Chapter 9: Sudden Crisis, Ambush

At this moment, Ye Mi had no idea how many thoughts were swirling in the mind of the monster behind her. She flicked the blood off her poisoned spear and issued a simple command: “Have them carry it.” Only then did the Rust Tide leader come to its senses, hurrying back to summon several companions.

They wove a large net from metal threads, dragging the corpse of the flesh-bed toward the dock. Blood dripped along the way, attracting numerous smaller monsters, but the aura radiating from the Rust Tide creatures scared them off.

Upon returning to the dock, the other Rust Tide members saw the massive corpse, their electronic eyes glowing with bewilderment. Yet under Ye Mi’s direction, understanding dawned quickly. They began to cut the flesh-bed’s body into large chunks, transporting and scattering them two or three kilometers east of the sea-crossing bridge—once a roadway, now at some distance from the dock.

Dark crimson chunks floated on the sea, their thick scent of blood drawing predators from beneath the waves. The surface churned and boiled, as huge shadows emerged from the depths.

The Rust Tide moved swiftly; once they were all back at the dock, Ye Mi patted the ship’s rudder, signaling them to board.

Faced with the booming unfamiliar metal vessel, the Rust Tide hesitated for a moment. Though bewildered, they obeyed Ye Mi’s command. The leader was the first to leap onto the deck, its weight causing the small boat to tilt noticeably.

Ye Mi’s heart skipped a beat—could the boat really carry them all?

One by one, the others followed, producing a rhythmic clanging as if a metallic army was marching in formation.

Fortunately, the boat merely sank a bit deeper; its waterline remained above the surface.

Relieved, Ye Mi watched them board, their electronic eyes unconsciously focusing on the distant horizon. She knew the true danger had yet to reveal itself.

The sky began to pale; after a long, busy night, the catamaran traced its own wake across the sea.

A thin mist rose from the water.

Ye Mi stood at the prow, the salty wind stinging her face. In the distance, the sea boiled like a cauldron, dark red meat torn to shreds, water splashing everywhere.

Suddenly, a massive shadow surfaced from the depths, its outline blurred yet terrifying.

It swam slowly, slender rather than broad, like a sea serpent magnified twentyfold, gliding with uncanny agility.

Though it appeared, it merely patrolled quietly, seeming disinterested in the bloody feast before it.

The Rust Tide crowded the deck, evidently aware of the lurking danger—no creature could ignore such a monstrous silhouette in the distance.

The mist gradually dissipated, sunlight gilded the waves, and the catamaran sliced through the sea, its hull rocking gently as it sped toward the opposite shore.

On deck, the Rust Tide stood in silence, like a band of loyal sentinels.

Ye Mi gazed at the approaching coastline, letting out a long breath. The oceanic behemoth hadn’t noticed the little boat slipping away in the distance.

Thus, the Rust Tide King, leading twelve formidable warriors, charged toward District One.

Meanwhile, Ye Mi seized this rare opportunity to shift her consciousness to the Deer-Head Butcher.

Her awareness returned just as distant sounds of combat and howling reached her ears—continuous, as if conveying some message.

Ye Mi’s eyes snapped open.

Something was happening outside the forest!

Alarm bells rang in her mind. Rising from beside the healing fruit tree, she clenched her cleaver under her black robe, moving silently through the woods toward the church.

The closer she drew, the heavier the scent of blood in the air; the sounds of battle grew clearer. A melee was unfolding here.

Ye Mi hid behind a twisted trunk, peering through the foliage at the scene before the church: a five-person squad was locked in fierce combat with a swarm of monsters. They wore special operations suits from the Defense Bureau’s Exploration Division, their movements sharp and efficient—clearly elite, well-trained soldiers.

One C-class, four D-class.

A classic exploration team configuration.

But why were they here?

A sense of foreboding rose in Ye Mi’s heart; her instincts told her their arrival was no accident.

The squad’s captain was a tall man wielding a blue-glowing energy blade, each swing cleaving monsters in two.

He fought while shouting into his communicator: “Target confirmed in the forest behind the church—the intel was good! Take out these grunts, then go after the Deer-Head Butcher!”

Ye Mi frowned. Were they after her?

“Captain, is that tree really as miraculous as they say?”

A female teammate with a high ponytail dodged a monster’s lunge, then fired a shot, blowing the head off a human-faced crow.

“Of course! Why else would HQ send us all the way out here?” the captain sneered. “Kill the Deer-Head Butcher and the fruit from that tree is ours! Carry it and you get healing effects; eat it and wounds heal instantly. Bring it back and it’ll be a major achievement!”

Ye Mi’s pupils contracted sharply.

So, the Defense Bureau was after the healing fruit!

She didn’t know how they’d gotten wind of it, or managed to find such a remote place, but she would never let the Defense Bureau claim any treasures in her presence.

By now, the squad had cleared the monsters from the plaza.

Ye Mi’s tall figure retreated into the forest, crouching behind shrubs like a statue, her black robe merging with the shadows.

“Stay alert,” the captain murmured, his right hand gripping the energy blade. As a C-class psychic, his senses far exceeded ordinary people, but at that moment, a strange unease swept over him.

Just as he was about to issue a dispersal command, a black shadow erupted from the treetops above!

Ye Mi’s cleaver traced a deadly arc through the dawn light.

A teammate shouted, “Captain!”

Their reactions were swift, but Ye Mi, the sixth member, moved faster.

The captain barely had time to widen his eyes before his head and the upper body of the teammate beside him flew into the air.

Blood sprayed like a fountain from the two corpses, painting the mist scarlet.

“It’s the Deer-Head Butcher—he’s ambushing us!”

The high ponytail woman cried out, instantly raising her weapon. The other two members quickly formed a battle stance, energy weapons flaring.

Ye Mi rolled behind a tree trunk, bullets scorching the spot where she’d just stood.

She was no longer the Rust Tide King—without a metal body, even though the Deer-Head Butcher’s flesh had mutated, she couldn’t withstand the power of those energy weapons.

Ye Mi dodged quickly, but the next instant, a laser beam locked onto her head.