In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

"...Perhaps."

Mark also spoke in a daze, as if only this absurd explanation could barely make sense of the unbelievable scene before him.

It should be noted that even when he personally piloted the Dawnbreaker mech against so many snake dogs, he could only fight and retreat, barely managing to hold his own.

But this commoner in front of them, with only his flesh and blood and a knife in his hand, managed to stop the Devouring Beasts.

The convoy that was evacuating in the distance had already stopped in place, and everyone was staring blankly at the figures in the pack of snakes and dogs.

All the people saw was a dark afterimage flashing rapidly through the beast tide. Those terrifying Devouring Beasts that usually made them tremble with fear were cut down in large swathes, like wheat in a field.

Flesh and blood rapidly melted into a dark red viscous liquid that seeped into the earth, leaving only rows of pale, grotesque bones in its place.

The entire hunter convoy was deathly silent; everyone forgot to breathe and forgot to evacuate.

The common people huddled in the carriage, trembling, while the soldiers of the upper class held their weapons with uncontrollable tremors. Their eyes, as they looked at that figure, were filled with nothing but extreme fear and awe.

This is no longer a battle, but a one-sided crushing defeat.

They fought desperately but could hardly contend with a single Devouring Beast; in that person's hands, they didn't even have the right to struggle.

A moment later

Shi Geng stood alone amidst the bones, casually slinging his sword over his shoulder. He looked up at the stunned crowd in the distance, his expression still calm, as if killing dozens of Devouring Beasts was nothing more than clearing away a pile of weeds.

Only the faint sound of the wind rustling through bones remained on the desolate plain, eerily silent.

Shi Geng, carrying a chainsaw, slowly walked out from the pile of bones.

Only then did someone in the hunter team finally gasp in shock.

"Is he the master of light and shadow?"

"When did such a monster appear in the lighthouse...?"

"Who exactly is he?"

Whispers spread through the crowd. The enemy that the Lighthouse had fought so fiercely against had become so vulnerable before this mortal...

Shi Geng moved slightly, then transformed into a blur, returning to the transport vehicle in a few leaps.

He didn't even glance at the horrific battlefield behind him, but simply addressed the still-dazed 4079, saying indifferently, "Have you taken good care of the goods?"

4079 shuddered and nodded hurriedly, not daring to say a word.

Still shaken from the ordeal, the convoy restarted and sped off toward the lighthouse.

The carriage was eerily quiet. Everyone's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, fell on Shi Geng in the corner, filled with awe, curiosity, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

4079 huddled to the side, barely daring to breathe. 4068's eyes were even more complex, filled with envy, jealousy, and burning desire, as he stared intently at Shi Gen, his mind churning.

Inside the mech formation, Erica whispered through the communication channel, "Captain, his speed just now... was faster than a gravity vehicle at full speed, right?"

Mark didn't reply, but just stared ahead with a furrowed brow.

He knew very well that the power Shi Gen had displayed today had completely exceeded the Lighthouse's understanding of "humanity".

Able to truly slay the Devouring Beast and crush a horde of beasts with his bare body... This person is absolutely the Lighthouse's supreme treasure, and it's no exaggeration to say that he is the Lighthouse's hope.

Erica piloted the mech, glancing occasionally at the figure inside the transport vehicle.

She had seen many powerful hunters and experienced many bloody battles, but she had never seen anyone who could resolve a catastrophic disaster so easily as Shi Gen.

"Who exactly are you..." she asked softly in her heart.

Shi Geng leaned against the edge of the carriage, closing his eyes to rest, as if the massacre that had just happened had nothing to do with him.

Suddenly, Shi Geng opened his eyes and stood up abruptly amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd. His eyes were sharp as knives as he looked straight at the distant cliff face.

"What's wrong?"

Mark and the others immediately followed his gaze and saw that the cliff in the distance was empty and there was nothing there.

But just as everyone was filled with doubt, a gigantic arm that blotted out the sky suddenly emerged from behind the cliff.

"Hiss! It's a large Devouring Beast!"

Everyone's expression changed drastically, and their minds tensed instantly.

It was a massive Devouring Beast, as large as a small mountain, slowly rising from behind the cliff. The immense pressure made the entire hunter team feel suffocated.

This behemoth was more majestic than a mountain, with six thick, steel-pillar-like bone spikes growing from its twisted, humanoid torso, covered by a jet-black, hard carapace.

Its blank, almost human-like face had distorted features, giving it an eerie sense of innocence.

But the next second, the skin on his neck was ripped open, revealing the true killing organ: a terrifying jaw that was bottomless and covered with layers of rotating, sharp teeth.

"roar--!!"

A deafening roar exploded from its chest, and visible white sound waves spread out.

The armored vehicle's bulletproof glass was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and several hunters who were nearby screamed and covered their ears, blood gushing from their nostrils and ear canals.

"Re-establish formation! Intercept in full formation!" Mark roared, his eyes bloodshot.

Three heavy 3D mechs immediately moved forward, unleashing a barrage of electromagnetic cannons and high-explosive shells upon the two-jawed beast, but only managed to create a series of sparks on its thick shell, leaving not even a white mark.

4068 trembled with fear, the longing in his eyes instantly replaced by boundless terror. Faced with such world-destroying power, his pitiful jealousy was less than that of an ant.

roar--!!

The giant jaws of the bijawed beast suddenly opened, their serrated teeth spinning rapidly, and a stench-filled wave of air made everyone lose their footing.

Its six giant legs slammed into the ground, and its body charged forward like a moving mountain, sending rocks flying and cracking the ground in its wake.

"Intercept them! Intercept them now!"

Mark roared and leaped into the air, the Dawnbreaker mech's engine roared, and machine gun bullets slammed into the Jawed Beast's armor.

"roar--!!"

The deafening roar sent sparks flying everywhere.

Mark was jolted backward by the sound waves, his whole body going numb, while the two-jawed beast was completely unscathed.

The hunters opened fire simultaneously, their heavy firepower weaving into a fire net. High-explosive grenades exploded one after another on the giant beast, but only stirred up clouds of smoke and dust, doing nothing to slow its advance.

The bipedal beast suddenly lowered its head, its massive jaws slamming into the front row of heavy mechs. If hit, the mechs would instantly twist and break down.

Just when everyone was in despair, Shi Geng made a move.

He tapped his foot, and his figure vanished from the spot.

The next second, the afterimage appeared directly in front of everyone.

The behemoth instinctively swung its claws, its massive paws blotting out the sky and the wind pressure almost crushing the air.

Shi Geng neither dodged nor evaded; he casually raised his left hand and forcefully caught the immense force that was enough to shatter the mecha.

"Bang—!!"

The shockwave exploded, sending dust flying.

Everyone's pupils constricted—

That claw, powerful enough to tear a building apart, was steadily blocked in mid-air by him with a single hand, remaining completely still.

The two-jawed beast roared furiously, and its second giant jaw snapped shut, its sharp teeth gleaming coldly, ready to devour Shi Geng whole.

Shi Geng's eyes turned cold, and he formed his five fingers into claws, directly probing into the rotating giant jaw.

A piercing metallic scraping sound suddenly rang out.

He forcefully grabbed the beast's hard teeth and tore them apart!

"Sizzle—!!"

Like tearing cloth, the giant teeth of the two-jawed beast were forcibly ripped open, the wound instantly burst open, and red and black blood gushed out.

Before the giant beast could howl, Shi Geng leaped forward, heading straight for the location of the spirit seed he had sensed.

He unleashed a powerful punch, his inner energy surging forth, shattering the outer shell and penetrating deep into the victim's body.

"I've found you."

He grasped the violently pulsating, blindingly bright Spirit Seed in his fingertips.

Shi Geng's eyes were indifferent as he gently pinched the skin.

"Bang--!!"

The Spirit Seed exploded with a bang.

The massive body of the two-jawed beast suddenly froze, and its violent aura instantly dissipated.

The next moment, the flesh melted rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the red and black liquid seeped into the wasteland, leaving only a towering and terrifying skeleton that crashed to the ground with a thud.

The entire hunter team remained deathly silent.