"I remember who you are, little thing. Why didn't your sister come with you?"

Ming Rui's teeth trembled uncontrollably. His gums were chattering, and he could hear the creaking sound.

Fear and pure terror surged all at once as the deeply buried memories in his bones surged up all at once.

Kermov actually treated him decently in the past. Thanks to Ming Zhi, his childhood could be described as free, which was an incredibly luxurious word in Mist City.

But Ming Rui knew it was all fake. The real world lay beyond Mist City. The so-called freedom here was only the freedom others allowed him to have.

When he was eight, he witnessed his father's death and the chaos of the city. His long-suppressed rebelliousness was awakened, and he waited until the right moment came.

Now, as Kermov's voice stirred those old memories and the ingrained sense of inferiority gnawed at him.

"Did you mistake me for someone else?"

He spoke softly, trying his best to hide his voice.

Kermov let out a sneering chuckle and suddenly grabbed a handful of his hair. His hot breath sprayed against Ming Rui's neck as he leaned in.

He sniffed carefully, sending goosebumps all over Ming Rui's skin.

"This is Ming Zhi's scent. Even if you run away, your smell wouldn't change, kid."

Kermov whispered into his ear like a lover's murmur, but the surrounding residents had already scattered far away.

"Kermov, I belong to Lloyd. You can't treat me like this."

Ming Rui's hair was yanked even harder.

"His person? If he knew who you really were, he would hand you over without hesitation."

Ming Rui fell silent.

Even though they had been purchased at a high price, Lloyd would never risk offending Kermov.

Now, he could only hope that Ruan Xing would save his mother soon. It didn't matter if he ended up stuck here.

Ming Rui's eyes were firm. Two years of surviving alone had already made him calm and composed. The only things he couldn't let go of were his sister and mother.

When Kermov saw his expression, he sneered and stood up, dragging Ming Rui down by the hair.

The nearby residents gasped in shock.

Wasn't that Lloyd's pet? Was Kermov planning to fall out with him altogether?

A sharp pain shot through Ming Rui's scalp as he was violently dragged down. His body bumped hard against chairs and stairs, causing stabbing pain in his joints.

There was still a match going on, now in the second-tier rounds, but everyone had shifted their attention to Ming Rui and Kermov, watching like it was a show.

Ming Rui struggled against him, but he couldn't break free. His eyes turned red.

Kermov flung him down. Ming Rui's head hit the ground with a hard thud, causing his vision to spin.

"Kid, I'll give you a chance. If you can beat me, I'll let you go. If you can't, you die here."

The crowd erupted.

What's going on? Who could defeat a fourth-tier resident? In the whole Holy City, maybe only two people could beat him!

Everyone turned their eyes toward the weak-looking boy.

Ming Rui wiped his face and still stood up.

"Fine. If I beat you, you must let my mother go too."

He admitted his identity.

Kermov finally smiled, his eyes gleaming with cruelty and bloodlust.

"Win first, then we'll talk."

Unlike the earlier sparring with Ruan Xing, Kermov went all out right away this time. With leopard genes in his body, his speed crushed everyone else on the field.

Ming Rui only felt a dull pain in his abdomen before his insides flipped. He vomited a large mouthful of blood.

He collapsed like a curled-up shrimp, face down on the ground.

Just one hit. Kermov didn't even use his powers, and Ming Rui was already defeated.

Many black-haired people in the crowd showed sympathy. Some newly made pets clenched their jaws.

"Picking on a kid, what kind of skill is that?"

Even some pollutants looked surprised. They had no idea what this kid had done to anger Kermov. Suddenly targeted, they instinctively tightened the collars of their own pets, afraid of drawing trouble.

Kermov looked down at Ming Rui. "Do you give up? I can spare your life."

The boy struggled to stretch out his right hand. "N-No, I won't give up."

He looked up at Kermov with blood on his lips.

Bang!

Ming Rui was kicked like a sandbag into the corner of the field. The sound of his bones breaking was audible in the air.

"Do you give up?"

The boy spat another mouthful of blood. "I won't give up."

Bang! Before he could even get up, another kick smashed into his jaw. His head jerked back, and he collapsed flat on the ground.

"Give up."

"Won't... not giving..." Blood and foam gushed from between his teeth.

Kermov's mocking expression gradually turned serious, then violent.

Bang!

"No..."

"What are you hesitating for? If you give up, I'll let you live. If you come back, I'll pretend none of this happened."

Ming Rui's eye was so swollen that he couldn't see. He had lost many teeth, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

"I will take my mom away."

That sentence was clear, and it successfully enraged Kermov.

An even fiercer attack followed, and the boy could no longer make a sound.

Chen Qiang stared at the scene, utterly shaken.

Why? What did this kid do to deserve this?

Just because Kermov didn't like the look of him? This kid was not even his property!

Chen Qiang suddenly realized this was not the outside world. His life had no protection here. Next time, it could be him up on that stage! Just because it hadn't happened yet didn't mean it never would.

Could they really rely on pollutants for anything?

Fire lit up in Chen Qiang's eyes. He looked around at the other pets. Apart from some injured black-haired ones, most had a mix of fear and fury in their eyes.

Chen Qiang looked at his "master," Eight Hands, who was also showing fear.

Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp. When high-tier residents could threaten their lives at any time, what choices would these low-tier pollutants make?

Then came a commotion on the field. The kid was no longer moving.

Chen Qiang's face showed pain.

Another disturbance broke out. The host had tried to stop Kermov, saying this went against the rules, but Kermov directly kicked him in the spine. The host was now screaming and crawling on the floor.

Seeing someone of their own kind suffer such a fate was like a harsh wake-up call. Everyone on the scene shuddered.

If Kermov could do that to another pollutant, who would be next?

The bloodthirsty glint in Kermov's eyes hadn't faded. He swept his gaze across the crowd, silently threatening everyone into silence.

He looked down at the barely breathing Ming Rui. "I gave you a chance. You wasted it..."

He walked up, ready to land the final blow.

But suddenly, a huge, black, heavy machine gun appeared before him, aimed right at his head. Kermov's pupils shrank.

Rat-a-tat-tat, the sound of gunfire echoed across the field.

Everything happened so fast that none of the pollutants could tell what had just happened.

When the smoke cleared, a massive black weapon appeared beside the human. Its barrel was still smoking. Not far away, Kermov stood breathing heavily. One of his arms was barely hanging on.

Facing the barrel aimed at his forehead, Kermov made a split-second decision and dodged some of the shots.

He had been careless. He forgot that this brat had spatial powers.

Kermov looked grim.

Who would have thought that this kid had hidden such a deadly weapon?

Well done!

Chen Qiang was thrilled.

He had no idea how the weapon appeared, but seeing Kermov like that felt amazing.

Then the crowd stirred again. Chen Qiang heard a name, Ming Rui.

As people around started talking, Chen Qiang's view of the boy changed too.

No wonder Kermov flipped out. It was to punish a traitor.

The kid had already escaped but came back for some reason. It had to be for his mother!

Chen Qiang felt an unfamiliar surge of emotion. Even a boy had this much courage. What about the rest of them?

"I'll never give up!" The boy's words still rang in his ears.

Even when barely breathing, he still refused to yield.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Kermov, stop!"

It was not just one voice. More and more people joined in. Amid the noise, Kermov's face darkened.

Chen Qiang's owner, Eight Hands, also yelled out, eyes full of excitement, as if trying to prove that he, too, still had some shred of morality.

Chen Qiang quietly unlocked the chain around his neck.

Eight Hands had gone broke after buying him and could only afford the cheapest collar. Right now, he wasn't paying attention, so Chen Qiang easily undid it.

Then he made the boldest decision of his life: he lunged at Eight Hands!

Nearby, those who noticed his movement also sprang into action. Some overturned tables. Some broke their collars and tried to escape.

Chaos erupted on the field.

It felt like history repeating itself from eight years ago.

Kermov crouched down and grabbed Ming Rui's hair. "Look at what you caused, huh?"

He still wasn't worried. These pests would just riot for a while. Once the residents responded, the pets would be crushed again.

"Kid, do you think you're the protagonist of the world? Throwing your life away like it means nothing. Do you really think a miracle will happen? Dream on."

He ignored the massive black machine nearby.

After the sneak attack, that thing was useless now.

Ming Rui lay motionless on the ground. Kermov's fingernails grew longer, determined to stab the boy in the head. The scent of human blood made his pupils darken with desire.

Just as he was about to strike, a bat blocked his finger.

Then, the boy disappeared before his eyes.

No, he had been taken away.

"Lloyd, are you crazy? Do you know who he is?!" Kermov roared furiously at the intruder.

A man in a suit appeared on stage, cradling Ming Rui in his arms. He laid the boy down gently, then Lloyd smiled.

"Kermov, bullying a child? Seriously? Your opponent is me."

Kermov laughed in rage. "Fine. If you want to die, I'll help you."

He charged at Lloyd at lightning speed, leaving behind a blur. This was no longer a petty fight. He was giving Lloyd proper respect.

Lloyd couldn't dodge unless he was faster, but he didn't wait passively. He turned into a swarm of bats, scattering his body and regrouping on the other side of the field.

Lloyd smiled. "Reckless brute."

The two figures clashed again.

On the ground, Ming Rui felt his consciousness drifting away with his life force. It was as if his soul was floating off, light and airy.

He was dying, but he didn't even see his mother yet. He didn't know where she was, or whether that maniac Kermov had hurt her. Could Ming Chen survive alone at the base? Without his protection, what would she do?

Why was he so useless? He couldn't even protect his mother and sister.

He was about to die, yet he still thought of them. His vision blurred as tears soaked his lashes. At this time, he seemed to see his mother's figure.

"Mom..."

Was he dead already? Why did he seem to see her shadow?

Ming Rui gave a self-deprecating laugh, closed his eyes, and waited for death.

But then, warm hands wrapped around his own... just like his mother's.

A gentle voice whispered in his ear. "Ming Rui, Ming Rui..."

He felt the life force inside him stop fading. A new energy surged in, and the voice calling him grew clearer.

"Ming Rui."

It was his mother's voice.

Ming Rui's eyes suddenly snapped open. He saw a pair of green eyes, then a gentle face entered his vision.

"Mom!"

His lips trembled. He threw his arms around the woman's waist and hugged her tightly. "Mom, I missed you so much."

Ruan Xing withdrew his hand. The healing magic had stabilized Ming Rui's life. He should be fine now.

What piqued his curiosity even more was the reason behind the chaos engulfing the entire arena.

Pets were attacking their masters. Weaker residents were being beaten up, and even pollutants were fighting each other.

As Ming Zhi and Ruan Xing appeared, many people in the crowd noticed them, and their eyes flickered with uncertainty.

What was going on? Why was this guy still human?

He didn't turn into a high-tier resident?

Even Kermov noticed and asked, "You didn't become a pollutant?"

Ruan Xing stood up and adjusted his clothes. He smiled and said, "Yeah. The Administrator said I had exceptional talent, not suited to becoming a pollutant. Replacing him as the Administrator was the best outcome."

Kermov said, "What kind of joke is that?"

Ruan Xing gave him a calm look, but it made Kermov freeze in place. He was struck by Lloyd and let out a muffled grunt.

"Then I'll let you see the proof," Ruan Xing said.

Behind him, Ming Zhi responded. She raised her hand and revealed a massive corpse for all to see.

Among the pile of black tentacles, that skeletal face was still unmistakable. Moreover, the pollution radiating from the body couldn't be faked.

It was the Administrator.

The entire arena became dead silent.