Feng Ye had no idea what was happening in the other world. He drifted down the street, absent-minded, mind full of how to handle the Heart of a Saint. He’d already completed his Domain-tier advancement, so the Heart was useless to him. It only lasted for a while. If it wasn’t used within three days, this precious Heart of a Saint would fade into the world on its own.

“Letting it just dissipate would be a waste,” he muttered. Selling it was out. He didn’t want the trouble. Giving it away? He didn’t know who to give it to. After thinking it over, it felt like it would just rot in his hand…

Then, all at once, he felt a shadow blot the sky.

A massive Beast shoved its head through the clouds, most of its body still buried in space. It stretched its claws wide and pried at the edges of the rift, as if trying to haul itself free. When sunlight hit its face, it let out an excited roar, desperate to squeeze through.

“Ah! A Beast! Beast attack!”

Panic rippled through the crowd below.

“You’ve got to be kidding me… you couldn’t show up earlier? I just finished my quota,” Feng Ye blurted. After the jolt of surprise came pure annoyance. If only extra kills rolled over to next month.

Fat chance.

The Beast clearly needed time to drag that bulk out of the rift. It was enough time for people on the ground to get away.

After the first wave of chaos, ordinary folks started evacuating in order. Years of on-and-off Beast attacks had made them used to it. Fear was still there, sure. But once the Awakened showed up, people knew to keep their distance early and wait for support. Then the danger dropped fast.

Feng Ye summoned his brick, ready to smack the Beast right between the eyes. Just as he moved to strike, a figure shot in from afar.

“It’s Lord Meteor!”

The onlookers erupted, clearly recognizing the newcomer. Feng Ye looked up. At some point, a man had appeared in the sky—dressed flamboyantly, radiating a handsome glow, like a god descending.

“Lord Meteor is as good-looking as ever!” a girl screamed. The man hovering there wore his hair gold and his eyes sky-blue. His expression was warm as the sun.

“Don’t worry, everyone. Since I, Meteor, am here, this Beast won’t lay a finger on you,” Meteor said, voice smooth and magnetic. More screams followed from below.

“Damn it. Pretty boys really are popular everywhere,” Feng Ye said, eyeing the flashy Meteor. He couldn’t help remembering that he used to draw shrieks on the street too, worshiped by a gaggle of adorable lolis.

Back then, he’d used an item to change his face to look like his cousin. The guy was genuinely handsome. Feng Ye’s plan had been to do something bad in that face and let his cousin take the fall. Instead, he accidentally ended up doing a bunch of heroic deeds. After he made a name for himself in the Divine Realm ranking battle, people dug up every story. The name Night Maple became the center of attention.

Because they looked alike, his cousin got mistaken for Night Maple a lot. At first he was smug, thinking he could hook up with fans. Then Feng Ye’s enemies grabbed him, strung him up, and beat him. Their family spent a fortune and burned favors to pull him out. Feng Ye even heard whispers that among the ones who took him was the notorious executioner, Dragon Blood.

That guy had a thing for men. He ran into Night Maple in a mission world and was struck dumb by his looks. He even tried to slip Feng Ye something. Once Feng Ye realized what he was after, he almost puked up last night’s dinner. He lopped off both his legs with a single slash, confiscated his “tool,” and sank him to the sea floor. Somehow, the man lived.

When Feng Ye later learned Dragon Blood was one of the kidnappers, and that his cousin didn’t get out of bed for half a month after, he felt a twinge of sympathy…

After that, the name Night Maple became his cousin’s nightmare. Any mention and the guy would clutch his backside, eyes full of terror, then foam at the mouth and faint.

It left Feng Ye a little depressed. It was Dragon Blood who gave him the trauma. So why did it feel like people acted as if Feng Ye was the one who did that to him…

Now, looking at Meteor’s face, Feng Ye touched his own. He’d worn a mask later, but that borrowed face had already spread. He had to admit it—next to his cousin, his looks came up short.

“Hope this guy isn’t a pushover. If the Beast trashes him, he’ll lose all face,” Feng Ye thought. A trace of dark amusement crept in as he pictured Meteor’s pretty face swelling up.

When the Beast first appeared, he’d already sensed it. This thing that punched through space was A-class.

If it wasn’t handled fast, it would hit the real world hard. That’s why he’d pulled out the brick, ready to drop the Beast before it wrecked the street.

But now that Meteor had stepped in, he was happy to watch.

“Lord Meteor, we believe in you! You can take that Beast down!” someone shouted from below.

“Lord Meteor, hurry up and kill that swine, then come home and have my babies!” a girl squealed—she’d been pale with fright moments ago. If the Beast understood human speech, it would’ve twisted its snout in rage. It’d probably slap the girl flat and growl, You’re the swine. Your whole family’s the swine.

Of course, that was just Feng Ye’s inner theater. In reality, the Beast fixed all its attention on Meteor the moment it saw him. It let out a wild roar, finally wrenched its body free, and lunged straight at him.

...