Just then, a soft green glow emanated from Shiyue’s body. Slowly, she floated up into the air.

“Shiyue?”

Yichen watched in shock as Shiyue underwent this strange transformation.

The gentle light swirled around her, cradling her like a newborn.

Yichen saw the green energy gather at her severed arm. It piled up, filling the gap, shaping a new arm and hand. The glow faded, leaving behind a flawless, jade-white limb. The light lingered a moment longer before vanishing. Shiyue descended gently to the ground. Her pale face had regained its color; she breathed steadily.

Soon, Shiyue rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly. She tilted her head, seeing Yichen’s tear-streaked face brimming with joy.

“Yichen? What’s wrong? Huh? My arm…”

She flexed her fingers, clenched a fist. The freshly severed arm felt unreal, yet the excruciating pain remained vivid. Shiyue stared at her arm in disbelief.

“Yichen, what happened to me?”

Yichen shook his head.

“A green light burst from you. It swirled around your body, gathering at your arm to form a new one.”

“Huh? How?”

“Thank goodness, Shiyue!”

Yichen suddenly hugged her tightly, his voice trembling with emotion.

“Thank goodness you’re safe. Really, thank goodness.”

Though confused, Shiyue blushed and smiled softly, hugging him back. Her heart raced wildly in his embrace.

Bang!

Crash! Rumble!

A massive impact shook the nearby factory. Its walls collapsed, spilling a huge creature onto the road.

They turned to look.

It resembled a lion—but twice as large. Pitch-black fur, glowing red eyes, and four grotesquely long fangs jutted from its jaws.

“What… is that?” Shiyue stepped back fearfully.

“Could it be… a Monster?” Yichen blurted out the term from class, instinctively shielding Shiyue.

He’d never seen one, but lessons described them: beings from another world, slipping through dimensional rifts. Fierce and powerful. A lion was a helpless kitten before them. Only Soul Force Wielders could fight them. And if spotted, run immediately.

ROAR!!!

The Monster roared, struggling to its feet. Its crimson eyes glared back at the broken wall.

Suddenly, it leaped aside.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted where it had stood, sparks flying.

A blue-clad figure burst from the rubble, soaring upward. A young man in military uniform swung a Greatsword downward at the Monster.

ROAR!

The Monster dodged, then lunged at the man as he landed off-balance.

“Watch out!” Shiyue cried anxiously.

Bang!

Something struck the leaping Monster, slamming it to the ground. It writhed, trying to rise.

The young man seized the chance, decapitating it with one clean strike.

Shiyue pressed a hand to her chest, exhaling in relief.

“Xiaotong! Civilians here!”

“What?”

The man shouted toward the ruins. A girl’s voice answered from within.

As Yichen wondered if “civilians” meant them, the man approached. A girl in matching blue uniform followed, twin white pistols in hand.

Yichen saw their faces clearly now. The man, around 22 or 23, had a stern, grim expression. The curly-haired girl, also early twenties, looked equally tense.

“Damn it! Why did civilians wander in today? We can’t protect you! How did you even get here?” The man—Minghui—demanded angrily.

“We accidentally…” Yichen started.

“Minghui, stop! Focus!” Xiaotong cut in, raising her pistols to scan the area.

Yichen was lost. He only knew their names and that they were Soul Force Wielders—his first real encounter.

ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!

Growls echoed from all sides. Dozens of identical Monsters surrounded them.

“Hey! You two! What are you doing?”

A deep voice boomed above Yichen.

A tall, middle-aged man in blue uniform landed beside them.

The Monsters attacked as one.

Minghui, Xiaotong, and the Captain raised their weapons, forming a protective circle around Yichen and Shiyue.

“Captain! They’re civilians! We can’t spare protection today! Abandon them!” Minghui yelled mid-fight. The Captain must be the leader.

Yichen’s blood ran cold. Shiyue clutched his arm, terrified. They understood the implication.

ROAR! Explosions!

More fighting erupted behind the wall.

“Listen up! We’ll break a path for you! Xiaotong, to me! Minghui, guard them! Run when you see the opening! That’s all we can do!”

Minghui obeyed reluctantly, positioning himself near Yichen and Shiyue. Xiaotong joined the Captain, carving a path in one direction.

“What about you?” Yichen gripped Shiyue’s hand, worried.

“Hah! Worry about yourselves!” Minghui forced a dry laugh, fending off a Monster. Another lunged—he dodged too late. Blood gushed from his arm.

“Run now!” he snarled at Yichen.

“Be careful!” Yichen called back, pulling Shiyue toward the Captain’s gap.

They sprinted through the opening.

Shiyue glanced back as they ran. “Yichen, what about them?”

“We escape first! Find my sister—Zixuan. She can help! We’d only slow them down now!”

At Zixuan’s name, Shiyue paled but shook her head firmly, nodding. “Okay… Yichen, they’re chasing us!”

“What?”

Yichen looked back. Three Monsters pursued them.

“Weren’t they holding them off? Shiyue, run!”

He saw the trio still fighting, overwhelmed. Yichen pulled Shiyue harder. The muddy road would doom them. He scanned for cover.

“Shiyue! This way!”

He yanked her into a narrow alley. Dilapidated houses lined it, doors hanging open, abandoned long ago. They ducked into one.

The three Monsters followed, pacing the alley, snuffling heavily. More growls joined them—reinforcements arrived.

Inside, Yichen and Shiyue crouched against a wall, silent. Moonlight seeped through a window, revealing dust, a fallen chair, a wobbly three-legged table, and a broken stove.

Shiyue clung to Yichen’s arm, pressed close.

The Monsters’ heavy breathing echoed outside.

Yichen crept to a corner, grabbing a meter-long iron rod. He carefully took a rusty, notched kitchen knife from the stove, then crawled back.

“Shiyue, take this rod.”

“Yichen, what for?”

“Just in case.”

Seeing his grim face, Shiyue nodded.