Chapter 3

The next dawn, shrill alarm sirens blared across the entire base.

"Code Red! Massive venomous beast horde gathering outside the city! All third-order and above personnel report to the council chamber immediately!"

The alarm echoed through my room. I opened my eyes and rose unhurriedly to wash up.

By the time I reached the council hall, it was already packed, and the meeting had already begun.

Lily still sat in the head seat—but she looked nothing like herself from the night before.

Her once lustrous golden hair had turned dull and brittle, strands falling loose over her shoulders; her skin had lost all moisture, shriveled like old bark; her eye sockets were sunken, making her look like an old crone.

She lifted her head and spotted me, a flash of malice flickering in her eyes before she quickly masked it.

I raised an eyebrow. Clearly, the Divine Child’s rapid growth had drained far too much of its mother’s life force.

"Chu Men?"

Johns sat beside Lily, staring at me in surprise. But when he saw Scarlett standing respectfully behind me, his expression twisted into rage—quickly suppressed into a sneering tone. "You’ve arrived… just in time."

I said nothing and took a seat.

Lily’s hoarse, feeble voice rang out. "After ingesting the spiritual grass last night, my child grew rapidly, but I… I need rest. With the beast horde approaching, Johns will take full command of the city’s defenses."

Several fourth-order ability users in the hall frowned, glaring disapprovingly at Johns.

Noticing their discontent, Lily spoke again firmly. "Let Johns make all decisions regarding this matter."

Johns stood up, his smile widening. "Rest easy, Leader."

He glanced around the hall, his tone suddenly turning cold. "Something serious happened last night—thirty percent of the outer east district’s defense formation power has been stolen!"

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"How could this happen?"

"Who did this?"

Johns raised a hand to silence them. "After investigation, Chu Men was in charge of patrolling the east district’s defense formation yesterday."

He fixed his gaze on me, eyes sharp with hostility. "Chu Men, do you have anything to explain?"

Explain? Explain that I never expected that petty pretty boy would steal power right from my patrol zone?

I met his stare and stayed silent.

"I inspected your defense formation just last week—it was flawless!" One ability user pointed an accusing finger at me. "How could thirty percent power vanish now?"

"Could Chu Men have betrayed the base?" Another man followed up with suspicion.

I knew them both—they were Johns’s lackeys.

It was clear this was no sudden crisis. Johns and his crew had planned this all along: if the weakened defenses failed against the beast horde, they’d pin the blame squarely on me.

Disgusting.

"Enough!"

Lily spoke up suddenly, her voice weak yet firm. "I refuse to believe Chu Men would do such a thing."

The hall fell silent.

Lily looked at me with soft eyes. "Chu Men risked his life venturing into the abyss, returning barely alive with the spiritual grass. His loyalty to the base is plain for all to see."

She paused. "Yet the power loss is an undeniable fact. Chu Men… would you be willing to go beyond the defense lines to atone for your supposed mistake?"

Her voice held a hint of entreaty, her eyes glistening as if she struggled deeply with the decision.

After all, venturing outside the defenses was a death sentence. If she ordered me out outright, it would ruin her gentle persona.

A smirk tugged at my lips. I’d been hoping for more venomous beasts to slay and level up anyway.

"I am willing."

Lily let out a quiet breath, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes. "Then I shall rely on you."

Johns sneered. "The rift in the east district defenses is yours to hold. Do not fail."

I stood up. "My squad will accompany me."

"I’ll go too." Scarlett stepped forward.

Johns stared at Scarlett, his face dark with fury, yet he did not stop her. "Suit yourself."

"That is all." Lily waved a frail hand. "Dismissed."

I turned to leave, when Johns’s voice crackled over my communicator.

"Chu Men, don’t plan on coming back alive, you worthless fool."