Brian Carter didn’t notice the little girl’s expression. He waved to the group hiding behind, signaling that everything was fine on this side. At the same time, he said to Jason Clark, “Let’s talk about this later. We need to get to the shelter in Zone D as soon as possible.”

Jason Clark was straightforward as well and didn’t bother with any pleasantries. Seeing the crowd of over a hundred people surging over, Jason Clark nodded and said, “Yeah, I don’t know how the monsters from underground got up here. It’s safer to hide in the shelter for now.”

Brian Carter forcefully turned the lizardman over. Its heavy body and long tail made it no easy task.

Seeing this, Jason Clark hurried to help, asking in surprise, “Are you going to take the crystal core?”

The lizardman’s heart was different from a human’s—it was a semi-crystallized hard core. It contained highly concentrated life energy, supporting the lizardman’s massive body. This was also why, after surviving for billions of years underground, lizardmen had evolved along their own unique path.

The crystal core contained a strange energy that could be extracted through technological means and was extremely valuable.

Jason Clark hadn’t expected Brian Carter to know about this, let alone have the presence of mind to take the crystal core at a time like this. He must have nerves of steel.

Brian Carter took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself, then raised his sword and slashed. The tough lizard skin split open like paper, leaving a gash over a foot long.

Jason Clark couldn’t help but praise, “Good sword, good swordsmanship.” Only now did Jason Clark notice that Brian Carter was wielding a black iron Tang sword. And the way Brian Carter swung the sword—swift and precise—was textbook perfect, flawless in every way. Of course, being able to cut through the scales so easily was also because the lizardman was dead; without life energy, its scales had become soft and brittle.

Brian Carter reached deep into the lizardman’s body, parting the tough muscles. The strange sensation of touching the flesh sparked an intense hunger in Brian Carter.

The ugly lizardman before him seemed to turn into a delicious feast, and Brian Carter felt as if he hadn’t eaten for days, wanting nothing more than to devour the lizardman on the spot.

Relying on his iron will, Brian Carter forcefully suppressed the sudden urge and skillfully extracted the crystal core. As soon as his hand left, the intense hunger quickly faded. Brian Carter knew something was off, but couldn’t pinpoint the problem. Fortunately, he had obtained the crystal core, and he could ponder this issue later when he had time.

The crystal core looked like a semi-transparent egg, its exterior a dark yellow crystal, with a faintly red liquid inside. The purer and more transparent the core, the better its quality. The one Brian Carter had just obtained was only average.

Jason Clark watched from the side, his eyes growing more suspicious. The location of the lizardman’s heart core was very well hidden, yet Brian Carter’s movements were so practiced, as if he’d done this a thousand times before.

Meeting Jason Clark’s questioning gaze, Brian Carter just gave a mysterious smile. How could he explain that he’d killed tens of thousands of these things in his dreams and was already a master at this?

The crystal core could provide powerful life energy. Although taking it directly had serious side effects, it could suppress pain and stimulate one’s potential. Having a crystal core could be a lifesaver at a critical moment. Putting the core into his pocket, Brian Carter was secretly delighted.

Taking the crystal core had barely delayed them. The group gathered together, and inevitably, Brian Carter was showered with praise. Even though they were far away, a few brave ones had seen Brian Carter kill the lizardman with a single strike.

“Young man, you’re truly a genius…”

“A peerless genius.”

“Mature and calm—a born leader!”

“If it weren’t for you, young man, we wouldn’t have survived…”

Their admiration and respect were as boundless as a mighty river, impossible to fully express. And it was all genuinely heartfelt.

Brian Carter didn’t take it too seriously, but it still felt good to be praised. Besides, with everyone speaking so enthusiastically, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. It helped ease the tension and panic, which was a good thing.

Jason Clark silently followed beside Brian Carter, observing his every move.

People naturally tend to follow the crowd, and with such a large group, their momentum was considerable. Along the way, they called out and gathered scattered people, like a snowball rolling bigger and bigger. After passing two long streets, their numbers had swelled to over five hundred.

With so many people and no strict organization, things were chaotic. They could only manage to organize a group to bring up the rear, another to lead the way, and put the elderly, women, and children in the middle.

Though the group kept growing, Brian Carter couldn’t relax. The appearance of a lizardman meant these powerful monsters had already broken into the base. The situation was dire.

They could already see the huge glass pyramid of Anfu Tower, but Brian Carter faintly smelled a trace of blood in the air, making him even more uneasy.

Suddenly, Jason Clark grabbed Brian Carter, “Wait, there’s danger ahead…”

Chapter 5: Mecha Warrior

Hearing the word “danger,” the group of men surrounding Brian Carter all changed expressions slightly. Their steps involuntarily slowed.

They had just survived a harrowing ordeal. The word “danger” struck fear into their hearts. After all, they were just ordinary workers; risking their lives was never part of the job.

Suddenly faced with such upheaval, all they could do was panic and flee, with no thought of resistance.

Brian Carter never expected anything from them anyway. He thought for a moment and said, “Brother Clark, if you have a mecha, use it now. No matter what’s ahead, let’s just fight our way through. Any more delay will only make things worse.”