But inside—
My blood burnt.
Every laugh, every whisper, every kick from the past two years crawled back up my spine like a bad song on repeat.
My jaw ached from how tight I was clenching it.
And before I knew it, I was smiling — small, sharp, like I was trying to hold something back and failing.
Bai Shou slammed a fist against his palm. "See you in the Forbidden Zone, then. If you're lucky, a monster will eat you quick. If not—well, we'll finish the job."
They shoved by, still running their mouths like I was supposed to care.
"Don't forget to bring us a corpse or two when you get eaten!" Bai Shou called.
"Make sure you scream loud enough for us to hear," Chi Yan added, grinning savagely.
I didn't move. Didn't speak. Just watched their backs as they walked away.
Laugh now, I thought, a cold smile tugging at my lips. We'll see who gets eaten first.
After mocking me, they left; it was hard for them to make a move outside the forbidden zone because of the keepers.
Nobody dares move. But the second you step inside? The leash is gone.
No cameras. No drones. No rules. Whatever happens stays inside.
And you know what? The creatures aren't even the worst part. The real beasts? They've always had human faces.
I've seen enough of them to know. The ones smiling in uniforms, pretending they're the law.
The Keepers? Yeah, they're the army's dogs at the border — ranks, authority, guns, the whole scary-soldier package.
But who cares? You didn't come here for them. You came to see me.
To see what happens when the trash stops running… and starts devouring.
People will slit your throat for a single score and stab you in the back for a scrap of material.
In there, trust is just another way to die.
You have to be sure who to trust. Or who not to.
And me?
I already got betrayed by my own sister—the one I sacrificed my life for, the one I would've sacrificed my soul for just to make her life better.
In the Zone, trust means death. Good. I stopped trusting the moment my sister spat on me.
I was waiting there, watching the keepers move. My eyes followed them as they pushed the gate open—that creepy creak crawled up my spine. Yeah, the same kind of sound when some idiot drags chalk across the blackboard, and all you want to do is walk up and smack the hell out of that idot.
I watched the gate open, and honestly, if my grandmother were still alive, she'd walk faster than this thing. The keepers kept pulling, and the iron just groaned like it was dying on purpose.
From where I stood, I couldn't see much through the gap — just trees packed too close. The smell hit me right away. Kinda like a skunk died, got back up, and decided to die again — right here.
I scrunched my nose and muttered, "Yeah… smells like a fun place already."
And there wasn't much to see anyway. It was dark — dark enough that it looked like I'd be walking from one world into another, from day straight into night.
I let out a small breath. "Yeah," I muttered, "the perfect holiday spot — take a selfie with the beast that rips your face off."
The keeper shouted, "Go!"
And just like that, they all rushed in — shoving, yelling, trying to be first like it mattered. I stood there watching, and the thought just slipped in.
Rats chasing cheese in a trap… Except this time, the trap bites back.
I kept hearing names—"Team Alpha!" "Don't split up!" "Move!" Yeah, sure. Everyone yelling like it helps.
I watched them rush in—some with those stupid grins, yelling like this was a school trip. Others weren't fooling anyone. Pale faces, stiff legs, eyes wide like they were walking into their own graves.
I could see it clear — the fake courage, the shaking hands. You don't need to be a genius to tell who's dying first.
I stayed where I was, taking my time. Watching.
If there's a trap waiting inside, might as well let the eager ones test it first.
They all ran in chasing glory — monsters, cores, ranks, whatever made them feel important.
Me? I was smiling inside.
Because I wasn't here for the same reason.
It wasn't about cores.
It was about devouring.
And I only needed one thing — to see if my bloodline was real or another cruel joke.
As I walked toward the gate, I glanced back. In the distance, the teachers were sitting nice and comfortable under their shade — chairs, clipboards, everything neat while we went in to bleed for their numbers.
Behind them, I caught sight of the university scouts, all standing there with that hungry look. Betting eyes. Probably wondering who'd drop first so they could write a name and call it "talent".
I stepped inside the Forbidden Zone, but honestly… I didn't even know how to fight.
I had only one skill — Void Eater. And that thing only works on corpses.
It's kind of hard to use when everything out here wants you to be the corpse.
So yeah, I had to wait. Hide somewhere; let someone else do the killing.
Then I'd move in and see if the damn thing actually worked.
Stealth first. Patience next. Then strike.
I kept that line in my head, over and over—nothing grand, just how to stay alive.
I had to stay away from Chi Yan and Bai Shou. If they found me before I had a real skill to fight back, I'd be dead. Simple as that.
So I walked slowly, sticking close to the trees. My heart was pounding. I didn't even have a tracking skill, nothing to sense the otherworldly creatures. If something jumped at me, I was done.
I swear my steps were louder than thunder. Perfect way to announce, "Hey monsters, free meal here!"
I kept imagining something jumping out — a claw, a bite, anything.
I crouched low behind a bush, keeping my breathing quiet. My palms were sweaty, and I could feel the dirt sticking to them.
"Yeah…" I muttered under my breath, smirking a little. "Perfect place to die quietly."
I pushed a few leaves aside and saw four brave souls trying their best not to die.
I couldn't hear them from this far, but I could guess.
Probably the usual — "Hit it!" "Watch out!" "You useless piece of shit!"
Yeah… the brave always sound the same right before they die.
I squinted, trying to focus, and my eyes just… changed. The world went sharp on its own, like my eyes decided to zoom in without asking me first.
[ Name: Venomfang Serpent ]
[ Classification: F-1 Otherworldly Reptilia ]
[ Skills: Poison Spray / Venom Fang ]
[ Combat Style: Constriction (Coiling) ]
[ Weakness: Fire / Eyes ]
I could see the creature's status floating in front of me — clear as day.
My breath hitched. "What the fuck…" I muttered.
I blinked a few times, just staring. "...It even shows weaknesses? Seriously?"
Then I laughed under my breath. "All those years studying xenobiology, and this thing just gives it to me for free."
A dry laugh slipped out. "Spent years studying this crap, and now it's just free. Figures."
I remembered how this kind of thing used to work — you needed a scout with a detection skill or one of those fancy appraisal artefacts just to see basic info.
I actually looked up the price once… cost more than a year's rent.
And me? I could barely afford lunch back then.
Now I can't even afford a coffin. Progress, I guess.
But yeah, now I don't need any of that.
The Abyss just throws everything on the screen for free — like it wants me to see.
Blue screen, upgraded graphics, zero subscription fee.
I looked back at the four brave souls still fighting. Turns out it didn't stop at monsters—I could see their stats too.
[ Name: Liu Fang ]
[ Bloodline: Scarlet Flame Fox ]
[ Category: Beast ]
[ Grade: Rare ]
[ Rank: F-1 ]
[ Name: Zhao Min ]
[ Bloodline: Thorn Serpent ]
[ Category: Reptilia ]
[ Grade: Uncommon ]
[ Rank: F-1 ]
[ Name: He Jian ]
[ Bloodline: Titan Boar ]
[ Category: Beast ]
[ Grade: Uncommon ]
[ Rank: F-1 ]
[ Name: Chen Wu ]
[ Bloodline: Rockhide Ape ]
[ Category: Beast ]
[ Grade: Common ]
[ Rank: F-1 ]
A slow grin spread across my face.