"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it."

Sian couldn’t stop cursing under his breath.

At first, he had thought this monster merely resembled the creatures of his own world.

Even though he understood its traits and could read its movements, its slightly different appearance—and a few unfamiliar details—had led Sian to conclude that it wasn’t as deadly as the monsters he once faced.

But now, staring at the horrifying scene unfolding before him...

Once again, the world had proven him wrong.

Sian looked down at the cracked desert ground, at the blood, at the bodies crawling out from beneath the earth—standing upright without any form that could properly be called human.

Those small monsters were forming slowly, yet with terrifying force.

Within seconds, several of them stood fully shaped, ready to fight.

Yes—despite their almost human appearance, they were nothing more than corpses. Corpses crafted by that abomination’s power, pieced together from the bodies of those it had killed and devoured.

"Oh God... may God have mercy on us."

"Move, damn it! What mercy are you begging for while you’re standing there doing nothing?" Sian snapped. "Get out of my way. I won’t protect anyone within a radius of at least three hundred meters."

"Sian—what are you planning to do?"

Lan Qishing rushed forward and grabbed Sian’s arm.

He was still in shock after seeing those things crawl out of the ground. It felt as though hell itself had opened its gates, and there was no way left to close them.

Yet the moment he saw Sian stepping forward, neither hell nor light remained in his sight.

There was only Sian.

Lan knew better than anyone that Sian didn’t want to fight. He didn’t enjoy it.

Yes, Sian was strong. And yes, he was skilled in combat—but that didn’t mean he had to fight just because he could.

And yet, he always ended up in battle.

He hadn’t known peace for even a single moment since... since arriving in this world.

"What do you want?" Sian demanded.

His amber eyes burned with a dark crimson glow.

He could barely restrain his emotions in the presence of this monster.

And that wasn’t all.

His mind was drowning in questions.

Who in hell was playing with things like this—bringing them here? How and why would anyone want to turn a beautiful world into a permanent battlefield?

And would this world end up just like his own... ruined beyond repair?

The pressure crushing his mind and temper left Sian far from his best state. Even facing Lan Qishing, his expression didn’t soften.

He stared at him coldly, violently.

Lan swallowed hard. He could feel the oppressive aura leaking from Sian’s body, heavy and terrifying.

Yet he still forced himself to speak.

Looking straight at Sian, he asked,

"Are you planning to fight these monsters alone? At least let us handle the smaller ones while you deal with the bigger beast."

Sian almost laughed in bitter mockery.

Not at Lan—he was grateful for the man’s willingness to help—but at the situation they had been dragged into.

He reined in his anger, then looked deeply at Lan Qishing. He spoke slowly, emphasizing every word so the danger would be unmistakable.

"Those small monsters you barely spare a glance at... the ones you think are weak."

He exhaled sharply before continuing.

"One single wound from them, and your blood will be contaminated. You’ll be poisoned. You’ll become one of them."

Sian pointed at one of the creatures.

"You’ll turn into the same thing—a low-tier monster controlled by that disgusting abomination."

"In other words," he finished coldly, "you’ll die without ever understanding why. All it takes is a scratch."

Lan’s men, along with Mira, moved closer, listening in silence.

Had they not witnessed the monster’s power and the grotesque horror of these creatures, they might have retorted that Sian was underestimating them as the nation’s special forces.

But now—

It was painfully clear that they were nothing more than ants before these monsters.

They didn’t even dare imagine facing them anymore—especially after hearing Sian’s words.

They were soldiers. They had accepted death as a possibility in every battle.

But the death they imagined was a noble one—standing tall, millions lining their coffins to honor them, sending them off with glory.

Becoming a mindless abomination that slaughtered civilians?

Who would ever choose that fate?

"Besides," Sian added calmly, "they’re hard for you and your men to deal with right now. Not only are they poisonous—they’re extremely fast. You won’t be able to handle them."

After saying this, Sian seemed noticeably calmer.

He turned to Kira.

"Kira, you and I will deal with as many of the smaller monsters as possible. I’ll assist you at first—it’ll be difficult alone—then I’ll take on the main monster by myself."

A sweet, gentle voice rang through the air.

"Yes, Boss."

No one questioned Sian’s judgment—not after witnessing the teenage girl’s strength and her brutal fighting style.

"But Sian—"

Lan tried to intervene again, but Sian cut him off. His voice was tired, his eyes dull, devoid of light.

"Lan. I won’t repeat it. Don’t force me to knock you unconscious."

The threat in his voice was unmistakable.

Lan should have felt insulted. Or angry.

Instead, he felt deeply worried about Sian’s mental state.

He hadn’t been the same since the island incident.

Since then, everything had changed.

Sian had changed too.

From a lazy man who cared about nothing but food and sleep—always gentle, always calm—into someone cold, withdrawn, constantly angry, with the shadow of blood lingering in his eyes and soul.

Lan felt he needed to find time to talk to him. Really talk.

"...Alright."

Lan took a deep breath and turned to his men, his voice suddenly firm and commanding—nothing like the tone he’d used when pleading with Sian.

"Everyone, fall back."

As Sian and Kira advanced forward, Lan and his men retreated.

The scene that followed...

There were no words suitable to describe it.

"Sir, should we record everything?"

The question carried weight.

Something like this—something like that monster—needed to be documented. Recorded for study. To analyze its strengths and weaknesses, so they wouldn’t be helpless if they faced something similar again.

But now, it was clear.

The captain’s beloved... was going to fight.