Excitement was written on Donlow and the others’ faces as well. Since the game had descended, this was the best news they had heard so far.
“Stop wasting time. Let’s go save people,” Luca interrupted their excitement. People were being killed by monsters every moment, and now was not the time to stand around.
Drumph immediately snapped back to reality, quickly calming his emotions, and ordered in a deep voice, “Everyone listen up! Seal off this area immediately. No monster is allowed to enter until everyone inside the stadium has left!”
“Yes, sir!” Upon hearing his command, Donlow and the soldiers around him all stood at attention and saluted. Their expressions were filled with unwavering determination.
The group quickly sprang into action. First, they began to clear out the monsters in the central plaza. Although the armored vehicles and tanks couldn’t make it through, with the terrifying firepower of thousands of soldiers, as long as it wasn’t a massive monster horde, the monsters stood no chance.
Seeing this, Luca felt a sigh of relief. He led Drumph and the others straight toward the stadium.
At that moment, the people inside the stadium heard the sounds of battle from outside.
“The army’s here!” Donald and Darabont immediately understood what was going on.
Others, however, looked bewildered. Renamon’s assistant exclaimed in surprise, “That guy… didn’t he just leave a short while ago? How did he bring the army here so quickly? You must have misheard him, right?”
“No way,” Donald immediately frowned and said, “The gunfire outside is from military-grade firearms. I can’t be mistaken.”
Though he was retired, he was still an old soldier, and his professional instincts were still intact. Darabont, standing nearby, nodded in agreement, adding, “The gunfire is staggered and precise, organized, clearly the tactics of professional soldiers. Ordinary police officers wouldn’t have the capability for this.”
Renamon’s assistant wanted to say more, but at that moment, the stadium door that had been barricaded flew open with a loud bang, leaving a deep dent in the metal.
At the same time, Luca’s figure appeared before them, along with the army behind him.
“Everyone, we’re here to rescue you,” Luca said with a broad smile.
“Can’t you just open the door properly?” Drumph muttered, his mouth twitching in irritation. However, now was not the time to blame the guy.
He looked at the group of people who were cheering and excited, and loudly said, “Everyone, the safe passage outside has been prepared. Get ready to evacuate the city center of Celephais with us!”
“We’re saved! Finally, we’re saved! Thank you! Thank you all!!” Many people were moved to tears, their faces filled with relief. No one knew better than them the pressure they had been under all this time. After all, not everyone had the mindset of accepting death; most people still cherished their lives deeply.
Donlow also shouted, “I understand how you feel, but now is not the time to be emotional. There are still many monsters outside. Please hurry and leave this place, head toward the safe zone!”
The crowd knew that the most important thing now was to leave quickly. Under the military’s coordination, they soon began to exit the stadium in an orderly fashion.
As they passed by Luca, many people expressed their sincerest gratitude. Even the children, who didn’t fully understand the danger they had been in, offered their thanks to him.
Luca gently patted one child on the head, his lips curling into a smile.
Before long, most of the people from the stadium had been evacuated. Luca was about to leave when a hesitant voice came from behind him, “Excuse me… sir, may I ask for your name?”
Luca turned around and saw Renamon standing behind him, supported by her assistant. Though her delicate face was still pale, with a look of lingering fear, there was now a hint of color returning to her cheeks.
Before Luca could respond, Donlow and Hairry, standing nearby, exchanged wary looks. They stepped forward and said in unison, “Sorry, that’s classified military information. We ask for your understanding.”
After saying that, the two exchanged a brief look, both feeling a sense of mutual respect.
However, those who made their way through the entertainment industry were no simple people. Renamon’s gaze directly passed over Donlow and Hairry, focusing on Luca. She spoke sincerely, “Sir, thank you for saving my life. If there is an opportunity, I will repay you. Please, may I have your name and contact information?”
The people around them looked at Luca with envy. These were the same people who had dreamed of getting Renamon’s contact information but had failed to do so. Yet now, Renamon was actively asking someone else for theirs.
And it wasn’t just them—Donald and Darabont were also a little envious. Renamon was truly a national treasure; she was adored by people of all ages and from all walks of life. The reason they came to the stadium was because of her.
It was hard for most people to refuse the contact details of such a dazzling superstar when she asked for them, but Luca was no ordinary person.
“My name’s Luca. As for the contact details, I’ll pass. Saving you is my responsibility, no need for thanks.” He didn’t want to get involved with this woman. With a wave of his hand, he turned and walked away.
While beauty certainly had its privileges in his world, Luca believed that some beauty was best admired from afar. Having too much interaction could spoil the appreciation of it.
Another reason was that Luca didn’t want anyone telling Susie about this, especially since Donald and Darabont were right there.
If it were just him alone, he would have accepted without hesitation. In fact, he might have even arranged a time to have dinner with the star, to get to know each other better. But that wasn’t the case.
Seeing Luca walk away, Renamon’s smile faded, her expression darkening. On the other hand, Donlow and Hairry exchanged victorious grins, strutting out of the stadium like triumphant roosters.
“If you want Luca’s contact details, I can give them to you,” a mature voice spoke from beside her, making Renamon’s eyes light up.
She turned to see Donald standing there. He pulled out a notebook from his jacket and said seriously, “But it’ll cost you a signature. After all, he’s my son.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Renamon’s smile became even brighter as she quickly had her assistant fetch a pen and write her name in Donald’s notebook.
Darabont, standing nearby, snorted and said, “You’d sell your son for just a signature? Aren’t you afraid my daughter will cause trouble when she finds out?”
“Daughter?” Renamon blinked, then grinned. “I can give your niece a signature too!”
Immediately, Darabont pulled out his own notebook, his expression now serious. “Then, I’ll be in your debt.”
…
At this moment, Luca was unaware that his contact details had been sold twice over by Donald and Darabont, in exchange for two signed autographs. After leaving the stadium, he found that the monsters in the square had been cleared away, and the people who had been trapped inside were now leaving in an orderly fashion through the sewer system. However, the noise and commotion had attracted the attention of nearby monsters, and there was a faint hint that a monster horde was starting to form.
“We need to move faster,” Luca said, catching up with Drumph to warn him. The monsters’ perception and sense of smell were far superior to that of humans. If they stayed here too long, they would undoubtedly draw in more monsters, and the horde would form. Once that happened, the destructive power of the monsters would increase exponentially. With only a few tens of thousands of soldiers, they wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.
Drumph clearly understood the gravity of the situation. He glanced at the remaining crowd, still half a group, and shouted, “Everyone, stay orderly and pick up the pace! There are more and more monsters outside!”
The crowd, already on edge, immediately quickened their steps. Before long, more than half of the people inside the stadium had already left.
Luca nodded slightly, not staying any longer. He climbed to a higher vantage point, scanning the surroundings and estimating the time. It seemed that they should be able to evacuate before the monster horde fully formed. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.
There should be enough time for everyone to evacuate. Once the people inside the stadium had cleared out, Drumph could use the underground defense tunnels to evacuate the rest of the people from the city center.
At that point, the army could take its time clearing out Celephais, gradually eradicating all the monsters from the city.
Just as Luca was thinking about the subsequent plans, a powerful and intense aura suddenly caught his perception. Even more alarming, the source of the aura was rapidly approaching them.
This is… Luca’s face changed instantly. He turned his gaze in that direction.
Almost simultaneously, a violent tornado appeared out of nowhere on the military line. More than twenty soldiers, who had been shooting at the monsters, were caught completely off guard, pulled straight into the tempest.
Blue wind blades swirled around, and in the blink of an eye, the soldiers were torn to pieces, shredded into nothing but meat.
“What is that thing?!” The noise immediately drew the attention of everyone around. When they saw the creature at the center of the hurricane, many faces turned pale in shock.
A tornado towering over one hundred meters in height shot up from the ground, and at its center was a massive bird, its wingspan easily matching its towering height. The cyan-colored giant bird let out a loud screech to the heavens, its wings blocking the sun and causing buildings to collapse and glass to shatter in its wake!
“High-level Elitemonster—Hurricane Eagle King?!” Upon seeing this beast, even Luca’s expression changed.
The power of this Elitemonster was at least at Diamond-level, and it was very likely at the peak of Diamond-level, with one foot already in the Superclass tier.
What was even more disturbing was that Luca had previously used his psychic abilities to scan Celephais, and there had been no sign of a monster at this level—nor had there been any in his previous life.
How did this Hurricane Eagle King suddenly appear here?!