William recognized the object wrapped around the monster's neck immediately—it was Alex's knife. "Did you just use these two knives to kill the monster?" William asked, his surprise evident.

Carl shook his head and replied, "You give me too much credit. Most of the residents here are monsters, and to avoid waking them up, any attack must be quick, precise, and preferably fatal with a single strike. I couldn't manage to kill this monster instantly."

As they both looked down at the motionless creature on the ground, it was clear that the monster had been killed swiftly, long before it could reveal its true form.

William couldn't help but wonder, "Alex?" Carl nodded in confirmation, "Yes, Alex."

A faint sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, and Alex walked into the room with a stern expression. He was clad in an ill-fitting sweater that looked oddly similar to Carl's attire. Strapped to his back was a bag specifically designed for holding knives, and he casually glanced down at the lifeless monster on the ground. Two bone splitters emerged from the creature's neck and returned to the bag on Alex's back.

William couldn't contain his curiosity. "How did you manage to bring Alex here?"

Carl replied, "Do you think I could have rescued you from the monster without Alex's help? To eliminate a monster swiftly and with precision, one must have an intimate knowledge of its anatomy. Alex has slaughtered many monsters before; he knows them better than anyone else I know."

Alex, who had been silently observing the scene, finally spoke. "I overheard your predicament, William. You mentioned you were going to be consumed by a monster on August 11th, so I rushed here."

Carl chimed in, explaining further, "When Carl saw you being taken away by the monster, he knew that his powers alone couldn't save you. After some thought, he remembered Alex, who was living in the shadows. Carl hurried back to Silver Mountain, treated Alex's injuries, and explained the situation. Alex agreed to help save you without hesitation."

William turned to Alex with a sense of gratitude. Before he could express his thanks, Alex grabbed the car keys from the shoe cabinet and said curtly, "The person is saved. Now come with me to the slaughterhouse."

"The slaughterhouse?" William hesitated. "What are we doing there?" William exchanged a puzzled glance with Carl, who shared his confusion.

Alex explained, "Things have changed from our original plan. We agreed to rescue you and then head straight back to Silver Mountain for your escape. But without the key, you won't be able to leave the city."

"Key?" William asked, incredulous. "What key are you talking about?"

Alex responded, his tone stern, "The key to leaving this city."

"This city is far more complex than you can imagine," Carl added. "Do you think you can escape just by heading towards Yinshan Mountain? It's not that simple."

William was bewildered. "City? Key? What does all of this mean?"

Alex continued, "If you want to understand, come with us. There's much you need to know."

The trio made their way to the parking lot, where they found William's father's car. Alex took the wheel and drove them to the slaughterhouse.

"Uncle Alex, can you please explain now?" William couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "I want to know what's going on."

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Alex began to recount his experience discovering the monsters. "A few years ago, I owned a ranch in the suburbs where I raised cattle and sheep. These animals were meant to be slaughtered and sold in the city. Everything was going smoothly until three months ago, when my ranch suffered significant losses. Cattle and sheep started disappearing."

"Did the monsters eat them?" William asked.

Alex shook his head and continued, "No, it wasn't monsters, but a peculiar device located at the city's

outskirts."

"A device?" William was taken aback.

"Yes," Alex confirmed. "Without a key, attempting to leave this city is fatal. You die instantly." William found it hard to believe. "That's impossible! What about people who have graduated? They leave the city, right?"

Alex asked in return, "Have you ever seen anyone who left the city return after graduation?" William was momentarily silenced. He suddenly recalled the elderly neighbor upstairs, who had mentioned that his son worked in another city. However, William had never seen the son return for Christmas or New Year's.

Alex continued, "As I mentioned earlier, this city functions like a breeding ground. Humans are the domesticated livestock, and monsters are the owners. To maintain a constant supply of livestock, the city has specific entry and exit routes for the monsters to conduct their trade. These routes are inaccessible to humans.But monsters can distinguish real humans, and without their companions, it is impossible to leave the city through the 'main gate.'

" How did you know about these things?" William inquired of Alex.

Alex began to reply, "When I was looking for cows and sheep, I found a skeleton. Next to that skeleton,

there is—"

Before he could finish speaking, Carl's expression suddenly turned grim, and he interrupted Alex with a sense of urgency, "Oh no, we've been caught."

Seeing the slaughterhouse ahead, Carl suddenly grew nervous.

"Quick! Turn around!" Carl shouted anxiously, urging Alex to leave immediately.

"What's going on?" Alex frowned, questioning. While William didn't understand why Carl had suddenly become so nervous, he trusted Carl's abilities and knew he must have noticed something important to react this way.

"Monsters," Carl gritted his teeth and said, "There are many monsters headed our way."

"Monsters?" Alex glanced out of the car window. The street outside appeared quiet, showing no signs of monsters.

"Alex, you can trust us," William hastily interjected. "If you don't leave now, it may be too late." William remembered that Carl's ability allowed him to sense objects within an 800-meter radius, so the monsters Carl mentioned must be dangerously close.

"It's already too late," Carl frowned, gripping the car's armrest tightly. "Hold on!" Carl shouted.

Soon after, the sound of a car approached from behind, colliding with their vehicle at an alarming speed. With a loud crash, William felt a violent jolt as the collision continued, with cars behind them seeming to try to overturn their vehicle.

Alex cursed and quickly rolled down the car window, releasing a bone scraper. A series of noises followed as the bone-cutting knife pierced the tire of the car behind them.

"And another one!" Carl exclaimed, "On the left...on the right...and ahead!" Several more cars appeared, surrounding them.

"Why have these monsters discovered us?" William couldn't comprehend the situation. The two monsters that had raised him had already perished, and only these two monsters could detect the pheromones on him. So, why had so many monsters suddenly emerged?

"These monsters are coming for me," Alex said calmly. "These cars contain police officers who are after me. They must have guessed that I would return to the slaughterhouse, so they've been ambushing nearby for days."

"When we drove by, they must have spotted me, which is why they've shown themselves," Alex continued, his eyes darting between the front and rearview mirrors.

"These sudden cars are getting closer, and they must be planning to block our way," William said urgently. "If we don't get out of here soon, they'll put us in a dangerous situation."

"Stay put!" Alex shouted and floored the gas pedal. There was a loud noise, accompanied by a violent jolt, as he accelerated the car forward.

He drove straight toward the slaughterhouse, crashing through its doors and coming to a stop inside.

"Get out!" Alex quickly opened the car door, and as they exited, knives from their bag flew out.

Alex gripped the dark blue bone-chopping knife while the other knives continued to circle around him. "The key is hidden under the tiles in the left corner of the second-floor bathroom," Alex said angrily, his eyes filled with determination. "Smash it open, and you'll find everything you need to know inside." Alex's face grew more intense. "Leave once you've grabbed your things, and don't hinder the operation of the slaughterhouse."