The S-Class Threat

At the Hunter Association Headquarters, battle reports from the three outer cities flashed across holographic screens in every conference room, arriving with alarming frequency.

“Old man Jiang, don’t you think you owe us an explanation?!” Fujiwara Tachima slammed his hand on the table, rising to his feet before the assembled officials. He pointed a finger at the head of the Alert and Patrol Department, his voice sharp and unsparing. “Regardless of their threat level, allowing the tide of sea beasts to approach Pharos is a grave dereliction of your duties!”

“Indeed, Ghost Sharks and Steam Squids can evade sonar and radar detection. But a swarm of sea beasts of this magnitude? Your people didn’t detect a thing? You’re a bunch of incompetent fools; it’s utterly laughable!”

He paused, taking a breath, about to unleash another volley of insults when the other man abruptly cut him off.

Facing the accusations, Jiang Chen stroked his white beard, appearing entirely unperturbed. “Fujiwara,” he remarked nonchalantly, “you seem rather agitated.”

“Old man Jiang, don’t give me that passive-aggressive nonsense!”

“See? Agitated again.”

With merely a few words, Jiang Chen provoked Fujiwara Tachima to such a degree that his lips quivered, his round face flushing a furious crimson, much like a kettle brought to a rolling boil.

Given the gravity of the situation, someone swiftly intervened, cutting short their escalating spat.

Dr. Rhine rose from his seat, his expression solemn.

“Our previous assessment might have been flawed,” Dr. Rhine began. “The Ghost Sharks show minor mutations, but the true concern lies with the Steam Squids.”

“The Steam Squids that have appeared this time exhibit exceptional stealth and destructive capabilities, far surpassing anything we’ve observed before. It’s highly probable they share a lineage with the North Sea Kraken.”

“Among them, there might even be… S-class specimens.”

…

Rhine adjusted his glasses, a subconscious gesture to quell the mounting dread within him.

If the analysis department’s chilling prognosis held true, and immediate countermeasures weren’t deployed, District 16 could swiftly descend into a living hell within mere hours, mirroring the fate of District 8 years ago.

Instantly, the entire conference room fell into an eerie silence.

A full thirty seconds stretched into an eternity before anyone dared to shatter the profound stillness.

In the main seat, a white-haired elder sat upright, his gaze complex.

His frame was not robust; loose garments failed to conceal the gauntness beneath. His right arm, lost in his younger days, had been replaced by a gleaming metal prosthetic. Despite his advanced age, no one present would ever dare to underestimate his formidable presence.

The elder slowly broke the silence. “S-class, you say…”

“How many are there?”

At his words, Rhine straightened his posture, responding promptly, “Chairman Seti, based on our analysis of the available data, there could be up to two S-class entities simultaneously, but at least one is confirmed.”

He wouldn’t dream of affecting a pretense of composure before such a figure.

“I see,” Seti murmured, his eyes narrowing in thought for a moment before he nodded. “To be safe, send ‘Xingtian’ and ‘Chainsaw’ to handle it.”

“Furthermore, Fujiwara, Old Jiang, I need you both to visit the Eternal Church. In my name, request a spirit medium to join the combat efforts.”

****

In the nascent days of the Hunter Association, the classification system for sea beasts was rudimentary, encompassing only four tiers: A, B, C, and D.

Until, one fateful day, creatures emerged that humanity, with all its existing technology, proved utterly powerless to defeat.

These monsters were called S-class sea beasts.

Human power has its limits.

To defeat monsters, one must become a monster.

Consequently, leveraging the fragmented technological remnants of the ‘New World’ scattered across the old lands, the development of genetic enhancement technology surged forward at a breathtaking pace.

Near the coast.

Under a relentless barrage of plasma, countless low-level sea beasts were incinerated, their charred remains bobbing on the waves and fueling the fiercely burning ethereal blue flames.

The remaining creatures, those that had withstood the electrocution and fire, were the truly troublesome ones.

By the time Ming Yu approached the port, the colossal tentacles leading the charge were already nearing the shore.

On the inner surface of the towering tentacles, countless colossal suckers pulsed, periodically contracting with immense force to expel jets of high-temperature, high-pressure steam, creating terrifyingly hot air currents.

Ming Yu arrived late, observing the situation from the shadows.

‘Was that… a Steam Squid’s tentacle? So gargantuan?’

Tentacles of such immense girth and length genuinely astounded her.

The intense heat released as the high-temperature steam condensed into liquid felt akin to being continuously submerged in boiling water, capable of inflicting severe burns on internal organs.

Clad in heavy exoskeletons, the soldiers trapped within the scorching heatwave found themselves unable to retreat immediately. They could only shield their vulnerable eyes, enduring the searing agony that clawed at their respiratory tracts as they collapsed to their knees, howling in torment.

Their mission was complete.

The remaining sea beasts were not something ordinary humans could handle.

Hunters of B-class and above plunged into the monsters’ domain. Relying on the inhuman strength granted by genetic enhancements, they engaged in a desperate, life-or-death struggle against the creatures nearing the shore, their battle unfolding upon the vast, azure expanse.

****

“Damn it all, who fed us this bogus intel?! Is this truly a B-class sea beast tide? Where the hell did all these Ghost Sharks come from? And that thing… that Steam Squid is almost on the shore!”

Jeston’s lips stretched into a grimace, his mind a chaotic stampede of frustration. He roared into his comms to Luo Bin, “This number is absolutely insane! We’re talking three A-class beasts per person, on average! And that colossal Steam Squid at the vanguard? It’s a true heavyweight. My attacks are barely scratching it! Every time I get close, it blasts me with scalding steam. I can’t even land a solid hit!”

“This is A-class? I’d say it’s at least a half-step to S-class! Otherwise, none of this makes any sense!”

As he unleashed a torrent of curses, he reversed his grip on his rapier. Spotting an opening, he plunged the blade into the gill of the beast beneath him, twisting it violently. He then swiftly launched himself skyward, narrowly evading two gaping, blood-filled maws, and with a hair’s breadth of luck, managed to critically wound a Ghost Shark.

On the other side, Luo Bin was also caught in a bitter struggle.

In that moment, no one understood better than he the sheer difficulty of confronting the terrifying Steam Squid before them.

He no longer had time for casual chatter with Jeston.

“Jeston, when are reinforcements arriving?!”

Barely evading a tangle of lashing tentacles, Luo Bin gasped the question, his breath ragged.

After a few fierce exchanges, he understood with chilling clarity: this Steam Squid was far beyond his capacity to hunt.

“Reinforcements? What reinforcements are you talking about? Most S-class hunters are enjoying their comfortable lives in the central inner city. How could they possibly arrive in time?”

“What good are those below S-class? Who can defeat that thing?”

“Tch.”

Luo Bin gritted his teeth, constantly shifting and weaving, deftly evading the relentless tentacle assaults. He relied heavily on the high mobility afforded by his floating boots, grappling gun, and jet-propelled gas.

As expected, no S-class hunters were present.

A nameless fury surged within his chest, so potent it caused a minute flaw to appear in his precise movements.

In a flash, a crimson blossom erupted in the air.

–Hello? Hello? Binbin, why have you gone silent?!–

–No, where are you? I’m coming to help you now! Hello?!–

“Stop yelling…”

Luo Bin steadied himself, gritting his teeth against the searing pain, and glanced at his empty right arm. His weapon was gone; the chainsaw sword he’d wielded had plummeted into the depths with his severed limb.

As he gazed at the colossal tentacles slowly closing in, Luo Bin’s life suddenly flashed before his eyes. Fragments of memory flickered incessantly through his mind, and his pupils trembled almost imperceptibly.

“I want to play video games.”

****

Ming Yu discovered something strange.

After injecting a small dose of genetic serum, her body exhibited almost no discernible reaction. Yet, the surging sensation of power spreading through every fiber of her being grew undeniably stronger.

However, she couldn’t afford to delve into these matters now.

She folded her black umbrella, allowing the raindrops to drench her cascade of silver hair. Drawing her blade, she ignited its reactor, bathing the silver-white edge in a fierce, crimson light.

The faint crimson glow evaporated the raindrops, turning them into swirling white mist.

Ming Yu’s afterimage, left behind, slowly dissipated.