Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

He turned around and coldly swept his gaze over the three retreating district governors.

"That beast is extremely cunning. He will never make a move if there are many people around."

I think a three-person team is the most suitable.

"Among them, Xilun is the best swimmer and has a strong physique, making him suitable to hold off the enemy at the front."

Yuri's gaze swept across everyone's faces before finally settling on one.

"I'll choose two more people as support."

"Lothas, you specialize in grappling techniques, you go too."

Lothas took a deep breath, nodded, and felt heavy-hearted.

He knew this task would not be easy, but as the district governor and Yuri's chosen candidate, he had no way out.

Yuri then pointed to Marco, who had spoken earlier.

"Marco, you have great strength and good defense."

You must do your best to hold that beast off on the flank and relieve some pressure on Xiren.

Marco pursed his lips, his face extremely pale, somewhat unwilling, but feeling Yuri's cold gaze, he dared not refuse and could only nod stiffly.

Xilun glanced at his pocket watch; the hands pointed to one o'clock in the afternoon.

"When will it start?" he asked.

Yuri looked up at the gloomy sky.

"11 p.m.

At that time, when it was late at night and all was quiet, the mutants were most likely to lower their guard.

Xilun nodded slightly.

The group followed Yuri across the muddy docks to the governor's office.

The fireplace in the office was burning, driving away the chill from outside.

Xilun walked over to the sofa and sat down, looking relaxed.

The others appeared much more reserved, each finding a seat on the edge of the room.

Yuri sat down in the large leather chair at the top, his hands clasped on the table.

"Silen, come sit over here." Yuri beckoned.

Xilun got up, pulled up a chair, and sat down at his desk.

Yuri took a thick stack of manila paper files from the drawer and handed them over.

"There is really not much information about that alien species."

Take a look first, and try to familiarize yourself with its attack methods and weaknesses. Then I will give you specific instructions.

Xilun took the file and turned to the first page.

The image above is a somewhat blurry black and white sketch.

Upon seeing the portrait, Xilun's pupils contracted slightly.

I've dealt with that beast before.

That was back when I was a lowly forklifter under Captain Mark.

It was a stormy night when the monster attacked Mark's ship.

The document records:

It is over nine meters long, with a body as thick as a bucket, and its scales are pale yellow with strange black spots.

The most dangerous thing is that there are faint electric arcs flashing around its body. Once you get entangled, you will not only be crushed by the enormous force, but also paralyzed by the electric current and lose the ability to resist.

It is extremely aggressive and has already eaten no fewer than fifty people.

As Xilun looked at the words on the paper, the desperate screams and the blood-soaked deck from that year flashed through his mind.

Back then, I could only hide in the hold, trembling with fear.

But now, he himself is to be the main force to hunt it down.

While Xiren was reviewing the documents, Yuri was giving the other two a final dressing-down.

"Marco, do your best to hold them off for a while, don't even think about running away."

"I'll be there as soon as it shows its face." Yuri's voice carried a warning.

Marco wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded repeatedly.

Yuri turned to Losas, his tone softening slightly.

"Be careful, but the operation is urgent. Try your best not to let this alien species get away."

Your grappling technique is key; you must restrict its movement.

After giving his instructions, Yuri waved his hand, signaling Marco and Losas to go out and prepare.

Only two people remained in the office.

Yuri looked at Xiren, his expression becoming extremely serious.

"That alien species, I don't know what it ate, is extremely intelligent."

You must remember, during tonight's operation, maintain a natural expression and composed demeanor, treat it as a normal dock inspection.

Yuri leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"If attacked, prioritize self-defense! Only then should you try to attract its attention."

"Eliminating the alien species is important, but if it hurts you, that would be a huge loss."

The alien species ran away; there will be many more opportunities in the future. You must protect yourself.

Xiren understood that Yuri was doing this out of respect for his mentor Lund, and also as an investment in his own future.

He nodded slightly and closed the document.

"I understand, Lord Yuri."

Yuri then gave some detailed instructions regarding the terrain and evacuation route before letting Xilun go down to prepare.

Xilun walked out of his office and stood in the corridor, lost in thought.

He suddenly remembered that there was a mystical gathering this afternoon.

He thought for a moment, then turned around, pushed open the half-closed door, and looked at Yuri, who was rubbing his temples.

"Lord Yuri, are you going to afternoon tea?"

Yuri looked up, smiled, and shook his head.

"I still have a bunch of official documents to process, and I need to go to the warehouse to prepare bait."

"Go by yourself, Maric will take care of you."

Xilun nodded slightly and closed the door.

He tightened the collar of his trench coat, opened his black umbrella, and walked into the misty rain along the Greywater River.

With ten hours until the hunt that night, he needed to go to the afternoon tea party to see if he could get anything useful.

He was confident in the electric python, but by no means arrogant.

In this world full of distortion and madness, the price of any carelessness is life itself.

……

The rain subsided slightly in the afternoon, but the damp chill in the air grew even heavier.

Inside a secluded mansion in the lower part of Saint Laurent city.

The heavy velvet curtains completely shut out the gloom from the outside world, and the smokeless coal burning in the fireplace emitted a warm and dry aroma.

Xilun pushed open the carved wooden door and went inside.

This was a small afternoon tea gathering, mainly composed of extraordinary individuals and scholars of mysticism.

There were already eight or nine people sitting in the hall.

Some of them were dressed in formal attire, while others wore large cloaks. They occupied sofas or high-backed chairs and talked in hushed tones.

When Xilun entered, it didn't cause much of a stir.

He walked straight to the corner and found a seat by the window.

The lighting here is slightly dim, but the view is excellent, allowing you to see everything that is happening in the hall.

His gaze swept calmly over the crowd, his mind quickly analyzing their identities and strengths.

Two of them looked familiar.

One was a middle-aged man sitting by the fireplace, wearing an elegant waistcoat.

The man's hair was neatly combed, and he wore a large ring with a ruby ​​on his finger.

Siron recalled that at the last gathering, the man had openly expressed his desire to receive a section of the root of the Holy Spirit Tree.

Judging from the private discussions of those around him, that thing seemed to be a key ingredient used to concoct some kind of magical potion to help him advance to the third tier of extraordinary beings.

The other person was a woman sitting across the long table.

She was dressed in a smart leather hunting outfit, her hands had large knuckles, and her fingertips had obvious calluses from years of blacksmithing.

Miss Foundry

Based on the knowledge in the magic book that Xilun had previously purchased, she should be a mystical scholar who focuses on the art of forging.

The paths to practicing mysticism are complex and can be broadly divided into four schools: potion-making, forging, field techniques, and spellcasting.

Compared to ethereal spells and expensive potions, blacksmiths can provide direct and substantial equipment upgrades, making them extremely popular among extraordinary individuals.

Just as Xilun was observing, the mansion's owner, Marich, walked in carrying a tray.

Marich was dressed in a well-tailored tuxedo, with a professional yet warm smile on his face.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and when he spotted Xiren in the corner, he nodded slightly in greeting, clearly recognizing this rising star who had recently gained fame in the underground arena.

"Welcome everyone to my party."

Marich placed the tray on the table, which contained delicate pastries and steaming hot black tea.

"We're all friends, so please make yourselves at home and get to know each other."

Xilun picked up a cup of black tea, lowered his head to eat a piece of Black Forest cake, and listened silently to the conversation of the others.

In the first half of the gathering, people usually exchange recent news, which is one of the important values ​​of the gathering.

Soon, the conversation turned to the recent spate of alien attacks on the Greywater River.

"Things are getting more and more turbulent these days," a burly man with a thick beard complained in a gruff voice.

"So many strange creatures suddenly appeared in the Greywater River and have attacked passing merchant ships and humans multiple times, bringing the docks along the river to a standstill."

"They should have been eliminated long ago!" someone echoed.

"Easier said than done!" A tall, thin man wearing a monocle shook his head and sighed.

"Take that devil whale that appeared near the ocean pier, for example. Under normal circumstances, an adult devil whale is at the second level of strength, and a powerful one can be at the third level."

The tall, thin man pushed up his glasses, his tone revealing deep apprehension.

"Once that beast dives deep into the water, even a fourth-tier or higher powerful alien species would find it difficult to subdue, let alone a third-tier one!"

"Unless one is an extremely skilled and highly accomplished swimmer of a high-level extraordinary ability, who would dare to go into the water and risk that trouble?"

Someone nearby sneered and retorted, "Even a fourth-tier mutant that is proficient in swimming probably can't do anything to that devil whale."

"Your ability to swim is simply that you can hold your breath underwater a few more times."

Can you breathe underwater with gills like a fish?

Once dragged into the deep sea, the water pressure can crush a person's bones!

The crowd discussed amongst themselves, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere.

For most of the first and second-tier extraordinary beings present, the devil whale, this deep-sea overlord, is practically an invincible myth.

Xilun listened quietly, putting down his teacup.

The image of Finn's tragic death in the icy sea flashed through his mind, along with the massive black beast as large as an island.

He spoke at the opportune moment; his voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"I've heard about this too; I was there at the time."

The hall fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

All eyes were drawn to the young man who had remained silent.

The two men who had been arguing were both taken aback. The burly man with the thick beard couldn't help but ask, "Did you see the devil whale?"

Xilun nodded slightly, his expression calm.

"I was on the rescue ship at the time. I witnessed Sarah, the director of the ocean pier, jump into the sea and fight the devil whale."

Upon hearing the name "Director Sarah," everyone gasped.

That's a genuine Tier 3 Extraordinary Individual, the top combat force at the Ocean Terminal.

Sitting to Xilun's left, the middle-aged man who claimed to be a mid-level knight immediately perked up.

He leaned forward, staring intently at Xilen, and asked urgently, "What are the details? Did Director Sarah win? What did she say about that beast?"

Xilun shook his head, his eyes deep.

"Director Sarah went all out, and the blade even cleaved through the waves."

Unfortunately, they still couldn't defeat that devil whale.

Its skin was too thick; the blade could only leave a shallow white mark.

Xilun paused, then said, enunciating each word clearly:

"Director Sarah said that the Devil Whale's strength has broken through the norm and reached the extreme level of advanced alien species."

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the hall.

The ultimate realm of advanced mutants!

That means it's only one step away from becoming a catastrophic entity.

Upon hearing this assessment, the mid-level knight's face instantly turned ashen.

He slumped back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"Speaking of which, that devil whale and I have a blood feud." The man's voice was hoarse and bitter.

"My father used to be a second mate on ocean-going merchant ships."

More than a decade ago, their ship was sunk by a devil whale, and my father died in the icy waters; his remains were never recovered.

The man clenched his fist, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"At that time, that devil whale was just a newly matured intermediate-level mutant."

I swear, I will cultivate diligently, kill this beast with my own hands, and avenge my father!

He gave a bitter laugh, his eyes filled with helplessness.

"I never imagined that after going through life and death, I would finally become a mid-level knight."

That devil whale, however, has already grown into a high-level mutant.

Its growth rate is too fast, so fast it's despair-inducing.

Everyone fell silent. In this cruel world, such tragedies happen every day.

After discussing this heavy topic for a while, the blacksmith girl sitting opposite seemed to want to ease the atmosphere.

She looked at Xilun curiously and asked, "Since you were there, do you know exactly what tragedy happened?"

Xilun nodded slightly.

He spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

He briefly described what he had seen.

Broken ship planks, desperate cries for help, seawater stained red with blood, and swarms of white sharks frantically tearing at those who had fallen into the water.

After hearing Xilun's account, the horrific scene seemed to flash before everyone's eyes, and they remained speechless for a long time.

As the conversation gradually subsided, the atmosphere at the gathering began to warm up.

Maric clapped his hands and smiled:

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our information exchange."

Next, we'll move on to the exchange, which everyone's been waiting for.

As soon as he finished speaking, the man in the well-tailored vest stood up impatiently.

He looked around and exclaimed, "Do you have any Holy Spirit Tree roots? I'm willing to pay 500 pounds in cash for them, provided they're old enough!"

500 pounds!

This figure caught the eye of many present. It was a huge sum of money that an ordinary worker couldn't earn in a lifetime, enough to buy a decent apartment in the downtown area.

However, the man who called himself a mid-level knight simply adjusted his glasses and calmly poured cold water on the situation.

"Don't bother. Even if someone really has the Holy Spirit Tree root, they probably won't sell it for a mere 500 pounds."

The knight said coldly, "That's a key material for advancing to the third tier; it's extremely rare and priceless."

The man in the vest's expression changed upon hearing this, but in the end he could only nod helplessly and slump down.

The trading continued, with everyone bringing out items they wanted to sell or exchange.

There were tattered ancient parchment, the skeletons of unknown alien species, and some low-level potion recipes.

Xilun watched quietly, waiting for the right opportunity.