### Chapter 3: A New Era (4)
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“Oh my gosh! How can there be monsters showing up out of nowhere?!”
“Run! Run for your lives!”
“Help… help!”
“Wahhh… Mom, where are you?!”
When five oversized, grotesquely hideous monsters suddenly appeared in the city center, the average Jane and Joe, who were used to peaceful lives, reacted with a level of shock that can only be described as “meh.”
They instinctively thought this was all some sort of promotional gimmick, a next-level advertisement from some company that had just released a stunningly realistic n*ked-eye 3D experience.
But when one giant ape smashed a huge hole in the side of the fanciest shopping mall in Ocean City and scooped up an attractive girl, they finally got the memo—it wasn’t a sci-fi disaster movie, but living, breathing reality.
With no training or rehearsal for this kind of chaos, people ran around like headless chickens, leaving behind a graveyard of shoes and shopping bags.
There were even toddlers, separated from their parents in the mad scramble, who stood frozen in place, howling like banshees.
The scene was utter mayhem, yet the police department that arrived first was utterly powerless against these beasts; even sniper rifles couldn’t give them a headache.
Worried about the bustling crowd in the commercial district, they hesitated to use heavy weaponry, fearing innocent civilians might get caught in the blast.
Before long, the monsters that had clustered together began to scatter in different directions throughout the city.
Only one giant ape remained, cradling the recently snatched girl while scaling a skyscraper.
Whenever it sensed someone chasing after it or aiming guns, the giant ape would hoist the girl high above its head, flaunting her like a trophy at nearly a hundred meters off the ground.
Onlookers were left utterly dumbfounded.
But this was just the beginning…
From the gory fruit of the gigantic monster’s leftovers, vines began to spring forth, climbing like they had something to prove.
While the police were tied up with the ape and chasing after the other four monsters, the vines stealthily covered an entire 20-story building.
Viewers still lingering on the scene, many of whom were streamer wannabes valuing views more than their lives, suddenly caught some seriously frightening footage.
It was even scarier than a raging fire or a full-blown explosion.
Amid the vines encircling the building, fine tendrils extended, shooting through those unsuspecting humans foolish enough to get too close.
The process of the vines voraciously absorbing humans was downright more terrifying than any horror movie could dream up—because it was happening right here, right now, no tricks, no cinema magic.
At the same time, two helicopters zoomed in from the distance, aiming to take down the giant ape that was snatching humans.
But nobody expected that while roaring at the helicopters, the ape would suddenly unleash a torrent of fire from its mouth, engulfing the first helicopter completely.
“Boom!”
Seeing the first helicopter explode, the second quickly veered away, eager to avoid the same fiery fate.
The chaos wasn’t just in the city center; the other four monsters rampaging in different directions had triggered mass panic among the citizens.
The already crowded streets were now gridlocked with sheer panic, no one able to move an inch.
As monsters bounced around overhead, those initially hiding in their vehicles popped out like moles from their holes—they weren’t about to become the monsters’ playthings!
“Requesting backup! Requesting Special Operations Bureau support!”
Units from the district’s police stations were practically blowing up the emergency line.
“Roger! The Special Operations Bureau is en route and will be on scene shortly.”
Lin Nan rolled down the window and gave Nie Zhengchu a quick pep talk, “I’m heading to the city center; you’re in charge. Split into four teams to track down those runaway monsters.”
“Wait, you’re going alone…?”
Nie Zhengchu immediately zipped his lips.
Now wasn’t the time to worry about the Bureau Director’s personal strength—her capability to earn her current respected rank was nothing to scoff at.
He should probably just focus on completing the tasks she’d assigned.
As soon as Nie Zhengchu lowered his salute, he saw Lin Nan launch herself out of the 20th-floor window without a second thought.
“…”
What else could he say? Time to mobilize!
“Special Operations Bureau Director Lin Nan responding to support the city center commercial area!”
Lin Nan moved gracefully through the city’s maze of buildings like a butterfly flirting with the wind, aiming to help the panicked citizens escape with just a smidgen of order. She quickly closed the gap to the giant ape while broadcasting her voice to a five-kilometer radius.
Unbelievably, after just a couple of days of online buzz, Lin Nan had already become a household name—especially among young fans who viewed her as a dream girl.
With her fierce demeanor, stunning looks, and phenomenal skills, she was practically a female Superman.
And her debut in public was a smash hit! Dressed in the Special Operations Bureau’s form-fitting black uniform, she sported a shiny curved blade at her waist.
Going into battle unarmed? Not a fitting stance for a pretty heroine; even a victory would seem a tad rough around the edges!
Instead, wielding a shiny weapon with dazzling techniques would definitely make a more memorable impression, attracting even more followers.
Therefore, when people hiding in various corners of the chaos looked up to see a beautiful figure in black wielding a long kn*fe, zig-zagging up the towering buildings as if gravity was just a suggestion, their inner admiration and respect practically gushed out like a spring.
It wasn’t just personal streamers either; even local officials were taking life-threatening risks to capture any footage related to the monstrous mayhem.
How fortuitous it was that the moment the Special Operations Bureau went public, these giant creatures decided to launch their all-out attack on humanity!
It was like a declaration of war against arrogant, inconsiderate people—a reality check!
In front of the live streaming cameras, countless people temporarily abandoned their mundane tasks, fixating their eyes on that lively figure bouncing around the screen.
Could Special Operations Bureau Director Lin Nan truly stand her ground against such a ferocious fire-breathing giant ape all by herself?
Most were feeling a little nervous.
After all, they had just leaped from the mundane, ordinary world straight into this extraordinary one filled with supernatural elements!
As ordinary folks with all the agility of a sloth, could they survive the onslaught of super criminals without the protection of these extraordinary fighters?
Just as worry danced in people’s minds, a figure shooting through the air like a meteor locked their attention—the director was charging right at the giant ape!
“Roar!”
Accompanied by a deafening roar, a torrent of flames erupted from the ape’s throat, engulfing Lin Nan entirely.
“Ahhhh!”
The whole crowd screamed in unison.
