Inside the park, several Security Team members drew their guns and opened fire, aiming at the cultist’s head and heart.

In moments, the cultist undergoing the Giant Aberrant Rat transformation was riddled with bullets.

But even with his body full of holes, he kept mutating.

They followed up with sniper rounds, blasting his head apart, yet he still transformed.

“Jiangbei West Road, Citizen’s Park, cultist undergoing Giant Aberrant Rat mutation! Ordinary firearms are ineffective! Preliminary judgment: fused with Rat King gene! We cannot handle this, request Cyborg support immediately!”

Seeing the situation slipping out of control, the captain immediately contacted headquarters, calling for Cyborg backup.

“Captain, he’s getting up again!” Someone shouted.

The cultist who had fallen moments ago was now standing.

More rat features spread across his body: whiskers, an elongated snout, fur on his face. He had become a walking Ratman.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

“Hold him!”

“Keep firing, don’t let the beast escape!”

“Two minutes, we just need to hold for two minutes until Cyborg support arrives!”

“Stop it from leaving the park!”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Under the captain’s command, the Security Team fired while retreating, suppressing the Ratman to keep it contained.

* * *

Outside the park.

Hearing the orders, Lin Zichen abandoned his broken bike, grabbed Shen Qinghan and sprinted.

Things were far worse than expected, they had to flee.

[You are sprinting at full speed while carrying weight: Vitality +4, Endurance +2, Body Coordination +2, Running Speed +2, Running Skill +2]

[You sprinted 1000 meters carrying weight: Vitality +400, Endurance +200, Body Coordination +200, Running Speed +200, Running Skill +200]

In just over a minute, Lin Zichen had carried Shen Qinghan over a kilometer, safely out of danger.

But the effort left him gasping, hands braced on his knees.

Shen Qinghan rushed into a nearby convenience store, bought a sports drink and handed it to him.

He took it but was too winded to drink.

“Ah! Xiao Chen, we left the Ghost Shadow Squid meat in the basket!”

She realized, face panicked.

Lin Zichen grimaced. His first instinct was to go back, but reason stopped him. It was too dangerous now.

Better to wait, see how things developed, then decide.

At that moment, a thunderous roar came from above.

It sounded like a massive motorcycle engine, shaking their ears painfully.

Lin Zichen looked up.

A Cyborg streaked overhead, gone in a flash, vanishing hundreds of meters away.

It had to be the support the captain called in.

With a Cyborg on the scene, safety should be secured.

Lin Zichen decided to retrieve the Ghost Shadow Squid meat.

“Wait here, I’ll go get the meat back.”

“I’m going too!”

“I’m going alone, I’ll be faster.”

“Alright, but be careful and come back quickly.”

“Mm.”

He turned and ran back toward the park.

This time, without carrying Shen Qinghan, he reached the park in less than a minute.

The park was filled with violet-blue smoke, with sounds of fierce combat inside.

Ignoring it, he rushed to his bicycle and pulled the Ghost Shadow Squid meat from the basket.

The bag reeked faintly.

He opened it—inside, the meat was spoiled.

So, Life Origin didn’t prevent rot forever, only delayed it.

He groaned, how would he explain this to his parents?

Loud noises erupted from the park.

A shrill cry, part rodent, part human.

From the smoke, a tall figure rose into the air, propelled by jets.

It was a female Cyborg.

Her chest was flat, forged entirely of alloy, with a glowing circular core in the center.

Stronger-looking than the male Cyborg he had once glimpsed in childhood.

Suddenly, the core blazed with light.

An energy beam erupted, blasting downward.

“Boom!”

Half the park lit up like day.

Silence followed.

Only a faint smell of burnt flesh remained.

Lin Zichen stood stunned.

The female Cyborg had fired a laser cannon.

Could Shanhai City really field Cyborgs this advanced?

The destructive power was terrifying.

He wondered what level of evolution a living body would need to withstand such a strike…

Above, the Cyborg’s chest still smoked, scorched black from the blast.

Clearly, the beam had been unimaginably hot.

Confirming the Ratman was dead, she turned and flew away.

Lin Zichen watched her leave, thoughts swirling.

His body was strong only thanks to relentless training.

But a Cyborg needed only machinery, instantly granting devastating might.

Such power was enviable.

As he pondered, the captain and his men emerged, jogging into the park to clear the scene.

Hesitating, Lin Zichen followed, wanting to see the aftermath of the laser blast.