast’s shoulder, looking at the crowd of people he was driving ahead, and for a moment he was actually a bit speechless.

"Sigh! Plans really can’t keep up with changes!"

He couldn’t help letting out a sigh.

Originally, in his plan, once he ran into the Talan military, he could have the Shadow Beast log off right away.

Who could have known the Talan military would be this...

This... beyond description!

After they sent out just a few attack helicopters and a few tanks and armored vehicles, they started playing dead.

You lot are supposed to be soldiers defending your country!

How can you be such cowards?

If you’d just held on a bit longer, wouldn’t you have succeeded?

This bout of backing down from the Talan military had actually left Lu Heng in a bit of a bind.

What was he supposed to do next?

Just keep driving the crowd all the way to Sheng Mei?

Was he really going to become a damn sheepdog?

"If I’d known the Talan military was this useless, I should’ve just logged off decisively back when those helicopters showed up!"

Lu Heng regretted it so much he was pounding his chest.

Right now he really did feel a bit like riding a tiger and unable to get off.

Could the Talan military please toughen up a bit?

Send another ten or eight attack helicopters, launch another dozen missiles, and wouldn’t this show be wrapped up?

Just as Lu Heng was griping in his heart, he noticed that in the sky several hundred meters away, another attack helicopter had finally appeared.

Was the Talan military finally toughening up?

He looked around in delight...

But there was only this one damn helicopter!

And even this lone helicopter was keeping its distance, not daring to come close at all.

What he didn’t know was that the total wipeout of those five earlier helicopters and the rout of the armored unit had already scared the Talan military half to death.

When the relevant footage was sent back to the Talan capital, Banco, both the government and the military were completely stunned.

What the hell was this monster?

How could even six surface-to-air missiles not blow it to bits?

A tank shell only managed to leave a useless little hole.

Was a monster like that something the Talan military could actually kill?

The Talan military’s real strength was basically just enough to bluff their own people at home.

If it weren’t for the fact that neighboring Minma was in constant turmoil, with warlords fighting each other all year round, Talan’s military strength probably wouldn’t even compare to Minma’s.

After all, in past history, Talan had been beaten bloody by Minma more than once.

They even had several humiliating records of almost being wiped off the map.

So faced with such a powerful and terrifying monster, the Talan military just chickened out.

Instead of sending more troops forward to die and pointlessly fatten the monster up, they might as well just pull back.

Of course, the government couldn’t just sit back and let the monster rampage across Talan.

After all, this terrifying monster could grow after devouring corpses.

If it ended up swallowing all of Sheng Mei, then they really would be completely out of options.

You ask what their plan was?

Obviously, to call in backup!

Aren’t those Western countries like Eagle Country and Ox Country super interested in this kind of supernatural monster?

Otherwise, why would you be willing to send some investigation team up to northern Minma?

Well, here’s your chance again!

Such a big monster—you can take it away for free and study it to your heart’s content!

Don’t be shy!