Midgar… Shinra…
When those two names were connected—
It felt very familiar.
Maybe not everyone would recognize them immediately, since they came from an older game.
But mention Sephiroth, the One-Winged Angel, and almost anyone would recall him.
Before becoming the final boss, Sephiroth had been a First-Class SOLDIER under Shinra.
And the root cause of his eventual madness—his twisted desire to destroy the world—
Was Shinra itself.
"Dimensional rifts…"
Mammon turned his head, gazing out the window.
Rain fell steadily, and dark clouds blanketed the sky.
How similar…
To the shadow looming over this world.
Monsters kept appearing endlessly.
Who knew how many demons from other dimensions were watching this world with greedy eyes?
And now—
Even entire cities from other dimensions had begun to appear.
But this wasn't Mammon's concern.
It was the Human Alliance that should be worrying.
The emergence of Midgar was not just an event—
It was a warning.
Previously, only monsters had emerged from dimensional rifts.
But now—
Humans from other worlds had appeared.
This was a true escalation.
Would the Human Alliance choose cooperation?
Or eradication?
But Shinra was no easy target.
Midgar was their headquarters—
A city built entirely by Shinra.
"A need to grow stronger… quickly."
Mammon narrowed his crimson eyes slightly.
For now, Midgar had nothing to do with him.
But once something happened—
It would happen again.
Who could guarantee that one day, a legendary-level monster wouldn't suddenly appear in Yangcheng?
Still, there was no need to panic.
Dimensional rifts always showed warning signs before opening.
As long as one stayed alert—
That was enough.
The car sped through the rain and soon arrived at a villa.
This was the residence prepared for him by Mr. Dai.
In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
And with it—
Mr. Dai.
"Good evening, my lord."
Dressed in a gray trench coat, Mr. Dai bowed respectfully to Mammon, who was dining.
"The matter of contacting them—ready?"
Mammon took a sip of blood-red wine and glanced at him.
This man wouldn't come without reason.
"My apologies. I've begun arranging a gathering, but it will take a bit more time."
Mr. Dai smiled awkwardly.
It had only been a day.
Contacting the major figures of Yangcheng's underground world couldn't be done instantly.
"Speak. What is it?"
Mammon wasn't surprised.
He trusted Mr. Dai's capability—but efficiency had limits.
"At Xishan Ridge, according to recent intelligence… an A-rank demonic insect disaster has appeared."
Mr. Dai's expression turned serious.
"An A-rank… demonic insect?"
Mammon paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
In the current world—
With legendary threats unseen and epic-level entities hidden—
S-rank disasters were already considered humanity's greatest terror.
An S-rank disaster could wipe out an entire large city.
And yet—
Fewer than five had ever been recorded.
Which meant—
A-rank disasters were currently the strongest threats commonly faced by humanity.
But even A-rank disasters were rare.
And where there was danger—
There was opportunity.
Whenever a disaster above A-rank appeared—
It was often accompanied by treasures.
"Yes. It's confirmed to be A-rank. The information came directly from the mayor's secretary."
Mr. Dai replied firmly.
He understood what this meant—
A massive opportunity.
This information had come from Liu Wei—the fat man in a suit.
Though somewhat cowardly, his connections and intelligence network were reliable.
"When will Yangcheng act?"
Mammon's crimson eyes flickered continuously.
An A-rank demonic insect…
And potential treasures…
Very tempting.
For humans, even monster flesh itself was a kind of treasure.
Because it contained dense energy—
Long-term consumption could enhance physical constitution.
This applied to both humans and demons alike.
But Mammon wanted more.
If he could turn that A-rank demonic insect into a demon—
It would become an incredibly powerful asset.
His first Upper Rank of the Twelve Kizuki…
Might be born from this.
"We don't know yet. But for an A-rank disaster, they will definitely prepare thoroughly."
Mr. Dai shook his head.
A-rank disasters were not easy opponents.
A monster's physique and magical power far exceeded that of humans.
Even at the same rank—
For a human to kill a monster alone was extremely difficult.
The stronger the level—
The greater the gap.
An A-rank disaster was already capable of destroying a city.
Even three A-rank human experts working together would struggle to eliminate one.
And this particular demonic insect…
Might be the Deathland Burst Worm that had appeared before.
Which was why—
Even after discovering its traces—
Yangcheng had not acted rashly.