Ling Cage, pick up Lu Mingfei at the start.

Bai Yuekui's gaze was like two high-powered searchlights, cold and precise, illuminating Lu Mingfei from the inside out, trying to find any trace of disguise or abnormality.

But what she saw was only an ordinary boy who was terrified, his face covered in snot and tears, and trembling like a leaf. Perhaps he wasn't even ordinary; his body was as thin as a bean sprout that hadn't fully developed. If you threw him into a school in the old world, he would probably be the most inconspicuous and the easiest to bully.

His words, combined with his appearance, sounded absurd, yet surprisingly had a kind of undeniable truthfulness.

"Big...Big Sister?" Xu Tong chuckled beside him, the thick mask unable to hide the teasing in his voice, "Kid, that's a pretty unique way of addressing me."

Lu Mingfei then realized what he had said in his haste, his face turning pale instantly. He hurriedly waved his hands, "No, boss! Heroine! Benefactor! I... I spoke without thinking, please don't mind!"

Bai Yuekui ignored his incoherent ramblings. Her gaze swept past Lu Mingfei and over the Devouring Beasts that were still pacing anxiously three steps away, growling softly but not daring to approach.

She had never seen or even heard of such a phenomenon before. Could a Devouring Beast be subdued by some kind of power? And from a seemingly powerless human boy?

This is not reasonable.

But the facts before us are undeniable.

"Shattered Star, on alert. Xu Tong, collect samples and prepare for evacuation." Bai Yuekui withdrew his gaze and issued the orders, his voice still calm and without the slightest fluctuation. "We can't stay here any longer. The commotion just now might attract more, or... more troublesome things."

"Understood!" Suixing replied immediately, her longbow still half-drawn, her sharp eyes warily scanning the unwilling "spectators" around her.

Xu Tong muttered, "This is really a ghost story," but his movements were not slow at all. He took out tools from the container he was carrying and quickly walked towards the Devouring Beast that had been killed by Bai Yue and was lying on the ground. He began to collect the scarlet, viscous substance that was emitting a fluorescent glow from its wounds.

Lu Mingfei collapsed to the ground, watching Xu Tong's movements, his stomach churning. That thing looked like...like living, glowing, viscous blood, still slightly wriggling, emitting unsettling energy fluctuations.

"Can you stand up?" Bai Yuekui's voice rang out above him, devoid of any emotion, more like a procedural question.

Lu Mingfei tried to move his legs, but they were still limp. He looked up at Bai Yuekui with a mournful expression, "My legs... my legs are a little unresponsive..."

Bai Yuekui stared at him silently for two seconds, then reached out his hand.

It was a hand wearing a black tactical glove, with long, slender fingers and strong lines.

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment, and almost flattered, he tremblingly extended his hand, which had just been cut by gravel and was still bleeding, and shook it.

The gloves were made of a rough material and had a cold touch. Bai Yuekui pulled him up from the ground with a little effort. Lu Mingfei stumbled and almost fell back, but luckily he regained his balance in time.

Up close, the "Boss Bai" was slightly shorter than him, but the invisible, mountain-like, steady and powerful aura made him feel as insignificant as a speck of dust.

Those eyes, visible through the mask, were even more frighteningly cold up close, as if they contained the frost and snow of the entire apocalypse.

"Stay close." Bai Yuekui released his grip, speaking succinctly, and turned to walk in one direction, his steps swift and steady.

Shattered Star immediately followed, maintaining battle formation. Xu Tong also quickly finished collecting the materials, put away the container, shouldered his launcher, and muttered, "Strange things happen every year, but this year there seem to be more... Kid, let's go! Hurry up if you don't want to become a snack!"

Lu Mingfei dared not delay, and hurriedly took off with his still weak legs, stumbling and following. He subconsciously clung to Bai Yuekui, almost stepping on her heels, as if if he were an inch away from her, the lurking Devouring Beasts would pounce on him immediately.

However, something magical happened again.

As he moved, the invisible "three-step forbidden zone" moved in sync with him, like a loyal force field shield. As they walked forward, the surrounding Devouring Beasts moved restlessly, maintaining a delicate distance, baring their teeth and growling, but none of them dared to truly cross that invisible boundary.

The scene was so bizarre that even the well-informed members of Bai Yuekui's team found it unbelievable.

Xu Tong couldn't help but turn back for another look at the closely following "beast honor guard," and clicked his tongue: "Boss, would you say this is... a welcoming ceremony? It's just that this welcoming ceremony is a bit scary."

Sui Xing became even more vigilant and whispered, "Boss, this phenomenon is inexplicable. His very existence might be a huge anomaly signal; perhaps he possesses some kind of special magnetic field."

Bai Yuekui didn't turn around, but simply replied, "Let's get out of the vortex first."

Her gaze occasionally swept over the panting, shaken boy beside her. He seemed so ordinary, so ordinary that the contrast with the anomaly he had caused was stark. This contradiction itself was the greatest unusual thing.

Lu Mingfei had no time to care about anything unusual; he only had one thought in his mind: survive, survive with these tough guys! While desperately trying to keep up, he secretly glanced at Bai Yuekui's back, his short silver hair occasionally flashing a faint light in the dim light.

"Um... Boss Bai?" Lu Mingfei asked tentatively, panting heavily, his voice barely audible.

Bai Yuekui did not react, seemingly not having heard.

Lu Mingfei mustered his courage and raised his voice slightly: "Boss Bai! Where...where are we going?"

This time, Bai Yuekui slightly turned his head and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye: "Base."

It is concise and to the point, with not a single extra word.

Lu Mingfei choked for a moment, but still forced himself to continue asking, "Is the base... safe? I mean... a place without these monsters?" He cautiously pointed to the Devouring Beasts that were "escorting" them around them.

Xu Tong scoffed from behind, "Safe? Kid, there's no such thing as absolute safety in this damned world! The base is just a few more walls and a few less of these things compared to the outside." He also pointed to the Devouring Beasts.

Lu Mingfei's heart sank. It seemed the world was worse than he had imagined.

They traversed the vast urban ruins, the roads beneath their feet shattered, littered with the wreckage of crashed aircraft and the rusted skeletons of vehicles.

The stench of rust and decay lingered in the air. Dark red sunlight streamed through the thick clouds, casting an ominous shadow over everything.

Looking at this apocalyptic scene, Lu Mingfei was overwhelmed by a profound sense of bewilderment and loneliness. Internet cafes, computers, StarCraft, his aunt's nagging, his classmates' mockery... that ordinary yet familiar world seemed as distant as a century ago.

How did Lu Mingfei, a complete loser, end up in this godforsaken place? No cheat codes, no system, just a mysterious "three forbidden zones" that's neither a blessing nor a curse?

Just as he was lost in thought, Bai Yuekui, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and raised his right fist.

Sui Xing and Xu Tong instantly assumed battle stances, drawing their bows taut and raising their launchers.

Lu Mingfei was startled and almost bumped into Bai Yuekui's back. He quickly braked and looked around nervously, asking, "Wh...what's going on? They're here again?"

In the center of a relatively open crossroads ahead, the dust and gravel on the ground rose slightly, and then a small, pangolin-like beast with glowing veins covering its skin suddenly emerged! It seemed to be attracted by the fluctuations of life essence here, and as soon as it showed its head, it roared and charged towards them!

Its target was none other than Lu Mingfei, who was behind Bai Yuekui!

Sui Xing's eyes narrowed, and the arrow was already on the bowstring!

However, just as the small Devouring Beast rushed into a range of about four or five meters from Lu Mingfei, its movements suddenly froze, as if it had hit an invisible rubber wall, and its forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. It shook its head in confusion, its three eerie blue eyes looking in Lu Mingfei's direction with doubt, and it made a "hoarse" sound from its throat, clearly indicating its unease.

It tentatively took another step forward, then, as if burned, a nameless fear struck it, and it shrank back abruptly. Then, it turned around and, without looking back, quickly burrowed back into the ground and disappeared.

The whole process took only two or three seconds.

The arrow aimed at Shattered Stars ultimately failed to fly. She slowly released the bowstring, and together with Xu Tong, they once again cast their surprised and uncertain gazes at Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei was completely bewildered. He was so scared that he hadn't realized what was happening. He only saw a new monster emerge and then inexplicably run away.

"The range... seems to have increased?" Xu Tong murmured, his tone filled with uncertainty.

Bai Yuekui stared silently at the ground where the Devouring Beast had disappeared, then glanced at Lu Mingfei, who looked completely bewildered, his brows furrowing even more beneath his mask.

The mystery surrounding this boy seems to be even deeper than they initially thought.

"Keep going." She looked away, said no more, and continued to lead the way.

This time, however, her gaze lingered on Lu Mingfei for a little longer than usual.

Lu Mingfei swallowed hard, his heart pounding. Although he was confused about the situation, he vaguely sensed that his "three-step forbidden zone" seemed... unusual? And it seemed to be changing?

Is this a life-saving talisman, or... a death warrant?

Looking at Bai Yuekui's cold and powerful back, and feeling the gazes of the Devouring Beasts around him who dared not approach but were unwilling to leave, he felt an unprecedented sense of unease and confusion, which enveloped him tightly like the red mist that surrounded him.

Is this road, leading to that so-called "base," the beginning of hope for him, or the entrance to another unknown prison?