Kapitel 75: 072, Emergence
The sky gradually darkened as night fell.
Countless streets across the city were slowly lit up by the dazzling neon signs.
On a bustling street in Harlem, a French restaurant with elegant and luxurious decor was buzzing with patrons.
As guests entered the restaurant, the first sight to greet them was the meticulously designed ceiling.
Between the expensive carvings and statues by renowned artists, delicate crystal chandeliers hung down, shimmering with captivating brilliance.
Beneath the bright ceiling lights, several waitstaff in black shirts moved among the guests with the elegance of butterflies flitting through flowers.
Their stylish movements and handsome faces drew admiration from many patrons, both male and female.
However, at the far edge of the restaurant, away from the lively center, Zaire sat in a chair, arms crossed, watching his aunt devour her meal with ravenous enthusiasm.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at her with mild exasperation and spoke gently, "Auntie, can you slow down a bit? I'm not worried about the bill—I'm worried you'll choke…"
Before he finished speaking, Zaire's aunt, who was busy tearing into a lobster, suddenly lifted her rounded chin, looking at him with wide eyes, her face slightly flushed.
Barely able to speak with her mouth full, she managed to mutter, "Ah, this is your filial duty… I just don't want to waste it."
Listening to her offhand response, Zaire couldn't help but lean forward with a bemused smile, his lips parting as if to tease her.
But in that instant…
A sudden change occurred!
In a flash, the restaurant floor trembled violently!
Boom!
With a thunderous rumble that grew closer, the lights throughout the restaurant suddenly went out, plunging everything into darkness!
Then, the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling shook and crashed to the floor in a series of loud shattering sounds!
Before the guests in the restaurant could react—
"Ahhh!"
"Run!"
"Monster!"
Shouts erupted on the street outside the restaurant as panicked pedestrians scattered in all directions, fleeing from something beyond comprehension, lost in sheer terror!
At that exact moment, as the restaurant lights went out, Zaire leaped up from his seat, his powerful movement sending his chair clattering to the floor behind him.
In several strides, he reached his aunt's side, extending his muscular arm to hoist her up.
"Zaire, you…" she began, bewildered, but Zaire, face steely, slung her over his shoulder, his expression icy as the chaos around them grew.
He listened carefully to the screams and sounds of crashing from all around, his body instinctively shifting into combat readiness.
"David!" he commanded, his voice low. "Report the current situation and chart the nearest escape route!"
"Master, five hundred meters down the street, a three-meter-tall humanoid creature is rampaging, killing indiscriminately, and destroying property…"
The moment Zaire finished speaking, the mechanical voice of David emerged from his pocket.
"Escape route calculated: you can cross through the restaurant kitchen, reach a back alley, and locate a nearby sewer entrance. The entrance leads to a newly excavated tunnel, where I'm working nearby. I'll rendezvous with you shortly…"
With Ironman calculating their escape, Zaire took a deep breath and sprang into action, carrying his aunt, who had by now sensed the gravity of the situation.
He dashed toward the kitchen without hesitation, calling out, "Move! Clear the way!"
The dimly lit restaurant offered little visibility, and Zaire barrelled through, knocking aside anyone blocking their path.
Even though he couldn't afford to worry about anyone else, his only concern was to get his aunt to safety.
After they exited the restaurant and entered an empty back alley, Zaire allowed himself a brief sigh of relief.
Boom!
An explosion erupted in the distance, and a massive orange flame shot up into the sky.
Moments later, the anguished cries of people filled the street beyond the restaurant, sounding as if they had walked into a horrifying nightmare.
"Is this…a war?" His aunt, still slung over his shoulder, asked with a slight tremor in her voice, dropping half a lobster to the ground in shock.
"It's nothing, Auntie…just a small scene," Zaire said softly, feeling her slight tremble on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, his eyes swept over the ground, searching for the sewer entrance David had mentioned.
In seconds, Zaire found the entrance and moved swiftly towards it. He set his aunt down carefully, then crouched and placed his hand in the gap of the manhole cover.
Crack!
With a slight grunt, he lifted the heavy cover, releasing an overwhelming stench from the sewer below.
"Is this…"
He hesitated for a moment, questioning David's choice of location.
Then, from the depths of the dark sewer, David's metallic voice sounded, "Master, I've arrived…"
Zaire sighed and nodded slightly. He turned to his aunt, who looked bewildered but resolute, her eyes fixed on him.
"Auntie, you first," he said firmly.
Perhaps it was Zaire's unyielding tone or the escalating screams nearby that spurred his aunt on. Even faced with the foul-smelling sewer, she didn't hesitate.
Taking a deep breath, she jumped into the dimly lit tunnel below, guided by the faint blue glow of Ironman's presence.
Zaire watched as his aunt was safely caught by David below. Only then did he allow himself to relax.
He cracked his neck, taking one last look at the smoke and flames rising over the street, then jumped into the sewer without looking back.
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein