One week later, Yangjibang resembled a wounded beast slowly licking its scars.
In the air, the salty scent of the sea mixed with dust, ozone, and disinfectant, forming a strange smell unique to the aftermath of disaster.
Reconstruction of the coastal district was already in full swing. The roar of machinery had replaced the monster's cries, becoming the new background noise of the city.
Shen Yong wore an orange safety helmet. The vest bearing the emblem of the Dawn Mutual Aid Society was soaked with sweat.
He skillfully operated a construction exoskeleton. Under his control, the two hydraulic arms moved as naturally as his own, carefully lifting a twisted steel beam from the rubble and placing it into a massive recycling truck.
His logical thinking as a programmer and his natural instinct for precision machinery allowed him to become one of the most efficient operators at the site within just a few days.
"Take a break, Shen Yong! Lunch time!"
The foreman, Old Zhang, shouted through a loudspeaker.
Shen Yong shut down the machine and jumped from the cockpit.
He walked to the temporary rest area, where hundreds of volunteers and workers like him had gathered.
They lined up to receive lunch: a packet of high-energy nutrient paste and a bottle of electrolyte water.
The taste wasn't great, but it was enough to sustain an afternoon of heavy labor.
He found a quiet corner and sat down.
Nearby, several young workers were engaged in an animated discussion.
"Did you see the EUC's 3D reconstruction plan released last night? It's incredible!" a youthful worker said excitedly.
"They're planning a massive offshore platform for the new district. Supposedly it can resist tsunamis and monster attacks."
"Yeah, well, fancy plans won't bring people back," another older worker replied bitterly.
He pointed toward a distant high-rise building whose skeletal frame was all that remained.
"My wife's sister and her family lived there. They still haven't been found."
"What's the point of rebuilding a beautiful city if the people are gone?"
The atmosphere fell silent.
Shen Yong quietly finished the last of his nutrient paste.
He understood the pain of losing loved ones—and he understood the weight of rebuilding this city.
Looking up, he spotted sara kim working not far away.
She wore a blue work uniform covered in dust, directing the unloading of a new shipment of medical supplies.
The aura of a corporate heiress had long vanished.
She had chosen to stand beside the workers and survivors, rebuilding their home with her own hands.
Her face was bare of makeup. Her voice had grown hoarse from constant shouting.
Yet her eyes shone with determination.
Her very presence inspired others.
For the first time in many years, Shen Yong felt a genuine sense of belonging.
He was no longer a lonely observer drifting at the edge of society.
Now he was a drop within the vast tide of reconstruction.
With his own hands, he was helping heal the wounds of this city.
The feeling was far more real than writing code in a virtual world.
Meanwhile, 1,000 meters beneath the earth, inside a classified EUC research facility, the Titan Project advanced at the speed of wartime mobilization.
Inside a massive circular laboratory, cold blue light illuminated the stern faces of scientists and engineers.
Mark Reyes stood with his arms crossed before a wall of reinforced blast-proof glass several meters thick.
Beyond the glass lay the central testing chamber.
"Thunder Prototype No. 1—energy injection commencing."
"Countdown: ten… nine… eight…"
The mechanical voice echoed across the laboratory.
In the testing field, the muzzle of a monstrous rail cannon began to glow with arcs of blue electricity.
Its target was a forty-meter-tall simulated monster constructed from heat-resistant alloy and high-density bio-gel composite materials.
"…three… two… one… fire!"
A blinding blue beam shot forward, brighter than the sun.
In the silent vacuum of the chamber, it crossed the distance in an instant.
The beam struck the target squarely in the chest.
There was no massive explosion.
Only silence.
Then—
A huge molten cavity appeared in the target's chest.
The edges were smooth like glass.
Superheated vapor poured from the hole.
"Test successful!"
The engineers at the control stations burst into restrained cheers.
Ellie Solen stood beside Mark, watching streams of data race across her tablet.
"Energy output stable," she reported.
"Penetration exceeded expectations by thirty-five percent."
"But the flaw is obvious. After each shot, the cooling system requires ninety seconds before it can fire again."
"In real combat, ninety seconds is fatal."
"Then shorten it," Mark replied coldly.
His voice carried no excitement.
His eyes remained fixed on the molten crater in the target, as if imagining a real monster standing there.
"Our bunker-penetrating missiles are already stocked," he continued.
"But we lack reliable underground detection systems."
"And we still know almost nothing about monster biology or their weaknesses."
Ellie frowned.
"Mark, we're forging sharper weapons, but we still don't know who the enemy is or why they've appeared."
"Force might win battles—but not wars."
"I believe we should study the monsters themselves. Perhaps—"
"Perhaps they can communicate?" Mark interrupted.
He turned toward her, eyes sharp.
"Ellie, I respect scientific curiosity."
"But when your city is being torn apart and civilians are dying, you don't have time for diplomacy."
"My job is to make sure that the next time a monster appears, we're holding a weapon that can kill it instantly."
"Not a peace proposal."
"We cannot place all our hopes on that mysterious giant."
Night fell.
For the moment, the city grew quiet.
Shen Yong dragged his exhausted body back to his apartment.
After taking a shower, he didn't open the news as usual.
Instead, he changed into loose training clothes and entered the apartment gym.
A holographic training video appeared before him.
A stern Brazilian jiu-jitsu master demonstrated the technique for an armbar.
Shen Yong followed the instructions again and again.
Sweat slid down his forehead and dripped onto the floor.
His muscles burned with fatigue.
But his mind replayed the battle with Neronga endlessly.
He realized something.
He had enormous strength—
But his combat technique was crude.
Against a slow, heavy opponent like Neronga, brute force worked.
But against something faster… smarter…
He would lose.
"If I had used a throwing technique, I could've broken its balance instead of wrestling with it…" he muttered between breaths.
"And if I understood ground grappling… when it turned invisible, I could've sensed the vibrations through the ground and locked its joints…"
For the first time in his life, Shen Yong truly longed to become stronger.
Not to fulfill a childhood dream.
But to protect others—
And himself.
After finishing training, he collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion.
Out of habit, he extended his hand and called out silently.
The silver Beta Capsule appeared in his palm.
Its cool surface felt real.
He noticed something new.
Every time he summoned it, a faint exhaustion spread from deep within his body.
As if a small portion of his life force had been drained.
He didn't yet understand what that meant.
But it made him cautious.
This power was not a gift to be used freely.
It was a contract that required a price.
Just as he was about to stand up—
His personal terminal suddenly erupted with a piercing alarm.
Red emergency light filled the room.
All channels were overridden by the highest-level global emergency broadcast.
On the screen, a pale-faced EUC news anchor struggled to maintain composure.
"Breaking news…"
"Five minutes ago, a monster has been confirmed to appear on the European continent."
"I repeat—another monster has appeared."
"The location is… the British Isles."
The broadcast instantly switched to live aerial footage.
The muddy waters of the Thames churned violently, as if boiling.
Then—
A gigantic head burst from the river.
Its back was lined with jagged purple dorsal fins.
Its massive mouth opened wide, revealing rows of fangs as it released a thunderous roar.
The sea monster — Gesura.
It clumsily crawled onto land.
Its enormous body crushed the riverside railings with ease.
Behind it, the famous Parliament building looked fragile as toy blocks.
Shen Yong jumped to his feet.
He stared at the screen.
The calm life he had just begun to rebuild…
The sense of belonging he had just found…
All of it shattered beneath the distant roar of the monster.
The glass in his hand slipped.
In the silent room, only the sound of shattered glass echoed.