The crimson-scaled Eastern Dragon descended slowly, its massive body and legs folding as it touched down on the cracked earth. Wei Jun and the young boy slid off its back first, landing lightly. Lucas followed, his boots hitting the ground with a dull thud.
His Wrath had already faded, and with it, the two violet swords had vanished into thin sparks. His chest rose and fell heavily, each breath sharp and labored. The weight of the battle clung to his muscles.
Wei Jun stepped forward, concern flashing in his eyes.
"Leader, are you alright?" he asked, voice tight with worry.
Lucas forced a breath, straightened his back, and nodded.
"Yeah… I'm fine. You? You didn't take any serious wounds, did you?"
Wei Jun shook his head quickly.
"No, I'm okay. Thanks to you."
The boy looked up at Lucas with wide, shining eyes.
"Big brother, you're really amazing!" he blurted, admiration clear in every word.
Lucas managed a faint smile, though fatigue still pulled at his limbs. He reached out and ruffled the kid's hair.
"Let's keep moving. We need to get back to the village."
Meanwhile—
Far away, deep in the underground basement of Lingquan Corporation, two more figures arrived. Huang Qi and Katherine Vale. Katherine's face was pale, her breath shallow with panic. Around them, staff and agents were gathered, but no one paid them any attention.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the massive crimson screens lining the walls. Strangely, the feed showed only Lucas now — every battle, every step. All other visuals had faded, as though the world had narrowed to just him.
Katherine swallowed hard.
Back at the battle site, Lucas turned to Wei Jun and the boy.
"Let's go."
They climbed back onto the dragon's broad back. The beast let out a low growl and beat its wings, lifting off into the air. Their course was set—back toward the village.
—
At that same time, not far from their destination, Lucas's swordsman was moving through another village. The place was eerily empty. He had already checked every house — all except for one large, ominous building that now stood in his path.
His golden armor, once gleaming, appeared dull under the gloomy skies. This world lacked proper light; even gold struggled to shine here. His hand hovered near his sword hilt as he approached the big house, instincts prickling.
Elsewhere in the village — the one Lucas was now returning to — the rest of his team was already in position. The wand user and the two archers stood watch.
One archer, his bow glowing crimson, conjured arrows wreathed in fire.
The other, his weapon pale blue, nocked shimmering ice arrows, cold mist swirling around the string.
The wand user, his hand burning with molten energy, prepared his magma spell.
Then —
"Wait! Hold your fire!"
Wei Jun's voice echoed from above.
"It's us! Cancel your attacks! It's me, Wei Jun, along with Leader Lucas Halt and a kid!"
At his shout, the archers lowered their bows, and the wand user released the charged spell with a huff of relief.
The dragon circled once before descending, landing with a heavy impact that sent dust rolling.
Lucas was the first to hop down, boots hitting dirt. Wei Jun and the boy followed quickly.
Lucas wasted no time. He stepped forward and asked,
"Did any of you find a clue about the boss yet?"
The gathered team members looked down, shame in their expressions.
"Sorry, Leader," one murmured.
"We haven't found anything yet."
Lucas's jaw clenched.
The swordsman stood before the dark oak house, its frame towering and silent, the roof built from shadowed stone. As he pushed open the heavy gate, an eerie emptiness greeted him — the entire house hollow, not a single piece of furniture inside. Nothing… except the scene unfolding before his eyes.
A cloaked man had pinned a woman to the ground. She wore the distinct garb of a nun — her black and white habit now stained with dirt, her figure trembling as she struggled beneath the attacker. The sight twisted Tianlei's gut with fury.
Without hesitation, he drew his silver sword. In a flash, he dashed forward and drove the blade straight through the man's back. A spray of blood followed as the attacker crumpled beside the nun, groaning in pain. Tianlei glanced down — an old man, face twisted with madness and lust, bald and gaunt.
But as the swordsman turned his eyes to the woman he'd saved, he found himself momentarily breathless. She was… stunning. Her features delicate yet striking — smooth pale skin, raven-black eyes that shimmered even through tears. Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, and though she still lay on the ground, her aura was almost ethereal.
Her chest was big, so was her ass.
The swordsman quickly sheathed his sword and extended a hand.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice rough from the adrenaline.
The nun took his hand, her touch soft. She rose, her composure returning, and managed a faint smile.
"Thank you," she whispered. Even her voice carried a strange, enchanting warmth.
The swordsman felt heat rise to his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"It's nothing. I just did what anyone should do."
But his heart pounded faster as he struggled not to stare.
"I… I have to ask," he said quickly. "What are you doing alone in this abandoned village?"
The nun's gaze dropped.
"I'm from a nearby church. I came here to collect some old resources. I didn't expect anyone else to be here… but then he grabbed me and dragged me into this house..."
"You don't have to say more," he cut in, voice firmer now. "He didn't… hurt you, right?"
She shook her head. "No. Thanks to you… he didn't get the chance."
Relief flooded his chest. He exhaled slowly, then gave her a softer look.
"What's your name?"
She smiled again, more genuinely this time.
"Selena Arclight."
"A good name," he said, his lips curving upward.
Selena tilted her head. "And yours, kind swordsman?"
"Fang Tianlei," he replied.
Her smile deepened. "That's a strong name. It suits you."
Tianlei chuckled nervously, rubbing his head again.
"Ah… it's nothing special… heh."
Then he straightened, more serious now.
"This place is dangerous. If you want, I can escort you back to your church. It's safer that way."
Selena blinked, slightly flustered. "Oh, thank you. But I wouldn't want to trouble you—"
"It's no trouble," Tianlei interrupted, smiling wide. "Helping a beautiful nun like you… feels more like a blessing than a burden."
Selena's cheeks turned faintly pink. "I'm not that beautiful..."
"You just haven't seen yourself from where I'm standing," Tianlei said softly.
Her lips parted in surprise, and then she laughed — a light, musical sound that made Tianlei's heart skip again.
Selena and Tianlei stepped out of the dark house, their conversation light, smiles lingering on both their faces. The tension from before seemed to melt away, replaced by a strange warmth between them. Selena's soft laughter echoed faintly in the empty village square, and Tianlei couldn't help but grin wider in response.
But then—
His smile froze.
His eyes caught something that made his heart lurch.
All the houses around them—every single one except the one they had just exited—had lost their roofs. Torn clean off as if some invisible force had ripped them away.
And then he heard it.
A low, wet growl. A noise that made the air feel heavier.
Slowly, Tianlei turned his gaze upward, towards the roof of the house they had just left.
Perched there, crouched like some nightmare given flesh, was the beast.
It loomed tall — at least nine feet, its grotesque, muscular frame stretched tight with thin skin that barely concealed the raw sinew and tendons underneath. The creature's four legs, jointed like a spider's, dug into the rooftop for stability, each ending in gnarled claws that scraped against the dark wood.
Two elongated arms hung at its sides, each gripping a chain thick with rust, the ancient metal groaning with every shift. At the end of each chain, iron cages swung lightly — cages that seemed almost alive, as if the faint sounds of sobbing echoed from within.
Its torso was a ribcage of horror — the bones jutting outward like jagged spines, each breath it took making them ripple grotesquely. Along its back, the spine arched unnaturally, sprouting bone spikes that made its silhouette even more monstrous.
And its head—
No eyes. No face. Only a vast helmet-like bone plate covering everything, with a deep, vertical chasm running down its center. A maw that wasn't meant to scream… but to wail. To terrify.
Drool trickled from that chasm. Thick and stringy, it dripped from the roof—
—and splattered right across Selena's cheek.
She gasped, stumbling backward in terror, her body shaking as she tried to wipe it off. Her eyes, wide with horror, locked onto the monster above as it tensed.
And then—
It jumped.
The beast released the rooftop with a screech, hurling its towering mass down towards them like a falling mountain.
Tianlei's instincts roared to life. He grabbed Selena's wrist.
"Hold on!" he barked, and dashed backward with every ounce of strength.
They hit the ground hard — Selena landing atop him as they rolled away.
DHUMP!
The creature slammed into the earth where they had stood a second ago, the ground cracking under its weight. The air shuddered with the impact.
GIYUGAHI!
The beast let out a guttural, wet growl that echoed through the empty village.
Selena scrambled off Tianlei, her breath ragged, and both of them got to their feet.
Chains rattled—
The monster spun them like deadly flails, the rusted iron cages shrieking through the air as they came whipping toward them.
Tianlei's eyes flashed.
He reached into his inventory pouch, pulling forth his weapons—
Dual Flame Swords.
Twin blades blazed into existence in his hands:
One, a brilliant crimson sword, its edge flickering with deep red flames that licked the air hungrily. The other, a cool blue counterpart, its blade shimmering with ethereal blue fire that seemed almost colder than ice yet burned all the same.
Their designs were exquisite, the flames dancing along their surfaces, casting shifting shadows on Tianlei's face as he took his stance.
And strapped at his side, almost forgotten, was his old silver sword. A relic from before, carried out of habit… but now, it was the flames that answered his call.
He narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on both swords.
The beast lunged forward, chains spinning like twin storms.
Tianlei exhaled.
The twin cages came hurtling toward them — massive, each one nearly as large as Tianlei himself. Their rusted metal shrieked through the air like banshees, threatening to crush anything in their path.
But—
With a sharp step forward and a single, precise swing of his Dual Flame Swords, Tianlei met them head-on.
CLANG!
The moment his blades made contact—
The momentum died.
Just like that.
The monstrous cages, which had been tearing through the air with deadly force, froze mid-swing as if they'd struck an unmovable wall. Tianlei's strength, channeled through his crimson and blue flames, halted them cold.
Not an inch further.
Not against him.
The beast snarled, surprised.
Tianlei gritted his teeth, muscles flexing as he pushed against the metal. With a sharp shove, he forced both cages backward. They whipped away with a thunderous rattle, snapping back toward the monster like recoiled chains.
Dust kicked up around him as he exhaled sharply.
Turning his head slightly, he called out, his voice firm but calm:
"Selene, go and hide somewhere and let me take care of this beast. I cannot handle it while saving you."
Selena, her face pale but her eyes locked on his, swallowed hard.
"Please," she whispered, voice trembling. "Please be alert. Please do not let yourself get hurt for me."
Tianlei's gaze softened.
Even in the face of this horror, she was worried for him.
He glanced at her over his shoulder—
And smiled.
A warm, reassuring smile that cut through the fear like sunlight through dark clouds.
Selena's lips quivered, then curved into a small, hesitant smile of her own.
Without another word, she took several steps back, then turned and hurried toward one of the intact walls, searching for cover.
Tianlei turned back, his smile fading as his eyes hardened once more.
The beast roared, yanking its chains back into position.
Tianlei raised his swords.
The flames crackled in response.
And this time—he was ready to strike.