Bee—Bee—Bee—Bee—
A shrill alarm pierced through Chen Fan's meditation, dragging him out of the blazing heat he had summoned within his body. He opened his eyes; for a brief moment, a flicker of crimson fire danced across his pupils before fading away.
He frowned at the holographic screen flashing insistently beside his bed.
"Who the hell is bothering me this early in the morning?"
Grumbling, hair a mess, face unwashed, Chen Fan slumped into his chair and tapped the screen.
A beautiful face—one he knew all too well—popped into view, tight with anxiety.
"Chen Fan! Headquarters just assigned you an urgent mission. Two-Star difficulty. Reward: ten thousand points and one hundred thousand Star Origin Stones!"
Zhao Ying's usually gentle voice was sharp with tension. Watching Chen Fan's sleepy, dead-fish expression only made her explode.
"Chen Fan! Are you even listening!?"
"…I heard." He paused, then waved lazily. "But I'm on vacation today. Find someone else."
"You think I didn't try!?" Zhao Ying snapped. "Headquarters specifically ordered you. The incident is happening near your district—there's no time to send anyone else!"
Chen Fan's brows rose."What incident?"
"A cat went berserk," Zhao Ying said grimly. "Several detectives already tried to stop it. None succeeded."
"…Are you messing with me?" Chen Fan stared blankly. "A cat? And you assigned a Two-Star mission for that?"
Then realization clicked.Wait.Ten thousand points? One hundred thousand Star Origin Stones?For a cat?
Zhao Ying lowered her voice."It's not a normal cat."
She tapped a command, sending a file to his inbox.
"This thing mutated somehow. Its size has increased by dozens of times. Strength too. And it's running straight toward your district. ETA: ten minutes."
Chen Fan opened the video.
Immediately—"Holy—what breed is THAT!?"
The creature on screen was the size of a truck. Black and white fur, feline face, razor claws over a foot long. Its jaws opened wide, fangs glinting like metal. It shredded a reinforced street barrier like tissue paper… then swallowed chunks of metal whole.
Then came the worst part—
The mutated cat bisected an elderly man with a single swipe, blood splashing across the pavement.
Chen Fan exhaled sharply, face turning cold.So that's why the Alliance was panicking.
"Chen Fan," Zhao Ying said quickly, "you're the only one close enough with the ability to stop it. Over ten people are already injured. Two confirmed dead. Reinforcements are coming, but they won't arrive in time. Headquarters' only order is this—"
Her voice dropped."Stop that monster before it kills again."
Chen Fan stood up, expression turning solid as steel.
"I got it."
He didn't even shut down the computer.
In the next instant, his body blurred—And he vanished from the room.
Moments later, he was sprinting through the streets, the crackle of lightning flashing beneath his feet.
Screams echoed from the northern district—sharp, terrified, desperate.
"What the hell happened…?"
Chen Fan pushed harder.Buildings blurred past.In less than thirty seconds—he saw it.
The mutant cat was enormous, a towering black-and-white beast with claws like swords and a maw large enough to bite through a hovercar.
Even Chen Fan felt goosebumps rise across his skin.
The monster roared—A single swipe sent a parked hovercraft spinning into the air before it crashed into the street with an explosion of metal and sparks.
The scene was chaos—wreckage, screaming civilians, blood on the pavement.
"Who the hell raised this damn thing!?" Chen Fan growled.
No time to hesitate.
His figure flickered—He landed atop a tall tree, then launched himself from branch to branch like a bolt of lightning.
In a heartbeat, he stood face-to-face with the towering feline beast.
"Beast," Chen Fan snarled, "you dare cause trouble on my turf? You've got guts."
Lightning burst beneath his feet as he leaped high, fist cocked back.
He came down like a thunderbolt.
BOOM!
His punch slammed into the monster's skull, lightning exploding in all directions. The mutant cat shrieked, its massive head snapping sideways under the blow.
"Damn… that skull is hard."
Chen Fan shook his fist. It felt like punching solid steel.
And the hit only enraged the creature further.
"Well, guess cat heads are just as hard as dog heads…" he muttered.
Without missing a beat—He vanished again.
BOOM!
A second punch.
This time, the beast staggered violently. Its hulking body toppled sideways—Right onto three luxurious hovercars.
CRUNCH.
Chen Fan winced."...There goes a few million credits."
Behind him, voices erupted—
"Nice!"
"Beat that monster to death!"
"Chen Fan, kill it! It crushed my hovercar!"
A crowd had gathered without him realizing. Some cheered, others cried over their smashed vehicles.
Chen Fan's face darkened.
"What the hell are you all still doing here!? Run! I can't hold this thing off alone!"
His shout cut through the chaos.
The crowd dispersed instantly, screaming as they fled.
Deep in a distant corner, two black-clad men blended into the retreating crowd, eyes locked onto Chen Fan.
One leaned closer, whispering with a cold smile—
"Captain, the target has appeared. Shall we begin Phase Two?"