Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

A single errant thought sealed the Night Tiger’s fate.

The flickering flames of the tram car ahead vaguely illuminated its silhouette as it moved. It had no interest in the fresh human corpses in front of it.

However, a scent drifting on the air was indeed a delicacy it had never before tasted.

At the same time.

Its eyes also caught sight of two figures running one after the other along the distant riverbank.

Thanks to the Night Tiger’s unique Dark Vision, it could not only see clearly at night but also perceive invisible things. Trying to sneak up on it was nothing but a fool’s dream.

And when it recognized that the creature was a wolf-dog, it felt deeply offended.

Setting aside the difference in their Elemental effects...

The weight difference alone was at least seven or eight times. With such an absolute advantage in Power, everything else was meaningless. A close-quarters pounce and a single swipe of its paw would spell certain death.

Just as a Night Tiger would hastily avoid the sight of a giant bear, a wolf-dog would naturally make a detour at the sight of a Night Tiger. Aside from some alpha wolf king, what dog would dare charge it head-on?

The Night Tiger, its species’ pride shamelessly provoked, flew into a rage. It roared and immediately broke into a wild sprint.

This action fully revealed its previously indistinct form.

But after the Night Tiger had charged forward several meters, it saw a human figure materialize out of thin air from the shadows to its front left.

Without a single hint of a warning, the figure stepped out from the darkness, his body wreathed in the lingering residue of dark Elemental Energy.

Su Chen had arrived.

As soon as the Night Tiger revealed itself, giving him a clear lock on its form, he had acted decisively. Even before activating his Shadow Jumping Skill, he had infused a golf ball with the power of Flame Burst.

The moment his figure appeared, the small, crimson ball of flame left his hand.

In an instant.

With a deafening roar, the Night Tiger, unable to dodge left in time, was struck squarely in its midsection. A heatwave distorted the air, and the violent impact lifted its body from the ground, finally slamming it against the bridge deck behind it.

Rubble flew and the bridge railing shattered. It was just a hair’s breadth away from falling into the river.

Xiaoye sped forward, its claws taking on a shadowy sheen as it leaped. It pounced on the dying Night Tiger. A Shadow Claw instantly sliced open the beast’s throat, and Xiaoye continued to frantically rip and tear at its head.

’Night Tigers really can perceive invisible things.’

Su Chen reviewed the gains and losses from the encounter. ’The traits of different species really have to be figured out through practical combat.’

What was interesting was that Xiaoye had still faithfully executed his command without the slightest hesitation, charging forward while invisible, completely ignoring the vast difference in their sizes.

Such an action was undoubtedly extremely dangerous, yet it still completely trusted its master.

The moment the Night Tiger began its furious charge and exposed its position, the countdown on its life had naturally begun.

’I wonder if the family heirloom Jade Pendant can convert Dark Element and grant my eyes the ability to perceive invisibility and enhanced night vision.’

To be honest, this was something Su Chen coveted.

Physical enhancements felt more reassuring than the effects of Runes.

Just then, after tearing away at the carcass, Xiaoye, without any orders, very sensibly brought over the Night Tiger’s two Dark Element essences.

"Very good."

Su Chen crouched down and stroked the dog’s head. Xiaoye seemed to enjoy it, narrowing its eyes in pleasure.

As for the two Dark Element essences, he suppressed the urge of his devouring Rune to absorb them, deciding to use them himself for the time being.

The night was long, and he didn’t plan on returning to the campsite. For now, he would stand guard by the bridge alone.

Several cars were parked here at the North Bridge. An SUV had crashed into one of the piers during the day. Su Chen got directly into the driver’s seat, but unfortunately, the key had been taken, so he couldn’t turn on the car radio.

Fortunately, however, he had just scavenged a portable radio from the area.

These days, aside from a portion of the middle-aged and elderly population, there were also some dedicated radio enthusiasts among the younger generation.

Su Chen’s high school roommate had gotten a radio license. The guy hadn’t dared to bring a cell phone to school, so at night, he would use a walkie-talkie to whisper sweet nothings to his girlfriend. It ended with his signal crossing with that of an old crane operator at a construction site, leading to a rather embarrassing incident.

And this all-band radio could pick up non-broadcast frequencies, making it possible to listen in on other people’s walkie-talkie conversations.

Su Chen had no penchant for eavesdropping, so he went straight to searching for broadcast stations.

After some tuning, it became clear that Dongfu City still had six official radio stations broadcasting live tonight.

It sounded like each had its own designated role.

One music station was still broadcasting pop music, presumably to provide some spiritual comfort during these apocalyptic times.

Two stations had become public information platforms, constantly relaying information from civilians about missing people.

’...The parents of students Wang Xiaoming and Xie Yaya, please do not worry. The two high schoolers are currently in the underground civil defense shelter at the Food Court. We ask the parents, who live in Brocade City, to please refrain from going out at night to search for them. They are very safe right now...’

With the communication network down, it was extremely difficult for people to get in touch. To prevent an information black hole from forming, the radio stations had to shoulder a heavy responsibility.

In the evening, to disseminate information as widely as possible, various organizations like neighborhood committees had received a batch of walkie-talkies and radios. They were to transcribe important and valid information in real time and then rebroadcast it through community announcement systems or by distributing paper flyers.

For instance, after hearing that specific announcement, a neighborhood committee member in Brocade City could quickly dispatch someone to notify the parents in person, even if their residential complex lacked a broadcast system.

’Order within the chaos.’

This was Su Chen’s immediate impression after listening for a while.

The chaos that had formed in the early stages of the city-wide transmigration had certainly not yet subsided, but things were beginning to fall into place.

He switched to the familiar FM 98.5, the Voice of Dongfu, where the host, Wenwen, was still at her post.

’...Currently, a large number of Iron-Eating Insects have appeared in the city. We urge all residents, when using lighting at home, to be sure to keep your doors and windows tightly shut, draw your curtains, and under no circumstances expose any light source. For those using open flames indoors, please also be mindful of fire safety.’

’We have reports that a large swarm of unidentified, oversized rats has appeared in the Line 3 tunnel at Ping Lake Station. Personnel from the Combat Defense Department have been dispatched to exterminate them, and all staff within the station are being evacuated.’

’And now giant rats.’

The campsite, tucked away in its remote corner, clearly hadn’t been exposed to many varieties of demonic creatures yet.

Su Chen listened for a while longer and learned that aggressive Vampire Bats had appeared in the west of the city, moving in swarms and proving extremely dangerous. Meanwhile, in the southeast, numerous giant spiders with incredible jumping mobility had shown up.

A commercial high-rise near the city border was almost completely occupied by the spiders and seemed to have been turned into their nest.

After he’d been listening to the radio for a full eighteen minutes, Xiaoye, who had been standing guard beside him, finally sniffed out the aura of a powerful life form approaching from the distance.

Su Chen specifically asked if it was a Night Tiger, but Xiaoye didn’t respond with a low growl, which meant it obviously wasn’t.

"Go invisible."

He stepped out of the car. The Dark Element energy blooming from his palm spread over his body like a tide of ink. His flesh, his clothes, and even the Small Straight Knife he drew from the pack on his waist all vanished from sight.

Not long after.

A hulking, fiery-red giant bear lumbered past the jacaranda trees on the riverbank, swaggering its way onto the bridge.