Yuqi scrolled through the comments from her fans, smiled, and sent a quick message to her mother, letting her know she was safe. A reply came soon after—her mother was fine, too. Yuqi's heart lifted, and she shared the good news with Yuto Saito and the others, "Sichuan Province is safe for now. My parents are alright. Thank goodness."
Natto chimed in with a cautious note, "There are rumors online that someone spotted an Overlord Salamander in Sichuan. We can't let our guard down."
Yuqi's brow furrowed in worry. "Is the source reliable?"
Natto nodded. "It came from a disciple of Pan Pomen, so it's likely true."
Turning to Yuto Saito, Yuqi asked with concern, "Captain, is this Overlord Salamander really strong? Can I handle it with my current abilities?"
Yuto Saito shook his head. "The Overlord Salamander is a sixth-tier monster. You'll need at least six-star combat power to take it down."
Yuqi's face paled. "Captain, can you handle it?"
A small smile tugged at the corner of Yuto Saito's lips. He had recently boosted his attributes and surpassed ten-star combat power. For him, a sixth-tier monster like the Overlord Salamander was hardly a challenge.
Seeing his smile, Yuqi misunderstood and looked dejected. "Does this mean even you can't handle it?"
Ni Shuang chuckled. "You've got it wrong. The captain thinks it's too easy."
Yuqi blinked in surprise, her eyes wide with innocence. "Really?"
Ni Shuang grinned. "I'm already at five-star combat power, my sister's at six, and our captain here—he's a nine-star. Actually, scratch that—he just broke through to ten stars!"
The room fell silent for a moment, the other girls stunned. Ruoruo finally broke the silence with a laugh. "Brother Su, that's some serious bragging!"
Ju Zi joined in, "Right? I just hit five stars, and now you're saying ten? At least pretend to let us catch up!"
Yuqi burst into laughter. "So the captain is a ten-star master! I was worried for nothing."
Yuto Saito smiled warmly. "Soon enough, you'll be able to handle the Overlord Salamander without me lifting a finger."
Ni Shuang agreed, her confidence showing. "I'm at five stars now. It won't be long before I hit six. We can handle the Overlord Salamander ourselves. You can relax, Captain."
Just then, Yun Yun appeared, carrying a bowl of steaming noodles. "What's all this talk about an Overlord Salamander? Is it that tough?"
Ni Shuang explained, "Natto mentioned that there are sixth-tier monsters in Sichuan. Yuqi was asking if Captain could take them down."
Yun Yun smiled sweetly and said, "A sixth-tier? I could take it down by myself without Captain's help."
Yuto Saito gave her a thumbs up. "That's my little Yun Yun. Always so fierce!"
Yuqi looked at Yun Yun with admiration. "Sister Yun Yun, you're amazing!"
Yun Yun placed the bowl of noodles in front of Yuqi. "Eat while it's hot."
"Thank you, Sister Yun Yun!" Yuqi's eyes lit up as she saw the noodles—packed with lean meat, fried eggs, prawns, and meatballs. "Wow, there's so much in here!"
The smell made her stomach growl, and soon she was devouring the meal with enthusiasm. "This is so good! Your cooking skills are incredible!"
Yuto Saito leaned back and grinned. "That's right, everyone says so."
Yun Yun blushed at the compliment, her smile growing even brighter.
Meanwhile, Natto, engrossed in her phone, suddenly spoke up. "There's a new video online from the Magic Capital. Giant zombies have appeared. A whole military team was wiped out."
"Giant zombies?" Mina asked, intrigued.
Natto nodded. "Yeah, someone from a high-rise recorded it and posted it."
Ni Shuang looked serious. "Let's see it. Connect the video to the screen."
Natto quickly linked her phone to the large living room display. The footage showed a military unit of ten soldiers fighting off a wave of regular zombies. Then, from the distance, a massive five-meter-tall zombie charged toward them.
The soldiers opened fire, but the bullets barely fazed the giant. It grabbed one of the soldiers and, with a horrifying bite, ripped him in half.
Yuqi froze, her appetite vanishing as she stared at the screen, nauseated. Yuto Saito noticed and gently said, "Yuqi, you should eat in the other room. You don't need to see this right now."
Obediently, Yuqi nodded and left for the dining area, her bowl in hand.
Meanwhile, Yuto Saito used his Eye of Analysis to assess the giant zombie's power. "Fifth-tier giant zombie, combat power 518. Strong, but nothing I can't handle."
Despite the shocking nature of the video, Yuto Saito was more interested than concerned. Fifth-tier monsters were dangerous, but for him, they were just another step toward gaining more strength.
With a thought, he activated the floating island's mechanisms, lifting it higher into the sky.
"If I run into this giant, maybe I'll get some good loot," he mused with a confident grin, ready for whatever challenge lay ahead.