368: Chapter 368 I was reborn.

"That's great, that's great!" Hearing the words "official personnel," the man relaxed completely. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, only staying upright because Long Qingyun held him up.

"You're police officers, right? You have to save us!" He grabbed Wei Ziqing's arm, rambling incoherently. "I don't know what's happening to this residential compound, but horror novels have become reality—there's a black bear! A super intelligent black bear broke in! It's killing everyone it sees!"

Wei Ziqing's brow twitched slightly. He didn't speak, waiting for him to continue.

"My god, it even smashed my door to pieces!" The man's voice was still trembling. "Luckily, I hid quietly. It entered my room and looked around but didn't find me. I took the chance when it left to run out and came all the way here—"

He took a breath.

"Now I can't send WeChat messages or make calls! There's no signal at all!"

A nearby combatant glanced down at his communication device, then looked up and nodded to Wei Ziqing.

"It's true. The signal is being jammed. There must be a jammer nearby."

The man nodded frantically. "Yes, yes, yes! And people tried to run out—I saw it with my own eyes! Someone ran out with me, but as soon as we left the building, there were more black bears outside! More than one! Several are roaming the compound! That person was killed on the spot... was..."

He couldn't go on, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"I was so scared I ran straight back."

Wei Ziqing looked at him, remaining silent for two seconds.

"Black bears?" His voice was steady. "In a city this large, how could several black bears break in for no reason without anyone noticing?"

He paused.

"Also, what did you mean by 'horror novels becoming reality'?"

The man was stunned for a moment, then as if suddenly remembering something, he explained quickly: "Haven't you read them? Those novels have been very popular lately—stuff like 'Transmigration to the Day Before Black Bears Eat People'! It's that kind of apocalyptic fiction where animals start evolving and turn around to eat humans—"

He became more excited as he spoke, his face turning bright red.

"And this must be that—the evolved animals mentioned in the news!" He stared at Wei Ziqing. "It must be! Otherwise, how could they sneak into the city? How could they be so smart? They even know how to jam signals?"

Wei Ziqing nodded.

"Alright, I understand. Stay here and keep safe. I'm going out to take a look."

He turned to look at the two combatants who had followed him. One was lean and capable, the other slightly more robust. Both were in civilian clothes, but their stance and gaze clearly showed they were trained.

"You two," Wei Ziqing said, "stay here for now and protect the people in the room. We'll rely on you for the search and rescue later."

The lean one nodded. "Understood. You go draw the fire first; we'll wait for your signal."

"Mm."

Wei Ziqing said no more. He pressed his hand against his waist—a light glowed at the buckle of the Platinum Belt, and plain white Biomass Armor spread from the belt, growing and wrapping around him like a living thing. Within seconds, the armor covered his entire body. Black streamlined patterns extended at the joints, and golden trim shimmered slightly under the light. The 'Venomous Scabbard' slowly formed behind his waist, and red goggles covered his eyes.

The transformation was complete.

The room fell silent for a second.

Then the man slumped onto the floor, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a fist.

"I—I—you—you—"

He was speechless.

Long Qingyun stood nearby, looking as if he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes bulged, and his mouth moved several times before he finally made a sound:

"What?"

His voice was out of tune.

"Aren't we just good friends filming a movie? At most, you're an official field operative—but who would have thought—what we're filming is reality???"

Wei Ziqing didn't answer and turned to walk toward the door.

Long Qingyun's breakdown-filled shout came from behind:

"No—you lied to me—Wei Ziqing—how can you actually transform???"

He paused, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

"Wait! Does that mean I can transform too?"

He looked down at his waist—no belt. He looked at his wrists—nothing there. He mimicked Wei Ziqing's earlier action, pressing his hands against his waist and pushing hard.

"Transform!"

No reaction.

"Transform!!!"

Long Qingyun stood there, having pressed his waist until it was red, looking completely dazed.

Wei Ziqing didn't look back.

While Long Qingyun's shouts still echoed in the hallway, Wei Ziqing had already stepped out of the Unit door. Sunlight instantly pierced his eyes—

He sidestepped.

A heavy blow grazed past his chest plate and smashed into the door frame, sending concrete fragments flying.

The bear was crouching by the door, waiting for someone to come out.

Wei slid two steps to the side to create distance, finally getting a clear look at the thing in front of him.

Though called a black bear, it didn't really look like a bear anymore.

It stood there with a shoulder height of nearly 1.5 meters. Its entire body looked like it had just rolled through mud—layers of tree trunks, broken branches, crushed stones, and clay were plastered over it, glued together by something to form a thick, armor-like shell. In some places, withered vines hung down, swaying slightly with its breath.

It had almost no fur.

The exposed skin was dark gray, with a strange luster under the sun, looking like rubber or some specially treated leather. The skin's surface was smooth and tight, without wrinkles or the loose feel of a normal bear—the hide tightly wrapped around the muscles, showing clear outlines with every exertion of force.

It watched Wei Ziqing. Its eyes were tiny, almost invisible within the mass of mud and branches. But those eyes were alive, moving, focusing, and locking onto the target.

Wei Ziqing didn't move. The bear didn't move either.

Man and bear stood in a standoff five meters apart.

The bear opened its mouth in a slow, testing huff. The teeth revealed inside were thick and blunt, looking like tools meant for crushing things.

Wei Ziqing's gaze swept over its limbs. Its claws were also blunt, with nails worn down almost flat, but every time a paw hit the ground, the surface would sink slightly. That was caused by pure weight and power.

Defensive type. Power type.

Judgments flashed quickly through his mind.

The bear moved.

It exerted force with all four limbs simultaneously, its entire body crashing toward him like an out-of-control truck. Wei Ziqing stepped aside, and it brushed past him, slamming into a tree the thickness of a bowl behind him—the trunk snapped instantly, and the top half crashed to the ground.

It turned around and looked at Wei Ziqing. Its eyes were the same—no anger, no frenzy. Only an unsettling calmness.

This thing was observing him.

Wei Ziqing was in no hurry to attack. He circled it, his steps light, his gaze roaming over its body to find a gap.

The shell was too thick. The composite armor formed by branches and mud covered almost all vital areas—the back, ribs, and the back of the neck. There was some on the joints of the limbs as well; though thinner, it was encased by that smooth skin, and he didn't know if it could be pierced.

The bear also turned, always facing him, its small eyes constantly tracking his movements.

Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the canopy, casting mottled shadows on the ground. From the distance, another low roar faintly echoed—there was more than one.