60: Chapter 60 Rift Investigation Department

Director Li Haotian stood on a slightly elevated rock, his face showing not a hint of relief after the victory.

His brow was furrowed, his expression as solemn as iron, as his gaze continuously swept across the dark, dense forest surrounding the valley.

From his vantage point, he could clearly see that although the battle within the valley had temporarily subsided, crimson points of light still flickered like ghost fires in the shadows of the deep forest within the outer darkness.

From the distant mountain forests, unsettling roars could be heard faintly.

Could these damn things never be completely killed?

Where on earth did they come from?

Director Li Haotian's heart continued to sink.

Years of professional instinct told him that the current calm was likely just a brief respite before the storm.

The true source of the problem was likely still hidden somewhere deeper within the mountains.

"Ang!!!"

A magnificent dragon's roar suddenly exploded from the far end of the horizon.

Everyone instinctively raised their heads and looked toward the sound.

In the southwest, the thick clouds were brutally swept aside by an invisible force, and a shadow so massive it was suffocating suddenly broke through the sea of clouds, soaring toward them.

Its body length was estimated to be over ten meters. It possessed a large, somewhat ferocious head with a protruding snout, and its rows of interlocking sharp teeth reflected a cold glint under the thin starlight.

A pair of extremely wide leathery membrane wings extended from behind its neck. Their wingspan was vast, and as it flew, they flapped with a steady and powerful rhythm, bringing with them the low sound of wind and thunder.

Although the giant beast was a great distance away from everyone, its power could still be glimpsed from its size and the faint bursts of its aura; many pet beasts trembled, some even prostrating themselves on the ground.

Lin Chen looked up, his heart surging with emotion.

This was the first time he had witnessed such a powerful pet beast with his own eyes at such close range.

This suffocating sense of pressure far exceeded any extraordinary creature in his knowledge.

He lowered his head and murmured, "If I could defeat it, how much experience would I gain?"

The Flame Claw Beast raised its claws and opened its mouth wide: "Gagu~"

If it could kill that thing, how much stronger would it become?

The person and the pet looked at each other the next second, and then suddenly shook their heads and sighed at the same time.

Then, Lin Chen focused his vision and faintly saw a figure standing as straight as a pine tree on the back of the giant beast.

The figure's robes seemed to flutter lightly in the wind, appearing as if they were one with the giant beast beneath their feet.

Due to the distance and the light, their specific features could not be seen clearly.

The giant beast only hovered briefly in the high sky before its massive body swayed gently, turning into a streak of green light that sliced through the night sky and vanished behind the deeper mountains in an instant.

It was as if they were just passing by, a fleeting glimpse.

But this was only the beginning.

"Li!"

"Jiu!"

"Hou!"

Accompanied by one cry after another, several more equally massive figures tore through the night curtain in succession, streaking across the high sky.

Because they were too far away, the forms of these pet beasts could not be seen clearly, but one or two figures could be faintly seen standing on the back of each pet beast.

These pet beasts did not stay, following the first giant beast at high speed and disappearing into the horizon one after another.

Everyone looked up with their mouths agape, watching the direction in which those powerful pet beasts had disappeared.

Su Qingyuan quietly looked up at the night sky. Her elegant face showed little emotion under the flickering light, but a faint glimmer flashed deep within her eyes.

"It should be those people from the Rift Investigation Department," she realized in her heart.

Before her thoughts could settle, steady and heavy footsteps came from behind, breaking the silence of the valley.

Everyone turned around at the sound and saw dozens of figures silently appearing at the entrance of the valley.

They were all dressed in simple, unmarked dark gray combat uniforms, moving in unison, silent and efficient.

Beside these people were powerful pet beasts of various forms and steady auras.

A figure suddenly stepped out from the crowd. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses and possessing an elegant temperament, it was Senior Agent Zeng Chuan, the Special Defense Bureau agent whom Lin Chen had met once before.

Senior Agent Zeng Chuan's gaze quickly swept across the messy valley, passing over the startled students and the exhausted rescue team members, before finally settling on Director Li Haotian.

He walked straight up to Director Li, a warm, refreshing smile on his face.

"Director Li, we meet again. I am Senior Agent Zeng Chuan, a Senior Action Agent of the Special Defense Bureau's Rift Investigation Department."

After saying this, he looked around and raised his voice: "By order of higher authorities, effective immediately, the area within a ten-kilometer radius of these coordinates is designated as a temporary control zone. All matters here are now under the full jurisdiction of my department."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the valley as he added with emphasis:

"Orders: All personnel not part of our department, including local security forces, civilian Beast Tamers, and unrelated civilians, are to cease all activities immediately and evacuate this control zone via the designated safety corridors."

"After evacuation, everyone is to adhere to the highest level of confidentiality regarding everything seen, heard, and experienced within the control zone tonight. Any form of recording, dissemination, or discussion is strictly prohibited. Violators will be severely punished according to the law."

After finishing the long speech, Senior Agent Zeng Chuan nodded to Director Li, a smile reappearing on his face.

"Director Li, you all did a very good job."

"You effectively organized defense and rescue during a sudden large-scale incident, protecting the safety of key personnel and minimizing losses. Once this incident has reached an initial conclusion, we will conduct a detailed evaluation of the results and award honors accordingly."

This affirmation caused the tense expressions of Director Li and many rescue team members to relax slightly.

Next, Senior Agent Zeng Chuan turned his gaze to the group of young people protected in the middle and asked, "Are these the children who entered the mountains today? Is anyone injured?"

Director Li immediately replied, "They only have minor injuries. A few pet beasts are more seriously injured, but there's no immediate danger to their lives; emergency treatment has already been administered."

"Mm, that's good."

Senior Agent Zeng Chuan nodded, his gaze sweeping through the crowd. When he saw Lin Chen standing by a pile of charred Dark Species corpses with a furrowed brow, a hint of emotion flashed in his eyes.

It was this young man again.

Last time on duty, he encountered that strange Gale Weasel, and this time he ran directly into an Abyss Fissure outbreak.

This child's luck really couldn't be called good.

Having encountered such incidents that could leave severe psychological shadows on ordinary Beast Tamers one after another, even if this child had a resilient character and had received a commendation last time, he was still just a young man who had just graduated from high school.

Facing these twisted, evil, and irrational monsters, how could he truly remain unfazed?

Seeing his current somber face and secret sighing, he was probably terrified deep down and just forcing himself to stay calm, right?

Thinking of this, Senior Agent Zeng Chuan felt a trace of sympathy for Lin Chen.

To be able to maintain basic composure and even participate in the battle under such circumstances was already quite impressive.

His thoughts passed in a flash, and Senior Agent Zeng Chuan wasted no more time: "Say no more. Director Li, please organize everyone to descend the mountain as quickly as possible. We'll take it from here."

The official evacuation order was issued.

The rescue team members began to quickly pack their equipment, support the wounded, and gather their pet beasts. The students also supported each other and began to move with the group, still shaken.

Lin Chen watched the Special Defense Bureau members quickly take over the battlefield and saw the Dark Species getting further and further away from him. He furrowed his brow and sighed repeatedly.

The dungeon time hadn't ended yet, but because of the sudden arrival of the Special Defense Bureau, he couldn't continue to stay here.

However, when Lin Chen turned his head to look at the Flame Claw Beast, the regret in his heart suddenly dissipated.

From evening until now, the Flame Claw Beast had fought about ten battles. Although most were easy victories, a few Dark Species had caused it some trouble.

Even with healing spray for its injuries and energy cubes to replenish its stamina, after half a day of traveling and fighting, both he and the Flame Claw Beast were nearing their limits.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast instinctively nodded, then quickly shook its head.

As long as it could keep getting stronger, it didn't feel tired.

Lin Chen patted the Flame Claw Beast's head and gave a big wave of his hand: "Let's go, time to go home and eat skewers!"