Chapter 158: The City Where Divine Gear Gathers

"Routine check, please slow down and pull over this way." As the car drove into the gates of the Central Metropolis, a squad of fully armed soldiers rushed out in neat formation. Their weapons were loaded, slanted toward the vehicle in a guarded posture. The soldier who appeared to be the squad leader made a hand gesture, guiding the car toward a recessed zone at the side of the gate.

"Don't be nervous. No matter who you are or what your reason is, anyone coming in from the outside undergoes a specialized inspection. This is for the city's safety, too." Noticing the guarded actions of the soldiers, Feng Guohua thoughtfully offered a reassuring explanation to the girls in the back, just in case they were unaware.

"Don't worry, Uncle. We all know. There were similar inspection regulations back in Maple City, though ordinary people probably can't spot cleverly concealed evil gods, right?" Exchanging a smile with Wen Hui beside her, Zhuang Xiaoyuan spoke up. Despite her young age, she was well aware of such common sense, having enlisted herself. However, Zhuang Xiaoyuan secretly doubted the effectiveness of these routine checks; otherwise, Maple City wouldn't have been overrun by so many evil gods. When all was said and done, ordinary people simply lacked the ability to distinguish hidden evil gods.

"Xiaoyuan, now that you've arrived in the Central Metropolis, you need to change some of your perspectives. The Central Metropolis is different from the outer cities; the one thing we aren't short of here is Divine Armament Warriors of all kinds. Take a look." Hearing Zhuang Xiaoyuan's doubt, Feng Guohua smiled slightly, answering while gesturing toward the squad leader who had just directed the car.

As Zhuang Xiaoyuan and the others pulled their vehicle into the recessed zone, a faint yellow glow emanated from the squad leader. The light was so pale that it would have been nearly impossible to notice without a close look. When the radiance faded, a pair of triangular yellow ears sprouted from the captain's head, the bridge of his nose lengthened slightly, and a wagging dog tail grew out from behind him.

"Is he... a Dog God?" Catching the soldier captain's transformation, a flash of surprise crossed the depths of Zhuang Xiaoyuan's eyes. Back in Maple City, there had only been a single-digit number of Divine Armament Warriors acting as guardians to protect the entire city. Yet here in the Central Metropolis, just a random squad leader performing a routine check was a Divine Armament Warrior. Zhuang Xiaoyuan began to understand what Feng Guohua had meant when he said they weren't short of Divine Armament Warriors.

"Among currently known Divine Armament Warriors, those whose guardian deities are racial gods make up a very large number, and Dog Gods are easily one of the most prolific. All four entrances and exits of the Central Metropolis have two Dog God warriors skilled in tracking by scent taking turns on day and night shifts. At the eastern entrance of the starship docking area and the heavily monitored southern entrance, besides the Dog Gods, we've also stationed Snake God warriors with thermal sensory abilities and Hawk God warriors with top-tier vision." Seeing the surprise in Zhuang Xiaoyuan's eyes, Feng Guohua introduced the city with a touch of natural pride in his tone.

"Uncle, hearing you say that, does the Central Metropolis really have that many Divine Armament Warriors? There are already over ten Divine Armament Warriors across just the four entrances. What about inside the city itself?" Thinking of this, Zhuang Xiaoyuan found it impossible to estimate the actual total. The real number would probably shock her.

"We don't have extremely detailed statistical data, but registered guardians in the Central Metropolis alone exceed five figures. The unregistered ones are probably quite numerous as well." Feng Guohua thoroughly enjoyed the girls' astonishment; after all, the sheer scale of the Central Metropolis was something that made him immensely proud.

"Five figures... Why gather all the Divine Armament Warriors together? If every city had more guardians to protect it..." Hearing the figures cited by Feng Guohua, Wen Hui's eyes were filled with shock. Yet, a scale like this could never have formed by coincidence; it was undoubtedly orchestrated intentionally by someone.

Thinking of the fallen Maple City, a flash of sorrow crossed Wen Hui's face. That was the city where she had grown up, a city holding countless memories. Just as a trace of melancholy—completely out of character for her usual optimism—surfaced on her face, a tender, delicate hand grasped her left hand tightly, gripping it as if trying to impart strength.

Wen Hui looked up and met Zhuang Xiaoyuan's smiling face, alongside Chu Miaomiao, whose eyes carried a hint of concern from the other side. That smile and that gaze filled Wen Hui with a profound warmth, and the pang of heartache that had just arisen vanished into thin air within moments under the influence of Zhuang Xiaoyuan's smile and Chu Miaomiao's gaze.

Noticing the interaction between the three girls in the back, a sentimental smile touched Feng Guohua's face. Youth was truly wonderful. Sentimentality aside, regarding Wen Hui's slightly questioning tone, Feng Guohua wanted to clear any lingering doubts in her heart; after all, they were the future pillars of humanity.

"Regarding that, it's a helpless situation. Compared to the outer cities, the Divine Armament Warriors themselves are far more important. And despite the five-figure count looking so large, the truth is that less than a tenth of them are actually capable of fighting and dealing with fiends. Even among that fraction, the majority can only handle lower-tier fiends, and the number of those who truly possess the strength to resist upper-tier fiends is even smaller. If such combat power were to be scattered any further..." He didn't need to finish. The distribution of guardians in each city had already been stretched to the absolute limit of available personnel. Higher-ups had also feared being picked off one by one, which was why they ordered guardians to withdraw first when a city fell—though very few actually chose to retreat early.

"I'm sorry. Speaking blindly when I knew nothing about it." Her mood having recovered, and remembering her previous impoliteness, Wen Hui blushed slightly as she apologized to Feng Guohua, though she didn't loosen her grip on Zhuang Xiaoyuan's hand.

"It's fine. Your intentions were good, but we truly have done the utmost with what can currently be dispatched. We are working hard as well; it's all for the sake of humanity." Feng Guohua smiled at Wen Hui to indicate she needn't mind. Seeing the Dog God soldier outside return to his normal form and wave a hand to signal that everything was clear, Feng Guohua turned back to instruct Chu Yan, "Let's head inside. We still have quite a few matters to take care of."

"Uncle, where are we heading now?" The scenery outside the car window receded rapidly. After passing through the towering city walls, Zhuang Xiaoyuan and the others entered a wide avenue leading straight into the heart of the metropolis. On both sides of the road, two distinct zones were clearly visible: the left side was blocked off by high walls, obscuring the view inside, likely a military-managed zone or some special facility, while the right side featured rows of high-rise apartment buildings, presumably ordinary residential quarters.

"We need to report to the Divine Armament Academy first. Your transfer examinations are inevitable, and the Chu girl needs to report back from leave. After that, we'll arrange your dormitories." Accompanied by Feng Guohua's voice, the speeding car drew steadily closer to the center of the city.