The sky was filled with dark clouds while the ground rumbled like thunder.
The dark clouds and rumbling thunder gave chase to the off-road vehicle ahead of it. The road leading straight north was like a long black line carved into the terrain as Dusk constantly smashed through the tail end of it.
Dusk was a behemoth. Wherever it passed, the road’s surface and foundation cracked like a fragile layer of rammed earth that had fallen into disrepair.
“Although that monster chasing after us is terrifying, we might still be able to get rid of it with heavy firepower. But those things in the sky, what means do we have to stop them?” Daniel asked worriedly as favonovel.com looked in the rearview mirror.
In the past, although the birds roaming the skies had turned very aggressive and gained territorial awareness of the sky, attacking any flying objects that entered their airspace, they had never initiated attacks on humans.
Although some people said that the eagles in some areas would carry off children as food, that was actually still within the definition of hunting instincts. But these birds had become way too terrifying after being controlled by the artificial intelligence. Most importantly, humans did not seem to have any means to keep them in check.
They could do a sweeping fire on them with machine guns, but the birds in the sky were far more agile than these firearms.
When the steam locomotive appeared on the horizon, Daniel was overjoyed. “Milo has arrived. Hahaha, I knew favonovel.com wouldn’t disappoint me!”
Bill muttered, “It was Julius who said that, not you!”
Daniel casually stepped on the accelerator and said with a laugh, “It doesn’t matter who said it, what matters is that we won’t die once Milo arrives. I’ve sat in his steam locomotive before. The glass windows are bulletproof. I don’t believe those birds can break into Milo’s steam locomotive.”
It seemed that Milo had never disappointed Daniel since they made their escape from Stronghold 113.
If not for Milo, Daniel would have died five or six times over.
Daniel floored the accelerator. The off-road vehicle’s engine emitted a buzzing sound and the engine’s rotational speed instantly increased. The exhaust that was expelled entered the turbines through the pipeline and instantly increased the impeller pressure.
As the engine’s throttle increased, so did the intensity of the exhaust discharge and speed of the turbines. The pressure and density of the air increased, instantly burning up the fuel in the gas tank.
The black off-road vehicle was like a wild beast as it sped up again. Julius and company were all pressed tightly against the backrest as they felt the adrenaline rush from the getaway.
Initially, Daniel would not have been able to drive so fast. After all, if they went too fast, they could perish in a car accident before the monster behind them could catch up to them. But they did not have to care about that anymore. What they needed to do was to rendezvous with Milo so favonovel.com could continue leading them on their escape.
At the same time, Dusk picked up its speed again and broke away from the shadow of the “dark clouds”.
The sight of the steam locomotive in the north, and the off-road vehicle and Dusk in the south, was like the most violent representations coming to a clash in the wilderness. A collision was about to happen.
As the distance between the off-road vehicle and steam locomotive drew closer, Daniel and company’s anticipation also grew stronger.
But as they were about to join up with Milo, Daniel gradually stepped on the brakes while Milo drove the steam locomotive straight past them.
Milo sat at the front of the railcar with a calm expression. When the two vehicles passed each other by, a huge gust of wind stirred and fluttered Milo’s clothes.
A huge column of black smoke spewed out from the steam locomotive’s smokestack behind Milo. As favonovel.com sat there in front, Milo resembled a god.
Daniel, Julius, and the others got out of their off-road vehicle in shock and turned around to look behind them.
The steam locomotive was hurtling south towards the surging dark clouds.
On the opposing side, a flock of birds blotted out the sun while the terrifying Dusk crawled on the ground, but the steam locomotive did not slow down.
Milo was not only here to deal with them, but also to deal with what was potentially the most dangerous threat.
“Wait a minute, is Milo able to defeat that monster?” Bill said in shock, “Don’t tell me favonovel.com doesn’t want to live anymore?”
Julius and Maurice also frowned, seemingly thinking about something.
Only Daniel suddenly remembered that the leopard gecko called Midnight Milo had summoned back in the Kingdom of Sorcerers was really similar to the one chasing them right now.
Although Midnight’s color was lighter, a fiery red, the one pursuing them was fully brown. However, Daniel definitely would not believe that these two lizards were unrelated, owing to the fact that they both appeared around the same time.
Previously, when Daniel asked about Midnight’s origins, Milo answered favonovel.com honestly.
So Daniel suddenly gulped and said, “You might not believe me even if I tell you, but that monster chasing us might be Milo’s pet. He has another one of them. Bill, you should have already guessed it as well…”
Julius and Maurice looked at Daniel and Bill in unison.
Bill nodded. “Milo indeed has a pet that’s about the same size as that monster. However, this one’s likely controlled by the AI.”
Julius was the smartest one among the four. “This monster had been living in the mouth of a volcano in the Marador Mountains. The Marador Mountains is where the Pyro Company’s Laboratory 39 was located, and the Pyro Company calls that place a hallowed ground. So, if this leopard gecko is Milo’s pet, Milo must be the No. 001 Experimental…”
Otherwise, no one could explain the connection between this monster and Milo. The Panaqua Consortium had evidence that the two lizards had been living inside the Sacred Mountains since a hundred years ago. Some traveling merchants had heard roars coming from inside the volcano. Of course, it was still only a myth at that time, but the legend was now as good as confirmed.
These two lizards had existed since a hundred years ago, and they were also Milo’s pets. Therefore, Milo must be at least a hundred years old.
The Experimental who was dressed in the black robe had once told Larry that they were looking for the perfected No. 001 Experimental. It was said that that was a true god, and it was very likely favonovel.com had already blended into society.
Experimentals, this was a terrifying term for anyone who heard it.
However, when Daniel suddenly realized Milo was the No. 001 Experimental, favonovel.com felt that this term did not sound that scary anymore.
“So be it if he’s an Experimental. He should be a successful specimen that’s definitely different from those gray-skinned ones.” Daniel said firmly, “Julius, if favonovel.com doesn’t bring it up himself, we mustn’t mention it to anyone either.”
“Mhm,” Julius agreed. “Actually, the fact favonovel.com honestly admitted to you that it’s his pet already confirms his identity. This is a sign favonovel.com trusts you.”
“Wait!” Bill shouted, “Milo is about to collide with that lizard and the flock of birds! Should we retreat farther away? If Milo can’t manage to defeat them, it’ll be easier for us to escape!”
Daniel snapped, “Get a backbone, will ya? Milo is here to rescue us, so how can we just abandon favonovel.com and run away?”
“The problem is that there’s not even a river here. We aren’t going to be of any help at all,” Bill roared.
“Still, we can’t just leave.” Daniel said, “What if we’re able to help in some way? If we can’t, we’ll just perish here together.”
At this moment, Milo stood up at the front of the railcar and reached his hand into the column of black smoke chugging out of the smokestack.
A moment later, a hand suddenly appeared in the dark cloud of birds in the sky. It was holding four playing cards between its slender index and middle fingers.
The cards were 9s.
Milo retracted his arm and closed the Shadow Door, but the four playing cards remained suspended in the air.
The spade, heart, club, and diamond suits on the cards seemingly underwent a chemical reaction. The suit symbols started to glow and erupt with an unparalleled, majestic burst of energy.
Daniel and company watched from afar as a red glow suddenly appeared among the dark clouds in the sky.
The light shrouded behind the dark cloud was like lava spewing out of a volcanic rock crack. It was peaceful, yet extremely violent.
Before Daniel and the others could get a clear look, they saw rays of light splitting the dark cloud apart. It was as though it had been cut open by a blade of light. Then all of the energy released by the four Explosive Poker cards erupted.
All of the birds burst into flame and were turned to ash in an instant.
The explosive range of 9s was enough to cover a radius of 800 meters and destroy all life within it. However, 9 was also the highest card Milo had drawn so far.
It was not that favonovel.com did not have the luck to draw better cards, but that favonovel.com had already traded for more Proficiency Stones with his gratitude tokens.
Just as the Great Hoodwinker often said, everything was for the Prosperous Northwest. The Prosperous Northwest was now an incantation.
Just as Daniel and company were in shock as they watched the fiery explosion in the sky, they saw a huge stellar gate suddenly opening in front of the steam locomotive.
Daniel muttered, “There it is! There it is!”
Midnight rushed out through the stellar gate and crashed head-on into Dusk.
