“Why don’t you just ask for a tank?” Deng Yuqi snapped irritably.

Shen Ge’s eyes lit up. “Can I?”

If he really had a tank, he could just crush any creepy cats or dogs they encountered from now on. If they didn’t die from being run over, he’d blast them with a shell.

There was nothing a single shell couldn’t solve. And if that didn’t work? Well, he’d just fire another one!

“…”

At that moment, a crisp, unnatural sound came from ahead.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Shen Ge turned his head and saw that the ghostly cat lying on the ground was now almost entirely shrouded in black mist, with only its head still exposed.

The strange tapping noise came from the squirming flesh in its head, which was pushing the bullets out one by one. The spent casings clattered onto the ground.

“It’s probably about to mutate again. Back at the villa, it was the same—black mist enveloped its body, turning it into this monstrosity,” Shen Ge explained.

Without hesitation, Deng Yuqi raised her gun and fired.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She emptied the entire magazine.

Decisive. Not a moment’s hesitation.

But this time, the bullets barely pierced the cat’s skull before being forced back out. At the same time, the black mist covering its body began creeping forward, slowly swallowing its head as well.

While Deng Yuqi reloaded, Shen Ge turned and bolted toward the back—without so much as a “Run!”—leaving her behind without a second thought.

“This guy…” Deng Yuqi muttered under her breath as she watched Shen Ge sprint toward the black sedan. She quickly followed.

Just as she reached for the passenger-side door, Shen Ge slid into the driver’s seat, slammed the door shut, and floored the gas. The car lurched forward with a screech.

“Hey! I’m not in yet!” Deng Yuqi shouted.

Shen Ge showed no intention of stopping. He sped into the distance, then suddenly braked, swung the car around, and accelerated straight toward the ghostly cat.

He knew his limits—his driving skills were nowhere near Deng Yuqi’s—so he didn’t attempt any flashy maneuvers. He simply gave himself enough space to turn properly, then built up speed for a full-force impact.

By now, the ghostly cat was completely engulfed in the black mist, its body slowly rising. But before it could fully stand, the sedan smashed into it.

Boom!

The cat was sent flying, crashing into a stone lion in the distance with a sickening splat. Thick, black liquid oozed down the statue.

The creature staggered back to its feet, its head and upper body emerging from the mist—now even larger than before.

Shen Ge leaned out the driver’s window and taunted, “Yeah, that was me! What’re you gonna do about it, huh?”

With an enraged screech, the cat charged straight at him.

Shen Ge immediately flung open the driver’s door, scrambled over to the passenger side, and jumped out just as the cat lunged inside. He slammed the door shut behind him.

Thud!

The cat smashed into the passenger door. Meanwhile, Shen Ge had already circled back to the driver’s side. He tossed in his last bottle of alcohol.

Light it. Shut the door. One smooth motion.

Clang!

The next second, the cat burst through the windshield, landing on the hood. Just then, a gunshot rang out from afar.

Bang!

A high-powered bullet tore through the air, its impact sending the cat flying back into the burning car.

“Sniper One, in position.”

“Sniper Two, in position.”

“Sniper Three, in position.”

“Civilians evacuated. Min East Road fully locked down. All surveillance cameras disabled. Sweeping nearby residences.”

“Fire and medical teams standing by.”

“Tech and Analysis Divisions ready.”

Deng Yuqi’s radio crackled with updates from each squad.

Then, with a series of screeching brakes, multiple armored vehicles rolled in from both ends of the street, sealing the exits. Teams of fully armed Tactical Response officers poured out, assault rifles trained on the flaming wreck.

The ghostly cat let out a guttural howl, struggling to escape the inferno.

Deng Yuqi didn’t hesitate. “Open fire! Full suppression! Empty your mags!”

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

A hailstorm of bullets rained down.

All fear stems from insufficient firepower.

Under the relentless barrage, the cat—now riddled with holes—seemed pitifully weak.

“Fall back!”

The assault team leader raised a fist, signaling his squad to cease fire and retreat from the burning vehicle.

Shen Ge noticed that aside from the flames, the car was now filled with swirling black mist. The cat itself was nowhere to be seen.

“Feels like we’re still lacking firepower. Where’s the artillery?” Before he could finish, Deng Yuqi had already issued a new order.

“Blow it.”

Two soldiers stepped forward, rocket launchers braced on their shoulders.

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

Two rockets streaked toward the wreck.

BOOM!

The sedan was hurled into the air, flipping once before crashing onto the sidewalk in a mangled heap.

“Ahhh, the beauty of an RPG,” Shen Ge sighed appreciatively.

Deng Yuqi spoke into her radio. “Assault Team, confirm target status. Snipers, stay sharp. Engage at the first sign of movement.”

The assault team advanced cautiously, rifles raised. “No signs of life detected.”

“Escort Tech and Analysis to the site.”

A group of hazmat-suited technicians emerged from an armored vehicle, handheld scanners at the ready.

Deng Yuqi turned to order Shen Ge to fall back, only to find him already hovering behind the analysts, peering at the wreck like a curious child.

“…”

Resigned, she walked over just as a technician reported, “Ma’am, no vital signs detected. Minor residual anomalous energy readings.”

“Have Li Xiang’s team handle cleanup.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Shen Ge poked his head through the shattered window. The cat’s charred corpse lay between the front seats, wisps of black smoke still curling from its body—but far weaker than before.

[Host has assisted in eliminating a Tier 2 anomaly. Reward: 50 system points.]

System confirmation—the cat was definitely dead.

He prodded the corpse with a stick.

[Sell Tier 2 anomaly remains? Price: 500 system points.]

Still no traits. What a shame.

“Mr. Shen, please refrain from direct contact with anomalous remains. Risk of viral contamination and mutation.”

The voice belonged to Li Xiang, the same technician from before. His tone was noticeably less hostile this time.

“Just making sure it’s dead… Wait, these things carry viruses? They can infect humans?” Shen Ge asked.

Li Xiang shook his head. “No conclusive evidence yet. But past handlers who touched anomalies developed symptoms—vomiting, accelerated cell decay, even cancer. Hence the protective gear.”

“Good to know.” Shen Ge stepped aside, letting Li Xiang’s team take over.

Deng Yuqi approached, ready to debrief him—only for Shen Ge to suddenly bolt toward the villa district.

“Where are you going?” she called after him.

“Bathroom.”

Deng Yuqi: “…”

Yeah, right.

She signaled two soldiers, and the trio gave chase. They followed him into a villa, where Shen Ge stood in the living room, fiddling with a phone. At his feet lay a mutilated corpse, organs strewn across the floor.

“The cat torturer?” Deng Yuqi eyed the remains with distaste.

Shen Ge handed her the phone. “Yep. He recorded the whole thing. Phone’s dead, though.”

She passed it to a soldier without looking.

“Thought you had to pee?”

“Oh, right.” Shen Ge finally headed for the bathroom.

Deng Yuqi radioed for a forensic team. Her gaze swept the room—the empty grills, the tufts of fur still clinging to them.