After the wall rose, a stone staircase leading upward was revealed. Even more peculiar, electric lights lined both walls—yes, actual powered lights.

"This is interesting," Tran mused, gazing at the mysterious stairs.

"Could this be the passage to the imprisoned monster!?" Lia covered her mouth, speaking in disbelief. She’d heard mountain legends since childhood, dismissing them as rumors, but never expected to see a real passage appear.

Tran instantly knew this was an evil organization—why evil? He didn’t know, but it just felt evil.

"Do you know where this leads?" Tran asked Lia.

"I don’t know! I know nothing!" Lia stammered, panicking. She feared this man might be one of the monster’s jailers, here to unleash disaster.

"Oh, alright. I’ll go in myself. Maybe explaining nicely will get me out," Tran thought. "You hurry back—it’s too dangerous here." He stepped toward the passage.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around him from behind. Pressed against his back were two soft mounds. At fifteen, Lia was in full bloom; having curves was normal.

Tran had never experienced such closeness. The only females he’d touched intimately were his mom and sister. He rarely interacted with girls at all. Though he and Fili joked crudely, it was all theory.

Blood rushed to his head. Something warm threatened to gush from his nose.

"No! I won’t let you release the monster!" Lia shouted. Tran felt himself lifted off the ground—then a massive slam against his back. In her panic, she didn’t care who he was; a back throw sent him crashing down.

The nosebleed he’d held back burst out, splattering his face.

Lia felt the weight vanish. Seeing Tran sprawled on the ground, bloodied and motionless, she nearly fainted.

"I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I just didn’t want you to hurt my people... I’m sorry... wuwu..." She sobbed, convinced she’d killed him. Clearly, she didn’t know Tran’s resilience.

Tran had been faking death, but her tears flustered him. Slowly, he raised a hand, wiped blood across his face, then reached his crimson-stained palm toward her head.

"Little sister Lia... if it happened again... would you believe I’m not bad?" Tran whispered weakly, holding the bloody hand before her.

The visual shock and his acting deceived the innocent girl.

"Yes! I believe you’re not bad—a bad person wouldn’t have spared me!" Lia gripped his hand tightly. This naive child just wanted him alive, identity forgotten.

"Then... let big brother rest a moment. I’ll explain things..." Tran forced a faint smile. He hated tricking her, but desperate times demanded desperate tricks.

"Okay!" Lia eagerly offered her lap, granting Tran his first-ever lap pillow. He’d never felt so blissful.

"We’ve shared life and death now. Call me Big Brother Tran," he said. It wasn’t true bonding—he’d just looked half-dead—but Lia agreed readily. Tran felt comforted; once, his strength cost him a sister. Adopting one might fill that void.

"Lia, I’m from outside this island. I’m from City B in China, Asia. Since you speak Chinese, you know it, right?" Tran asked.

"Is there really a world beyond ours? Isn’t this all there is?" Lia gasped, her fifteen years of teachings crumbling.

"Alright, time for a lesson. This world isn’t small—we’ve colonized other planets. With special Superpowers, we discovered planes, like parallel universes. It’s huge! And us Chinese? We’re awesome," Tran bragged.

"How big?" Lia asked innocently.

"Uh..."

Tran spent ages simplifying explanations, teaching her basics. To his shock, she could write Chinese characters. This island was tied to Chinese Superpower criminals. Yet her race had lasted centuries—who could sustain that?

"Big Brother Tran... you said my home was artificially created. Is it true?" Lia still doubted. It felt like being told she lived in "The Matrix."

"If I’m right, this passage holds the answers." Tran wiped his face and stood slowly.

"Then... okay. Lia trusts Big Brother Tran." Their long talk convinced her—he hadn’t raged after her throw, just forgave her.

They agreed to enter. Lia gathered her arrows; Tran cleaned his nosebleed. Inside, the upward passage was narrow but easy for their small frames.

At the end stood a door with a small machine beside it. Lia was clueless, but Tran recognized it—a password lock.

Peering closer, he scoffed. This evil group was full of idiots.

A note on the lock read: "three V nine zero."

Tran typed it without hesitation.

The door slid open.

Blinding light flooded out. Tran froze in shock. Seven massive containers filled the room, each holding a dinosaur riddled with tubes, faces twisted in agony.

Terrified, Lia clutched Tran’s shirt and hid behind him, restoring his familiar protector role.

"Stay quiet. Let’s check that console," Tran whispered, spotting an operation panel on the room’s edge. He pulled her toward it.

The console was empty—just a breeding facility, not a lab. Stacked documents detailed the dinosaurs’ traits, habits, attack methods, and power levels.

"Holy crap, are they making a game? This data’s insane..." Tran muttered.

As he flipped pages, a side door hissed open. Tran dropped the papers instantly. He channeled the Destruction Force of his World Annihilation Superpower into his legs, yanking Lia behind a giant container.