Lin Feng's heart pounded.
The thin boy was all on his own. The patrolling beasts would find him in the pile of boxes any moment now.
As he looked around, Lin Feng quickly realized that the beasts' hunting cry would call their companions to the boy should they find him.
Right now, Lin Feng had only two paths he could take.
If he saved the boy, he would definitely have to fight off these vicious beasts.
If he ignored the boy, Lin Feng could just easily make his escape while the beasts surrounded the boy.
Once he knew what his options were, he took a step forward with nary a thought.
He would save the boy!
Of course he would!
Lin Feng gritted his teeth and soundlessly snuck up behind the beasts, which were fully focused on finding their prey. He then brought his hammer high above his head in one swift motion.
There was the loud sound of a crunch as it came down on the back of the beast's skull.
With Lin Feng's strength, he could smash through a beast's skull as though it was nothing more than a watermelon.
However, the true danger was that there was more than one beast around.
Just as Lin Feng killed that beast, the other beasts circling the wooden boxes became aware of their uninvited guest as well.
A quick glance told Lin Feng that the remaining two beasts were a wolf-type and a demihuman-type respectively.
He knew that since he had made his decision, now he had to find a way to take that boy away from here in one piece.
The wolf-type was clearly slightly faster. If he wanted to escape, he had to get rid of the wolf-type first.
On the other hand, the demihuman-type had limbs like those of a human's, but its body was stacked full of muscles. It looked quite grotesque and nauseating.
According to the defense corp's research, though, demihumans tended to be slightly smarter than other demonic beasts. This one peeked toward the direction of the sewers.
Lin Feng made up his mind.
"Die!"
He strode forth and swung his hammer toward the wolf-type beast diagonally ahead of him. It was already pouncing at him.
The wolf-type was exceptionally nimble, but even so, Lin Feng's hammer managed to crash viciously into its side.
The wolf-type howled like a dog, its body sailing into the sky and then crashing into the ground. When it tried to stand up again, its mouth was already flecked with bloody foam.
Lin Feng looked back at the demihuman and was about to approach it when the demihuman beast's small eyes began to sparkle with a strange light.
It took half a step back and open its mouth.
There was a wave of sound so sharp it was almost material, piercing through the air.
Lin Feng was stunned by what he saw.
By the time he recovered, though, he saw that the other beasts hiding in the streets around Whitewing had all poked their heads out and turned to look at him.
"Crap! That beast is actually smart enough to summon its allies!
"As expected as a demihuman-type, they're known for their wits…"
Lin Feng sighed and used that chance to sprint forth with his legs. Before the demihuman could wake all of the surrounding beasts, he was already running to the boxes.
"Don't worry, I'll take you out of here!"
The thin boy hiding amidst the boxes looked at Lin Feng, slack-jawed. His eyes were red and swollen from all the crying, and now he wrapped his skinny arms around Lin Feng, still too emotional for words.
Lin Feng comforted the boy just once and then carried the boy on his back.
However, when he turned around again, he saw that there were seven or eight beasts in his way, stopping him from leaving the boxes.
"Looks like these old bones will be lying in the infirmary for a while again after this…"
Lin Feng chuckled drily to himself, and then his gaze hardened. In an instant, a white-hot flame began to shine faintly on his arm.
He leaped forth with his legs, taking the initiative and heading straight for the sewer. The forging hammer in his hand seemed to have a life of its own.
The beasts in his way were almost all struck far into the air.
When he was one step away from the sewer, though, Lin Feng's rapidly-swinging hammer was caught by a giant figure in a powerful hand.
No, a powerful paw.
The one before Lin Feng now was a demonic beast that could go head-to-head against a Grade-2 warrior.
It was a bear-type demonic beast, known for its strength and explosive power!
"..."
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat when he saw that enormous body towering over all the rest. The next second, though, he activated the Holy Flame within himself and let it crawl onto his hammer.
The burning-hot flames almost instantly made the bear-type's paw smoke.
There was a loud and abrupt roar. The bear-type seemed to have awakened its inner instincts. It looked at its paw, charred black, and then bared its sharp teeth at Lin Feng.
In terms of actual combat experience, Lin Feng was no match for the defense corp members. After all, he had spent most of his life as a blacksmith, not a frontline fighter.
That was why he did not expect the beast to ignore its injury and attack after it roared like that.
However, when Lin Feng ran toward the sewer with the boy in his arms, he felt a sudden gust of wind behind him.
Lin Feng turned around as quickly as he could, but the giant bear paw was already right in front of him.
The paw, almost as big as a human head, smashed into his chest.
He immediately coughed out a torrent of blood.
"Out of my way!"
It felt as though his chest was burning up. Lin Feng knew that his unaltered organs had been damaged by that attack. Although his muscles and bones had provided a certain amount of protection, he had definitely sustained some severe internal injuries.
In his desperation, he roared as well, swinging his white-hot hammer down on his enemy.
The bear-type's head caved in visibly. Lin Feng did not linger any longer, turning around and instantly pulling the metal grille covering the sewer down to a close. After that, he ran like a madman without once turning back.
By the time Lin Feng brought the boy back to his home in Whitestar, the stars were still high in the sky, but there was already a white tinge at the eastern horizon.
He put the thin boy on his bed and smiled wryly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"What's your name, boy? Why are you in Whitewing alone? Where's your family?"
His questions finally woke the boy from his anxiety after that narrow escape from the beasts' clutches.
The boy first gave him a polite bow, his eyes then shining with more tears.
"Sir, my name is Brent.
"My parents sold rye bread at the east side of Whitewing, but they… they tried to protect me, and those cursed beasts…"
With that, the boy pursed his lips and closed his eyes, tears streaking down his face.