The core area of Paradise Island was on a hill near the forest, where an ancient Roman-style building stood. Snow-white marble pillars, illuminated by golden lights, gave the entire structure an imposing aura, as if it looked down upon the world. The ten-ter-high ceilings made the interior exceptionally spacious, imbuing it with the solemnity and sanctity of a cathedral. The floors and do, both crafted from snow-white marble, shimred with a golden gleam under the lights. Grand murals adorned the walls, emphasizing an ancient aesthetic. At the center lay a Round Table of distinctly sci-fi design, serving as the heart of Paradise Island’s entire defense and surveillance system.
Alexei Hunter was a deeply paranoid old man; he would never entrust his safety to rcenaries who rely worked for pay. The launch of torpedoes, drones, and fighter jets—indeed, any true defensive asures—required his personal authorization before they could be activated.
He sat in the central high-backed chair. At sixty-three years old, his ticulous upkeep made him look no different from soone in their forties. "According to the data we’ve gathered," he began, "ten percent of middle-class families in Arica tirelessly search for videos about Different Worlds, Qigong, or Superpowers. These people are our potential custors. By continuously pushing relevant videos, we can sell them pills, which cost us re cents to produce, for hundreds, even thousands of US Dollars a bottle. Wood, are you interested in partnering with ?"
Wood pondered for a mont before answering, "What if soone sends them for testing?"
"We just need to print a very, very small line on the packaging, stating there’s a certain chance of awakening a Superpower. Even if they don’t, it’s not our problem," Alexei bead.
The Superpower business was so lucrative, its profits potentially rivaling those of the environntal or wellness industries. How could he possibly pass it up?
Wood, of course, understood the market for Superpower drugs. Whether real or fake, such a market undeniably existed, and it was currently untapped. This was a surefire deal. He considered it. He had no reason to refuse. He nodded. "Alright."
"My good friend, let’s toast to our successful collaboration!" Alexei raised his wine glass.
Wood raised his in response.
Alexei took a delicate sip of the red wine, set the glass down, and then turned to another person at the table. "Mr. Lange, let’s discuss the foundation’s operations in South Arica. With the push for a free-market economy in Argentina, I hope you’ll give your all to get Harvey..."
Before he could na the presidential candidate he intended to support, a phone call interrupted him. "Excuse , I need to take this." Alexei’s face showed a hint of an apologetic smile; he appeared quite genteel. As he answered the call from security, his tone imdiately beca stern. "Carver, what’s the matter?"
"Mr. Alexei, it’s terrible! Launch all torpedoes to the west, now! Scramble the fighter jets! There’s an enormous creature approaching us!"
Alexei listened to the panicked voice on the other end. Remaining inwardly calm, he asked, "What kind of large creature? A submarine?" Ever since the Rockefeller Family incident, he had constantly worried that soone might attempt that ’shortcut’ and had therefore elevated the island’s defenses to the highest level.
"No, it’s a super-giant Monster, bigger than the island itself!"
Carver’s words made Alexei frown slightly. He had heard about Different Worlds and Monsters, but that didn’t an he accepted what Carver was saying. Alexei was deeply suspicious. While he could exploit the business of a Different World for imnse profit, he knew others might try to use a Monster from such a world to trick him into launching torpedoes, thereby disarming him.
Alexei calmly ordered, "Transmit the visuals here. I will decide if weapon engagent is necessary!"
"Mr. Alexei, it’s too late! Your delay ans it’s already closing in!" Carver shouted, his voice verging on hysteria.
Growing more convinced it was a trick, Alexei commanded, "Carver, I order you to transmit the visuals here." While speaking, he used his administrative privileges to directly access the sonar system display from Carver’s station.
A 3D image swiftly materialized above the Round Table. It was a sight Alexei had never witnessed before; the entire representation of the table was covered in undulating ripples.
Wood, sowhat curious, asked, "What’s that?"
Alexei’s expression was grave. "It’s the sonar system detection. Is there a problem with it?"
"AH!" A terrified scream ca from Carver over the phone. "Mr. Alexei, look outside, quickly!"
Alexei’s hands flew across the touchscreen. The 3D image vanished, replaced by a drone’s live feed of the sea surface. The ocean west of the island seed to be enraged. Wave after massive wave crashed violently against the coastal reefs. Combining this with the earlier sonar readings, Alexei’s face turned ashen. He was almost certain that the colossal entity beneath the waves was surfacing, heading directly for them. The effect was so profound that the ocean surface began to churn as if an imnse storm was approaching.
"What’s going on?" Wood cried out anxiously, a sense of unease stirring within him.
Alexei said quickly, "To be safe, we should board the evacuation plane and leave imdiately." To guarantee his absolute safety, he kept two Gulfstream G650s and two of the most advanced F-35 fighter jets parked outside. Purchasing those two fighter jets would be exceedingly expensive. However, to have them provide protection, one simply needed to transfer 100 million US Dollars into an admiral’s bank account. In return, one would receive the admiral’s friendship and the round-the-clock protection of two F-35 jets. This arrangent was euphemistically referred to as ’conducting field training exercises.’
「The island’s elite began to prepare for evacuation.」
Amid the glittering party, Walter was astounded by the scene before him, his spirits soaring. "This is high society!" Everywhere, the air thrumd with power and indulgence. It even slled of freedom, a place where people could do anything, anywhere, anyti, unconstrained by law. Walter felt an itch to join in. He glanced at the petite, lovely Soledad beside him; her delicate clothes suddenly seed like an encumbrance.
The Butler, perceiving the desire burning within him, considerately handed him a bottle of oil to facilitate his ’activities.’ "Considering this is your first visit, sir, you might not be accustod to the atmosphere," the Butler said with a smile. "You may wish to visit the grove. It has all the necessary facilities. I guarantee your satisfaction."
Walter looked in the direction the Butler indicated, a smile spreading across his face, just as he was about to accept the oil.
A faint BOOM echoed from the direction of the sea. As he wondered about the sound, the ground beneath him trembled.
"What’s happening? An earthquake?!" Surprise flickered across Walter’s face.
The Butler also looked puzzled. "Impossible. Paradise Island has never experienced an earthquake. Please wait a mont, sir; I’ll inquire imdiately."
RUMBLE!
Under the bewildered gazes of the crowd, a torrential downpour suddenly fell from the sky. It was seawater, heaved into the air, teeming with live fish.
SPLAT. A fish struck Walter on the head. He didn’t cry out in pain but stared at the fish flopping on the ground. Then, looking up in confusion, his expression froze. Before him was a creature of unimaginable size.
Walter felt his breath catch. Its crimson Dragon scales, illuminated by the starlight and moonlight, shimred like flowing fire. Its golden vertical pupils were so large that an aircraft carrier would seem no bigger than an eyelash. Its head dwarfed Paradise Island itself, and its slightly open mouth revealed rows of sharp teeth, like parallel mountain ranges. Even its simple breaths created a thunderous RUSH of wind.
This was Aozawa, using his Transformation Ability combined with the Infinity Big form of the Red Dragon, estimated to be tens of thousands of ters in length. He didn’t know his exact speed while swimming in the ocean, but it caused a massive disturbance. Its presence wasn’t as noticeable while deep underwater. However, once it ascended to within a hundred ters of the surface, it began to stir the sea into a tempest, even before fully breaking through. When it finally erged, the displaced seawater beca a torrential downpour that swept over Paradise Island.
He looked down at the island, its details already perceived through Catalyst Induction. He had initially planned to check if it was an uninhabited island, intending to scare so animals with his appearance. However, the scenes he had captured convinced him to reveal the Red Dragon’s terrifying might to these socialites.
Before him, everything seed minuscule, let alone the buildings below. The island looked so fragile; it seed he could destroy it rely by pressing his body down. Aozawa’s shadow fell over the inhabited island, making the golden lights of the party seem all the more dazzling yet fragile.
The elite guests at the party were utterly dumbfounded, scarcely noticing their wine glasses slipping from their grasp and shattering on the ground. Despair enveloped them. In the face of such a horrifying Monster, escape was impossible.
"God..."
"Please protect ."
Walter fell to the ground with a THUD, listening to the RUMBLING, thunder-like sound of its breath. He recalled being a child, ho alone at night, terrified and trembling at the sound of thunder when his parents weren’t there. Only, this was far worse. He was so scared, he wet himself.
Soledad, however, felt no fear. She looked at the colossal Red Dragon with a degree of surprise. To think such enormous creatures actually exist in the world!
The air on the island grew exceptionally still, save for the RUMBLING of Aozawa’s normal breathing, which drowned out the sound of the two fighter jets taking off. Alexei had kept his two private jets grounded, choosing instead to launch the two fighters to test the reaction of this Monster from a Different World. If it didn’t react, he could then launch his private jets and escape. If it did react, he would have to adopt a wait-and-see approach. Alexei’s heart clenched, and he watched the Monster from the Different World with extre tension, waiting for its reaction.
Aozawa, his attention drawn by the launching jets, looked up. The air erupted with an even louder SONIC BOOM, and fierce winds began to howl. The fighter pilots, hearing the RUMBLING thunder, imdiately decided to strike first, unleashing the F-35s’ entire missile payload at once.
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