Chapter 18
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Chapter 18: Gu Ran Actually Did Something Like This
A massive bombardment stirred up towering clouds of dust, resembling a giant mushroom taking root.
As the dust settled, a deep crater several hundred square meters wide emerged, devoid of any signs of life, whether beast or human.
At that moment, the light screen, like a montage, suddenly cut to a different scene.
It was another “mushrooming” scenario, though in a different location.
“Dad! Mom!”
A young boy emerged from the sewer, tears streaming down his face as he knelt on the ground.
But before he could grieve for long, fierce beasts began to gather around him.
The boy didn’t dare linger on the surface and quickly hid back in the sewer.
The scene shifted again.
Gu Ran appeared, holding his sister. He tore through space, emerging several hundred meters from the crater, his eyes filled with sorrow as he gazed at the enormous hole created by the explosion.
…
Outside the light screen.
“Was that fleeting scene just now the moment when the tyrant’s parents were killed by the city’s defense cannon?”
“It must be. So, the tyrant’s parents died during a beast tide, and it was the city’s defense cannon that killed them. In other words, the tyrant’s parents were directly killed by other humans.”
“I see. Could it be that in that very moment, he began to harbor hatred towards the rest of humanity, planting the seeds of an antisocial personality?”
“If that’s the case, while I can understand the reasons for his descent into evil, I still can’t forgive him. You can’t blame all of humanity for your own tragic experiences, can you?”
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
“At the time, there was no other choice. It was for the survival of human society. The city’s defense cannon could only be deployed in the inner city to be most effective. If the cannon hadn’t been used to eliminate the vast number of beasts, they would have certainly broken into the inner city, causing enormous, irreparable damage. This would have been detrimental to the entire human race.”
“Yes, back then, the limited resources and conditions were a constraint. But now things are better. Human technological power has advanced. Now, even in the outer slums, we can deploy city defense cannons, and our ability to detect beast tides has improved. We can evacuate people and mobilize defenses much more quickly.”
“Compared to that time, the protection of the slums is much better now. The number of casualties has decreased by eighty to ninety percent.”
Among the powerful figures present, a few were actually from the slums. Although they rarely mentioned their origins, seeing Gu Ran’s memories compelled them to offer some objective commentary.
Cheng Youmeng, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, “It was actually him who pushed for the deployment of city defense cannons in the slums. He faced significant resistance at the time.”
The young powerhouses from the slums fell silent, as if their voices had been choked off.
Xue Xiling remarked coolly, “He was also the main developer of the beast tide detection devices.”
Everyone exchanged looks, falling into a silent reflection.
Although most of them had little regard for the slum dwellers, they had to acknowledge that the lives of those in the slums still mattered. Therefore, what Gu Ran did was undoubtedly politically correct.
After a while, the group couldn’t help but express their thoughts.
“So, the tyrant did implement some benevolent policies after all.”
“It seems that the death of his parents in childhood didn’t entirely have a negative impact on him. At least it motivated him to do something beneficial for humanity.”
But then someone wondered aloud, “But why have we never heard of this? Has anyone else heard about it?”
Everyone else shook their heads, indicating they had never heard of it either.
Suddenly, Ariel, who had been watching coldly, laughed mockingly, “I think I can guess the reason. Would you believe it if an infamous tyrant suddenly did something you consider good?”
“You only believe that he exploited, oppressed, and slaughtered the people. You wouldn’t believe that he made efforts to improve the lives of those in the slums, whom you consider worthless.”
“Just like you humans never believed that beasts could also establish their own nations. It wasn’t until we merfolk united the sea tribes and established our own Oceanic Empire that you were forced to accept it. This is just another example of your inherent prejudice and ignorance.”
Ariel’s words left everyone stunned, and they all fell silent.
…
In the light screen.
Beasts gradually began to surround Gu Ran. Although the recent cannon shot had wiped out many of them, it was merely a ripple in the vast sea that was the beast tide.
But the purpose of the city defense cannon wasn’t to eliminate the lower-level beasts. It was meant to target and destroy the more powerful elite beasts.
The remaining, less dangerous beasts were left to the city defense troops stationed at the edge of the inner city to deal with. Besides patrolling the inner city border and catching those trying to smuggle themselves into the inner city, the city defense troops’ role was to defend against the beast tides, ensuring they were eradicated before they could enter the inner city.
After eliminating some of the beasts with his spatial slash, Gu Ran soon saw the city defense troops, dressed in combat uniforms and armed with standard weapons, arrive in the slums.
Alongside the city defense troops were numerous non-military powerhouses—bounty hunters attracted by the city’s lucrative rewards.
Bounty hunters follow the money. Wherever there’s profit, that’s where they go.
Although hunting down the beast tide was extremely dangerous, the rewards from the city defense troops were exceptionally generous. In addition to an “appearance fee,” there were also rewards based on actual combat results, which had strong appeal to many bounty hunters.
Not wanting to engage with these people, Gu Ran held his sister and teleported several hundred meters behind the city defense troops.
“Haha, you filthy beasts, prepare to die! Grandpa Hu is here!”
A bald man, wielding a massive machete, laughed heartily before charging straight into the pack of beasts. The machete seemed specially crafted, as it effortlessly cut down the beasts like slicing through vegetables.
The other bounty hunters and city defense troops quickly joined in the slaughter of the beast horde.
“Help… help us…”
Suddenly, a woman’s voice called out for help.
Not far away, a mother clutching a young girl ran frantically towards the city defense troops, her face filled with terror.
Behind her trailed a pack of wolves, lions, and bears—all beast-like creatures. Their eyes glowed red, drool dripping from their mouths, driven by a bloodthirsty frenzy.
Judging by the distance, they were already dangerously close to the mother and daughter, just a few steps away.
“Haha, perfect timing!”
The bald man, without flinching, raised his machete and charged straight ahead, slashing diagonally.
Without any hesitation, the machete cleaved through the mother and daughter as if they were mere paper, then struck down one of the wolf-like beasts.