Chapter 274: Emergency Assistance

In truth, this disaster-grade lifeform was far weaker than Zhang Lie had anticipated, and if he had known the extent of its injuries, he would surely have summoned the other members of team Zenith back.

However, by then, it was too late. The disaster-grade lifeform had perished to Zhang Lie's hand, and the rewards of the kill were his to claim. A disaster-grade lifeform's body was filled with treasure. Its heart could be consumed to obtain disaster gene fragments, and its crystalline body would be an amazing material for armor and weapons.

More importantly, upon ascending from the first realm to the second realm, hunters would have to use their genetic energy and special supplementary materials to condense a genetic armor, one that played an important role in determining their strength within the second realm. The crystalline anchor-like exterior of this disaster-grade lifeform would be an unparalleled material for this armor.

No one else would be able to kill a disaster-grade lifeform in the first realm, Zhang Lie was sure of it.

Indeed, the very existence of disaster-grade lifeforms were a closely held secret, and no one else knew that a disaster-grade lifeform had made its way to the first realm. The existence of disaster-grade lifeforms would only become public knowledge in five years' time, and Zhang Lie had no intention of speeding this process up.

After all, if he were to do so, he would be in the center of yet another event. He had just returned victorious from the Void Cup; before that, he had become known for his theory of limit fragments. If people were to find out that he was the first to kill a disaster-grade lifeform—at least within the first three realms—how envious would they get?

Even the highest authorities might step in at that point, and he didn't want to owe anyone, even Martial Sage Hong Tianqi, another favor, especially after what he had already done for the affair involving Phoenix.

In that case, what was he going to say? Destruction had been wreaked all around the Galewind Lake, and the Galewind settlement had essentially vanished overnight. Apart from the Galewind settlement, over half the settlements in the area were being battered by a stampede of lifeforms, thanks to the commands the disaster-grade lifeform had broadcasted before its death.

Zhang Lie estimated that over 90% of the lifeforms in the first realm had been affected by the sudden arrival of the disaster-grade lifeform, so who would believe him if he tried to claim that the disaster had been a superior-grade stampede?

Perhaps he could explain it away as a peak-grade lifeform, but how was he supposed to deal with its missing carcass? After all, Zhang Lie had no intention of showing the disaster-grade lifeform's carcass to anyone. He would even scour the battlefield to ensure that no trace of the disaster-grade lifeform remained.

Zhang Lie wasn't sure how he would spin the story, but at the very least, he was the only eyewitness to the event, and he would be able to avoid scrutiny as long as his lies didn't seem too unrealistic. Others might guess that something was amiss, but they wouldn't have any proof for just what had happened.

Zhang Lie didn't consume the disaster-grade lifeform's flesh immediately; it was possible that something unusual would happen while trying to assimilate ?disaster gene fragments into his body, and it would take him some time to do so.

At the moment, the dimensional world was still fraught with danger, and Zhang Lie couldn't afford to waste any time here. After he packed everything up, he began investigating the extent of the disaster-grade lifeform's damage, starting from the Galewind Lake and heading all the way back to the Blacksteel settlement. The disaster that had been wrought far exceeded Zhang Lie's expectations.

The settlement itself had been damaged, but it had been spared the worst of the superior-grade lifeforms' incursion due to its barrier. Those who fared worst were the hunters who refused to listen to reason, hiding all over the realm instead of within the various settlements. In the end, they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of lifeforms coming for them.

By the time Zhang Lie returned to the Blacksteel settlement, the front gates had already fallen, and genetic lifeforms were prowling the streets and fighting against the trapped hunters.

Zhang Lie's return was undoubtedly a boon for the hunters within. The moment he shot into the settlement, the beast tide began to recede. Compared to humans, these lifeforms had far more acute senses, and the moment they sensed Zhang Lie's arrival, they began to flee.

Zhang Lie was an existence with which they could not contend.

The disaster at the Blacksteel settlement averted, Zhang Lie hurried back to the real world and summoned the members of Team Zenith, along with whichever experts the dojo had hired which were still in the first realm.

"Everyone, last night, over 90% of the lifeforms in the first realm of the dimensional world began to stampede. All the settlements within are in danger, and the lifeforms have managed to enter over 80% of them! It's time for us to step in. Everyone, enter the dimensional world— head to all nearby settlements that have been invaded, then expel the beasts from them! Zhou Ying, I'll leave you in charge of informing the military that it's time for them to launch their counter-offensive as well."

When the civilian hunters were informed of the situation and returned to the dimensional world to see the havoc that had been caused, they became more trusting of Zhang Lie—his advance warning could well have saved their lives, especially when they found the bodies of their dead comrades within and without the settlement.

The alarm that Zhang Lie had sounded caused China to become the country that had suffered the fewest casualties in this onslaught. No matter how stubborn some hunters were, the majority of the Chinese hunters had chosen to believe Zhang Lie and left the dimensional world. These hunters remained safe and sound, but the remaining hunters in the dimensional world suffered all the more for it.

No matter where they hid, or even if they tried to defend their respective settlements, they found themselves at a loss for manpower, so despite the fact that China had the fewest casualties, they had the most wounded.

If they had been willing to follow Zhang Lie's warning, they would have survived with their lives intact, but what was done was done. All that the remaining hunters could do was to try to fish out any survivors from amidst the rubble.

Within the Blackwind Fort, Zhou Ying had secured an audience with Su Feng.

"Commander Su Feng, according to my captain, the disaster is over—it's time to strike back!"

"To strike back? Zhou Ying, just what's going on?"

"Commander Su Feng, last night, there was a major stampede involving over 90% of the lifeforms in the dimensional world, one that led to the invasion of more than 80% of the settlements within. At this point, the stampede is nearing its end, and it's our best time to strike back at them!"

Then, just like before, faced with a stupefied Su Feng, she hung up. In fact, she didn't know what was going on within the dimensional world, either. All that she knew, she had heard from Zhang Lie. As a result, after finishing this task that Zhang Lie had assigned her, she too rushed into the dimensional world.