Chapter One: A Tremendous Change in the Night

The Awakening

Under the gaze of those blood-soaked eyes, through the crucible of blood and tears, sorrow and pain, he finally underwent his transformation, rising anew—this was called Awakening.

———

At the hour of dusk.

Legend has it that when the final dusk sinks beneath the earth, the distortion of time and space causes a brief pause—sometimes long, sometimes fleeting. Yet when it freezes upon the horizon, and the sunset becomes breathtakingly beautiful, that is the Hour of Dusk.

A beautiful and unforgettable hour.

Yuxia City, Western Gate of District E, 19:08.

Only a quarter of the violet-red sun remains before it vanishes entirely and night falls. Yet in this moment, it seems suspended, lingering as if time itself halts. The cross-shaped halo of the setting sun bathes the western sky and earth, crimson at its heart, radiating outward in shades of purple, with layers of purple clouds stacked upon one another.

In contrast, the eastern sky has already succumbed to inky darkness.

Atop the crystalline city wall, soldiers stand densely packed, their eyes fixed upon the dying sun.

No one knows how much time passes before the Hour of Dusk fades. As the last vestige of the violet-red sun disappears, and the cross-shaped halo gradually dims, the world is slowly swallowed by night.

“Boom, boom, boom!”

Suddenly, a kilometer away, the earth shudders. A horde of beasts surges forth, bearing the last gleam of sunset on their backs, sweeping in like an unstoppable tide.

“They’re coming!”

“Ion beams, energy cannons—prepare to fire!”

“Boom, boom!”

The tremors draw closer. By the bright dome of Yuxia’s crystalline barrier, the monstrous forms become clear.

First to appear are a dozen or so giant beasts, each nearly ten meters tall. They run upright like humans, massive wolf-like heads crowned by a single blood-red eye in their brows, jaws bristling with fangs. With maddened howls, they charge, their burly bodies exuding raw power, like gods of strength, brutishly crashing within ten meters of the city wall.

Behind them swarm red wolf demons, several meters long, and black giant spiders with eight legs.

Further back, the multitude of beasts pours forth in endless numbers.

“Fire!”

With the command, nearly twenty super cannons and laser beams, each as thick as a man’s waist, blast out from behind the crystalline wall, slamming into the beast horde.

Thunderous explosions erupt.

In an instant, the earth trembles, transformed into a world of blazing artillery. Beasts are blown to pieces, limbs and corpses littering the blood-soaked ground. Yet not a single one of the giant beasts at the front falls. Though their bodies are stained with blood, their advance is undiminished—they attack with relentless speed!

“Keep firing energy cannons and particle beams! Mech warriors, deploy!”

“Kill!”

With the order, dozens of mech warriors leap from the twenty-meter-high crystalline wall, descending in flashing arcs, plunging into the midst of the beasts.

In the darkness, crystals of all colors surge forth, gathering, entwining, and forming shapes.

“Clack, clack, clack!”

All manner of mechs assemble, engaging the invading monsters in brutal combat.

The crystalline wall itself transforms, splitting open into humanoid passageways. Soldiers from within the city charge out through these gaps, raising their shoulder-mounted weapons and opening fire.

“Ratatat!”

“Bang, bang!”

As the human army attacks, the score of giant beasts at the front raise their massive iron fists, pounding at the wall, seeking to shatter Yuxia’s last defense.

Meanwhile, the red wolf demons and black giant spiders become killing machines, weaving through the humans, mercilessly tearing into soldiers. The two sides are soon locked in a savage melee.

At this moment, eleven young figures—led by Shangguan Youran, the violet-haired girl—spring into action.

“For our Yuxia—fight!”

As her cold voice falls, twin pale blue swords appear in Shangguan Youran’s hands. Her tall, folding boots shift shape, dazzling white light swirling around her feet, from which thirty-centimeter blades extend at toe and heel.

She leaps, becoming a streak of blue light darting through the beast horde below. With each flash, blood sprays and colossal bodies crash to the ground.

Close behind her is a petite girl, who, at some point, has hefted a rocket launcher onto her small shoulder. With a delicate command, a beam erupts from its barrel, a yellow shooting star that pierces the night. Guided with perfect aim, it streaks through a giant beast and detonates among the wolf demons and spiders in the rear.

A thunderous explosion follows.

Within a ten-meter radius, a yellow blast wave vaporizes ordinary beasts, leaving only a circular crater behind.

“Mother!” Mu Ningxue’s eyes, clear as autumn water, shine with a strange light. In this moment, she recalls her mother’s teachings, the way she spoke of the path of guardianship.

Yet her mother’s love, gentleness, and guidance are now but echoes. She is gone.

Because of these monsters. If not for them, her mother would still...

“Kill!” In that instant, she forgets all her grief, breaking from the group. With one hand gripping her bombardment rifle, she plunges into the beast horde.

Behind her, Lu Shijie wields a violet spear, fighting the beasts while shielding the pale-faced, trembling Cheng Shiyu...

Humans and monsters fall one after another. Bathed in the radiant blue and red light of Yuxia’s crystalline barrier, the world outside the city becomes a blood-soaked catastrophe.

Yet the slaughter rages on.

In contrast to the carnage outside, within the city, all is quiet and peaceful.

Thud, thud.

Nangong Yuchen hurries home.

It is past nine at night. After leaving the City of Technology with the Letian father and son, he rode back to the academy in their car. By then, the students had already been evacuated, so he returned with the two of them to District B and then ran home on his own.

Since Le Han’s home was in District B, he couldn’t ask Letian to drive him to District C at such a time, so he simply ran straight back from District B.

After more than ten minutes, sweating and breathless, he finally arrived at Xiyuan Community with his backpack.

By the brilliant glow of the blue and red energy overhead, he reached the foot of his building.

Without pause, he rushed up to the fourth floor, pulled out his key, and tried to open the door.

Because energy in Yuxia was cut off, the corridor was dark, and the light from outside couldn’t penetrate. He fumbled for a long while before managing to open the door.

Entering the living room, he had barely caught his breath before calling out anxiously, “Kexin?”

No answer. Instinctively, Nangong Yuchen reached for the light switch.

Click.

The room remained shrouded in darkness. The city’s power was still out.

“Kexin?” Helpless, he closed the door and called again.

Still, there was no reply. The house fell silent once more.

Now even more anxious, he dropped his bag and hurried toward his sister’s room.

But just then, a chill breeze swept through the living room window.

Nangong Yuchen froze where he stood as the wind carried a strong, metallic scent of blood to his nose.

His heart seemed to stop. Rigidly, he turned around—and saw, hanging from the ceiling, a human silhouette swaying gently in the wind.

“Kexin?”