"What is that!?" Shun exclaimed when he saw the dead soul beast in Liqin's hand.
"This little one might be the cause of the Defender's problem," Liqin stated with a laugh. He looped the soul beast into his arms like a bracelet. "Thank you, Ying. Now our problems are over."
"I don't think so," Yami shrugged and looked away. "For sure, there are many of that thing crawling around the city."
"Then don't worry. It's time for the Defender base to act," Liqin laughed and grabbed Shun and Yami, dragging them with him.
Liqin went inside the nearby restaurant and ordered food for the two men. "Well, I'm off to the base. I need to report this, and I'll be back after a few minutes."
Liqin rushed out, leaving Yami stunned.
"Will the base be able to stop all those soul beasts?" Yami asked in curiosity. He wanted to see how good and fast the Defender base acted against termination.
"We'll see," Shun replied.
The food arrived after a few minutes as both of them dug in. At the same time, news flashed on the screen of the restaurant's television.
"Ah! It's the Defender!" the people inside the restaurant exclaimed as their attention shifted to the news.
[Attention, citizens! We have finally found the cause of the abnormal portals in the city.]
The announcer showed the soul beast that Yami had killed.
[Combatants from all ranks will participate in the termination of these portal makers...]
"That was fast," Yami muttered in disbelief. It was faster than he had expected.
"Defender base is amazing!" Shun clamored in excitement. "But Senior Liqin did a great job of conveying the information. He is a Mythic rank for a reason."
"Mythic?" Yami asked. He remembered the ranks that Sun Ting had talked about before. "I see."
Yami nodded his head. He wasn't surprised that Liqin was a Mythic rank Combatant since he had seen his moves before and was impressed.
"Ying, we should hurry. I need to go and join them," Shun stated and hastily finished his food, nearly choking him.
"Slow down. Liqin said he would come back here," Yami reminded Shun, who was still in a rush.
It wasn't long before Liqin appeared in the restaurant in his Combatant suit and paid for the meal for Shun and Yami.
"Let's go. We have a lot to clean up," Liqin stated cheerfully and dragged the two of them towards a particular area in the city where some Combatants were already searching for the soul beast.
"Tiny Ying, since you are not a Combatant. Can you go with Shun and perhaps help him?" Liqin spoke while scratching the back of his head with a lopsided smile.
"You are really a carefree person," Yami commented with a smile. Somehow, Liqin's cheerfulness affected him.
"Be careful, though. There was a murder last night," Liqin added before running away while waving at them.
Yami's lips formed a thin line upon hearing what Liqin had spoken, but he skillfully changed his facial expression when facing Shun.
"Let's go," Yami stated and walked into a dark and dirty alley where trashes were piled together.
A rattle sound was heard, and Yami immediately kicked the trash can. A soul beast immerged and crawled away to escape, but Shun smashed it with his hammer.
"That's one for us," Shun stated excitedly. He was in full-on energy to kill as many soul beasts as he could.
"Hey Shun, what does the news say about the murder?" Yami asked as they walked to another destination.
"Ah, that. Well, authorities found three decapitated corpses in one of the abandoned areas, while another died of beating. The police stated they were done by a human, while the Defender base thought that it was done by a Raider," Shun explained and pondered about the topic.
"How about you? What's your take?" Yami asked. He stopped walking and looked at Shun's eyes to see if he would lie.
"To be honest, I don't know, but who had done that crime is a sick bastard," Shun spat angrily. He didn't like anything that was related to death.
"You're right," Yami chuckled and continued walking. He was amused at Shun and the way he answered without hesitation.
From noon to evening, Combatants slowly eliminated the soul beast Ophi. The citizens assisted them. They opened their doors for the Combatants to search at every nook and cranny of the city.
Yami sat on one of the benches and looked at the Combatant's tired but satisfied faces. Multiple sacks are piled in the corner where dead soul beasts were stored and to be delivered at the base.
"Yo! It was a tiring work," Liqin approached Yami while wiping the dust from his body.
"Yes, it is," Yami replied and scooted over to make space for Liqin. "Here."
Yami gave one of the sodas he bought from the vending machine.
"Thanks for the drink," Liqin stated cheerfully and popped the soda open. "Also, thank you for helping us detect that Raider. If those pests continued scattering around, we would be dealing with many portal problems."
"Ah, no worries. It was a coincidence that I found that Raider. I thought they were snakes first," Yami reasoned out and shrugged.
"Sure, but then this is a great achievement. You deserve recognition for your work, but you're not a Combatant," Liqin muttered while thinking about what he would do next.
"Then perhaps give it to Shun. Just say that he was the one who had discovered that Raider," Yami muttered with contentment. He wasn't interested in recognition or praises. All he wanted was to keep a low profile and find his sister.
"What if you join the Defender base and become a Combatant?" Liqin voiced his suggestion bluntly. A knowing smile formed on his lips as he leaned closer to Yami. "It's a good idea, don't you think?"