"Snow Fox!" Sita King exclaimed in delight as she held the white fox.

The fox, seemingly puzzled by its sudden recovery, licked its owner's cheek before looking curiously at James Lone.

The fox understood that this two-legged creature had saved it.

James noticed the alternating yellow and green light emanating from the fox, signaling its intelligence and lack of hostility towards him.

As long as it wasn't hostile, that was fine.

If the fox dared attack him, James wouldn't hesitate to kill it on the spot. Saving lives and taking them were separate matters that didn't conflict.

Suddenly, James [saw] a group of survivors fleeing in panic toward them, pursued by tentacle monsters weaving through the forest behind.

They had to leave.

At any rate, Sunshine Garden Towers was no longer a viable place to stay.

James stood up: "Come with me."

Sita King hesitated for a moment: "My aunt and uncle are still outside. Please don't harm them."

James [looked] at the quickly approaching tentacle monsters and chuckled: "No problem."

With a flick of his fingers, he tore a blue portal into the air.

Sita King stared in amazement, quickly realizing: "Is this an ability? So humans can have abilities too! I thought only Snow Fox had them!"

Crack!

The bedroom door finally cracked open slightly. Ryder's voice carried into the room:

"Heh, did you think a flimsy door could keep me out? Ridiculous! That fox meat is mine!"

Upon hearing this, Sita King felt a wave of disappointment.

James Lone scooped her up in his arms, stepping through the blue portal.

The portal closed instantly.

Bang!

Ryder finally kicked a large hole in the door, reaching through to unlock it.

"Hahaha! Here I come, fox meat... huh? Where's that brat?"

Fido hurried in anxiously: "Where's the little sister! Where did she go?"

The room was empty, the windows securely locked, leaving the two utterly baffled.

They had seen Sita King come in, and now she was gone?

Where could she have gone?

Ryder shivered involuntarily.

How could a living person just vanish?

Just then, there was a crash from the living room balcony, a sound of breaking glass.

"Who's there? Who the hell did that?" Ryder charged out of the bedroom.

George, along with a few men, had broken into the house.

"You're dead meat!" Ryder exclaimed in panic and anger, rushing to the kitchen to grab a cleaver, only to find that when he returned, George was aiming a crossbow directly at him.

What the hell!

Where did he get that thing?

Fido was held at knifepoint by another, too scared to move.

Clang! Ryder quickly tossed the cleaver away and dropped to his knees with a thud, pleading: "Boss, let's talk this over!"

George was momentarily startled, not expecting the burly Ryder to surrender so easily, scoffing: "Didn't think you'd be so reasonable."

A man stepped forward to pick up the cleaver.

George then slapped Ryder hard.

Smack!

"Weren't you rowdy before?"

Internally, Ryder cursed George a thousand times over—cursing the bastard for showing his weapon late when they needed it earlier.

But outwardly, he smiled obsequiously: "You hit me well! I was blind before, offending you, Boss George!"

George found himself at a loss with the sudden change, saying: "Enough, enough. Where's your little niece? Hand over the fox carcass."

Ryder was struck with a realization, replying with a pained expression: "Boss George, I really don't know. She was in the room just a moment ago, but when I entered, she was gone..."

Smack! George landed another slap, roaring: "You think I'm an idiot?"

Ryder quickly waved his hands: "I wouldn't dare! It's the truth!"

"Damn it! You were planning to keep the fox for yourself! Beat him!"

"Ow! Boss George, it's really not like that... Ow! Stop hitting! I swear I'm not lying!"

After thoroughly beating Ryder and Fido, the couple still insisted that Sita King had vanished without a trace.

"Damn, these two are really keeping quiet."

"Sita King probably ran off by now."

"Damn it! That means the fox is gone too?"

"Enough! Bring that Fido woman over. Let's see if Ryder talks after some fun!"

Ryder and Fido turned pale at those words, desperately begging for mercy.

They were filled with despair—Sita had disappeared right there, yet speaking the truth brought no belief!

Suddenly, there was another crash of glass.

A large tentacle pierced into the room, wrapping around and yanking George out through the window's purple mist.

In an instant, George vanished outside.

Everyone was left dumbfounded.

Soon after, more tentacles crashed through the windows.

Crash!

Crash!

Chaos erupted immediately.

"Help!"

"What the hell is that!"

"Cut it! Cut it!"

"It's too sticky, can't cut through!"

Minutes later, everyone was captured by the tentacle monsters, encased in cocoons hanging from tree branches.

Ryder awoke to find himself stuck in a cocoon, surrounded by countless others.

Animals and humans alike shared his fate.

Next to him was Fido's cocoon!

Many bodies around him had started to dissolve, yet the victims remained alive, emitting wails of indescribable agony.

Ryder screamed in terror: "No! Please! Help! Sita, save me! Sita!"

In the surroundings of New York, at the National Guard base, tranquility was shattered by sudden gunfire.

Inside his office, Isaac Murphy sprang up, face grim with anger: "Guards! Guards! What's going on!"

There was no response from outside.

Isaac Murphy rushed to the door.

The corridor outside, shrouded in the purple mist, was eerily silent and empty.

The four guards outside were nowhere to be seen!

As he strained to listen, footsteps rang out from the mist.

A hawk-nosed officer, Bruce Scott, emerged, stepping through blood trails. Behind him followed a throng of officers and soldiers.

Isaac Murphy's gaze sharpened; he swiftly drew his gun, exclaiming: "Bruce, what are you doing here! Where are the others? Guards! Guards!"

Bruce Scott sneered: "No need to call for them; all your men are dead. Put the gun down, and I might leave you with an intact corpse."

Isaac Murphy fumed: "Bruce, this is treason! You'll face a military tribunal for this!"

Bruce Scott erupted in maniacal laughter: "Hahaha, military tribunal? Really? Enough talk, Isaac Murphy, I'll ask you one last time, join me; work under me."

Isaac Murphy resolutely replied: "Never! You're not a legally appointed offic—"

Before he could finish, Bruce Scott punched forward.

Isaac Murphy's head burst like a watermelon.

Bruce Scott laughed wildly, shamelessly: "Now, with the National Guard, I'm in charge!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.