In a stifling darkness, shadows writhed like living creatures, and a strange figure silently approached the sleeping "Yujin."
The creature, roughly the size of an octopus, glided forward with astonishing speed.
Its target was clear, aimed directly at Yujin's defenseless body.
Yujin lay there, breathing steadily, completely unaware of the impending danger.
His eyes were tightly shut, immersed in dreams, showing no reaction to the external threat.
Suddenly, the creature leapt forward, landing on Yujin's face. The cold touch and crushing weight sent ripples through his dream.
It opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth and a long tongue covered in barbs, which gleamed faintly in the dim light.
The barbs scraped against Yujin's cheek. The icy, sharp sensation pierced the veil of his dreams, waking him abruptly.
Yujin's eyes shot open. His heart raced, adrenaline surged, and instinctively, his hands reached out to push the creature off his chest.
Seeing what lay there, his heartbeat gradually steadied.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he let out a long breath, his voice trembling slightly. "Thank goodness it's you, Glory. If it had been a Facehugger, that would have been terrifying…"
The calico cat sat innocently beside him, its bright green eyes curiously fixed on the human who often fed it, seemingly unable to understand why its affection had been rejected.
Failing to get a proper morning nap, Yujin stretched lazily. Seeing that it was still dark outside, he called out to the brothers in his mind.
"Are you all awake?"
The Lord God Yujin remained unresponsive.
Marvel Yujin was still sound asleep in the attic.
After a moment, the voice of Pirate Yujin responded.
"Not sleeping."
The scenes synced.
In the corner of the staircase, shadows were thick and damp. The few faint rays of light could not pierce the dense darkness.
Some people in tattered prison uniforms huddled on the moss-covered floor.
Their bodies shivered in the cold and fear, seeking each other's warmth for even a fleeting comfort.
Their faces were gaunt, and their eyes were filled with despair.
Exhausted and hungry, they barely managed to fall asleep.
Occasional groans and coughs sounded unusually clear in the silence.
Not far away, a massive beast occupied the space beneath the stairs.
Its enormous body breathed heavily, letting out deafening snores.
In the dim light, the beast's size seemed even more terrifying.
Every breath it took made the surrounding air tremble.
Its skin reflected a metallic sheen in the faint light.
When it shifted its body, the clanging of chains and shackles echoed through the stairwell, sending chills down the spine.
The pirate Yujin glanced around.
He looked at the prisoners seeking peace in their despair and then at the sleeping beast.
He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh.
"If you can sleep in a place like this, I have to hand it to you."
Uchiha Yujin was about to respond when one of the prisoners Pirate beside Yujin turned his face.
"Hey, kid, not sleeping? What are you thinking about?"
The prisoner had a slender face and a sturdy build.
He sat properly against the wall, very different from the others around him.
Yujin had noticed this unusual prisoner long ago.
It was impossible to ignore. Compared to the standard prison uniforms, this navy shirt stood out far too much.
Yujin shrugged and joked, "Of course, you're thinking about escaping. Or were you planning to settle down here?"
"Escape? Bold enough to say that to me, a 'navy undercover.'"
"Haha, which undercover would wear a navy uniform?" Yujin forced a smile.
"At a time like this, I wish I could offer you a smoke. Too bad, it's not just cigarettes—Shilamisi was our last meal four days ago."
"Thoughtful of you, kid."
"I am The Multiples · Infinite Yujin. May I ask, Navy brother—"
"Infinite? Weird name, huh? Listen carefully, my name's Torin Fuller! People like to call me Ironhead, and as you can see, I'm a Marine."
"How does a Marine end up captured and thrown into the city prison?"
"There's nothing strange about it." Ironhead Torin Fuller wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. "The crime doesn't matter. What matters is who wants to mess with me."
"Who's messing with you?" the pirate Yujin asked curiously.
"Oh, my boss, Rear Admiral Ryan Forbes. His friend got caught up with my wife in the bedroom, and I hit his friend."
Yujin tilted his head. "Huh? You catch him cheating and end up imprisoned? That makes any sense?"
"No, no, no. To be precise, after my pay was suspended, I went to argue with the higher-ups, and things escalated."
"Then I found out the guy I hit was a steward from a local Celestial Dragon family."
Yujin sighed. "Ah… now I get it."
Ironhead Torin Fuller looked curious. "You don't seem too old, but you've seen a lot. How long have you been here?"
"Since seven years ago."
"Seven years? They locked up a kid like you for that long? Why?"
"I don't know either," Yujin replied with a bitter edge.
Both sighed at the same time, finding a small sense of understanding in this oppressive environment.
However, just as their conversation was about to end and they prepared to find a brief moment of rest in the harsh conditions, something unexpected happened!
A patrolling viper suddenly changed its path, silently slipping into a prisoner's pant leg.
Then, snap!
The snake's fangs pierced through the fabric, sinking deep into the prisoner's skin!
"Ahhhhh!"
The prisoner jolted awake from his dream, his scream echoing through the stairwell, shattering the quiet.
The scream was like a lit match, igniting the tension in this relatively safe place.
The problem wasn't the scream itself.
It was their location.
The Wild Beast Hell.
This was the territory of the wild beasts.
The prisoners' screams were like needles, piercing the fragile balance.
The massive beasts were awakened by the noise.
They let out deafening roars, like thunder, causing every prisoner to feel a sharp ringing in their ears.
They had to escape immediately.
"Run! Run far!" someone shouted, panic lacing their voice.
The prisoners scattered like a flock of terrified sheep, but in the beasts' territory, their escape seemed hopeless.
A huge lion, wielding a baseball bat, chased the prisoners desperately.
It seemed furious from being woken up, and every swing of its bat carried deadly force.
One strike after another sent prisoners flying.
Yujin ran with all his might.
He could feel the lion closing in behind him.
"Roar."
As he prepared to form a hand seal for a counterattack, a figure suddenly appeared behind him.
"Kid! Run!"
Yujin barely had time to react before a loud metallic clang sounded beside his ear.
He turned in surprise.
Iron-Head Torin Fuller had blocked the lion's attack with his head.
The metal baseball bat collided with his skull with a crisp, ringing sound.
Yet Torin Fuller seemed unfazed, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Prisoner comrades, run! The farther you go, the better!"
Fuller thought he had acted heroically, but an untimely voice sounded beside him.
"Coach, I want to learn Iron Block."
*********
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