"We cannot rule out the possibility that this is the Black Demon Tide led by Black Demon One."

Upon hearing Chen Pingchuan's order, Liu Haofeng broke out in an anxious sweat. "But, Boss, never mind whether the Black Skeletons have reinforcements there. The road we took to get here is already blocked by two bulldozers."

"Their off-road vehicles might be able to squeeze by, but our car..." He looked at the old, worn-out steering wheel in his hands, feeling utterly hopeless. How could this broken-down car possibly get through?

"No worries. We can carry it over," Gorzo, who had been sitting silently to one side, suddenly said.

"What? Carry it?" Liu Haofeng's eyes widened, his face a mask of disbelief as if he had just heard the most preposterous thing imaginable.

"Yeah, this car isn't that heavy. You guys don't even have to lift a finger; I can handle it myself." Gorzo looked relaxed, the corner of his mouth even curling into a faint, elusive smile. "And honestly, if running constantly wasn't so tiring, I could run faster than this junker can drive."

Gorzo gave a perfect demonstration of the saying: the subtlest flex is the most lethal.

In fact, he had it all planned out. As long as I show my value to Chen Pingchuan, who would refuse a powerful ally? He was confident that this was his chance to gain the small group's trust and secure his place.

Little did Gorzo know, another member of the group had been coerced and tricked into joining by Chen Pingchuan. He was still foolishly under the impression that their relationship was extremely close.

Just as Liu Haofeng yanked the wheel and spun the car around, a horrifying sound suddenly erupted from behind them. The noise was like thousands of primordial beasts trampling the earth, a deep and oppressive sound wave rolling toward them.

"Liu Haofeng, drive! Floor it!" Chen Pingchuan's voice was edged with urgency and panic.

He quickly glanced back through the rear window, and the sight made his scalp go numb with fear.

At the end of the highway, a black, oppressive mass was looming, like an endless darkness about to mercilessly swallow the world. Everywhere it passed, all color vanished, replaced by a despair-inducing black.

"It really is the Black Demon Tide!"

Though it was still far away and he couldn't clearly make out the specific shape of the tide-like swarm on the horizon, Chen Pingchuan didn't need confirmation. The sheer scale of the horrifying scene was enough for him to know with certainty what it was.

It has to be that stupid dog of mine, Black Demon One. After failing to find me at the mine, it must have followed the highway and stumbled upon this place by sheer, dumb luck.

As for why he was so reluctant to meet Black Demon One right now, there were two reasons.

First, in the previous simulations, Black Demon One's attitude toward him had completely changed. Although deep down it seemed to still acknowledge him as its master, it no longer possessed any of the obedient demeanor a pet should have. As the saying goes, give it an inch and it'll take a mile. With his current strength so far beneath its own, an unrestrained Black Demon One would likely be nothing but endless trouble, even if it stayed by his side.

The other reason was also simple. To this day, Chen Pingchuan still hadn't figured out how he had been mysteriously nuked out of existence, so he could only attribute it to a chain reaction triggered by meeting Black Demon One.

Chen Pingchuan suddenly recalled a scene from a short video in his past life and couldn't help but chuckle internally. Don't you come over here!

Of course, perhaps the right time for a reunion will be in a future simulation. It will have to be a time when I can meet Black Demon One without being attacked, and when my own strength is great enough to subdue it. Only then would it be the perfect opportunity for a man and his Black Demon to meet again.

ROAR...

The car's engine roared to life, and the vehicle shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, kicking up a cloud of dust and exhaust.

Having recovered slightly, Liu Haofeng quickly asked, "Boss, what exactly did you see just now?"

Beside them, Gorzo also pricked up his ears.

Gorzo's actual strength wasn't that of a mere Level 5 powerhouse, as Chen Pingchuan had guessed; he was a genuine Level 6 Divine Successor. A human expert of that caliber had already reached a remarkable threshold of power.

On the small island where Gorzo lived, all eligible adolescents and young adults received a divine blessing, becoming Divine Successors. The seed bestowed by their god was like a key that unlocked their genetic shackles, transforming all the latent potential hidden in their genes into immense divine energy. From then on, they could continuously strengthen this divine energy to obtain greater strength, agility, physical fortitude, and astounding regenerative speed.

It is no exaggeration to say that every fully-developed Divine Successor is a veritable superhero, possessing a semi-immortal body.

However, even someone as strong as Gorzo couldn't discern from such a great distance what exactly was surging toward them like a black tide.

"The Black Demon Tide!" Chen Pingchuan's lips trembled slightly, but his quiet voice carried an unshakeable certainty.

"What!"

Liu Haofeng and Gorzo were stunned speechless by his words.

"Just how many Black Demons would it take to create a sight that terrifying?" Liu Haofeng asked, his voice laced with dread.

"Probably hundreds of thousands!" Gorzo estimated.

Chen Pingchuan's brow furrowed. Drawing from his simulated memories, he immediately refuted Gorzo's guess, putting on an air of experience. "More than that. Based on the ground tremors, the number has to be in the millions, at least. Otherwise, it wouldn't cause a quake this massive."

Chen Pingchuan's words completely upended their perception of reality.

In Liu Haofeng's mind, Black Demons were merely low-level monsters accidentally created by humans, creatures that could only scrape by in specific zones. The only reason they still existed in the outer districts was that the human elite believed they still served some purpose. Perhaps they were used to hone the skills of Genetic Warriors. Perhaps they were a tool to thin the herd of resource-draining undesirables in the outer districts. Perhaps...

But this apocalyptic Black Demon Tide completely shattered his long-held beliefs.

He suddenly had a revelation. Maybe it wasn't that humanity didn't want to completely eradicate the Black Demons. Maybe it was that the cost of doing so was far greater than anyone imagined.

A sense of panic gripped Liu Haofeng. "Then, Boss, what do we do?"

"Just like that kid said—run!"

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