"Human. Such a pitiful weakling. What should we do, Bro Dog?" Star asked.
Just from the sound of footsteps, Star could determine the newcomerâs species and approximate strength. Although Starâs power far exceeded Cyclopsâs, he still habitually consulted Cyclops when problems arose. After all, in Starâs eyes, Cyclops possessed much richer worldly experience.
"Donât worry about it. Iâm almost done..." Cyclops replied.
Star rolled his eyes.
Who even knew what Cyclops meant by âalmost doneâ?
The footsteps drew nearer, and Cyclopsâs âassaultâ grew more intense. Soon, an old but sturdily built man holding a hunting rifle appeared in their line of sight.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Cyclops and Star carried on with what they were doing, unfazed, while the German Shepherd beneath Cyclops whined as if it had seen a family member.
"Daddy, help me..."
The grief in its voice was so clear that even Star, who didnât understand the language, could discern it.
Seeing his âdaughterâ being âmolested,â Old Sam seethed with a fury that seemed to erupt from nowhere. He raised his hunting rifle high and roared, "You cur, let her go!"
It was unclear how Old Sam had decided Cyclops was just a pup.
Unfortunately, Cyclops remained utterly unmoved.
Then, BANG!
The lead shot struck Cyclops squarely on the head but ricocheted far away. Cyclops was completely unharmed and, in fact, his âassaultâ became even more frenzied.
Then, with two odd groans, Cyclops, as if paralyzed, slid off the German Shepherd. He lay sprawled lewdly on the ground, his thoughts inscrutable.
Freed from Cyclopsâs grasp, the German Shepherd whimpered pitifully and scampered over to Old Samâs side. Its eyes, fixed on Cyclops, held anger and helplessness, but strangely, also something else...
Seeing that his âdaughterâ hadnât suffered any physical harm, Old Sam let out a sigh of relief. Then, glaring at Cyclops, who was lying on the ground staring blankly upward, and at Star, who was eating and drinking heartily, Old Sam gradually raised his hunting rifle, his eyes flashing with fury. BANG! He fired again.
Once again, the lead shot ricocheted off Cyclopsâs hide, flying off to who-knew-where...
Old Samâs hunting rifle, though modified, was far from capable of overcoming the power disparity between Level 2 and Level 5.
Realizing his attacks inflicted no damage on the two massive mutant beasts, Old Sam, whose mind had been clouded by rage, began to calm down. He patted the German Shepherdâs enormous body and slowly retreated, rifle in hand.
However, the next second, Old Sam froze.
When Old Sam fired the first shot, Wen Yu and Kuangliu, who were not far away, had heard the gunfire.
Wen Yu had experience with firearms from his past life, and Kuangliuâs familiarity with them, naturally, needed no elaboration.
"Should we check it out?" Kuangliu asked nonchalantly.
"Thereâs no need. My soul pets can handle it." Wen Yu assumed Star and Cyclops had encountered an enemy, but the sound of the rifle fire made him lose interest in investigating. A thousand such pathetic rifles couldnât possibly harm Cyclops or Star.
"No, I was thinking, since weâve finally found someone, we could ask for some information."
"Oh..." Wen Yu drawled deliberately.
Wen Yu hadnât considered that just moments ago. Being a loner, he wasnât particularly concerned about his current location. Kuangliu, on the other hand, was clearly far more anxious to return to Cathay than Wen Yu.
"Letâs go then."
After speaking, Wen Yu slowly straightened up and then sprinted towards the source of the gunshots at extreme speed.
Kuangliu, trailing behind, was just as fast. A series of CRACKLES sounded from his body, and then, like a streak of Blue Light, he kept pace with Wen Yu.
"Who are you?"
Seeing the two Asians who had suddenly materialized before him, Old Sam felt his mind reel.
Heâd seen plenty of Asians before; there were quite a few in America. For instance, Yang, one of the leaders in the Las Vegas Assembly Site, was a Cathay national.
However, the scene became truly bizarre when one of the Asian men clapped his hands. Instantly, the two gigantic mutant beasts shrank and leaped onto his body.
Since the apocalypse, mutant beasts capable of shapeshifting, aside from Cyclops and Star, must exist!
But they were definitely not something Old Sam could have encountered.
Sensing the terrifying heat emanating from the two men, along with the imposing aura characteristic of powerful experts, Old Sam swallowed hard.
As the caretaker of a breeding farm, Old Sam had seen many people, and even more mutant beasts! Thus, he knew very well:
Humans were far more terrifying than mutant beasts!
Even the most ferocious and powerful mutant beasts, once sated, would ignore the âlittle bugsâ around them.
Powerful experts, on the other hand, might kill purely on a whim.
Noticing Old Samâs nervousness, Kuangliu offered a slight smile and spoke fluent English.
"We are soldiers from Cathay. Due to unknown reasons, weâve ended up here. Weâd like to ask you for some information."
Wen Yu observed Old Sam clutching his rifle, his expression wary and nervous. After a momentâs thought, Wen Yu decisively retrieved a third-level magic crystal from his space ring and tossed it to Old Sam.
"Payment for your trouble," Wen Yu said in halting English.
Fortunately, Old Sam understood. He first nudged the magic crystal on the ground with his foot, then quickly bent down and picked it up.
When he looked up again, a smile had returned to his face.
"Come on, man."
He then waved, leading the massive German Shepherd back the way he had come.
The cabin was small but well-equipped.
As soon as they entered, Wen Yu eagerly rushed to the bathroom.
The Thousand-Layer Demon Suppression Tower offered neither comfortable soft beds nor showers, and some of its trials were disgustingly filthy! Consequently, both Wen Yu and Kuangliu reeked.
Clear, cool water GUSHED over his body, making Wen Yu rediscover the long-lost sensation of truly living.
Outside, Old Sam first rummaged through his belongings to find two sets of clean clothes for Wen Yu and Kuangliu. Then, lying on his bed, he began to chat with Kuangliu.
Although old, Old Sam was energetic and sharp-witted. He could naturally tell that the two professionists before him were undoubtedly super-powerful experts!
The aura these two emanated surpassed even Lord Klausâs! And Lord Klaus is a middle-stage Level 4 professionist! More importantly, they donât seem to bear me any ill will! So, if I serve them well, the benefits...
Old Samâs mind raced, his calculations clicking into place.
Looking at Kuangliu, who sat quietly in a chair observing the cabinâs interior, Old Sam spoke first.
"Hi, friend. Welcome to America."