When Sarah Bolton pulled the metal bookshelf in front of him as a shield, another squad of Overlord warriors, alerted by the gunshots, happened to burst in. The leader hadn’t even registered the scene in the office before his foot landed squarely on an infrared optical trip mine.

　　All around that trip mine was a pile of every bit of ammunition and grenades carried by the four leading warriors.

　　“Shit…”

　　The warrior who stepped on the mine barely had time to utter a single word before a thunderous explosion erupted. The entire glass exterior of the twelve-story Public Security Bureau shattered into fragments, a pillar of fire blasting out from the director’s office. The warriors following in the corridor behind didn’t even have time to react before they were consumed by the shockwave.

　　Instantly, alarms blared throughout the Public Security Bureau. The fire suppression system unleashed a torrential downpour from the ceiling. In the panicked building, both officers and civilians alike frantically rushed for the exits.

　　Pity the prisoners in the underground cells—behind their iron bars, even if they screamed themselves hoarse, no one would have the time to care whether they lived or died.

　　“It’s really time to go now.”

　　Sarah Bolton shoved aside the twisted, blast-deformed metal bookshelf in front of him, took Grace Miller by the hand, and walked across the charred wreckage toward the door. The once-mighty warriors were now either dead, or, like Emily, barely clinging to life on the ground, feeling the torrential rain pour down on them.

　　“Sarah Bolton… I will find you… I will kill you.” The indomitable Emily had only one eye left, his body riddled with bullet holes, his skin completely burned, but he was still alive, staring at Sarah Bolton, blood and tears streaming from his eye.

　　“The odds are pretty low, because my chances of surviving today are too slim.” Sarah Bolton sighed, leading Grace Miller over the corpses and out.

　　Everything that happened inside the Public Security Bureau was recorded by hidden cameras and quickly transmitted to a military transport plane piercing through the atmosphere. A young man with half his face hidden behind a metal gas mask kept replaying the moment Sarah Bolton fired at Emily.

　　“Hammer, what do you think of our prey this time?” The masked youth asked in a deep, metallic voice like a dark knight.

　　“Weak, no professional military training; foolish, to make an enemy of Overlord.” The so-called Hammer was not a dog, but a giant, two-meter-tall, bald, muscular man. His right arm was a silver mechanical prosthetic, a cyborg’s limb, but his was as thick as a utility pole, as if a pile driver had been fused with his body.

　　“You’re too one-sided.” The masked youth seemed to smile. “Look closely at his eyes when he fires. He has no emotion about killing. No anger, no fear, no joy.”

　　“That’s you, William Parker.” Hammer retorted.

　　“Ugh, why are you complimenting me at a time like this?” William Parker gave Hammer a shove. “I just mean, he’s a man born with a god’s-eye view. Once he decides, he executes with chilling calm. Once he’s sure he’s at odds with the world, his mind probably focuses on just one thing… how to defeat this world?”

　　“Overestimating himself. No one can defeat Overlord, let alone the whole world. I can’t, and neither can you.” Hammer added expressionlessly.

　　“Yeah, but look closely at his face.” William Parker froze the footage at the moment Sarah Bolton fired. “He’s seriously thinking about how to beat the world. Doesn’t that give you goosebumps?”

　　“In the end, he’ll still die, because we’re about to find him.” Hammer was unmoved by William Parker’s excitement.

　　“Yeah, that’s the helplessness of being human—ambition higher than the sky, life as fragile as paper. I envy him so much. Even if he’s about to die, at least for a moment, he scorns the whole world, doesn’t have to follow any rules.” William Parker sighed deeply.

　　“Do you want to be like him? I’ll kill you, William Parker.” Hammer warned.

　　“Relax, I’m not that stupid.” William Parker said, turning off the screen in front of him. “Because I’ve seen power as insurmountable as a mountain, despair as deep as an ocean trench… Besides, you can’t kill me. Fewer than five people in this world can, and you’re not one of them.”

　　“Tch, demigods, always so cocky.” Hammer had to admit it on this point.

Chapter 7: Escape

　　Maglev armored vehicles sprouted from every corner of the streets like bamboo shoots after rain. Squads of warriors, armed with all kinds of weapons, rushed past at high speed. Military fighter jets roared overhead, outnumbering even the flies.

　　Public security patrol robots, their police lights flashing, flew through the air broadcasting an emergency announcement: “Attention! The third federal city of Get is now under special conditions. All citizens are advised to stay home and not go out unnecessarily. Please remain calm and do not panic. Overlord Group, as one of the world’s top seven enterprises, is committed to protecting the personal and property safety of the public. Please follow instructions and return home. In two hours, we will begin a citywide sweep—any living thing on the streets will be terminated. If you have any questions, please call the Overlord Group’s global hotline: 488-488-4188.”

　　Only an idiot would actually call that number. Every channel was broadcasting the citywide purge order, and everyone’s only reaction was to hide as fast as possible—even dogs exposed to nuclear radiation were digging holes to crawl into.