Chapter 49: Morning Star

Above the dome of the sky was a swath of grey darkness, as if the calm before a storm, and the cold biting wind was like the death knell of death being sounded.

A massive soul-capturing demonic cloud writhed slowly in the sky, advancing towards Dayuan City, giving off the sensation of dark clouds crushing the city to near destruction.

The mere movement of its terrifying body stirred up gales.

“Could this thing actually be thinking of attacking the city?”

Lu Yu had a grave expression on his face. Putting aside the Student Council President and friends like Grandpa Qin who were still in the city, there would be no intact eggs under an overturned nest.

Should Dayuan City be breached, it would share the bloody fate of many satellite towns that had been overrun by demons decades ago, where the souls of all people would become nourishment for this mysterious creature.

Should he lose the protection of the city, he would find it difficult to move even an inch in the dangerous wilderness. Even sleeping would not be peaceful, having to be on guard at all times against the attack of various demons; his mental state would inevitably deteriorate, facing the imminent nightmare assaults would be undoubtedly difficult.

But all he could do was take out his phone and notify the league to prepare their defences.

However, just as he was about to dial the number, he suddenly found that the soul-capturing demonic cloud had stopped.

In front of it, atop that huge white tower, countless beast sculptures seemed to come to life, forming a gate to the starry sky that was wide open, with eleven additional closed phantom portals surrounding it.

Suddenly, it transformed into a massive funnel that drew in the brilliance of the stars, turning it into a beautiful starry river hanging upside down in the sky, stunningly gorgeous.

“How beautiful!”

“Honey, come see the stars!”

“Wow, what sort of celebration is the Star Beast Tower having?”

“…”

At this time, during the peak of rush hour, many witnessed this magnificent starlight and were instantly amazed. They took out their phones to take pictures and uploaded them to social networks, spark a hot debate.

Completely unaware that danger is drawing nearer.

Inside the Star Beast Tower was a scene of facing a formidable enemy.

The main control room at the top of the tower was equipped with a large number of screens, all displaying a yellow high-energy alert. All league staff were busy searching for the source.

Leading them was a black-haired middle-aged man wearing a white coat, holding a coffee cup, with white streaks at his temples and a scar by his eye—adding a touch of mature charm. Amidst the noisy environment, he drank coffee with a calm expression on his face.

As if he were an outsider.

Click!

The sound of a door opening behind him signaled the arrival of the 17th team of the Special Events and Ecological Handling Combat Department, the Ash Squad, led by team leader Zhou Cheng, accompanied by his team members all rushing in.

He glanced at the man in front of the console, his lips twitching slightly—he always seemed to be holding a coffee cup no matter when he arrived. But, with a businesslike demeanor, he asked:

“President Situ, have we found the energy source? Is it the Evil God Cult again?”

The man in front of him was Situ Kong, the vice president of Dayuan City’s Pet Beast Association and one of the top powerhouses in Dayuan City. He had already reached the pinnacle of the Morning Star a decade ago.

Situ Kong took a sip of coffee, replying unhurriedly: “It should be. And the energy fluctuation is coming from the direction of the Abandoned City District.”

“The Abandoned City District!” Zhou Cheng’s face changed drastically as he said solemnly, “Could it affect the seal?”

The reason why the Abandoned City District was left deserted was not just because it was contaminated with heavy rust pollution, but also because the Evil God Cult’s summoned minions were not actually dead but had been sealed there.

Moreover, due to the special sealing methods, even they had always been unable to deal with it!

“Don’t worry. They may not know about the seal, let alone the being that is infinitely close to the Upper Echelons within it. After all, it’s been decades,” Situ Kong said, shaking his head and continuing, “As long as the [Tower] stands, the seal will continue. They are probably probing the tower’s power, wanting to strike at the people in the city. You and the other special squads don’t need to go; I estimate these guys will hide very soon.”

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the energy response began to plummet rapidly—whatever that thing was, it seemed to leave.

After a while, the energy response spiked again, only to vanish completely shortly after.

Clearly, it was repeatedly testing the boundaries of the Star Beast Tower!

“Damn it!”

Zhou Cheng clenched his fists, his face growing dark.

He wouldn’t be afraid if it were an opponent in plain sight. Even if it were a Dominator or even above, he could use the power of the [Tower] to annihilate or repel it.

But these sorts of adversaries, always hiding in the shadows, were truly nauseating.

“Don’t worry, beasts that enter the flock will inevitably show their hand. As hunters, we must have enough patience. You’ll have to patrol more in these times,” Situ Kong reassured him.

Zhou Cheng nodded in agreement: “No problem.”

“Oh, by the way!” Situ Kong turned to look at him and asked, “How are the [Foreign Objects] in the [Tower]’s bottom level?”

“I’ve checked them…” Zhou Cheng considered his words carefully, not quite sure how to describe the situation, and finally, with a complex expression, he said, “Most of them are still sane.”

Situ Kong nodded slightly, not wanting to dwell on the topic, and lamented, “It’s a pity they won’t be back for a while, or we wouldn’t be having so much trouble.”

Zhou Cheng nodded, clearly aware that the “they” Situ Kong referred to were the president of the Dayuan City Pet Beast Association and the other top combatants of Dayuan City, who had been tied down by a mission three months ago and, even now, hadn’t resolved it, only to be caught in a stalemate.

It was also because of their absence that a city of millions no longer had the impregnable defenses of the past, revealing weaknesses.

Hence, the recent increase in probes by the Evil God Cult and demonic creatures required constant vigilance.

Thinking of this, Zhou Cheng also felt an urgency and was about to lead his team to patrol the city when he suddenly heard Situ Kong’s voice:

“To enter the Mother River for a Sublimation Ceremony requires exceptional rationality and a confident belief. I look forward to you becoming a Morning Star, bathing in the glory of the kings.”

“Enough with the chatter. I’ll try hard,” Zhou Cheng retorted.

With a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth and a world-weary smile, he waved his hand and left with swagger.

“That guy doesn’t seem to have stepped out of the shadows of the last incident yet. With an event related to taboos, not crumbling is already good. But now time waits for no one. Even though the Golden Stage of spiritual metamorphosis can sweep ordinary Golden Beast Masters, those who truly lead the battlefield are still the powerhouses above the Morning Star.”

Situ Kong watched Zhou Cheng’s retreating figure, his eyes deep, murmuring softly: “Hunters aren’t afraid of beasts, but they fear rats sneaking into the grain store. If the [Tower] enters high-frequency operation, it will need more energy. Once the supply is insufficient, it could become a weakness.

Let’s wait and see. If we really lack energy, we might open that place. If it weren’t for Golden and above Beast Masters entering and twisting the rules, causing mutations, I wouldn’t want to send some youngsters on such a risky venture,” Situ Kong mused.

With that, he took a sip of coffee, only to realize the cup was empty. He turned to his secretary and ordered: “Another cup, please!”

The secretary, dressed in a black silk OL uniform, turned over the empty coffee box and shrugged, “President, the coffee is all gone. That was the last box in the tower. If you want more, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“What!?”

For the first time, the vice president, who had faced the Evil God Cult invasion without batting an eyelid, showed a look of astonishment on his face.

Meanwhile, Lu Yu was also engaged in a breathtakingly significant act…