Bubble 109 was located in the suburbs. Actually, almost all medium to large bubbles were situated far from cities. It wasn’t because these bubbles actually chose to settle away from crowds on their own, but rather because the government intentionally avoided them when planning urban construction. This was because the collapse of some large bubbles could affect areas outside of them, potentially triggering massive earthquakes or other disasters.

Further down the highway, a fork in the road led to what looked like a highway rest stop. But it wasn’t a rest area at all—it was the entrance to Bubble 109. A massive gate stood there at nowhere, surrounded on both sides and behind by various buildings, including restaurants, convenience stores, and arcades.

By now, the clock was almost at eleven, and the gates of Bubble 109 were about to be locked.

The lock had to be engaged from the inside. To protect the precious fossilized remains and crystals inside Bubble 109, the Atavist families had spent a fortune purchasing materials to build this gate. It was made of the exact same material as Lou Ting’s aerial cage in the Yuewan Mountain Range, making it impossible to break with brute force.

Because of this, once the gates were locked, Bubble 109 was practically an impenetrable sanctuary. Even if an apocalyptic flood came, it would serve as a Noah’s Ark.

Of course, that was assuming no traitor opened the gate from the inside.

With only five minutes left before lockup, the shops around the gate had already closed, and the surroundings were dead silent. Yet, a vibrant, warm energy of human life radiated from the open gate.

“Ah…” One of Shi Gang’s men took a deep breath, trembling all over like a starving wolf catching the scent of meat. “I almost can’t hold back, Boss. I want to rush in there and slaughter them all. The screaming, the running, the begging… it’s so addictive! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Hold it in,” Shi Gang said, biting down on his cigarette.

The man clutched his head and let out a pained howl.

Before the bubble was locked, completely innocent of the beasts waiting outside, one of the managers stepped out and called out, “We’re locking up. Are you guys starting up your machine or not?”

“Yes, yes, starting it now!” A researcher, who had been keeping his distance from Shi Gang’s crew, quickly ran over, punched in the commands, and immediately hopped into a vehicle and sped away.

Shortly after, the heavy gates of Bubble 109 swung shut.

Inside the bubble, the workers were already lying in their beds, waiting to be hypnotized by the staff hypnotist. It was a daily routine to make sure they got a good night’s sleep and woke up feeling refreshed and energized the next day.

The hypnotist stood next to the scarred-brow man. “Since they’re all going to die when the bubble collapses anyway, there’s no need to make them suffer. I’ll just put them into a deep coma instead.”

The scarred-brow man sneered. “They’re dying either way, so what’s the harm in letting Shi Gang and the guys have some fun first? What’s the difference between dying in your sleep or dying while being hunted down? You’re so hypocritical.”

The hypnotist sighed. Behind him lay several unconscious bodies—the guards and members sent by the other Atavist families to watch the bubble. None of them had suspected the hypnotist was a traitor, making it very easy for him to invade their minds and put them into a deep sleep. With them out of the picture, the ordinary workers inside Bubble 109 were now completely defenseless, like baby chicks without a mother hen, ripe for the slaughter.

“Let’s go. The signal jammer is active, so no one inside can contact the outside world anymore. Time to let the monsters in,” the scarred-brow man said with a grin.

Outside, Shi Gang and his crew had already gathered by the gate, practically vibrating with excitement as they waited for the doors to slide open so they could start their bloodbath.

Right then, a muffled bang echoed through the night, and a sharp gust of wind whipped toward one of the men. Without even blinking, the man casually raised his hand and caught something with a sharp snap.

Everyone turned to look.

Opening his palm, he found a single bullet resting there.

“Oh?” The man grinned with sudden excitement, glancing toward the direction of the shot before vanishing on the spot.

A moment later, an elderly man who looked to be in his sixties was dragged out. He was dragged face-down across the dirt, leaving a thin trail of blood behind him.

“Ugh, what a bummer. Just an old guy,” the crew muttered in disappointment.

“Hey, old man, you got a death wish?” the man who had been shot at asked, giving the elderly janitor a rough kick.

The old man slowly pushed himself up from the rough ground. His face was covered in bloody scrapes and bruises, but his eyes were filled with pure, hatred as he glared at the man.

“You don’t even remember me, do you?”

“Huh?”

A storm raged in the old man’s bloodshot eyes.

He worked as a janitor here and was always the last to leave after the bubble locked up for the night. The moment he saw this man among the group, he recognized him right away. He could never forget that face.

Years ago, he had a happy life with a wife and two children. His son had just graduated high school, and his sweet, kind-hearted daughter had just finished college. They ran a small food stall together—nothing fancy, but they were happy and comfortable.

One day, this man had shown up at their shop, dressed in rags and refusing to leave. His daughter had kindly cooked him a hot bowl of noodles, and after eating, the man had left.

But late that night, the janitor woke up to a strange noise. Sensing his wife wasn’t beside him, a cold dread washed over him.

He crept out of the bedroom, and the moment he opened the door, the thick stench of blood hit him. There on the coffee table were the severed heads of his wife and son, their eyes wide with terror. His daughter lay there like an antelope with its throat torn out, completely bled dry—while the monster on top of her was still panting in post-kill ecstasy.

“Your daughter was great. You’ve got good genes, old man. Too bad you didn’t have more daughters,” the beast said, letting go of her neck. The lower half of his face was smeared with her blood.

For some reason, the psychopath didn’t kill him. Perhaps it was intentional, wanting him to drag out his days living in a nightmare. The autopsy later revealed that his wife and son had their heads literally ripped off by their shoulders, and his daughter had been alive when her throat was bitten open. Very little blood was left in her body, meaning most of it had been drunk. She had been injected with a large amount of green fluid and suffered horrific tears.

“I only stayed alive this long just to watch you die!” Tears of blood welled up in the old man’s eyes as the agonizing memories rushed back. He wanted nothing more than to tear the beast’s flesh with his bare teeth. The moment he realized the monster was here, he had lost all control. He sprinted back to his dorm and dug out an old gun he had bought on the black market years ago.

When he bought it, he figured he’d either use it to kill the murderer or use it to end his own misery one day.

“Whoa, dude, look what you did,” the man’s companions laughed and joked around. “That’s so cruel, leaving him alive to suffer all this time.”

“Seriously. Just put him out of his misery and get it over with.”

“Huh? I really forgot about that. I don’t even know who this guy is,” the killer muttered, actually doesn’t remembered.

“Don’t waste time,” Shi Gang said, completely doesn’t care about the old man.

The old man’s eyes shifted to Shi Gang, and shock washed over him as he finally recognized him. “Director Shi? You… but you promised back then that you’d catch this monster…”

Faced with the accusation, Shi Gang merely took a drag from his cigarette, gave him a cold glance, and turned away indifferently.

“Surprised, old man? Our boss actually did catch me back then. But then he let me go, because I’m way more valuable than people like you,” the psychopath sneered triumphantly. “Kudos to you for waiting all these years, though. Let me send you on your way so you can join your wife and kids.”

Back then, the serial killer case had caused a massive public uproar, especially since it was committed by an Atavist. Shi Gang had personally promised the victims’ families that he would bring the killer to justice. The old man knew there was a new director at the Tribunal Division now, but he had no idea Shi Gang had actually joined forces with the criminals. He had assumed Shi Gang had simply been reassigned, and he had gritted his teeth to survive all these years, waiting for Shi Gang to fulfill his promise.

But now… the heavens were truly blind. Not fair, very unjust. He closed his eyes in despair.

The psychopath loved torturing his victims, but an old man wasn’t nearly as exciting as the thousands of fresh targets waiting inside the bubble. He raised his foot, intending to kick the old man’s head in with a vicious, bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face, while the others watched and laughed.

A stray leaf falling through the air suddenly flipped and spun rapidly.

An instant before the killer’s boot could connect with the old man, his throat suddenly exploded. Deep, jagged gashes—as if torn open by the savage claws of a massive beast—slashed open his neck. A massive spray of hot blood erupted, splashing all over the old man’s face and making him shudder in shock.

Death had just swept right past them, yet none of them could catch even a glimpse of a shadow. The killer didn’t even realize how he had died.

Wh-What?!

The rest of the crew instantly scattered, their muscles tensing as they warily scanned the darkness ahead.

“Q-Qiu Fa!”

Qiu Fa stood right in the center of the ruthless criminals. Even though he was technically surrounded, he looked far more relaxed than any of them. Yet, the coldness in his amber eyes was infinitely more terrifying than theirs—though his cruelty was never aimed at the innocent.

Shi Gang reacted faster than anyone, throwing himself backward the absolute second his man was hit.

At the same time, a cold realization hit him. Something was wrong. Why hadn’t the gate opened yet?

Just a minute earlier, on the other side of the gate, the scarred-brow man had finished typing the passcode and was about to press the confirm key.

“Sir, there’s a curfew after eleven. You’re not allowed to go out.”

The two traitors gasped in shock and spun around. Without them noticing, a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes had appeared beside them. She was wearing a Lolita dress and clutching a stuffed doll, looking even more delicate and beautiful than the toy she held.

“People who break the rules need to be punished,” she said in sweet voice. Suddenly, her cute expression twisted, her mouth splitting open into a wild, manic grin. She threw her doll aside, lifted her frilly skirt, and yanked out a massive meat cleaver. “Hahaha! I’ve been holding back for so long! Die, hahaha!”

Outside, Qiu Fa grabbed the old janitor off the ground and tossed him backward, where a pair of pale, slender hands caught him gently.

“Sir, you should leave this place quickly,” a soft, feminine voice said. “That is the real Director of the Tribunal Division, Qiu Fa. He’s going to get you the justice you deserve.”

The old man’s face was completely covered in the killer’s blood, but he felt no fear whatsoever. Realizing this was the blood of the monster who destroyed his life, he felt nothing but pure, exhilarating satisfaction. He wished he could bathe in it.

Tears streamed down his weathered face as he looked at his two saviors, wanting to engrave their faces in his memory forever. Fearing he would only get in their way if he stayed, he scrambled to his feet and ran away as fast as his old legs could carry him.

And by now, nobody else cared about the old man anymore.