Later, Lidi brought the zebra child into the restroom of the food center.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one with that idea.
Within just a few minutes, dozens of beastmen rushed in to take shelter.
The already cramped restroom was quickly packed wall-to-wall.
The air turned thick and suffocating, mixed with sweat, food odors, and fear.
Lidi and the zebra child crouched in a corner, quietly waiting for things outside to calm down.
A few minutes later, a deep, magnetic burst echoed outside.
It sounded like air being instantly compressed and violently released, shaking the walls slightly.
The chaotic fighting outside first surged into an even louder uproar, then rapidly faded.
The beastmen hiding in the restroom exchanged glances and whispered.
“What happened?” “Did they start fighting again?” But Lidi knew exactly what that sound was.
It’s the sound of Black Guard’s magnetic propulsion.
Soon after, a familiar pungent smell drifted in through the door gap.
That smell was etched into his memory.
The Black Guard had begun clearing the area.
A few minutes later, the restroom door was pushed open.
Two Black Guards in pitch-black armor walked in.
Their armor was smooth like a mirror, and their heads were fully covered by reflective visors that only mirrored cold light.
They stood at the entrance, scanning the crowd cautiously.
One of them spoke: “Any Grass Union members here?” His voice was processed through the helmet system, carrying a heavy electronic echo.
It gave off an overwhelming sense of authority, forcing people to unconsciously lower their gaze.
The restroom stayed silent.
No one answered.
The other Black Guard member looked around, confirmed nothing unusual, and spoke in a slightly calmer tone: “You can all come out now.
The rioters outside have been brought under control by the Black Guard.” “We’ll take a brief record from each of you, then you can go home, please proceed to the main entrance.” After speaking, the first Black Guard turned and left, leaving the calmer one to guide everyone out.
One by one, the beastmen began leaving the restroom.
Lidi held the zebra child’s hand and followed the crowd out.
The moment he stepped outside, the food center had already turned into a wreck.
The ground was covered in soup, oil, and food scraps.
Tables and chairs were smashed into pieces, utensils and cookware scattered everywhere.
A beastman could even be seen hanging from a broken electrical pole, being carefully lowered by several Black Guards.
At the center of the food court, a cleared area had been formed.
Neatly arranged rows of subdued beastmen were sitting there.
Almost all of them were Grass Union members, along with the young beastmen who had taken part in the fight.
Their hands were cuffed behind their backs, faces and bodies covered in bruises.
The violent energy from earlier was completely gone.
Among them, Lidi even spotted the chicken beastman.
He was unconscious on the ground, his face swollen like a balloon, still being swiftly cuffed by the Black Guards.
Lidi immediately looked away.
At times like this, even one extra glance could cause trouble.
Soon, everyone was lined up in a temporary queue for statements.
It would still take a while before Lidi’s turn came.
He crouched down and spoke quietly to the zebra child: “When the Black Guard officers ask you later, just say you got separated from your parents and I took you to the restroom to hide.” He paused, then added half-jokingly: “And absolutely don’t tell them I’m a superhero.” The zebra child nodded seriously, then made a zipper motion across his mouth.
Lidi couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
A few minutes later, a Black Guard member holding an electronic record board stood in front of them.
“Hand out.” His tone was casual, probably already tired from repeated questioning.
Lidi complied and raised his hand.
The scanner swept over his implanted chip.
Data quickly appeared on the board.
“Lidi, Red Fox clan.” Then a bright red mark appeared below his information.
The Black Guard glanced up at him, but noticing the child beside him, his tone softened.
“Were you involved in the fight just now?” “No.” “What were you doing then?” “Hiding in the restroom.” The Black Guard continued writing without expression.
“Do you know how the conflict started?” Lidi shrugged.
“That Grass Union group kept provoking things.
I’m not sure how it escalated—I only saw them already fighting when I was there.” The Black Guard nodded and was about to finish the record, questioning the zebra child beside him.
“Is this your child?” The child became nervous and immediately hid behind Lidi.
Lidi gently patted his head.
“No.
I met him while running from the scene—he got separated from his parents.” “Can you help him find his family?” The Black Guard crouched down to eye level with the child.
His tone softened noticeably.
“Little guy, is what this uncle said true?” Hearing “uncle,” Lidi’s face immediately dropped.
He’s only 27… The zebra child nodded, still shy.
After confirming everything, the Black Guard reached out his hand.
“Come on, I’ll take you to find your parents.” His hand hovered in the air, waiting for the child’s response.
Lidi gently nudged the child.
“Go, you can trust them.” He smiled.
“They’re Black Guard.” Trusting Lidi, the zebra child left with the Black Guard.
After that, Lidi followed another Black Guard out toward the exit.
The night’s chaos was finally over.
He could go home.
But there was still something he needed to do.
He had to check his own condition.
Back home, Lidi locked the door and quickly drew the curtains.
He stripped down and stood in front of the mirror completely naked except for his underwear.
His usual untrained body looked thin in the limbs, slightly soft in the belly—nothing impressive at all.
After checking carefully, there were no abnormal changes in his muscles.
He knew very clearly that what happened tonight shouldn’t have been possible.
If it was just adrenaline, then after that burst of strength he should have collapsed from exhaustion.
But instead, he was still perfectly fine—too fine.
Lidi tried lifting the sofa in the living room.
Normally it already took effort just to move it.
As expected, he could barely lift it for a moment before it dropped back down.
He then did exercises he rarely bothered with: sit-ups, push-ups, vertical jumps.
The result was miserable—he was exhausted after just a few dozen reps.
“So what the hell is going on… just adrenaline?” After sweating it out, he stopped thinking and decided to take a shower and head to sleep.
Work is still waited tomorrow.
But the night wasn’t done with him yet.
His ears twitched slightly, flicking backward on instinct, and his body stiffened.
A sound came from behind—an extremely light landing, followed by barely perceptible breathing.
The moment he tried to turn around, a sharp pain exploded at the back of his head.
A heavy, blunt strike hit cleanly.
His vision spun violently, and consciousness dropped into darkness instantly.
For a long time, Lidi had wondered what it felt like for a beastman to lose consciousness—whether it was like a computer shutting down and rebooting, switching scenes in an instant.
Now he was about to find out firsthand…