"So disgusting."
Lin Fan exclaimed, throwing out a self-preserving punch.
The monster's body exploded as if a bomb had detonated inside, sending flesh and blood splattering everywhere. This type of monster was strong, but only compared to ordinary people.
"It's all over the floor, so dirty." Lin Fan scratched his head, feeling troubled. The ground was covered in gore, and as a gatekeeper, his duties included maintaining the cleanliness of the area, in addition to security.
"I've got it."
Lin Fan raised his hand, a wisp of flame flickering between his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, the flame danced like a fiery sprite, landing on the blood and flesh. In a matter of moments, the remains were reduced to ashes, and the spilled blood evaporated.
"Done, so clean."
He clapped his hands, satisfied with the current state. His control over the flames was masterful; otherwise, he would have definitely left scorch marks on the ground.
"Although I don't know who he is, I have a strange feeling about him. Forget it, I'll just go to sleep."
Back in the gatehouse, he switched off the phone, drew the curtains, pulled the blanket over himself, and closed his eyes. Before falling asleep, he conjured up images of his wife, Old Zhang, and others in his mind.
I'm traveling again, you guys must be so envious.
But I miss you all.
The wind howled fiercely that night, making it quite restless. Some people wandered in their dreams, while others didn't even have the chance to sleep. With monster remains escaping from the laboratory, who could sleep soundly?
Lin Fan, inside the gatehouse, wasn't sleeping deeply. Before long, cars sped past the academy gates repeatedly, the rumbling noise thoroughly disrupting his sleep.
Knock, knock!
Someone was knocking on the door.
Lin Fan was awakened. It was still dark. A fully armed young man stood at the door. Opening it, the young man saluted and asked, "Have you encountered anything strange during this period?"
"No," Lin Fan replied.
Strange things?
There were definitely none. If there were any strange happenings, he would certainly have noticed. As for the strange fellow earlier, he was a bit odd.
But that guy was a strange person, not a strange event.
"Thank you. If you encounter anything unusual, please notify us immediately."
With that, the young man left.
Lin Fan returned to the warmth of his bed and went back to sleep.
For Lin Fan, everything was trivial. But for others, the current events were a huge deal. A group of fully armed soldiers were searching everywhere they could think of.
Some students at the Special Warfare Academy lived on campus, while others lived at home.
They had their own messaging group.
Xia Qingmiao scrolled through the chat history. She had been woken up.
Chat History:
"Just got news, monster remains have escaped from the lab. Everyone be careful."
"Spear in hand, guarding the rooftop. Everything within my sight is under my control."
"I'm not planning on sleeping tonight."
As students of the Special Warfare Academy, they were always confident in their abilities, eager to crush the monster's arrogant momentum.
Xia Qingmiao wasn't sleeping.
Tang Naiyi wasn't sleeping either.
At a time like this, who could sleep?
Xia Qingmiao, who rarely spoke in the group, sent a rare message.
"Inform each other if you have any news!"
They anxiously waited, unaware that the monster was wandering the streets, eventually wandering to where Lin Fan was. It had to be said, thanks to that Beggar Sect disciple, who thought the students' money was easy to swindle and, out of sympathy, was staying nearby.
Otherwise, it's hard to say what would have happened.
Morning!
As the gatekeeper, he woke up early, finishing his morning routine by five o'clock. As for breakfast, he had to wait; the academy canteen wasn't open yet. Standing outside the gatehouse, he stretched his limbs, exercising his body. To have a healthy body and a happy family, one must start with morning exercise.
Time passed quickly.
Students gradually arrived at school.
All were energetic young people.
The gatekeeper was an easily overlooked presence, practically invisible to the students. Polite students would greet Lin Fan.
"Good morning," a young boy with a mushroom haircut greeted Lin Fan.
"Good morning," Lin Fan replied with a smile, watching the students enter.
Lin Fan looked at the boy who had greeted him and sensed his loneliness. Looking around, other students were walking towards the classrooms in groups, chatting and laughing, but he was alone.
In his view, being a gatekeeper was a sacred profession. Earning the lowest wage, yet bearing the heaviest responsibility. If any bad guys came, the gatekeeper would absolutely be the first to be attacked.
Escape might not even be possible, and being attacked would serve as a warning to those who needed protection.
Run...
Therefore, a raise didn't seem unreasonable.
Time flew by, and all the students had entered the school. Lin Fan prepared to close the gate. This was the academy's rule, and as the gatekeeper, he naturally had to abide by it.
Just as he was about to close the gate…
An urgent voice called out.
"Wait… Uncle, wait for me." Tang Naiyi ran from afar. Without a prominent figure, her running didn't create any noticeable swaying motion, only her two pigtails swung vigorously behind her.
"Morning!" Lin Fan smiled, waiting for her to reach him.
"Thank you, Uncle. This is breakfast for you."
Tang Naiyi, in her efforts to win Lin Fan over, had gone to great lengths, preparing to conquer him with breakfast. She placed the breakfast in Lin Fan's hands and hurried towards the school. She was going to be late again, and the teacher would glare at her again. It was truly tragic.
Watching her running figure…
It was the vitality of youth.
Looking at the breakfast in his hands – simple soy milk porridge, meat buns, steamed dumplings, and side dishes – it was quite a feast.
"Thank you," Lin Fan called out.
Even if she couldn't hear his gratitude, he still had to express it. If he didn't say it, no one would know.
At that moment…
Several armored vehicles drove past the academy gates. The extermination agency, after searching all night, hadn't given up and continued their search in the city. Such commotion caused panic among ordinary citizens, who were unaware of what was happening.
They lived and worked here, enjoying a peaceful life. Any disturbance would make them feel intensely uneasy.
Many citizens went online to search for news.
The extermination agency would absolutely not allow such news to appear in the public eye. Otherwise, the resulting panic would be difficult to suppress.
Noon.
The old gatekeeper arrived. Due to his age, he wasn't suitable for night shifts, so Lin Fan had to take them. Taking advantage of this time, Lin Fan went to the wasteland he had cleared of weeds and watered the tomato seeds.
"Grow quickly, you guys will definitely taste delicious." Lin Fan muttered to himself in anticipation. If they really grew, he hoped Old Zhang could enjoy such a delicacy. He would surely love it.
While Lin Fan was busy…
A dejected figure wandered nearby.
Lin Fan recognized him at a glance. It was the young man who had greeted him this morning, the one with the mushroom haircut. He had to say, that hairstyle looked good. He thought that when he went back, he would let Little Bao try that hairstyle. It would definitely look good.
Cheng Zhi, the mushroom-haired boy, kicked a pebble on the ground, his expression downcast.
"I really am the most unpopular. Just because I'm useless."
"I don't want to be, but what can I do?"
Cheng Zhi was heartbroken. He always felt like he was abandoned by everyone. Even though he was always cheerful and actively tried to get along with others, no one paid attention to him when the teacher assigned tasks.
He searched for the problem within himself.
Why was this happening?
Finally, he understood. This wasn't child's play. After graduation, they would face terrifying monsters. If they didn't improve their strength, the end result would be a gruesome death at the hands of the monsters.
Sparring required both sides to have similar strength. Only then could they improve together.
Cheng Zhi knew his strength was weak. It wasn't that he didn't work hard, but no matter how hard he tried, the result was the same.
"Hello, what are you doing?"
Lin Fan greeted Cheng Zhi. He remembered the morning's encounter clearly. Since the boy had greeted him first, and he saw him here, he naturally had to be proactive.
Startled by the voice, Cheng Zhi relaxed when he saw Lin Fan.
"Nothing."
He bypassed the fence and came to the cultivated land. "Are you farming?"
"Yes, this place was originally overgrown with weeds. I had nothing to do and I like farming, so I pulled out the weeds and bought some tomato seeds to plant. When they ripen, I'll give you some," Lin Fan said.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Sharing good things is the greatest joy." Lin Fan smiled and then asked, "Is something bothering you? If you have something to say, you can tell me. I'm happy to help a friend."
Cheng Zhi initially wanted to say nothing was wrong, but after thinking about it, since no one was willing to spar with him, he might as well give it a try.
"Do you know how to fight?"
"Yes, I'm quite strong." Lin Fan flexed his deltoids, eager to show the boy that his muscles were well-developed and firm, proving he definitely knew how to fight.
Cheng Zhi didn't believe Lin Fan's words, thinking he was bragging. If he were truly that strong, how could he be a gatekeeper here?
"Could you be my sparring partner?"
His face was full of anticipation.
"Of course," Lin Fan said.
Cheng Zhi held a wooden Tang straight sword, specifically for training. Realizing Lin Fan didn't have one, he told him to wait and hurried off.
Not long after…
Cheng Zhi brought Lin Fan a wooden Tang straight sword.
"What do you want me to do?" Lin Fan asked.
"Just swing at me. What I'm training today is to withstand external force and prevent the sword from falling out of my hand."
His strength wasn't great. He had sparred with classmates before, and unfortunately, he couldn't even hold onto his weapon and was often mocked by them.
If you encounter a ferocious monster like this, it'll knock you out in one hit.
Why even bother training?
Go home and farm.