The top nine positions among the Ten Great Demon Beast Clans had remained unchanged for a millennium. The tenth spot, however, shifted every year. After all, countless powerful demon beast races existed in this world. Though they couldn’t rival the monstrous clans dominating the top nine (Wasteland Beasts, nearly extinct on the Eastern Emperor Continent, now teetered precariously on the list), fighting for tenth place was still within reach.

The Giant Clan frequently occupied that tenth rank. Despite sounding like brutish oafs, most giants possessed remarkably high intelligence. They lived in communities, with their own cultures and languages—races like the Hundred-Eyed Giants and Long-Armed Giants exemplified this.

Mountain Giants, however, were outliers among giants. Composed entirely of earth and stone, they had low intelligence and couldn’t even roar. Yet none of this diminished their formidable strength. Their rock-hard bodies alone made countless demon beast hunters hesitate.

Another trait set Mountain Giants apart: they never lived in groups. They were solitary wanderers. Seeing more than one Mountain Giant in the same location simultaneously was unheard of.

—Which was precisely why everyone lowered their guard after the first Mountain Giant fell.

Sinan Ying felt the ground tremble. A shadow engulfed her before she could react!

"Miss!"

Sinan Yuan’s heart lurched. Instinctively, she prepared to strike—her Anomaly Power launched shockwaves. At this range, she could blast Sinan Ying clear—painful, yes, but better than being crushed by a Mountain Giant’s fist!

Her punch never landed. Elder Hong intercepted her arm. With a flick of his wrist, a solid light barrier materialized between Sinan Ying and the giant hand. The blow slammed against the shield and rebounded!

"In your panic, you forgot I was here. Your leadership still lacks experience." Elder Hong remained utterly calm. Rescuing people mid-crisis was routine for him. He turned to Sinan Jing: "Don’t blame yourself. Mountain Giants are hard to detect within rock. For now, we must deal with this one—"

His words cut off as Sinan Jing gasped again—

"How?! One… two… three… the entire hillside is crawling with them!"

"What?!"

"Run!" Elder Hong reacted fastest. He lunged forward, snatching Sinan Ying and Sinan Jing, then leaped down the steep slope without hesitation. Simultaneously, the hill erupted with thunderous cracks. Massive fissures spiderwebbed across the stone. Boulders disintegrated from within. Debris and dirt flew wildly! Through the choking dust, towering silhouettes emerged—dozens of Mountain Giants!

The team followed Elder Hong’s lead, jumping after him. One slow队员 took a rock fist to the chest and vanished, fate unknown. Burdened with two people, Elder Hong showed no fatigue. He bounded down the slope like a mountain goat, using light barriers to cushion steep drops with astonishing agility.

Reaching flat ground, he set the women down and spun around. Two colossal light barriers flared: one thick as a fortress wall above, blocking the giants; the other thin yet elastic below, catching his falling teammates.

"Don’t engage these stone-brained brutes. Retreat is our best—"

BOOM—!

"—strategy!" His final word drowned in an explosion. A boulder directly overhead shattered, revealing another Mountain Giant bursting free.

"—?!"

What followed happened in the blink of an eye:

The newborn giant leaped straight down—landing point: Sinan Ying.

Elder Hong, though powerful, had split his focus maintaining the two barriers. His reaction lagged by half a beat.

Trapped, Sinan Ying acted on pure instinct. She released a bubble upward.

This bubble lacked its usual shimmer. Its surface was coated in murky black film, radiating dangerous energy as it drifted toward the giant.

Sinan Yuan, closest to her, moved the instant she saw that bubble.

"Miss!"

A powerful shockwave erupted from Sinan Yuan’s palm, blasting Sinan Ying clear of the spot.

Simultaneously, Elder Hong erected his strongest barrier yet, sealing off the black bubble.

Then—

A thunderous blast echoed for miles. Consciousness vanished. Only deafening ringing filled their ears before darkness swallowed everything. The sensation of falling. The grit of rock. Crushing pressure. All faded as awareness dimmed…

***

My childhood wasn’t happy.

From the moment I understood the world, I lived in a gilded mansion. Servants bustled everywhere. Delicious food filled the tables. Precious ornaments adorned every room. Anything money could buy was mine.

Except friends.

I had four older brothers and one sister. We shared a father but had different mothers. My brothers were much older, each ruling their own territory. They rarely gathered. Even when they met, their smiles were fake, their words icy formalities—no trace of sibling warmth. Playing with me? Impossible. My sister lacked their scheming nature, but she seemed born awkward with people. Quiet and still, she’d only half-heartedly join my games before retreating to her study.

Only two people truly cared for me: Mother and Uncle.

Though frail, Mother always indulged my任性. When I played alone in the courtyard, she’d sit under the shade tree, watching from afar. Illness chained her body—she couldn’t join my games—but she never let me leave her sight when we were together.

Uncle was deeply learned. Only with him could I sit still and read. He told me stories of the outside world: the bustle of the Zhonghai Archipelago, the religions of the Western Saint Continent, the unsolved mysteries of the Far North, the legends of Guixu… That’s when I dreamed of becoming an adventurer.

But happiness didn’t last. One day, Uncle casually mentioned his close friendship with my late father’s younger brother—my uncle. The moment the words left his mouth, he clapped a hand over his lips, fear in his eyes, and fled. Later, I saw him enter Father’s room… and never come out. I told Mother. Her face turned grave for the first time. She said she’d speak to Father, that we must "leave this place at once"… When I saw her again, she looked exhausted. She didn’t explain. She just held me and wept silently.

Years later, Mother’s illness worsened. She passed away too soon.

As I grew, I finally understood my past. I understood what it meant to be the daughter of the Sinan Family head. The more I understood, the heavier the chains binding me felt. So I stopped thinking. Stopped worrying about the inevitable. I’d seize every drop of joy while I could. Do what I wanted now. Live in the moment…

Still, deep down, I wished someone would sweep me away…

Then—wake up.

***

Sinan Ying groaned awake. She’d just had a dream… about unhappy things…

If it’s unhappy, don’t dwell on it! Live in the moment, live in the moment~

She slowly opened her eyes. Pitch blackness. The metallic tang of soil filled her nose. She tested her limbs, feeling around. Cold, hard rock pressed against her hands. Her back prickled uncomfortably. She tried to sit up—*thud!*—her head cracked against something solid, stars exploding behind her eyes.

What… happened…?

The hilltop swarmed with terrifying numbers of Mountain Giants. They’d almost escaped when…

Sinan Ying’s heart sank. Right. In her panic, she hadn’t considered the bomb’s power. She’d unleashed her ultimate move. This collapse trapping her… was probably her own doing!

Last time her Anomaly Power ran wild, she’d leveled a building back home. This time? Had she flattened the entire hill? If so… Yuan-jie, Jing-jie, Grandpa Hong, the others… were they all…?

Her emotions spiraled. Worry for her companions clawed at her sanity. It was all her fault! All because of her! She’d talked about leaving the Sinan Family, about adventuring the world—but she couldn’t even control her own power! She’d dragged everyone down with her!

—*Hmph! Xiao Ying. Before blaming others, look to yourself! If you still can’t control your power, why would the guard team ever let you fight?*

—*Effort means nothing without results!*

—*Weakness means being controlled by others!*

—*Uncontrolled power is no different from weakness! This ends now. Reflect properly!*

Elder Hong’s old scoldings echoed, each word stabbing her heart. *If only I were more useful… If only I were smarter…*

No. She couldn’t sink deeper! If she couldn’t even get out alive, nothing else mattered! Gritting her teeth, Sinan Ying began feeling the rocks around her. She wouldn’t dare use bubbles to clear a path—digging recklessly might trigger another collapse. She had to find the load-bearing stones, carefully loosening debris by hand without disturbing the structure.

One minute passed. Ten. An hour. Time lost meaning in the suffocating dark. Her compass was lost somewhere. Direction meant nothing. Her nails were split. Blood streaked her once-delicate fingers. Bruises covered her palms. Still, she dug. Hours blurred. Her cramped space grew larger, but escape remained distant.

Exhausted, Sinan Ying collapsed onto the rubble. She forced herself to think: *Where to dig next…?*

Was this… the end?

Was heaven punishing her for being useless?

So tired. So sleepy…

But if she slept now… she’d die, right…?

*Crack.*

"…Huh?"

A sound in the darkness. Someone else digging? Had she imagined it?

"…Ying? Xiao Ying? Where are you…?"

That voice… Xiao Ye?!

Strength flooded Sinan Ying’s body. She screamed with all her might: "Xiao Ye! It’s me! I’m here!"

The digging stopped. A melodious female voice replied: "Xiao Ying? Is it really you?"

"Over here! I found her! She’s under this rock!"

Footsteps scrambled in the distance. Stones clattered. A sliver of white light pierced the darkness. It grew brighter. With a final *crunch*, a massive boulder shifted aside. Sinan Ying saw the outside world again!

Crimson sunset painted the sky. Silhouettes rushed about. And there, in a dark red trench coat, stood her best friend. An ordinary sight from the past few days—but now, it brought tears to Sinan Ying’s eyes.

The red-clad beauty lifted her carefully. As if sensing her thoughts, she whispered in her ear, "Don't worry. The others buried have been found too. A few are badly hurt, but no casualties yet."

No... casualties?

"That's great..."