After Raising Monsters, I Was Loved by Everyone in the Wasteland – CH95

Chapter 95

Today, the headquarters of Desire Market felt cloaked in a stifling, oppressive atmosphere.

The sales department manager had a file that needed to be delivered to the CEO’s office.

He made the trip upstairs but returned pale and frantic, throwing the document at a junior employee. “You! Take this to the Chairman.”

The employee timidly took the file, glancing nervously at the manager’s ashen face. Sensing something terrifying had occurred, he proceeded cautiously, his steps shaky with unease.

He hadn’t even reached the office door when—

Bang!

A gunshot echoed from inside!

The body fell quickly, and blood seeped out from beneath the door almost as fast.

The employee froze, staring at the crimson liquid pooling at his toes. His face turned white as a sheet, and he stumbled backward several steps.

Inside, a middle-aged man roared, his fury uncontained: “It was supposed to be a guaranteed success! You managed to screw up a foolproof plan! Ten customized guided missiles, twenty armored vehicles, thirty fighter planes—do you have any idea how massive these losses are?! Even if you had a hundred lives, it wouldn’t be enough to compensate!”

A quivering voice offered a fearful explanation: “But… but the intelligence didn’t mention that there were three S-class mutants in that area. Who could’ve expected them to show up and not even fight each other?!”

Who could’ve imagined such a scenario?

People still had limited knowledge about S-class mutants, but A-class mutants were common enough to understand.

A-class mutants were brutal, powerful tyrants in their territories. Even an accidental trespass by another A-class could ignite chaos and bloodshed.

If A-class mutants were already so fierce and dominant, then S-class mutants, with their superior strength, were practically mythical.

Yet, that day, something inexplicable happened: three S-class mutants not only refrained from fighting but coexisted peacefully. One of them even intervened to aid the blue whale, delivering a devastating blow to the attackers!

The trembling report continued, “Those S-class monsters were terrifying. We couldn’t stand a chance. In just an instant, the tsunami swept away all the armored vehicles! If we hadn’t abandoned them quickly, we’d all be dead—everyone would’ve died…”

The office plunged into an eerie silence before the middle-aged man’s cold voice broke through: “Investigate.”

“Find out when those S-classes arrived in the southern region. Find out what they are. Report this to Base One immediately. Tell them the mission encountered interference and ask how to proceed.”

Before he could finish speaking, the building shook.

“What’s happening?” “What was that?” “What’s going on?!”

Employees scrambled in panic. Some clutched desks and chairs for support, while the manager’s wine glass crashed to the floor.

In a shadowy corner of the building, a patrol team’s grip slackened, and the civilian they had been torturing raised their battered, swollen face in confusion.

In his office, the overweight Chairman, draped in layers of flabby flesh, abandoned his companion and frantically grabbed his pants from the sofa. Panic-stricken, he shouted, “What’s going on?!”

It didn’t take long for everyone to realize that the issue wasn’t with the building itself.

Today’s sky lacked sunlight, shrouded in dark, oppressive clouds like a canvas smudged with gray ash.

Suddenly, a bright streak of light tore through the horizon like a lance, splitting into several radiant beams midair. Resembling a dazzling display of fireworks, the white lights descended precisely on the edge of the large lake next to the market.

Boom!

The thunderous explosion lit up the sky with flames, shaking the ground violently!

The middle-aged man rushed to the glass wall of his office, his disbelief evident in his expression.

The explosion’s shockwave rippled outward rapidly, with the glass facade of his office taking the brunt of the impact.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

In a chain reaction, the entire expanse of glass shattered into jagged fragments that scattered everywhere.

“Ahhh!”

The man and his secretary collapsed to the floor. Blood mixed with shards of glass, intensifying their agony and eliciting sharp cries of pain.

The secretary, realizing the Chairman was also injured, hastily tried to help him up. However, she failed to notice a piece of glass under her palm and accidentally pressed it deeper into his wound.

“Get away from me!” the man bellowed, howling in pain as he scrambled to his feet. He was a mess of blood and sweat, his appearance utterly pitiful.

Amidst the chaos, they managed to look out through what remained of the shattered facade.

The once-pristine glass wall was gone, leaving behind broken frames and a single, precariously dangling shard of glass.

The Chairman paid no heed to this. Trembling with terror, he croaked, “Intercontinental missiles! A nation’s military force is invading the southern region! Find someone—get reinforcements—quick!”

Before he could finish, another flash of white light streaked across the murky sky. His eyes widened in horror, seeing it as Death itself raising a scythe. He stumbled backward in panic.

“No… no! Reinforcements won’t make it in time—they’re going to destroy everything!”

His knees buckled, and he fell, scrambling desperately to stand again. Cold sweat drenched his forehead as he grabbed the secretary by the collar and screamed, “Get me a car! Now!”

San San curiously tapped the missile launcher’s metallic shell with its paw. “Is this big guy humanity’s most powerful nuclear weapon?”

Ah Zi picked up a cloth and leisurely wiped the dust off its fur. “No, this isn’t a nuclear weapon. The armory doesn’t have the resources for that. It’s a conventional MIRV.”

It seemed reasonably satisfied with the result—months of hammering hadn’t been wasted.

Even though it was a conventional warhead, it could easily obliterate Desire Market. However, out of consideration for the innocent lives within the market, Ah Zi had directed the strike at the lakeshore instead.

Wen Xin recalled what the scarred man had said earlier: the freshwater resources of Moon Lake had long been monopolized by Desire Market. Other than some vegetation, only the market’s personnel were stationed there.

San San stared at the blazing explosions and hissed through its teeth. “If you got hit by that, it’d hurt a lot.”

Lan Tuan, lounging in a water basin with its paws hooked over the edge, observed, “So humans have such dangerous weapons.”

Ah Lü tensed, its expression grave. “If we ever encounter one, we’d better stay far away.”

San San nodded in agreement, hastily pulling its paw back from the steel giant.

Lan Tuan, however, chimed in, “It would make you shed fur, and your skin would get torn.”

Ah Lü’s face darkened. “Exactly! The worst part is, it would scorch scales—or fur—black!”

San San blinked. “???”

The rest of the armory workers couldn’t remain as nonchalant as Ah Zi. Each one looked like their world had been upended.

“You actually built it. You really…”

The director seemed too overwhelmed to find the right words. He reached out toward the little squirrel, then pulled his hand back in a panic, worried his gesture might offend.

Ah Zi nodded without noticing the turmoil in the man’s heart. It jumped onto Wen Xin’s shoulder and asked, “How does it feel to you?”

Wen Xin’s emotions were indescribable.

He had been just as exhilarated, helping the armory team fine-tune the missile’s precision, analyze the impact zones, and even press the launch button. His fingers had trembled slightly the entire time.

But soon, Wen Xin noticed an issue. “There’s a slight deviation between the actual trajectory and the predicted one. The launch timing also lagged by a few seconds. To be safe, it’s better to troubleshoot.”

Ah Zi nodded thoughtfully. “I noticed that too. I’ll have them recalibrate the missile data later.”

The armory workers, experienced professionals who understood the impossibility of what they had witnessed, were utterly floored by the casual exchange between Wen Xin and the squirrel.

It was as if a storm had erupted in their minds. They could only bow inwardly to the duo in complete admiration.

One thought swirled through their collective disbelief: Do you even realize this terrifying monstrosity was built by hand?!

The fact that it launched successfully was already a miracle, and now you’re worried about precision?! This was beyond imagination, utterly absurd!

With a major worry resolved, Ah Zi stretched contentedly and turned to the director, who still hadn’t snapped out of his daze.

“If Desire Market comes to bother you again after I leave, just use this big guy to blow them up. But don’t overdo it—each shot costs a fortune.”

The director hesitated before asking reluctantly, “Factory Director, are you really leaving?”

“Of course,” Ah Zi replied, extending a small paw to rest against Wen Xin’s head. “I already told you before—my home isn’t here. I need to go back with them.”

All eyes turned toward Wen Xin.

In that moment, Wen Xin could feel the intense envy, jealousy, and resentment burning in their gazes.

Even the director’s expression was filled with reluctance, though he quickly composed himself and offered a polite smile. “Then, Mr. Wen, would you consider staying a few more days? You’ve traveled so far, and we haven’t had the chance to properly host you.”

The armory workers immediately caught on.

The director’s brilliance shone—keeping Wen Xin here meant keeping Ah Zi, even if indirectly!

Their envious looks morphed into determination as they swarmed Wen Xin, treating him like a king. They fussed over him, offering tea, fanning him, and even rushing to wipe away the faintest bead of sweat.

Wen Xin: “…”

He had grown used to this treatment.

Calmly, he extended his left hand to push away an eager worker’s attempt to wipe his brow.

His right hand moved forward to block the tea being presented.

Finally, with both hands, he gently created space between himself and the director, whose gaze was a little too intense.

Once done, Wen Xin maintained his composed demeanor, smiled warmly, and said, “Alright, I’ll stay for two or three more days.”

Cheers erupted from the armory workers!

Wen Xin knew that firing the missile wasn’t the end of the matter. Desire Market would undoubtedly react to the attack. The unresolved situation was the real reason he hadn’t left immediately.

That same day, Wen Xin didn’t rest. He brought the bundles to the gates of Desire Market.

What he saw, however, was far from what he expected. Instead of an armed force on high alert, there wasn’t a single armored vehicle in sight—just the jubilation of the slum district.

People were shouting joyfully, spreading the news: “Everyone guarding Moon Lake is dead! Hurry and fetch water! If you’re late, there won’t be any left!”

Survivors with working limbs crawled out of their tents, eyes red with emotion.

“Are you serious?” “You’re not lying, are you?” “They’re really all gone?!”

“It’s true! I saw the explosions—they were right by the lake!”

“No one’s guarding it. We can all take water now!”

In an instant, people grabbed the largest containers they could find and rushed toward the gathering crowd. Even elderly women, their faces lined with grime and wrinkles, trembled as they picked up plastic basins and joined the charge.

As the woman passed Wen Xin, he caught a faint, tearful murmur, barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz:

“Heaven has eyes… Why not just blow those wretched bastards to smithereens…”

Wen Xin paused, his gaze lifting toward the towering skyscraper ahead.

It was then that he saw the scarred man.

The man was grinning widely, genuinely pleased about something. He still held his decorative koi-patterned plastic basin and seemed to be giving careful instructions to a bespectacled young man beside him. Judging by his gestures, it looked like he was telling the youth to stay home and not wander around.

Sensing something, the scarred man suddenly looked up, his eyes meeting Wen Xin’s. For a moment, he froze.

Wen Xin gave him a slight nod, acknowledging him before continuing forward with his cubs.

As the crowd surged in one direction, Wen Xin and his group moved against the flow, heading toward the skyscraper.

Gradually, the ground beneath their feet grew cleaner, the streets lined with polished lampposts, and the chaos of makeshift tents and mud huts gave way to magnificent, opulent buildings.

At one point, Wen Xin saw a rotund man rushing out of a house, dragging a suitcase. Behind him, a woman and a child chased after him, sobbing desperately.

The man snarled, his face twisted in frustration. “The military is attacking! They’re coming to wipe out Desire Market! I can barely save myself—do you think I have time for you? Get lost!”

“But you can’t take everything from the house! What are my child and I supposed to do without anything?!”

The woman stumbled and fell to the ground.

The child cried out, “Mama!”

In his haste, the man didn’t notice Wen Xin standing in front of him and collided straight into him, dropping the suitcase.

The heavy case hit the ground with a dull thud. The woman looked up and caught sight of the partially unzipped bag, her gaze freezing for a moment.

Then she looked at her sobbing child, and in the next second, her eyes sharpened with resolve. She flew to the suitcase, grabbed the bag of gold inside with one hand, scooped up her child with the other, and bolted.

The man, clutching his head and swearing, turned to see what had happened. Spotting the fleeing woman, he let out a blood-curdling scream: “You wretch! Stop! Stop right there, you miserable woman!”

Too preoccupied with chasing her, he didn’t even bother confronting Wen Xin. As he scrambled to his feet, Ah Lü flicked its tail, hooking his ankle.

Thud!

The man fell face-first to the ground again.

Ignoring the man’s curses, Wen Xin walked forward, his gaze steady.

The closer they got to the skyscraper, the more chaotic the scenes became. Suited individuals, who once exuded elegance and authority, had lost all composure, fleeing in every direction.

The sight baffled Ah Zi. “They’re not even fighting back?”

It could understand why civilians were running, but these were the central figures of Desire Market. Why were they fleeing too?

When they arrived at the company’s skyscraper, they found the grand entrance wide open. Inside, it was eerily empty except for a few bewildered employees huddled in a corner.

A few missiles had reduced an entire organizational force to a panicked exodus, leaving the place deserted.

Ah Zi looked around and marveled, “The effect is a bit too good, don’t you think?”

The broader realization came a day later when the public finally grasped the truth: the once-dominant Desire Market leadership had fled with their assets.

Some were confused, some panicked, but most erupted into cheers.

No more crippling fees for market space. No more living like dogs, fearing the patrol squads. No more anxieties over offending the wrong people.

They clutched their faces, tears streaming as they cried with joy. After wandering in darkness for so long, they had finally glimpsed a ray of hope.

At that moment, Ah Zi was braiding Wen Xin’s hair using a multicolored cord it had woven itself.

“Desire Market is vast. Without leadership, it’ll likely descend into chaos—rioting, looting, and violence. If the armory needs it, they could send people to stabilize the situation and absorb the resources. That’d strengthen their influence.”

“I already told them. They can handle it however they like,” Ah Zi replied, lightly tapping Wen Xin’s head. “Hold still, okay?”

Its small paws moved deftly. Watching its work through the mirror, Wen Xin couldn’t help but praise its skill. “You’re amazing.”

Ah Zi preened at the compliment. “Of course! You’ve got such a great base to work with—wasting it would be a crime.”

Normally, mutants didn’t appreciate human appearances, but exposure to people had gradually developed their sense of aesthetics.

Ah Zi finished braiding and turned Wen Xin around to showcase its masterpiece to the other bundles. “Look at this, everyone!”

The bundles’ eyes sparkled. “Wow!”

Wen Xin, with his refined and graceful features, now sported an elegant hairstyle reminiscent of a nobleman from ancient times. Long locks cascaded over his shoulders like a waterfall, with a few wispy strands framing his face. His gentle gaze carried an air of cool serenity, evoking the beauty of a moonlit breeze.

Ah Zi twirled its scissors with pride. “Perfect!”

Ever since it had glimpsed such hairstyles on TV, it had been eager to try them on Wen Xin. Now, its dream had come true.

“Perfect for what?” Wen Xin, sensing something was off, reached back and touched his hair. He froze and then chuckled wryly. “Did you give me extensions?”

“But it looks so good!” Ah Zi turned to the others for validation. “Doesn’t it?”

The bundles nodded emphatically, fully supportive.

Ah Zi wasn’t finished. “I know another style that’ll suit Wen Xin. Want to see it?”

Even the usually composed Lan Tuan jumped at the chance. “Yes!”

Ah Lü chimed in, “Hold on, let me find a human camera first.”

San San eagerly offered, “Can I help you braid his hair?”

Wen Xin: “…”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had turned into a life-sized Barbie doll.

Still, Wen Xin couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Seeing the bundles so enthusiastic, he chuckled helplessly and let them have their fun.

While the bundles gleefully experimented with new hairstyles for him, a group from the armory arrived.

“Mr. Wen, we’ve combed through all the geographical records and maps available to us. There are over a dozen major rifts in the world, but none of them are called ‘Dragon Remains.’”

The spokesperson hesitated, then asked, “Typically, unless it’s some kind of tourist gimmick, it’s unusual for a location to have such a peculiar name. Are you sure your family is really in this ‘Dragon Remains Rift’?”