The massive commotion from Bubble 109 made the old man look back in fear as he sped away on his electric scooter. He had already ridden quite a distance, but turning around, he could still see that towering, apocalyptic black-and-white hurricane. Almost losing his balance and crashing, he quickly gripped the handlebars and focused on riding.
His eyes were still filled with hot tears, and his face was a bloody mess. If anyone saw him on the road right now, they would be terrified.
But his enemy was dead. Now he had to rush back, contact the other victims’ families, and break the news to them.
There were lots of family members like him, desperately waiting for justice. Some had died before they ever saw the killers caught, while others were still painfully holding on.
A neighbor carrying a bowl of chicken noodle soup knocked on a door. When an old lady with white hair and wrinkled skin opened it, the neighbor handed it over.
“Thank you, thank you so much…” the old lady repeated.
The neighbors all pitied the poor old woman. They took turns bringing her meals every day, offering a few comforting words. “Director Shi always keeps his word. He’ll definitely catch the killer.”
“Yes, yes,” the old lady nodded in deep agreement. She clearly had absolute faith that Shi Gang would catch the culprit.
A young girl who had tagged along with her mother to deliver the soup was confused. Once they got back home, she asked, “Director Shi? Isn’t the current Director of the Tribunal Division named Qiu?”
“Director Shi was the previous director,” the mother explained. “He was a very powerful and good man, not a single bit worse than the current Director Qiu.”
“Really?” The girl looked skeptical. “I heard the Tribunal Division was a garbage before Director Qiu took over.”
“It was garbage, but Director Shi was different. He came from a humble background, so he really empathized with us ordinary folks. But how could one man fight against those powerful Atavist families? Even the government couldn’t do it. Back then, his case-solving rate was through the roof. Even when his subordinates were playing double games, he would just go out and handle things himself. Once he made a promise, the killer would be caught in no time.
“Sometimes he’d even arrest members of those wealthy Atavist families without hesitating. To us, he was like a savior. Just knowing he was out there made life feel a little less bitter. I don’t know why we haven’t heard anything from such a good man in recent years. Maybe he got transferred to some other department,” the mother said with a sigh of regret.
For her generation, Shi Gang, who had served as the director for twenty years, was far more familiar than Qiu Fa, who had only been in the position for less than ten years. Moreover, Qiu Fa was very mysterious compared to Shi Gang, not many appearing in public. Many people didn’t even know what he looked like, and some older folks with poor access to news still believed Shi Gang was in charge.
Curious and surprised by this new name, the girl imagined a lone hero fighting against a corrupt system. Back in her room, she searched for Shi Gang online. To her surprise, almost none of his achievements were documented. It was as if this beloved hero had never existed.
Driven by curiosity, she kept clicking around and searching obscure forums. Suddenly, she stumbled upon something that made her eyes widen in shock.
It was an international red notice.
And the person wanted was none other than Shi Gang, the “good man” her mother respected so much.
Why… why was this happening?
Meanwhile, in front of the gates of Bubble 109.
The people Shi Gang recruited were obviously really skilled. But since Shi Gang was part of the physical combat group, most of his team were non-magic Atavists. Magic-type Atavists relied on their special powers, while the non-magic ones were usually way better at close combat.
Of Shi Gang’s ten squad members, one had already been killed by Qiu Fa, two by Jing Pei, leaving seven.
Qiu Fa briefly glanced over, noticing that the slim black figure of Jing Pei was being cornered.
“It seems that woman is very important to you,” Shi Gang’s voice suddenly echoed close by, freezing cold and terrifying. “Once you’re dead, I’ll make sure to take very good care of her.”
In that instant, Qiu Fa’s eyes transformed into those of a tiger. Behind him, a massive, terrifying white tiger seemed to rise, a manifestation of pure, murderous intent. “Do you feel no shame at all?”
Before Shi Gang could even process the words, a light-speed tiger claw struck him. His defensive armor shattered instantly, spraying blood.
Whether it was Qiu Fa’s words or the new wound that set him off, Shi Gang’s face twisted into a fierce snarl as he charged at Qiu Fa even more aggressively. “Shame? Why should I feel ashamed? You’re the ones who failed me! I ended up like this because of all of you! I was loyal to my duty, had the highest case-solving rate ever, and brought peace to so many. But you just threw me away like trash and tried to get rid of me? If it weren’t for me, would a punk like you ever have gotten out of prison? And how did you repay me, Qiu Fa?!”
With his furious roar, Shi Gang’s attacks grew more violent. Wherever the two clashed, rocks shattered and exploded into dust. Qiao Ming and his subordinates retreated further and further, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
Shi Gang was a Polar Bear Atavist with an insanely high purity of 90%. His fighting strength was monstrous, and he had tons of battle experience. In his blind rage, he started transforming into a beast. His face lost all human features, his body grew huge, and as he lost his sanity, his power exploded.
Qiu Fa, however, remained calm, a mocking sneer on his lips. “Your loyalty? Your high case-solving rate? You mean framing innocent people and fabricating culprits? You low-life. How many wrongful convictions did you manufacture? How many people did you deceive? Who do you think you are?”
Shi Gang had climbed to the position of director through sheer strength, and the government had high hopes for him, wishing he could keep the arrogant Atavist families in check. In some ways, Shi Gang fulfilled those hopes, but in others, he failed.
He didn’t suppress the families at all. Under his watch, the Tribunal Division remained a playground for them. He accepted their bribes, money, and women without a second thought. To justify it, he openly handed half of the bribe money back to the government, arguing that since they couldn’t stop the Atavist families anyway, they might as well make some money out of them.
Meanwhile, his case-solving rate remained exceptionally high, making his reputation skyrocket among ordinary people. For a while, the nation felt safer, criminals hesitated, and even the Atavist families gave him face and toned down their behavior. The government was left in a position where they couldn’t praise him, yet couldn’t really punish him either.
That was how Shi Gang managed to hold onto his position for twenty years.
But secrets never stay buried forever. It was actually Qiu Fa, during his time in the Tribunal Division prison, who uncovered the truth. The only reason Shi Gang’s case-solving rate was so high was because he would arrest random people and use torture to force confessions.
He was perfectly capable of catching the real killers. But if the actual murderer possessed decent strength, Shi Gang would recruit them into his personal squad. Then, he would find some petty thief or ordinary criminal to take the fall as a scapegoat. Sometimes, he even used ordinary humans to take the blame for Atavist criminals.
The citizens who praised him so highly had no idea that the monsters who killed their loved ones were actually alive and well, living comfortable lives, while completely innocent people had died in their place.
“What’s wrong with doing that?! A powerful Atavist is a rare resource. Letting them die for a bunch of ordinary ants is a complete waste! Besides, as long as the families don’t know, they get their peace and can move on. What did I do wrong?!” Shi Gang roared. “Was I not doing what was best for this country?!”
He had now fully transformed into a giant white bear monster standing on two legs. His eyes were blood-red, his mouth was filled with fangs, and two long sabertooth-like teeth protruded out. His raw power shook the ground beneath them. In front of him, even a tall man like Qiu Fa looked tiny.
“For the country? Who do you think you are?” Qiu Fa kept mocking him, clearly trying to get under his skin. “You can’t even beat me. You’re just an old, useless piece of trash who can’t get anything done anymore.”
Those words struck Shi Gang’s deepest insecurity.
When the government discovered his crimes and found Qiu Fa to replace him, Shi Gang felt betrayed by his country and went completely mad. During his escape, he slaughtered entire villages along his path.
Some of those villages were home to the families of his past victims. They had welcomed him into their homes with gratitude, offering him the best food they had. But after eating his fill, Shi Gang turned his blade on them. When they died, their faces were filled with utter disbelief, tears frozen on their cheeks, their eyes wide open.
Because his actions were very brutal and hypocritical, the government chose to cover up the details to protect the public from despair. They wiped out most of his records and praise from the internet, letting him quietly fade from memory.
Later, Qiu Fa cornered him and left a scar on his face—a scar Shi Gang saw as his biggest humiliation. Still, Shi Gang ended up being the only criminal to ever escape from Qiu Fa’s grip.
Now, completely consumed by animalistic rage, Shi Gang reached out, grabbed two of his own team members, and shoved them into his giant maw. Their agonizing screams were cut short as they were crushed and swallowed, blood dripping from his fangs.
“W-What?!” The remaining squad members who were cornering Jing Pei were frozen in horror. Their attack faltered.
Jing Pei finally caught her breath. She had never been cornered by so many high-level fighters at once. On top of that, she had to avoid showing any signs of her true identity to Qiu Fa. It was exhausting.
Qiu Fa glanced over, then focused back on Shi Gang. “Same old trick. Let’s see how much power your ’emergency rations’ can give you this time.”
Years ago, this was exactly how Shi Gang had escaped. Qiu Fa had been too young and inexperienced to realize someone could absorb Atavist power by eating their own allies, allowing Shi Gang to slip away.
“Captain?” Qiao Ming’s subordinates were terrified, shrinking into the furthest corner. They could feel the razor-sharp wind of the hurricane wall brushing against their backs. One more step and they’d be minced. Since they weren’t combat-types, they were in extreme danger if a mindless Shi Gang targeted them.
“Don’t worry, he only eats his own subordinates. Why do you think he only recruits Atavists of his own type?” Qiao Ming whispered. Only the power of a similar-type Atavist could be absorbed without rejection; eating anyone else would be pointless.
Qiao Ming secretly wondered if Qiu Fa was deliberately provoking Shi Gang to make him lose his mind.
Under Qiu Fa’s constant provocation, Shi Gang began hunting his own men for more power. The remaining squad members forgot all about Jing Pei and scattered in a panic. They had no idea they were recruited just to be backup rations. Shi Gang had kept this horrific ability a secret from them.
But with the hurricane blocking their escape, their only hope was getting inside Bubble 109. Unfortunately, the heavy gates remained tightly shut, locking them out of their only ark.
Some of his men were caught and eaten, while others threw themselves into the hurricane wall in desperation, only to be instantly shredded by the tempest.
Qiao Ming checked his watch and decided to keep waiting, preserving his strength.
Jing Pei, watching from a distance, tilted her head slightly. That nagging feeling of something being wrong returned.
Even though they were in the outskirts and it was late, some people in the city had noticed the massive black-and-white hurricane towering into the sky. It was too spectacular not to share, and videos were already circulating online.
The major Atavist families were also on high alert. This was the location of Bubble 109—a project they had poured a fortune into. Worse, if something went wrong, tomorrow’s crucial conference would be a disaster.
At the Wu estate, Wu Ying and her father were playing chess and bickering when they received a sudden notice from the Feng family. They immediately dropped their pieces and stood up.
“What’s going on? Who is it?”
“We don’t know. A hurricane of this scale can’t be made by just anyone. I’m worried it might be Qiu Fa.”
“Qiu Fa? If it’s him… he must be hunting a criminal,” the Wu family head muttered. They hate Qiu Fa, but they couldn’t deny his terrifying strength and integrity.
“There are two massive Atavist forces clashing inside that hurricane, making it impossible for anyone to get close. After analyzing the wave patterns, we found that the other person is actually Shi Gang!”
Among the elders of the Atavist families, no one was unfamiliar with that name. Why would someone like Shi Gang target Bubble 109?!
Jiang Qing had quietly walked over, and his face paled slightly upon hearing this. What? Qiu Fa was fighting Shi Gang right at Bubble 109?
Did this mean there was still hope?
Jiang Qing checked his watch, but his brief surge of hope quickly died down. No, it was too late. Qiu Fa might be able to capture Shi Gang and Qiao Ming, but he had no way of stopping the collapse of Bubble 109. He probably didn’t even know the bubble was set to explode in thirty minutes.
Meanwhile, Chu Xusheng, who was waiting in the Nevergone District, also saw the news online.
He was very anxious, his heart racing as he wondered if Jing Pei was safe. He turned his gaze to the girl sitting next to him.
The girl had a messy, fluffy short haircut and tanned skin. No matter how he looked at her, she seemed like an ordinary, powerless human, not an Atavist.
This made him very nervous and confused. Could an ordinary human really turn the tide of such a disaster? What did his master mean when she spoke of “failure”? Did she mean the bubble exploding, or did she mean… her own death inside the bubble?
The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine.
“Hey, what exactly is your ability?”
Min Yue was busy hitting her broken laptop to get an internet connection. Hearing his question, she smiled proudly. “I’m a secret weapon. Why would I tell you?”
Ugh, he was so jealous!
Back inside the hurricane.
Having consumed all his subordinates, Shi Gang had replenished his energy. His body was even more massive, and the aura around him was violently wild. A single swipe of his claw created wind strong enough to send a grown man flying. He had completely lost his mind, leaving only raw animal instincts.
While he had traded his sanity for power, the extra energy had returned him to his absolute peak.
Qiu Fa realized this the moment their fists clashed. The sheer shockwave of their impact almost blew Jing Pei and Qiao Ming away, forcing them to channel Atavist power into their legs just to stay grounded.
People often called 90% purity Atavists “humanoid natural disasters,” and this fight proved why. If half of their power hadn’t been channeled into maintaining the hurricane wall, the shockwaves alone would have leveled the surrounding mountains.
As the ground shook beneath the battle, both Qiu Fa and Shi Gang began accumulating wounds. Jing Pei and Qiao Ming’s group had to constantly dodge to avoid getting crushed, and the two of them ended up closer and closer.
Then, Jing Pei struck.
Shi Gang was dangerous, but Qiao Ming was far worse.
Shi Gang couldn’t beat Qiu Fa even years ago with his subordinates’ power, so his chances of winning now were slim. But Qiao Ming was a different story.
Despite his timid, socially awkward appearance, Qiao Ming was a Siren Atavist with a 90% purity rate—another humanoid natural disaster. His list of crimes was even longer and bloodier than Shi Gang’s.
Since he was clearly waiting for the perfect moment to strike, Jing Pei decided to take him out first.
Before Qiao Ming’s group could even realize what was happening, Jing Pei suddenly grabbed him and slammed him hard toward the hurricane wall.
Terrified, Qiao Ming gasped, “Let go of me.”
His voice had a haunting beauty, echoing like a song from the deepest ocean, carrying a hypnotic, captivating power.
This was one of his two special abilities: the “Guiding Voice.”
Anyone who heard it would be instantly mesmerized, becoming his mindless puppet.
Jing Pei felt her body freeze for a fraction of a second. But because she was completely immune to mental attacks, she simply frowned, broke free from the control, and slammed him against the cutting wind of the hurricane wall.
“Aaaah! Save me!” Qiao Ming screamed as cuts opened up all over his body.
Suddenly, Shi Gang’s fist, which had been aiming at Qiu Fa, veered off-course and lunged straight at Jing Pei with terrifying speed.
Jing Pei had to quickly release Qiao Ming and leap back to dodge. The spot where she had been standing exploded, leaving a massive crater.
“You… it’s you… I’ll make everyone who betrayed me regret what they did…” Shi Gang growled, staring at her. In his mindless rage, he vaguely remembered Qiu Fa trying to protect this woman earlier. Realizing she was Qiu Fa’s weak spot, he abandoned Qiu Fa and lunged at Jing Pei, his huge mouth wide open.
“Whoa! Get away from me!” Jing Pei jumped to dodge his claws, feeling like a human being chased by a T-Rex in Jurassic Park. Even if she ended up in his mouth, she doubted he could bite through her, but his breath was absolutely foul! She definitely didn’t want to get caught.
This scene was eerily similar to what happened years ago, except back then, Shi Gang had thrown innocent villagers at Qiu Fa to distract him, severely wounding him and escaping.
But this time, the woman he was targeting wasn’t just a citizen under the Tribunal Division’s protection; she had a far more mysterious identity. Regardless, she was the perfect tool to threaten Qiu Fa.
Even without his sanity, the beast’s instincts remained very petty and vile.
This actually enraged Qiu Fa. And turning your back on him was a fatal mistake.
As Shi Gang lunged at Jing Pei again, massive tiger claws materialized from above, slashing down onto his curved back. In an instant, his flesh was ripped open, blood sprayed, and several bones snapped.
Shi Gang let out a long, agonizing roar, finally turning back to face Qiu Fa.
“You blind, weak fools! You threw me away for those worthless humans… I did nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong!” The pain only made him more frenzied. He roared and slammed his fists wildly.
“Brat, if it weren’t for me, you would have been executed! My achievements far outweigh my mistakes! I deserve a medal, not a purge!” Consumed by mindless rage, he felt deeply victimized, screaming as he lashed out.
Qiu Fa’s wounds grew worse, but for some reason, he was only defending, not attacking. It looked as though he was completely overwhelmed by the relentless assault.
“I’m alive because the government fought to keep me. What does that have to do with you?” Qiu Fa said coldly. He had been pushed all the way to the edge of the hurricane wall, where the raging wind seemed eager to shred anyone who came close.
“Aaaaargh!” Shi Gang roared, channeling all his strength into a final, devastating punch to crush Qiu Fa.
He regretted it. He regretted not killing Qiu Fa when he was first imprisoned. Back when Qiu Fa was young, Shi Gang had stepped on his head to humiliate him, asking him how he dared to keep living. He should have pressed harder and crushed his skull. If he had, he wouldn’t be a wanted fugitive today, fallen from the respected Director of the Tribunal Division to a hunted rat.
“Qiu Fa! This is all your fault! You took everything from me!” His fist seemed to ignite as it flew toward Qiu Fa.
Qiu Fa took a quick step back, his face cold and expressionless. “Shi Gang, former Director of the Hualan Tribunal Division and international fugitive… for serial murder, dereliction of duty, and crimes against humanity over the past thirty years… your crimes are unforgivable. In the name of the Atavist world’s law enforcer, I sentence you to death.”
His hands were stained crimson with blood—both his own and Shi Gang’s. His amber eyes were devoid of any warmth, looking at Shi Gang like a slaughterhouse worker looking at a beast.
As Shi Gang’s fist arrived, Qiu Fa vanished from the spot. In the next split second, he slammed down heavily from above, landing directly on Shi Gang’s back.
“To be executed immediately.”
BOOM!
Because Shi Gang had leaned forward to deliver his punch, the sudden, colossal impact sent his massive body flying forward. His head crashed directly into their combined hurricane wall.
In an instant, the head of the notorious criminal with a ten-billion-yuan bounty was cleanly severed by the razor-sharp wind of his own and Qiu Fa’s power.
With his death, the black hurricane was rapidly consumed by the white one. A massive geyser of blood erupted from his neck, painting the white storm with streaks of deep crimson.
Jing Pei almost wanted to applaud the spectacular fight.
But at that exact moment, Qiao Ming and his team activated their powers.
