The twinkling stars have faded away, and the moon dutifully stands its final watch as the morning star rises, heralding the awakening of dawn. The grey sky reveals a hint of pale light, and in another ten or twelve minutes, the first light of dawn from the morning will return color to the world.
Two groups of people confront each other, three dinosaurmen stand in the air, while Wu Fan and 22 crouch at their feet.
As the Quetzalcoatlus
lands on the ground, the dinosaurmen soldiers jump down from the giant beast.
22 tightens his grip on the laser gun hanging from his chest, his face slightly contorted with fear. He aims the gun at the three individuals, but they show no fear and continue to advance slowly.
These soldiers stand over two meters tall, lined up like a wall of bronze and iron. The person at the front removes his face mask, and with a sigh, wisps of smoke emerge from his helmet before he is seen. "Stop right there. You are no match for us. You two have only one gun, while we have three." A large head accompanies the voice, appearing in front of the two.
He is bald, with eyes like headlights, and his bare skin is as hard as iron. His upright ears resemble half butterfly wings, with scales partly hidden in the darkness and partly exposed in the moonlight. It's hard to tell whether the color is more blue or more gray. He has horns on his forehead, protruding straight out like an unsheathed dagger.
The dinosaurman takes another step forward. "Surrender peacefully, and you'll suffer less."
22 removes the laser gun from his chest and helplessly shrugs, then tosses it aside. "We surrender," he says.
"Alright, capture them all," the dinosaurman waves to his two subordinates beside him.
"Hold on," 22 quickly extends his right hand, halting the steps of the two approaching men. "We have nowhere to escape. How about a bet?"
"A bet? On what grounds?" The dinosaurman chuckles, his mouth curling into a smile. "I don't see any reason to bet with you."
"Would a purebred warrior be afraid of a mixed-blood's challenge?" 22 taunts with a cold laugh. "Are you afraid of losing to a mixed-blood like me? It's pitiful. If I thought I would lose, I might act the same way."
"You need not provoke me," the dinosaurman's face remains impassive. "Your taunts mean nothing to me. But go on, what do you propose to bet with me?" His eyes are full of disdain. Few mixed-bloods have spoken to him like this. The last mixed-blood who taunted him had long since died in some unknown corner.
"Come at me together, bare-handed. If I defeat you, you can consider letting us go."
The mixed-blood's eager movement pleases him. It has been 200 years, a full 200 years, and yet another ignorant young man dares to challenge his limits.
"Bring the child back."
"And the others?"
"Deal with them as you wish."
He recalls the words of the commanding officer as he left.
"Hahaha," "hahaha," two mocking laughs came from his subordinate's mouth. They hadn't seen the behavior of a mixed-blood challenging the pure-blood for a long time, ever since the last mixed-blood king surrendered 200 years ago, the war between mixed-blood and pure-blood had come to a complete end. For the pure-blood, giving some inexperienced and ignorant mixed-blood a lesson was truly a delightful thing.
"This is the most foolish joke I've ever heard. You will pay for your foolishness," the dinosaurman gritted his teeth.
"Oh really, I think someone is getting scared. I can understand, you're afraid of me just like most mixed-bloods are afraid of pure-bloods," 22 smiled, raised his thumb, and then pointed it downwards. His provocative behavior was not well understood by Wu Fan.
"I am afraid, yes, I am really afraid, I'm afraid I might accidentally kill you." Like thunder, a sudden sound of breaking through the air echoed in the boy's ears, as if a lightning bolt had passed by, and then in front of him, 22's body was like a light leaf, rolling heavily into a pile of weeds.
"I hope your body can be stronger than your mouth next time. If there is a next time," the dinosaurman released his clenched fist and snorted coldly.
"No!" After a moment of hesitation, he suddenly burst into a heart-wrenching scream, another person passed away in front of him. That was his only hope of going home.
He staggered, like a soulless shell, and 22 lay straight ahead. "Gone, gone, everything is gone, the hope of going home is gone, I can't go back," repeated in his mind.
"Oh, that really hurts."
Just when he was in despair, the brown-haired man touched his head and stood up again. He first shook his arms and then spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground.
"You're okay, you're okay. That's really great," the boy's sour stomach felt like it was suddenly filled with sweet honey.
However, this joy did not last long, and soon turned into astonishment. The dinosaurman's figure passed over him, and 22 was punched far away by the dinosaurman.
"I know you're still alive, this punch won't kill you," the dinosaurman raised his fist, and at the right moment, a gust of wind blew, knocking down the weeds under his feet. In the moonlight, he looked like a silver-plated demon statue.
"Hehe, hehe," 22 wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His right cheek was swollen high, and the purple bruise pressed his eye corner into a slit, like an ugly goblin just emerging from the ground.
"Stop your foolishness, I think you've suffered enough," the dinosaurman said. He lifted the one under him, shook his head gently, and the gap between mixed-blood and pure-blood was as obvious as that between a house cat and a tiger.
His two subordinates automatically moved forward, knowing it was time to end this farce.
"All three of you, come at me together," 22 looked dejected but persisted. His left leg bent forward, right leg stretched straight back, fingers interlocked, and the joints cracked, this was the starting move of Chinese Kung Fu.
With a roar, 22 charged like a raging bull. He swiftly ran behind the dinosaurman and threw a straight punch, but the dinosaurman seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He grabbed Wu Fan's collar with his left hand, twisting the boy to the side, and swung his right palm, catching 22's fist perfectly.
22 hurriedly pulled his fist from the dinosaurman's grip, took a few steps back, and then stood with his feet apart, left foot forward, right foot back, lowering his body, swaying his shoulders, stepping lightly, with both fists clenched in front of his chest, the stance of free combat.
"Mixed-blood, you've angered me," the dinosaurman's eyes narrowed into a straight line. Wu Fan suddenly felt a tightness in his neck, as if an iron cable was constricting his throat, making it hard to breathe.
"So fast," amidst the suffocation, another thought flashed through his mind, as if he had boarded a rising rocket, the tremendous shear force made him feel like his body was about to be torn apart.
When he slightly regained consciousness from the dizziness, he heard the sound of bones colliding. The dinosaurman's fist struck 22's wrist, the difference in strength causing the brown-haired man to retreat several meters. The dinosaurman casually tossed Wu Fan aside, and the boy rolled on the ground, retching a few times, before slowly getting up. He coughed heavily, feeling a dull pain in his back and neck, with sticky mucus on his face, damp and wet.
The dinosaurman and 22 exchanged punches and kicks, grappling with each other. The dinosaurman's attacks were exceptionally fierce, his physique much larger than 22's, often attempting to lock 22 using wrestling techniques. 22 kept evading, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. The dinosaurman seized 22's vulnerability, intending to dodge 22's jab, but accidentally bumped into it with his nose. Taking advantage of the opponent's distraction, he suddenly grabbed 22's shoulder, lifted him up like pulling a radish, and then kneed him in the face. 22 was hit so hard that he saw stars, and his nose bled like a burst water tap.
The dinosaurman followed up with a solid uppercut to 22's chin, and after a painful cry, 22 fell to the ground.
"Mixed-blood, you were quite confident, weren't you?" The dinosaurman grabbed 22's collar, lifting him into the air once again, delivering three heavy punches to 22's face.
"It's over," he sneered, as if swinging a bag of flour, preparing to throw the defeated opponent away.
At this critical moment, 22 suddenly tightly grabbed the dinosaurman's wrist, and kicked his legs towards the dinosaur man's abdomen.
The dinosaur man winced in pain, snorted coldly, and exerted more force with his hand. 22 felt like his neck was about to be crushed, as the dinosaurman clenched his other hand, preparing to deliver more punches to 22.
22 grabbed the arms of the dinosaurman with both hands on the 22nd, legs stretched straight, feet up, and toes kicking the dinosaurman's chin. The dinosaur man lost his balance due to this kick, and his hands relaxed their control over 22.
22performed a beautiful backflip to completely break free from the dinosaurman's control, also causing him to lose his shirt in the process. In Wu Fan's eyes, a scarred bare upper body emerged, with some marks from blades and axes, and some unhealed black holes. Looking at the dense scars, Wu Fan exclaimed, "Oh, what has he been through?"
"Good, very good," the dinosaurman felt deeply humiliated and tore the prisoner's clothes into pieces. He then propped himself up with his hands, legs slightly bent, like a war chariot about to launch, and charged towards his prey. 22 slightly dodged the dinosaurman's attack.
The dinosaurman continued to pound his chest, like an angry gorilla, emitting deafening roars. He charged at 22 again, who once more evaded the attack. Just as he regained his balance, a piece of tail harder than steel appeared from an unseen angle and struck his chest, sending him flying.
Struggling to stand, 22 was immediately confronted by the dinosaurman, whose sharp claws pierced his arms, causing him to cry out in pain, sounding as pitiful as an injured old dog. The dinosaurman lifted him overhead and smashed him into a nearby large tree.
The trunk shook, and leaves rustled down from the branches, a few landing on 22's pale face. Two streams of crimson blood flowed from the wounds on his shoulder. 22, with a red face, glared at the dinosaur man, propping himself against the tree and standing up once more.
Not giving him a chance to rise, the dinosaurman sprinted towards him, kicking him down against the tree again. Then, he extended an iron fist, pressing 22's forehead, repeatedly striking the back of his head against the tree trunk, creating a sound like knocking on wood.
"Let him go, please, I am the one you want," Wu Fan could no longer tolerate seeing others getting hurt for him, let alone 22 sacrificing himself.
"Je, grab him," the dinosaurman ordered his men, then turned to look at Wu Fan. "I will take you both away."
Wu Fan's words bought 22 a moment to catch his breath. He stood up and landed a straight punch on the dinosaur man's nose, followed by a headbutt to his forehead. Dazed, the dinosaurman touched his forehead, loosened his grip, and let go.
22 once again broke free from his restraint. This time, he abandoned the idea of fighting the dinosaurman and charged towards the two henchmen. The soldiers quickly raised their ray guns, aiming the dark barrels at the lowly mixed-blood in front of them.
"Don't open fire, he's mine," the dinosaurman covered his nose with one hand, licked the blood dripping from his nose with his tongue, and the salty taste of blood stimulated his nerves, igniting every cell in his body with a desire for battle. "It's been many years, many years since a mixed-blood made me bleed," his reddened eyes revealed madness.
22 seized the gun barrels from the soldiers and, with a roar, smashed the two ray guns against the one he had previously discarded. The three guns emitted a dull sound, and the dinosaurman removed the last gun hanging from his chest, exerted all his strength, and threw it, landing perfectly in the middle of the three guns.
At that moment, the sky brightened, the sun leaping from the horizon. The golden crow from Chinese mythology trailed clouds, dyeing them closer to gold and red, and farther away, a vibrant purple.
A gentle breeze swept the ground, the swaying weeds like a mother's caress on the scalp. The salty, humid air, tinged with a faint scent of blood, made Wu Fan increasingly uncomfortable. His eyes, swollen like two fermenting doughs, were filled with three different colors: black pupils, white sclera, and red blood vessels. His eye sockets seemed like a reservoir, tears constantly flowing out and being replenished endlessly.
The dinosaurman removed his armor one by one, starting with the steel outer armor, followed by the stone middle armor, then the wooden inner armor, and finally, he removed the close-fitting fabric undershirt, revealing a chest covered with green scales and yellow hair. Observing the uneven map on the dinosaur man's chest, the word "monster" naturally jumped into Wu Fan's mind.
As he removed each piece of armor, Wu Fan felt as if a blacksmith was hammering the earth. Now, with his hands tightly clasped, his knuckles made a popping sound like bursting beans. He looked at 22 with a sly expression, clearly conveying, "You're done for."
Ignoring the dinosaurman's gaze, 22 focused all his attention on the two soldiers. After a brief observation, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the soldiers' necks. The soldiers reacted swiftly, tightening their arms to protect their necks. 22 transformed his claws into fists, striking the soldiers' chests with both fists, like mallets hitting a bronze bell.
"Je, Me, grab him," as the dinosaurman's voice fell, his right foot had already kicked 22 in the back. 22, unsteady, was immediately restrained by the dinosaur man's henchmen, Je and Me. However, with a loud shout and a series of bone-cracking sounds, 22 broke free from their grip.
Gritting his teeth, the brown-haired man's resentment towards the three men grew deeper. Enduring the intense pain, he used his trembling left hand to reset his dislocated right hand, then used his now recovered right hand to reset his left hand. In desperation, he had to break his own wrist, escaping control in the manner of a gecko shedding its tail.
The morning light brushed his sweat-drenched face, the pale temples shimmering with a captivating golden glow. Sweat trickled down his haggard cheeks, slipping into his collar and down his neck.
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Suddenly, like a fearless wild boar, he roared, signaling his attack, charging towards Je with a straight punch. However, Je was clearly prepared, as he opened both hands, interlocking his fingers to firmly block the punch. 22 quickly launched another jab at Me, but Me effortlessly evaded his attack.
Seizing the opportunity, the dinosaur man swept 22's legs with a whip kick. 22 leaped into the air, like a fish breaking the surface, and as he landed, he rolled to the side, instantly separating the four combatants into two groups.
Je and Me smiled simultaneously, thoroughly enjoying this cat-and-mouse game.
Wu Fan felt extremely distressed watching 22 struggle in the battle. He looked around, and the morning breeze stirred up mist. The four ray guns stacked together resembled a pile of iron graves. He strode over to the four iron objects, grabbed the middle one with force, and attempted to lift it, but failed twice.
The gun was just too heavy. He couldn't help but recall the last time he had to move heavy objects. A 20-kilogram lead ball had left him helpless.
How did he manage to move that lead ball in the end?
Yes! Calm and composed, he closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and a surge of strength emerged from the depths of his heart.
Wu Fan suddenly lifted the iron object.
The four combatants, who had just separated on the battlefield, once again engaged in a struggle, but this time, most of their actions were feints, with each touch leading to a separation.
The Imperial trio wanted to play a cat-and-mouse game, while 22 aimed to conserve his energy.
Wu Fan's heart pounded, filled with worry for 22!
Under his gaze, the three men almost simultaneously kicked towards 22's abdomen. Fortunately, 22 reacted in time, leaning back to avoid their attacks.
Like old eagles seizing the prey's weakness, Je and Me pounced on 22’s clavicle, while the dinosaur man clenched his fist and struck 22's nose bridge. Suddenly, 22 erupted with a roar, grabbing the fists of both men and flinging them away. Although he defended against the two men's attacks, he couldn't fend off the dinosaur man's punch.
Thus, he could only endure the heavy blow, and the dark red blood immediately stained his pearly white teeth.
The dinosaur man reached for his forehead, but 22 quickly kicked the opponent's groin. The dinosaur man, enduring the pain, grabbed 22 from the ground and slapped him across the face. The scorching sensation made 22 feel like the world was spinning around him, and his originally bruised cheeks swelled even more.
He bit his tongue, and the pain jolted his consciousness awake. He grabbed the dinosaurman's wrists with both hands, exerting force to dislocate the dinosaur man's arms, then quickly stepped back.
"Don't move," Wu Fan shouted loudly, aiming the gun at the group. Fear distorted his face slightly, and his teeth, shoulders, and legs trembled incessantly.
"Haha, haha," the Imperial soldiers were indifferent to the boy's actions.
"Don't laugh. I will really shoot," Wu Fan attempted to intimidate them with a stern voice, but the fear from the depths of his heart turned his reprimand into a sob, causing the group to laugh even more at the boy's crying.
"No, stop," 22's attempt to stop them was a little slow. A beam of light hit the chest of the Imperial soldiers, and the powerful reaction force caused the boy to retreat continuously. Unsteady, Wu Fan suddenly sat on the ground, feeling as if his stiffened body was about to collapse. The iron object fell between his legs, and his index finger, which pulled the trigger, could no longer bend, as if it was no longer a part of his body. Enduring intense pain, he raised his head and saw a soldier with smoke emanating from his armor approaching.
Just as Wu Fan was blankly staring, feeling dazed, a nearly deafening sound erupted in the wilderness, feeling like a shell exploding next to his ear. 22, with a thunderous roar, stunned the three men in place. His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted, resembling a demonic mask, and his exposed skin turned pink.
"As fast as the wind, a solid uppercut instantly knocked the dumbfounded dinosaur man down. 22 grabbed the arms of Je and Me, who had come to the rescue, and threw them like iron discs, sending them flying seven or eight meters away. The fallen dinosaurman shook his head, then suddenly grabbed 22's legs, pulling the pink tiger down to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, he mounted 22 and began raining punches on the scarred face. Wu Fan quickly used his left hand to support his injured right hand, squinting his right eye as a mist of water hit his face, blurring his vision.
Dragging his feet back to the steel graves where the three laser guns were stacked, he pulled out another gun from the pile and held it under his arm. He struggled to load it, but fortunately, apart from the one he had successfully fired earlier, this gun was already loaded.
With his eyes closed, he held the laser gun, adjusted the muzzle, tilted his head slightly, and rested his left cheek and chin against the gun, feeling the cold, hard sensation stimulating his face. A sense of inexplicable danger caused the 'death god' in his hand to slip from under his arm. He used his intact left index finger to hook the trigger, his gaze shifting between the two figures fighting on the ground.
He couldn't concentrate, as fear and pain continued to assault his fragile nerves. What's worse, 22 and the dinosaurman kept switching positions, with the dinosaur man riding on top of 22 one moment, and then 22 pinning the dinosaurman down the next. If they were a couple in an intimate embrace, Wu Fan swore he wouldn't be so conflicted.
Je and Me tried to pry 22's hands off the dinosaurman, while 22 tightly gripped the dinosaurman's neck. The four of them were entangled like a batch of dumplings fresh out of the pot, pressed closely together. "Je, Me, I think we've caught a big fish," said Wu Fan, finally breaking free from the dinosaurman. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the dinosaurman turned to his subordinates and said, "The pink tiger indeed has the courage to face overwhelming odds."
"You're right, Le. It's unfair to outnumber the enemy, but we have no choice."
As the helmet and words fell, the speaking dinosaurman had a face like a donkey, with two deer-like horns on his forehead, not as sharp as Le's, but smooth like forked branches. His toes were slightly curved inward, these were the devil's horns, which both surprised and frightened Wu Fan. His skin was the same indigo green as Le's, resembling floating duckweed on a pond at dusk. His long ears were like those of a creature from a fairy tale, and his slender neck was barely thicker than his arms, with a nose like a straight Arabic numeral: 1."
"I've been wanting to meet this pink tiger for a long time." Another helmet dropped to the ground, and Wu Fan couldn't help but glance at the speaker. The appearances of Je and Le had already surprised him, but not as much as Me. Me's face bore a daunting diagonal scar from the right eyebrow to the left jaw, resembling a torn mooncake, which was Wu Fan's most immediate impression. Me's entire face was round like a winter melon, and the scar looked like the torn filling of a green mooncake with brown filling.
Le, Je, and Me each took up a position, forming an invisible triangle that surrounded 22, whose body was entirely pink muscle, creating a scene reminiscent of a pack of wolves fighting a fierce tiger.
Roaring and crashing sounds filled the air as the two teams clashed. The two dinosaurmen grabbed 22's shoulders, and Le's fists pounded 22's chest, sounding like Thor swinging his hammer against the heavens, creating a thunderous noise. 22, like an injured tiger, exerted his strength, roaring loudly, and pushed away Je and Me, then delivered a headbutt to Le, knocking him down. 22 then forcefully threw Je and Me far away.
Le quickly got up from the ground and pinned 22 down, using his elbow to press against 22's reddening neck, holding down his right hand, while Me held down 22's left arm. 22 glared angrily, veins bulging on his forehead, as if a tiger had been firmly caught by a pack of wolves. Wu Fan felt extremely anxious, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He lacked confidence, as his previous shot had resulted in a fractured right finger. He gritted his teeth and struggled to manipulate the trigger.
Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, Le, Je, and Me were involuntarily thrown away by a surging force, and 22 stood up slowly. His anger ignited his originally pink skin, turning it a fiery red, like a boiling iron pot emitting steam from every pore.
The high temperature caused significant damage to the three dinosaur men, who lay on the ground howling in pain, their greenish-red skin showing signs of burns. "Kid, how much of the No. 5 nutrient solution did he drink?" Le asked Wu Fan, who looked bewildered.
Wu Fan didn't know whether to answer, recalling that 22 had been talking non-stop all the way.
"The No. 5 nutrient solution contains a large amount of energy. The pink tiger can store this energy in his body and release it all at once when necessary." The dinosaur man seemed to sense his confusion.
"Let him surrender. This move is a case of hurting the enemy a thousand times and harming oneself eight hundred times."
Seeing that Wu Fan remained silent, Le became somewhat angry. "You better think it through. He's in an excited state now, and while his physical functions are indeed greatly enhanced in this state, once it ends, given his current physical condition, he won't be able to withstand the backlash. He's likely to be disabled or even killed."
Ignoring Le's threats, Wu Fan couldn't help but recall his first experience of taking the No. 5 nutrient solution, feeling like a burning flame in his stomach.
Je and Me stepped forward to tightly hold 22's arms, but were flung away by the brown-haired man. At that moment, he seemed like a god descending, his eyes filled with sparks of anger. Standing there, he seemed to command the mountains to bow and the stars to gaze in awe.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Wu Fan, Le stood up and launched another attack, but this time, the Imperial trio could only defend themselves. They circled around 22, like a pack of wolves waiting for a panting tiger.
With a sudden shout, Le ran behind 22 and locked him in a tight cross hold around the waist, while Je and Me swiftly entwined around 22's legs like agile snakes. 22's low growls were like thunderclouds before a torrential downpour.
"I have to do something, I have to do something," unrest jumped around in Wu Fan's mind. His finger hesitated to press the trigger, and then there was a wild beast-like roar. 22 struggled fiercely to break free from the trio's control. He threw off Je and Me, grabbed Le's neck with his left hand, and rained down punches the size of cooking pots on Le, who repeatedly shielded his face. Je and Me continued their approach, using their familiar techniques to entangle 22's arms and neck, preventing him from exerting any force.
Thick white smoke billowed from 22's body, like boiling water poured onto ice, and the high temperature once again scorched the trio's skin a dark red. The four of them turned into four burning charcoal blocks, but the Imperial trio did not let go. They continued to emit painful groans. "Kid, every time he releases the high-concentration energy stored in his body, the harm to his body increases. Advise him to surrender," Le repeated his advice to Wu Fan.
Wu Fan was somewhat moved, and he was about to speak but was ruthlessly interrupted by 22. "Wu Fan, act quickly. I don't have much time left."
Looking into 22's eyes, he read a word from those cold eyes: 'death'.
No, I can't do it. He spread his hands, letting the laser gun fall to the ground, the sunlight shining down on his head, yet he felt extremely cold.
22 roared again, his voice like waves, one wave after another, his skin turning a blood-red colour.
It wasn't just like blood, his body emitted not only the continuous white mist but also a faint, conspicuous red smoke, blood turning into mist, quickly evaporated by the high temperature.
Le, Je, Me, unable to bear the sudden rise in temperature, were like embracing a sun. 22 suddenly broke free from their embrace, grabbing Le's neck and pinning the dinosaur man beneath him. The flames might consume him, but as long as there was a breath left, he was like an unstable bomb, ready to self-destruct along with his opponent.
Fists struck the dinosaur man's ugly cheeks, while Je and Me's fists simultaneously landed on his back. 22 remained indifferent, like a tiger and a wolf simultaneously biting their prey. If the opponent didn't give in, they wouldn't let go.
The scorching sun greedily sapped every drop of moisture from the surface organisms. Wu Fan, sitting on the ground, touched his right eye. The swelling had subsided by half, and the heat had caused him to break out in a profuse sweat, but it also took away all the coldness lingering in his body. He looked at the four motionless figures lying on the ground, wanting to get up but unable to move his exhausted legs.
Their battle finally came to an end. 22 slowly propped himself up, and Wu Fan watched as he took unsteady steps, like a swaying blade of grass in the wind. The boy somehow found the strength to step forward and support the man who resembled a fierce tiger.
Le, Je, and Me groaned in pain nearby. Three piles of armour, reflecting different lights under the scorching sun, looked like three small graves.
Supporting 22, Wu Fan suddenly felt something rapidly approaching from above. Was it a dark cloud? No, a dark cloud wouldn't move so quickly. 22 pushed him away just as a sharp "whoosh" sounded, followed by a crisp impact. Wu Fan gaped in astonishment at the nearby bullet marks, once again feeling the presence of the Grim Reaper so close.
Looking up at the sky, he saw a shadow blocking the sun, accompanied by a gust of wind. A person stood on the back of a Quetzalcoatlus
, wearing a black bodysuit of an unknown material, with a bright blue sash fluttering in the wind, adorned with dazzling silver streaks. The person wore a sharp, snow-white smiling fox mask and held a shotgun, aiming it at the two men.
22 stared intently at the person, and in an instant, a smile spread across his face, followed by a senseless burst of laughter.
"You damn bastard," he gestured obscenely towards the strange figure in the sky.
"Oh, 22, you're still alive," the person taunted in a very young voice.
"15, you damn well are alive too. How could I bear to die then?"
As they spoke, two more riders arrived, and the three Quetzalcoatlus
bumped heads together, displaying an even more arrogant attitude compared to the previous trio of dinosaur men. They were all members of the revolutionary army.
"White-faced fox, see that, guys? We're really lucky. Another big shot," Le laughed at his two subordinates.
"They made a bet with me, and I won. They're willing to admit defeat," 22 hurriedly explained to the trio of natural-born fighters.
"To lose to you, I dare say no one's luck is worse than theirs," 15 raised his right hand. "Put down the gun," he gestured to another soldier on the side of the body, "Give him your mount."
As the greyish-blue creature approached his face, Wu Fan saw only black iron-like scales, with a tuft of soft dark brown bristles on the long neck behind the monster's head. Hot air puffed out of its mouth, revealing a row of comb-like teeth. This made the boy involuntarily take a small step back, suddenly finding himself behind the brown-haired man.
The soldier in the black bodysuit slid down the thin wing of the Quetzalcoatlus
. 22 leapt onto the creature's back and stood steady. "Come," he reached out his right hand to Wu Fan. After a moment of hesitation, Wu Fan reached out his right hand, and 22 immediately pulled the boy onto the creature's back.
"Let's go," the brown-haired man grabbed the reins, and Wu Fan felt a sudden jolt, a strange sensation of weightlessness. He quickly held onto 22's waist tightly. The greyish-blue monster flapped its wings and returned to the sky.
It carried the two of them to the man with the fox mask.
"Give him your clothes," 15 ordered another soldier on the side. The soldier grabbed the round buckle on his left shoulder and gently pulled. The tight-fitting suit seemed to magically transform into a piece of cloth, falling off his body. He tossed it aside, and without even looking, 22 reached out his left hand, and the cloth draped over him. He picked up one end of the round buckle and fastened it back onto the clasp on his left shoulder. The ordinary cloth transformed back into a magnificent, shimmering garment, neatly adorning his body.
"Very interesting," Wu Fan couldn't help but exclaim. "It's truly miraculous."
22 smiled slightly and lifted Wu Fan from under his hips. "Stand up. You'll get used to it. Don't act like a weakling."
"I can't. I'm a bit scared," Wu Fan clutched his clothes tightly, unable to stand straight due to his fear of heights.
"Don't look down. Look beside you or up at the sky," 22 forcibly straightened the boy's feet.
"We don't have time. You need to leave quickly. Their pursuers will be here soon," 15 said coldly, annoyed by the boy's fidgeting.
'Let's talk about old times later,' 15 didn't wait for 22 to speak and pulled out a large square iron block from his pocket, handing it to the brown-haired man. These black iron blocks made Wu Fan feel a chill in his stomach. Memory chips were also present in his body.
As the trees quickly receded behind them and the cold wind hit their faces, Wu Fan initially felt dizzy. However, as he began to familiarise himself with the sensation of soaring through the sky, even under the scorching sun, the boy felt inexplicably comfortable. Riding on the dragon's back, he could clearly see everything below him: the trees, wild grass, dinosaurmen, birds in the forest, squirrels, snakes half-buried in the ground, red ants, black ants, crickets, cicadas, and some plants, animals, and insects he didn't recognise. For the first time in his life, he felt carefree, like a free bird.
As they had just left, three clear gunshots rang out behind them. Wu Fan couldn't help but look back. The three Quetzalcoatlus
stretched their long necks and wailed towards the sky. Smoke billowed from their necks, and then they crashed to the ground.
Wu Fan felt sorry for the three beasts. He understood the masked man's intentions. For a short time, Le, Je, and Me wouldn't dare to cause them trouble.
"Don't be sad about this. You'll encounter many such things in the future, and you'll get used to it gradually," 22 said.
"Will your people kill them?" Wu Fan asked.
"Who?"
"The three dinosaurmen."
"A promise is a promise. The dinosaurmen always keep their word," 22 thought for a moment and added, "In this world, for the dinosaurmen, a promise is far more important than life."
"Is that so?" Wu Fan muttered, expressing doubt. In the human world around him, people seemed to easily make certain promises but rarely fulfilled them.
Wu Fan decided not to worry about the three dinosaurmen anymore. He suddenly looked up at the sky, where a dark cloud had obscured the bright sun, casting a shadow over his mood. His own future was uncertain, and he had no need to consider other people's affairs.
They flew in the sky for a while, until the sun moved directly above them, scorching their skin. The wind became an accomplice, and Wu Fan kept wiping the sweat from his forehead. 22, contrary to his usual self, remained silent, gripping the reins tightly, like a motionless statue.
The initial joy gradually gave way to increasing restlessness. The boy couldn't bear it any longer. "Sir, it's too hot. Can we rest on the ground for a while?"
22 ignored him, his face stern.
"Sir, let's take a break," Wu Fan tugged at 22's sleeve.
22 turned to look at Wu Fan, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed towards him. The panicked boy initially wanted to push him away, but suddenly realised that if he did, the brown-haired man might fall off the dragon's back. They were about a hundred metres above the ground at that moment, and if 22 fell, he would surely die.
"Sir, wake up, please wake up," Wu Fan said anxiously, gently tapping No. 22's cheeks. The touch felt like he was tapping a scorching hot iron.
"Sir, please wake up, wake up."
Anxious, scared, and tearful, the boy seemed to have lost his backbone.
"Water, water, water," just as he felt at a loss, 22 suddenly opened his eyes. The sudden awakening of the brown-haired man made Wu Fan both happy and sad.
After a moment of thought, Wu Fan grabbed the reins. "Big guy, land," he commanded the Quetzalcoatlus
, regardless of whether it understood him or not.
In the middle of a vast wilderness, a grasshopper was basking in the sun on a wilted leaf when a pale hand suddenly reached out and crushed it.
"They're coming, they're almost here. Whether it's a conspiracy or a plot, they're all coming," an excited, high-pitched voice chanted.