Two hours earlier, Task Force One of the "Anomaly Response Unit" received a difficult mission.
Reports had come in from the outskirts of City A: five enormous black monsters had appeared, destroying buildings and attacking every human in sight.
Squad 13, being the closest to the site, was the first to respond. But these five creatures were nothing like the elemental beasts they had dealt with before—they were much stronger. The hastily deployed Squad 13 was nearly wiped out, with only a few survivors managing to hide and wait for reinforcements from the far more experienced Squad 1.
A convoy of armored vehicles rumbled along a mountain road. Squad leader Wang Qi's brows furrowed deeper as he watched the footage coming from the front lines.
One look was enough for him to understand how troublesome these new monsters were.
They were massive, their bodies stretching dozens of meters, their shapes indescribably twisted and unstable. From them seeped a continuous stream of black, corrosive gas. Wherever it spread, vegetation withered, life perished—it was as if death itself had descended.
"Survivors, hold position, but keep a safe distance. Wait for support."
"Squad One, be advised: the targets emit corrosive gas. All units, switch to protective suits."
After giving his orders, Wang Qi glanced at the armored vehicle in the rearview mirror. Mounted on it was the latest prototype, a "Large-Caliber Adaptive Elemental Weapon." He could only hope it would prove effective against these monsters.
As they drew closer to the site, the stench in the air grew unbearable. The murmurs among the soldiers faded, replaced by grim silence.
Wang Qi stared out at the withering landscape, his mind heavy.
The world was becoming more dangerous by the day. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he couldn't shake the feeling that disaster was looming.
Two months ago, plants and crops across the land had begun to wither, sparking crisis after crisis. Then, in recent weeks, these black monsters had started appearing.
The first wave had dog-like heads and jet-black bodies—smaller, weaker than what they now faced. In hindsight, those earlier monsters had been nothing more than scouts.
...
After a long drive, the task force finally reached the scene.
The moment they saw the black creatures, even the most battle-hardened soldiers were shaken.
"What... what the hell is that?"
The things looked grotesque, more like heaps of writhing matter than living beings.
Wang Qi barked into the radio: "Heavy fire support! Form up! Do not approach within one hundred meters!"
Battle erupted instantly. The new weapons Wang Qi had pinned his hopes on fired for the first time. Shells infused with elemental power roared out of their barrels, exploding into brilliant fireballs a hundred meters ahead. Waves of flame tore through the sea of black corrosion, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Overhead, helicopters swooped in, providing cover as the soldiers advanced under the barrage.
For a moment, silence fell over the battlefield. Black mist continued to spread, obscuring everything within.
"Is it over?"
"Hold on..."
Before the smoke had cleared, unsettling noises echoed from the massive craters.
"They're alive!"
"Damn it!" Wang Qi's instincts screamed danger. He opened his mouth to warn the helicopters—
But it was too late.
From the haze, the four hideous monsters swelled several times larger. Their shapes twisted, transforming into black sea-urchin-like masses. Dozens of unstable tentacles whipped out, lashing wildly through the air.
Two helicopters had already climbed high, but the tentacles swatted them down with ease. The aircraft slammed into the ground, exploding in twin fireballs.
Wang Qi's eyes widened in horror.
"What the hell are these things? Has the elemental balance stopped working? Where did they come from?"
As fear spread, the four monsters let out strange, guttural roars. A psychic shockwave ripped through the soldiers' minds. Blood streamed from their ears as their vision blurred and their thoughts scattered.
"Retreat... retreat!" Wang Qi shouted through gritted teeth.
But before he could pull back, the monsters blinked forward, suddenly looming directly in front of him. The black, corrosive aura rushed over.
His protective suit melted away in seconds. Wang Qi spat up foul blood, his eyes bloodshot and burning.
The psychic assault drained the last of his strength—he couldn't even run.
He lifted his head with effort. A vast black shadow loomed above him.
"It's over..."
...
Just as death seemed inevitable, the suffocating stench in the air vanished.
Stunned, Wang Qi looked up—
And froze.
A mysterious man floated in the sky. With nothing but a flick of his hand, he pulled the towering beasts toward him as though by invisible chains.
Then, a blinding white light burst forth. Explosions cracked across the sky as the four monsters shrieked in unison, their cries like a death wail.
The man didn't even move. One by one, the black, sea-urchin-like abominations ruptured, falling as showers of black rain.
When it was over, sunlight pierced the clouds once again, bathing the battlefield in golden light.
Wang Qi collapsed to the ground, too shocked to marvel at his survival. His eyes stayed fixed on the man above, radiant and untouchable—like a god.
And strangely... he felt familiar.
"You are..."
"Don't recognize me?"
Lu Chen slowly descended before him.
It had been some time since their last meeting. The hot-blooded young adventurer Wang Qi once was had now become a squad captain in the official forces.
Lu Chen's system scanned his level. Though he still couldn't wield elemental power, his strength was now comparable to Teyvat's elite fighters. He had grown quickly.
"Senior, it's you?!"
Wang Qi's eyes lit up with surprise. "You remember me? You saved me back on that snowy mountain! Everything I've achieved today is thanks to your guidance!"
Lu Chen nodded and extended a hand, channeling the newly awakened Human Realm Power to cleanse the corruption from Wang Qi's body.
A gentle, soothing force wrapped around him. The remnants of madness gnawing at his mind vanished in an instant.
"The Abyss Power is imperceptible, indescribable, and intensely corrupting. It cannot be resisted by ordinary means."
Having said this, Lu Chen walked toward Ei and Nahida, who were studying the remains of the creatures. Around them, injured task force soldiers lay collapsed in small groups.
Wang Qi staggered to his feet, chasing after him.
"What is the Abyss Power? Senior, what do you know?"
The man clearly understood these monsters better than anyone. Wang Qi couldn't let him slip away.
"The Abyss Power is the enemy we will all soon face. An enemy that will engulf the entire world."
"What?" Wang Qi's eyes widened. "There are going to be more of these monsters?"
"Exactly." Lu Chen glanced back at him. "Less than three months remain. I'll need everyone's cooperation to prepare—for the coming apocalypse."