Chapter 24: Hey, We Meet Again

“Huff—huff—”

The yellow-haired monster gasped for breath as he sprinted desperately through the streets.

He ran on all fours like a wild beast, sharp claws scraping sparks off the pavement and leaving deep gouges in his wake.

Behind him, a silver figure gave relentless chase.

The Blazing Knight.

He was like a burning meteor, leaping and weaving between buildings.

With his overwhelming speed advantage, the distance kept shrinking, but Lin Du sensed something was off.

Unlike last time, when the monster had lost control and frenziedly attacked, this time from the very start it had been avoiding combat.

It would fight for a bit, then run, only to turn back and provoke him, as if deliberately stalling for time and drawing his attention.

But could a mindless monster really have that kind of thinking?

And who was pulling the strings behind it?

“Roar—!”

The yellow-haired monster suddenly spun around, whipping its thick tail like a steel bar.

“Crap!”

Unable to gain leverage in midair, Lin Du could only cross his arms in front of his chest and instantly conjure a translucent energy shield.

“Bam—!”

A dull impact exploded, the force more than double what it had been last time.

Lin Du felt like he had been hit head-on by a truck, his whole body launched like a cannonball.

“Crash—bang, bang, bang—!”

He slammed into a parking lot by the street, smashing through the windows of three cars in succession before finally embedding himself in the door of an SUV.

Car alarms blared one after another, red, white, and yellow lights flashing wildly.

“Damn it…”

Lin Du shook his head and pried himself out of the deformed door.

Glass shards showered down from his armor, scattering at his feet.

Thanks to the armor, only his left arm was a bit numb.

He rolled his shoulder to confirm his bones were fine, then slowly stood up, raising his hands in front of him.

“Looks like I’m being underestimated.”

…

The yellow-haired monster stopped in the middle of the street, glaring coldly at the direction where the knight had flown.

That last strike had used every ounce of his strength. Even though the target had a shield, an impact of that magnitude should have been fatal from the shockwave alone.

If that had been enough to kill him…

Suddenly, a fireball shot toward him, its scorching light illuminating the entire street in an instant.

Alarms blared in the monster’s mind, and he hurriedly rolled aside to dodge.

But the fireball’s power far exceeded his expectations. Even a graze scorched his flank instantly.

A patch of charred black marked the purple skin, stabbing pain shooting straight to his brain.

“Boom!”

The fireball passed through the row of cars behind him and slammed straight into a plane tree by the roadside.

The immense heat consumed the entire tree in an instant, the trunk twisting in the flames until nothing remained but a black lump of charcoal.

“Let’s go. Time’s up.”

Martha’s voice echoed in his mind. Ignoring his scorched flank, he turned, leaped with all his might, and vanished into the night.

“So it was meant to distract me…”

Lin Du stood still, watching the retreating figure. He didn’t give chase.

Even if he caught up, it would be pointless.

The opponent had already achieved their goal. He was just a pawn.

He was about to contact the director when his communicator buzzed.

“Lin Du!” the old man’s voice was almost shouting. “Something’s happened at the museum!”

“What?”

“The Wind Element Scepter was stolen! One of the guards was attacked and is still unconscious!” The man’s words came faster and faster. “According to an eyewitness, the perpetrator is likely that…”

“The Fox Clan monster.” Lin Du finished the sentence for him.

“Fox… right, how did you know?”

Lin Du didn’t answer. He looked up toward the distant museum.

The building was brightly lit, faint alarms audible, red warning lights flashing on the roof.

He recalled the silver-white strand of hair he had seen through the crack of the locker room door that afternoon.

Lin Du took a deep breath. “I’m heading over now, but at my speed…”

“Don’t worry about that.”

A loud roar came from above.

A black helicopter descended from the night sky, its rotors whipping up a gale that sent debris flying across the street.

On its fuselage, the brand-new “Anti-Anomaly Bureau” emblem gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

The cabin door slid open, and the white-haired old man leaned out, holding something that he waved at Lin Du.

It was a black key.

Then he tossed the key down. Lin Du caught it just in time.

“This is?”

“Watch out, don’t get hit!”

Something heavier was pushed out of the cabin next.

A motorcycle.

Silver-gray with a few red accents, streamlined silhouette, cold metallic luster glinting under the streetlights.

It fell from thirty feet up. Lin Du sidestepped.

“Thud!”

The motorcycle landed solidly on the street beside him, its suspension absorbing the full impact.

The old man leaned out of the cabin and shouted, “You know how to ride one?”

“Won’t know till I try.”

Lin Du swung a leg over the bike, inserted the key, started the engine, and revved the throttle.

The engine let out a low growl, like a beast waking from slumber.

“The last sighting of the monster has been sent to you!” The director shook his phone at Lin Du.

He glanced at the communicator on his wrist. A blinking red dot appeared on the screen.

“Understood!”

Before the words had faded, the knight twisted the throttle to the max.

The silver-gray motorcycle shot forward like an arrow, the engine’s roar exploding through the streets, its taillight leaving a blur in the night.

The old man in the helicopter watched the retreating figure, grinning from ear to ear.

“That brat.”

He pulled back into the cabin and patted the pilot’s seat.

“Leave it to him. Time for us to head back.”

The pilot nodded and pulled up on the controls.

The helicopter gained altitude, turned, and flew back the way it came.

The night wind howled, city lights racing backward below.

Lin Du crouched low, pushing the throttle to the max.

Only one thought remained in his mind.

That Fox Clan monster.

Who was it?

…

Bai Li ran three blocks straight, making sure no one was following, before stopping to catch her breath.

“Hah—hah—”

Her heart pounded like it was about to leap out of her throat.

She reached back and felt the staff firmly secured there, a reminder that her mission was complete.

Now all she had to do was wait for the contact to take the item, and everything would be settled.

“My mission… is done, hahaha.”

Bai Li leaned against a wall, grinning.

Being a monster was actually pretty thrilling.

In her past life, she would never have dared to do these things.

“I wonder how much money I’ll get for completing this mission, hehehe.”

She was already thinking about her reward, planning to pay the rent, stop scrimping on meals, maybe even buy something nice…

“Ha… ha… cough…”

She laughed until she choked on the wind, doubling over in a coughing fit.

Just then, a breeze swept past from behind.

Not the chilly night breeze, but a wind tinged with heat.

“!”

Bai Li’s fox ears shot up, her smile freezing on her face.

She turned slowly.

At the edge of the rooftop, a silvery-gray figure stood silhouetted against the moonlight.

A red visor glowed faintly in the darkness, looking down at her from above.

The Blazing Knight.

Bai Li’s mind went blank.

How was he here?

How did he know she was here?

No, wasn’t he supposed to be in the middle of a fierce battle with that yellow-haired guy?

Had she been set up again?

Or had that rookie yellow-haired guy ratted her out?

“Good evening. We meet again.”

The knight spoke coldly, then leaped down from the rooftop, landing right in front of her.

“This time, you’re not getting away.”