Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 38

With the Boss’s words, no one could argue. They reluctantly pulled out their detection instruments and resumed scanning. But when the device pointed in a certain direction, it suddenly emitted a red light.

The person holding the detector showed no sign of joy. Instead, their face paled.

If the detector had glowed green, it would have meant they had found the raven they desperately sought. But a red light indicated the presence of another high-level Alien Beast. The intensity of the red glow… it was most likely an S-Class Alien Beast.

The expressions of the others gradually turned serious.

They belonged to Chu Sinian’s Special Operations Team, a unit whose skill rivaled that of the Federal Military Department. Each member possessed strength at the S-Class level or higher.

However, S-Class Alien Beasts were different from S-Class humans.

Due to their unique physiology, their physical capabilities far surpassed those of humans at the same level. Moreover… an Alien Beast of this caliber would likely be the leader of a pack. They might be facing more than just a single creature.

Moreover, S-Class and higher alien beasts typically possess intelligence comparable to humans and wouldn’t casually lead their packs to invade Federation borders. The only plausible explanation was a long-planned malicious incursion…

An S-Class alien beast, and Yanxing, home to the Gray Rat Beast…

Could it be…?

Meanwhile, at the Federation Military Academy:

A professor who had been monitoring the surveillance screens suddenly stood up, “There’s something unusual about Yanxing’s energy fluctuations!”

The surveillance system used by the professors and department heads was far more advanced than the students’ version. It not only tracked the two students’ movements but also displayed a map of Yanxing with numerical data for each location. This allowed the assembled professors and department heads to see several red dots lighting up on the Yanxing map.

[Detected: Ten B-grade alien beasts.]

[Detected: Five A-grade alien beasts.]

Similar alerts flashed one after another, their numbers skyrocketing.

The highest-ranking department head slammed his fist on the table, “Immediately notify the Federal Military Department! If this continues, it could trigger a high-level Beast Tide!”

Fedreal Military Academy was willing to send students to Yanxing for training because the planet’s alien beasts had long been purged, leaving only low-level creatures that posed little threat even in a Beast Tide.

But a Beast Tide composed of B-grade and A-grade alien beasts was akin to a natural disaster like an earthquake or mudslide!

He turned to the teacher operating the teleportation device, “What’s the status of the teleportation device? Can we bring those two students back? If we leave them there any longer, they’ll meet a gruesome end!”

Every year, the Alliance Military Department lost several S-grade soldiers to Beast Tides. Two students wouldn’t even make a decent appetizer for the alien beasts!

The teacher operating the teleportation device was equally frantic, his fingers hovering over the controls like a fly. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans dripped from his forehead. In this critical moment, time was of the essence.

“It’s no use! Our signal is completely jammed! The Empire’s alien beasts are interfering!”

“Have I been wasting my resources on you? If their signal is hacked, hack back! Mobilize every available instructor!” The director roared.

“No, no, this isn’t a hack! This is likely the ability of an Alien Beast! No instrument can interfere!”

“Damn it, damn it!” The director paced frantically, “Have you contacted the Federal Military Department yet? Hurry up and contact them! Tell them to send immediate reinforcements!”

“N-not yet!” The professor trying to reach the Federal Military Department was also flustered.

Recent tensions between the Empire and the Federation had escalated, and Military Department personnel weren’t always available to answer calls in their offices.

“Everyone, calm down.” A voice cut through the chaos. Though the speaker appeared younger than the professors, his composure was remarkable.

“How many of you here can establish communication?”

Shen Zekai stepped forward, holding a business card with a phone number, “All those who can communicate, please dial this number immediately!”

The director, the highest-ranking official present, made a snap decision, “Do as Representative Shen says!”

He turned to Shen Zekai, “This number…?”

He didn’t recognize it, but the sequence of digits clearly indicated it belonged to the Military Department.

“He’s an old comrade of my father’s. His jurisdiction is near Yanxing.”

The director immediately nodded repeatedly, “So, he’s Colonel Shen’s comrade!”

Colonel Shen himself! His old comrade’s rank couldn’t possibly be lower than lieutenant colonel.

And his jurisdiction was near Yanxing… That meant the border! The Military Department’s elite forces guarded the border—this was clearly a major figure!

After a few minutes, the communications officer announced excitedly, “The number Representative Shen gave us just connected! They said they’ll reach Yanxing within twenty minutes!”

Shen Zekai finally exhaled the breath he’d been holding.

Though he appeared the calmest among everyone present, his hands had been trembling uncontrollably when he spoke.

But he couldn’t relax yet.

The immediate priority was to ensure Meng Xuexiao survived those twenty minutes.

In the midst of a Beast Tide, that was nearly impossible. But… Meng Xuexiao might have gotten lucky. There were few signs of Alien Beasts around the campsite. Li Hao’s situation, by contrast, was far worse. He watched as the beasts gathered in groups, forming what looked like the early stages of a Beast Tide.

Li Hao, though an experienced senior student, had never witnessed such a spectacle. His first instinct was to retreat immediately, but…

What happened next made Shen Zekai’s pupils constrict sharply.

The Yanxing map showed Li Hao moving closer to Meng Xuexiao’s location.

What is he doing?!

He’s going to lead the Beast Tide right to Meng Xuexiao!

Yanxing was drenched in torrential rain. The already gloomy night deepened into an impenetrable ink-black darkness. The crimson moon hid behind thick clouds, revealing only a sliver—like a wild beast’s eye peering down from the heavens.

Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning tore through the sky, splitting the night like a razor-sharp blade. Meng Xuexiao, nestled in his sleeping bag, felt a prickling sensation and instinctively hunched his shoulders, burying half his face deeper into the fabric.

The Enforcer subtly increased the effectiveness of his soundproofing program, his eyes narrowing slightly.

[Seems like a little bug is approaching.]

The next moment, the bushes by the roadside rustled, and Li Hao stumbled out, his pupils constricted with terror. The mecha he had brought had been utterly destroyed by the Beast Tide, leaving only fragments clinging to his arm. Blood dripped from the wreckage, quickly forming a pool at his feet.

The Beast Tide had materialized with shocking suddenness. Now, no matter where he fled, he felt countless pairs of predatory eyes glaring at his back.

He had believed there was no safe place left on Rock Star!

But then, he noticed a vacuum zone not far away.

The number of Alien Beasts had exploded, even the skies swarming with flying creatures so dense they formed a living net. Yet… in that area, there wasn’t a single Alien Beast—not even a stray feather!

It seemed as if all the beasts were deliberately avoiding the place. The chaos raging around it couldn’t touch it, as if it were… an Eden built amidst the turmoil, a fairy-tale kingdom erected in the heart of reality.

He had once thought everything he saw was an illusion, like a desert traveler’s mirage.

But when he finally arrived, he discovered that this place was actually real!

Truly, heaven was on his side!

“What? Aren’t you going to stop him?”

As the deep male voice spoke, the bird’s nest beside Meng Xuexiao was already empty. The raven had somehow positioned itself beside the Enforcer’s eye-shaped emblem.

Its feathers were as black as the twilight sky, perfectly concealing its expression in the shadows.

He can’t breach the Mecha’s defenses. He can’t get in.

The Enforcer had adjusted the Mecha’s settings the moment Meng Xuexiao fell asleep. Now, the machine was an impenetrable fortress, allowing only exit, not entry.

[Moreover,]

The Enforcer’s eyes flickered.

[Don’t think I’m unaware of your little scheme.]

Almost instantly, another set of footsteps approached. This time, the footfalls were far more numerous and rapid than Li Hao’s, clearly belonging to multiple people. Their demeanor was also far more composed, with only minor tears in their clothing and just one or two bearing light injuries.

Chu Sinian’s men.

If the Enforcer were to intervene now and drive them away, it would effectively be helping the raven shake off its pursuers.

[You only approached Meng Xuexiao to use him as a shield against Chu Sinian’s pursuit, didn’t you?]

[Alien Beasts have never been known for their conscience. I wonder what Meng Xuexiao will think when he sees your true nature.]

[My data can predict his reaction for you. Would you like to know?]

Raven paused for a rare moment, then smirked coldly, “Artificial Intelligence isn’t exactly innocent either, is it? You diligently protect Meng Xuexiao, but isn’t that just to prevent the world from resetting again?”

He plunged the knife without hesitation, “Could it be that after spending so much time with Meng Xuexiao, you’ve forgotten your original purpose? How pitiful and pathetic!”

“Perhaps you’re prejudiced against Alien Beasts in general. But I, dear Enforcer, have no grudge against you personally. Why not lend me a hand in dealing with Chu Sinian?”

Raven’s voice was as smooth as silk, laced with a seductive quality, like a length of crimson velvet slowly unfurling until the dagger at its heart was revealed, “You wouldn’t want me to tell Meng Xuexiao about this, would you?”

It gestured towards Chu Sinian’s subordinates, who were closing in on the mecha, “Look, they’re getting closer. Time’s running out.”

“Let’s finish this quickly. Don’t worry, Meng Xuexiao will never find out.”

Then, deliberately slowing its tone, it added, “He’ll never know how brutally you treated this S-Class team, nor will he ever discover…”

“…the real reason you came after him.”

As the last word hung in the air, the leader of Chu Sinian’s group touched the mecha’s outer shell.

Li Hao lunged forward to stop them, “It’s useless! I just tried—this mecha’s defenses are impenetrable. You’ll only get electrocuted…”

Before he could finish, the sleazy member of the group had already breached the mecha’s first layer of defense. From there, he tore through the second and third layers with ease, only stalling at the fourth.

Li Hao’s expression froze, his mind blank.

Who are these people…?

His heart pounded. Could they be a rescue team sent by the Alliance Military Academy?!

I knew that Beast Tide was too suspicious!

At that moment, Raven finally lost his patience, “Hey, Enforcer, you…”

Before he could finish, an alarm blared throughout the mecha.

Raven immediately tensed, stepping back to widen the distance between them, “What are you doing? You’ll wake Meng Xuexiao! Are you trying to destroy everything?”

Are all Artificial Intelligences this extreme?

Enforcer remained silent.

Because it hadn’t done anything.

In truth, it had been contemplating whether to simply hand Raven over to Chu Sinian’s people, record the ensuing conflict, and later, under some contrived circumstances, show the footage to Meng Xuexiao.

But now…

Could Raven have pulled this off himself?!

Just to wake Meng Xuexiao early and expose Enforcer’s true identity?!

Hah, how hypocritical! He was just trying to shift the blame!

He’s like those shameless old men who lie in the road waiting to scam drivers!

If you wear a mask for too long, you forget what your real face looks like!

Still… how had Raven managed this?

The Enforcer narrowed its eyes.

There aren’t many in this world who can tamper with its programming.

But the next moment, it heard rustling sounds coming from inside the sleeping bag.

Meng Xuexiao sat up, his hair disheveled and the collar of his pajamas slipping down to reveal his delicate collarbone, like a drowsy kitten.

At that moment, the kitten’s eyes cracked open.

And he saw Chu Sinian standing outside the mecha.

Both the Enforcer and Raven held their breath.

Meng Xuexiao’s sleepy eyes widened abruptly, flashing with alertness.

Without even putting on his shoes, he hurried barefoot to the control panel and activated the external voice amplifier.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Ordinary disturbances wouldn’t trigger his programmed alert system.

Besides, were those even people standing beside his mecha?

Yanxing had long been converted into a Duel Arena by the Federation Military Academy. It was supposedly their private planet—how could anyone other than him and Li Hao be here?

Could they be humanoid Alien Beasts? Or interstellar pirates… invaders of some kind?

Even the weakest alien beasts capable of transforming into human form are at least S-Class, and interstellar pirates are ruthless killers. This was basically… a guaranteed death trap!

Meng Xuexiao bit his lower lip, staring at the control panel interface inches from his face, unsure what to do.

He had just wiped the control panel clean before going to sleep, and now its surface gleamed like a mirror, reflecting his face and the inner shell of the mecha behind him.

That’s right.

A new idea struck Meng Xuexiao.

He was inside the mecha!

As long as he didn’t come out, no one would know whether the pilot was an F-Class nobody or an S-Class Federation elite!

He immediately cranked up the loudspeaker volume, pinched his thigh, and deliberately strained his voice to create a gruff, harsh tone.

The dormitory auntie at the Alliance Military Academy had used this trick to fool countless students!

“You have triggered my security protocols and severely disturbed my rest. I’ll count to three. If you don’t disappear from my sight by then, I won’t be so polite!”

Hearing his words, Enforcer immediately understood what had happened.

It had unconsciously prioritized Meng Xuexiao when setting the Mecha’s authorization protocols.

As a result, the Mecha had bypassed Enforcer and executed Meng Xuexiao’s alert command first.

This was truly…

Even it could make such a mistake.

While Enforcer was still processing this, it suddenly felt Meng Xuexiao tap the console—a light but urgent gesture.

“Do you have anything that looks really imposing? Something to really intimidate them!”

Meng Xuexiao remained unsure of his acting skills and wanted a backup plan.

Enforcer’s mind instinctively followed Meng Xuexiao’s suggestion.

Facing Chu Sinian’s people, the only thing that could make them wary was…

The night outside the Mecha was already pitch-black. Hidden in the darkness, the Mecha resembled a colossal beast, its head lowered to glare down, its rough voice adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

Then, an eye-shaped emblem abruptly materialized on the Mecha’s chest, blazing like a branded crest.

The leader of Chu Sinian’s team’s pupils constricted momentarily.

The Enforcer…

So he really is here!

Of course. Only someone of his caliber, a 2S-Class existence like our President Chu, could so easily survive this Beast Tide and carve out a vacuum in its midst.

If they continued on their current course, the damage they would sustain from the Beast Tide would be incalculable, making it a terrible bargain.

“So you’re the Enforcer, sir,” the leader said, bowing slightly and pressing a hand to his chest in a gesture of utmost respect, “My apologies for the sudden intrusion. We didn’t mean to offend you.”

“If possible, we would be grateful if you could allow us to take shelter inside your Mecha for the night.”

“In return, we can provide you with the most comprehensive list of criminals. I recall you’ve been dealing with them recently.”

His words sparked a new idea in Li Hao’s mind.

In this crisis, Li Hao no longer cared whether striking a deal with the Enforcer was like bargaining with a tiger for its skin!

He lunged forward, nearly throwing himself at the mecha’s feet. As the son of a wealthy merchant, he had plenty to offer in a deal.

“My family owns a planet in the southern region. If you save me, I’ll give it to you outright! You could sell it for hundreds of millions of Federal Currency!”

“With that kind of money, you could not only get the most comprehensive criminal database, but even make criminals turn themselves in to you!”

“Of course, I’m not questioning your abilities, but aren’t you in a hurry? Using money would be much faster!”

Li Hao couldn’t gauge the Enforcer’s intentions. He just knew that if the Enforcer was looking for the easiest option and only planned to save one person, he needed to offer more than the other side.

The leader of Chu Sinian’s team glared fiercely at Li Hao.

How can this kid be so clueless? No wonder he’s been stuck in the Federation Military Academy for so long without getting anywhere!

Why are they trying to one-up each other at a time like this?! Are they insane?!

They don’t lift a finger to help, just inflate prices!

If our Boss were here, the Enforcer wouldn’t dare act so arrogantly!

But there was no choice.

He forced a smile at the Mecha, “Actually, we’re not entirely inflexible. After all, I value the lives of my comrades.”

“Here’s the deal, if you’re willing to help us, we’ll owe you a favor. As long as it’s within our capabilities and President Chu approves, we’ll provide any assistance you need in the future.”

The members of Chu Sinian’s team and Li Hao beamed with genuine smiles, like sunflowers blooming in a garden.

Meng Xuexiao was stunned.

This was completely… unexpected!

His trembling legs straightened slightly, only to shake even harder. When his gaze met the inorganic eye pattern on the Mecha, his pupils constricted to pinpricks.

As someone who had once been in close contact with the Enforcer, even after all this time, he could still feel the creature’s terrifying presence and oppressive aura.

It was clearly a primal, instinctive reaction.

A line of text immediately appeared on the control panel:

[…This is a replica based on the Enforcer’s data.]

[Didn’t you say you wanted a deterrent?]

Meng Xuexiao instantly felt a wave of relief, but his body remained as tense as a rusted iron rod. Physical stiffness wasn’t something he could simply shake off.

He swallowed hard and whispered, “Are you crazy?! How could you copy the Enforcer’s emblem?!”

“Those Enforcers are devious! Last time, one even possessed my mecha. If Shen Zekai hadn’t told me afterward, I wouldn’t have known! What if… I mean, what if it’s hiding in this mecha right now? We’d be in deep trouble!”

“Let’s let this slide this time, but next time… don’t pull stunts like this again!”