Chapter 11: I’ll Remember This Debt, Big Dog

The Dark Lord is the ultimate form of the demon hound, far stronger than its ordinary counterparts—perhaps it has already reached LV2. Lin Xiao was not entirely confident he could face it head-on.

Yet his brother was running toward him, and at his side was the person who had just saved his life. To abandon them and flee alone was something he could never bring himself to do.

A true man knows what must be done and what must not. Last time, he had failed to find Will, and having just crossed over and upgraded, he was uncertain of his own strength and dared not seek Will out. Now, circumstances were quite different; he must step forward.

“Barbara, take my brother and leave. I’ll hold off the monster,” Lin Xiao called out, grabbing his Star Destroyer and rushing toward Will.

Barbara watched him go, anxiety etched on her face. She dared not follow to help; what had been possible before was now clearly impossible. If she chased after him, she would only become a burden.

“Brother!” A figure rushed out of the darkness—it was Will, trapped in the reversed world. The situation was urgent; Lin Xiao had no time for questions, immediately instructing Will to find Barbara behind him and hide.

Will hesitated, glancing at the towering shadow pursuing them. He understood that without someone to cover their escape, there was no hope.

“Brother, you must survive!” Will shouted, then ran toward Barbara. The two joined up and fled into the depths of darkness.

Meanwhile, the looming shadow finally caught up. Nearly two meters tall, with blood-red, black-tinged skin, arms that hung down to its knees, powerful thighs, and a head that opened like a blooming chrysanthemum. In its fifth form, the demon hound—the Dark Lord—was, by sheer presence, leagues above the ordinary hounds.

Without a word, the Dark Lord leaped at Lin Xiao, its slender arms grasping with astonishing speed.

After so many battles, Lin Xiao had mastered the demon hound’s movements. Though its form had evolved, its predatory technique remained largely unchanged.

He skillfully activated his retreat skill, dodging the attack, then channeled his magic, launching a sprint slash. Taking advantage of the Dark Lord’s missed strike, he swung his Star Destroyer axe, landing a heavy blow on its waist and abdomen.

Air Slash!

The blow hit home. Lin Xiao immediately changed tactics, using the Air Slash skill to lift the Dark Lord into midair, then jumped nearly a meter high himself, bringing the axe down with crushing force.

Success!

Lin Xiao was overjoyed—only to find that the Dark Lord, smashed to the ground, was not cleaved in two by his axe. The weapon that had always been unstoppable was caught fast by the monster’s muscles and bones, unable to break through.

“So tough—no wonder even submachine guns can’t harm it,” Lin Xiao realized he couldn’t kill the Dark Lord for now. He yanked out his axe, returned it to his inventory, and turned to run without hesitation.

Having used all his main attacks, even repeating them would yield no better result. If his magic ran dry, death was certain—Barbara and Will could not save him.

Roar!

The Dark Lord rose from the ground, its chrysanthemum head opening wide as it bellowed in fury, speeding after its fleeing prey. Clearly, this creature held grudges.

Thank heaven, Lin Xiao thought, grateful for his own wisdom. If he had not forged those boots, his old speed would have seen him overtaken and killed by the Dark Lord. Who knew how Will had survived?

Perhaps Will was targeted by the Mind Flayer, intended as a conduit into the real world. Otherwise, with his stamina, he would have been caught and killed long ago.

Lin Xiao sprinted toward Hawkins. Each time the Dark Lord gained on him, he used the sprint slash to widen the gap. His magic was draining rapidly, close to exhaustion—fortunately, he finally arrived.

The Hawkins Laboratory was not far from the Jonathan home. Having visited twice the previous night, the route was familiar. He quickly reached the laboratory in the reversed world, entering and heading for the passage.

Coincidentally, a person in a yellow protective suit was inspecting the area—it seemed he was a staff member sent by Hawkins Laboratory.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” the staff member called out, surprised to see Lin Xiao sprinting toward him.

Lin Xiao rushed over, shouting, “Run! There’s a monster behind!”

Before he finished speaking, a shadow surged from behind. The staff member froze, and the Dark Lord bit through his head. The protective suit was utterly useless.

In Hawkins Laboratory, a group of staff were hauling on a rope when violent commotion sounded from the other side. They quickly began reeling in the rope.

A middle-aged man with snow-white hair stood behind the isolation window in the lab—the director of Hawkins Laboratory, the villainous scientist from season one, Dr. Martin Brenner, also known as Eleven’s “Papa.”

The rope had not yet been reeled in when the group watched, astonished, as a figure burst from the passage, flashing to the door, opening it, and running out so fast that none could react.

Lin Xiao kept his head down, running along the wall signs toward the stairwell. The elevators here required access cards; surely the Hawkins staff would not let him out politely.

However, they were probably terrified now, for he was not the only one fleeing the passage.

Roar!

Hearing the furious roar behind him and the staccato bursts of submachine guns, Lin Xiao knew without looking—the staff were being slaughtered by the great hound.

Human submachine guns were useless against the beast. At the end of season one, Hawkins’ staff faced off against the Dark Lord with full firepower, only to be wiped out.

He ran up the stairwell; most staff were drawn away by the Dark Lord, and no one noticed Lin Xiao’s escape, letting him reach the first floor and enter the lobby.

Armed guards stationed at the entrance had all been sent to the underground lab. The lobby was deserted, not a soul in sight. Lin Xiao crossed it easily and reached the courtyard outside.

Outside, chaos reigned. Armed guards rushed toward the lobby, paying no attention to Lin Xiao, assuming he was just another worker.

Taking advantage of the commotion, Lin Xiao reached the gate. The security guard, unsettled by the previous attack, was nervous—everyone in the lab knew about the monster’s rampage and the many deaths.

Seizing the moment, Lin Xiao activated his leap skill, stepping onto the iron gate, using it as leverage to vault over the barbed wire and land outside the laboratory.

The guard at the gate did not suspect a thing, watching Lin Xiao leave. After a moment’s thought, he also opened the gate and ran—at the brink of death, no one wanted to stay behind.

Seeing the guard did not pursue him, Lin Xiao finally relaxed. The guard likely thought he was just another fleeing staff member.

Still, Lin Xiao knew he had been caught on the lab’s surveillance cameras—if the staff survived, they would surely come after him.

Running and thinking, he resolved not to return home for now, but to find a place to hide and await developments, all while seeking ways to strengthen himself.

Unfortunately, he had not gathered enough source energy to upgrade. He could only look for ways to boost his power. If he could kill the great hound, it would be ideal.

Wait—when he saved Barbara earlier, the system rewarded him with an ordinary-level miniature can. Perhaps there was something inside that could help him deal with the beast.