Chapter 93.1

Dawn, Nurha Star.

A low growl echoed through the murky alley as a large B-class tricolor war dog sank its teeth into the neck of a mildly infected dog. Its powerful paws pinned the creature down mercilessly, drawing out piercing wails of agony that soon fell silent.

As the body went limp, the tricolor dog released its grip, dropping the smaller beast. Its white muzzle was now stained crimson with blood.

Raising its head, black nose twitching, it caught the scent of other infected beasts nearby. As it prepared to charge in their direction, suddenly…

The seemingly lifeless infected dog exploded upward with a savage snarl. One eye was a grotesque pustule, while the other blazed with an eerie green light. It lunged, clamping its jaws onto the tricolor dog’s exposed neck.

The war dog’s iron collar had been lost during an earlier pursuit. Caught off guard by the feigned death, it thrashed desperately, trying to dislodge its attacker. But the infected dog’s teeth were locked tight, as if fused to its blood vessels.

Whimpering in pain, the tricolor dog clawed frantically at its assailant. Though blood flowed from the wounds, the infected dog’s grip only tightened, its eyes growing increasingly savage…

A piercing eagle cry split the sky, commanding and majestic. A powerful deep-gray eagle with a white-crowned head and golden wings dove from above, its razor-sharp beak driving through the infected dog’s skull.

The devastating pain drove the dog further into frenzy as pus began seeping from its previously green eye. It wasn’t playing dead earlier—it had mutated mid-battle, transitioning from mild to moderate infection.

The eagle seized the infected dog’s body in its powerful beak, hurling it against the wall. A streak of blood marked the impact point before the creature crumpled to the ground, finally still.

The tricolor war dog’s legs gave out. It collapsed, silently licking the blood from its white fur, as if the gesture could erase both wound and pain.

“Ping’an! Ping’an!”

A man’s voice called out in the distance. The eagle’s golden eyes cast one final glance at the wounded dog before spreading its wings and soaring skyward.

A uniformed beast tamer soldier rushed to his war beast, embracing it only to find his hands covered in blood. Trembling, he pressed his light brain: “Found Ping’an! Medical team needed immediately!”

“Screech—” Another eagle cry pierced the air.

The soldier reflexively raised his weapon, bloodshot eyes scanning the sky. This sector had no war eagles—such rare assets were reserved for the most dangerous zones. If not a war eagle, it had to be a mutant beast.

As he prepared to fire, he froze. The eagle wore a compact helmet, its neck protected by armor. Plates of protective gear covered its deep gray back, chest, and wing bases.

Though armor concealed two-thirds of its form, the soldier recognized it instantly.

“Ta… Tayun…”

The name barely left his lips before the eagle vanished into the dawn sky.

Medical personnel arrived moments later, examining the tricolor dog’s wounds. Seeing the beast tamer’s tears, the veterinarian quickly reassured him. “The wounds look worse than they are—no vital damage. Bring the stretcher!”

As they loaded the dog into the ambulance, the soldier couldn’t help glancing skyward one final time. The morning sky remained empty.

Had he imagined it?

*

Five minutes later at the second safe zone at Nurha Star.

War beasts, invigorated by proximity to the war zone, pawed eagerly at the ground, testing the iron barriers of the safe zone.

“Stay still, Lightning,” Mu Ling commanded, securing the final piece of armor. Her eyes drifted skyward again. “Why hasn’t Tayun returned? Could something be wrong?”

Xiang Bie spoke softly, “War eagles must first familiarize themselves with the aerial terrain when entering a war zone—it prevents disorientation during operations. Tayun knows the protocol, and it’s under surveillance.”

Indeed, all war beasts on active duty wore not only full armor but carried monitoring devices. The command center maintained constant surveillance, ready to alert them if Tayun encountered trouble.

As they spoke, the eagle completed its reconnaissance, swooping down to land gracefully on Mu Ling’s arm. It nuzzled her affectionately through its helmet, beak gently grazing her face.

Mu Ling beamed, about to embrace it when—

“Wait.” Xiang Bie’s sharp voice cut through the moment. “There’s blood on its beak.”

Mu Ling touched her face, fingers coming away red.

“What happened?”

Xiang Bie turned to the barrier guards. “We need a report on Tayuns’ activities.”

The commanding officer quickly radioed the command center, then reported back, “During terrain familiarization, Tayun intercepted and neutralized a newly-mutated moderate-infected beast in 2.8 seconds. The blood is from the target.”

Mu Ling wiped her face, then gazed at Tayun with renewed pride. “Already in battle mode? You truly are a born warrior!”

The eagle, understanding the praise, preened slightly. But suddenly, its posture transformed—head snapping up, keen eyes locked onto the southeast. Among the chaos of mutant beast signatures, it had detected something familiar…

With explosive force, it launched skyward!

“Tayun!”

Mu Ling called out desperately, but for the first time ever, the eagle ignored her command.

“Tayun! Tayun!”

Xiang Bie stood stunned—this behavior was unprecedented. Tayun had never once disobeyed Mu Ling.

He turned sharply to the commanding officer. “Alert the command center immediately. Track its coordinates continuously. If any danger presents itself, dispatch the nearest response team for immediate intervention!”

The officer, momentarily startled by the intensity of the command, hastily opened his light brain, coordinating with the command center with visible anxiety.

At that precise moment, the General of Nurha Star’s military district emerged from the safe zone’s main building, accompanied by six high-classing officers. They had just finished allocating the ten war beasts among three search zones.

The General approached, first taking in the sight of the war beasts growling eagerly at the barriers, clearly pleased with their fighting spirit. He turned to Mu Ling, “Director Mu, thank you for your generous supp—”

His words cut short as he noticed the young director’s anxious gaze fixed on the empty sky.

“What’s wrong?”

After receiving a hurried briefing from the officer, the General’s expression transformed.

“Contact the command center at once,” he commanded. “Maintain constant surveillance on Tayuns’ position. If anything happens, the nearest team must launch immediate rescue operations. No room for error!”

The officer shifted uncomfortably. “Sir… those exact orders have already been issued.”

The General paused, surprised, then nodded with approval. “Excellent response time.”

The officer opened his mouth to explain, but Xiang Bie smoothly interjected: “Sir, regarding the war beast deployment plan…”