Captain Luo and Jian praised Lia in her first battle. It could be considered a praiseworthy performance by Lia; she tackled the battle with precision. She didn't lose sight of the enemy or back down. Unlike Jian, who struggled to even hit the enemy.
"Is it finally finished?" asked Lia, her soft voice giving a feeling of refreshing allure. All the tension in Jian's body loosened at her voice.
"Yes, you did better than me, actually," Jian replied with a bitter smile.
"Don't get over-complacent. The battle is not over if you don't see your enemy dead," said Captain Luo in a strict tone.
He knew the horrors of fighting these behemoths. Just killing them is not enough. Being overly cautious is a must against them so you wouldn't suffer any more damages. It's beasts like them—Demon Beasts—who kill a lot of people every day. Many have died due to their rampage, and he could not afford to lose any more people. He told himself he had to protect everyone against them, a resolve he had built throughout years of experience fighting them.
***
Jan stared at the aftermath of the battle. Houses and buildings lay collapsed on the ground, burning. An intense heat was felt even a few meters away. With his hand, he covered his mouth, coughing as smoke came from nowhere.
"Where is this coming from?" he questioned in confusion.
He was quite far away for the smoke to be breathable. Jan was confused, unable to come up with a conclusion. He went towards the people to ask for help. As he walked at a normal pace, every step felt like walking on air. He kept walking until he hit something. His whole body was stopped by an invisible wall.
What... the... heeeeeeck. Jan internally screamed, his composure waning slightly. He took a deep breath and exhaled to help calm himself down. After some time, he felt fine to continue.
"What's this?" He knocked on the invisible wall. It felt like he was trying to knock on air, yet at the same time, that air was hard and thick. He sighed.
The next moment, he felt the ground shaking. Next to him, a small hole erupted, releasing a stream of magma that shot towards the sky. More soon followed until they were everywhere, surrounding Jian with magma holes in the ground. An intense heat immediately hit him.
Jan knelt down to avoid the magma hitting him. He touched the ground, and with effort, he lifted the ground beneath him. He poured everything into it, feeling he could do it; just like before when he was in soul form. Then his wish was fulfilled. The ground, with unimaginable force, lifted Jian up into the air. A tower formed beneath him, and he fought gravity to stay on his feet. Finally, it stopped. From above, he could look down and see everything. People looked like dots from this height.
He was safe at this height, at least for now. The ground was slowly being swallowed by magma. It was dangerous to even walk down; you would surely be injured or even die if you tried to do so.
***
Inside the invisible wall, Captain Luo, Jian, and Lia were caught in an unexpected situation.
"What is happening?" asked Lia. She was scared at the sudden rumble.
"Be careful, don't lose focus," Luo instructed them.
"What should we do, Captain?" Lia asked.
Luo surveyed the area, looking past the barrier and seeing multiple streams of magma shooting upwards. In an instant, he recognized what was happening.
"It's the monster Lia sealed," he said.
Lia and Jian looked at Luo in confusion, not understanding his statement. The next moment, the ground began to crack, starting from outside the wall and moving quickly towards them like a snake chasing its prey.
"Jump!" shouted Luo.
The three of them jumped in unison as multiple streams of magma erupted in their previous location. The magma swallowed the land as if it were a marshmallow, radiating a crimson glow, and continued to spew molten rocks.
"That was scary," Jian said, feeling the heat on her skin even from the sky. They were lucky Captain Luo reacted in time; otherwise, they would have been melted by the magma. Their bones would have melted immediately, turning to ashes. Jian shuddered at the thought.
"That was a close call, Captain."
"Don't lose focus now. Remain vigilant," said Luo, his eyes darting around the area. The magma below looked suspicious, and the faraway area looked too calm for some reason. Luo couldn't comprehend what was happening. Did the monster break the seal on its own? No, it wasn't possible unless Lia underestimated the monster. There was no way for it to break the seal with its power alone. "This is suspicious," he mumbled.
The situation was more dangerous than expected. His senses were telling him the danger; their current predicament suddenly went from dangerous to deadly. They needed to escape and inform the higher-ups.
***
Jan could barely keep his eyes open due to the intense heat. He felt his breathing become heavy as the oxygen level decreased, even in the open area. Looking from afar, he could see three people flying in the air. "How are they flying?" he said in amazement.
In the middle was an old man, his white hair evidence of his age, yet he had a refined, regal, and powerful look. His stance was steady as he kept darting around, looking for something.
On his right was a lavender-haired girl, who had an alluring aura. She looked clumsy and sexy at the same time, her curves very evident even in her clothes. She kept shaking her hands to ease her nerves.
Lastly, the girl on the left was cute and gorgeous, with golden hair that suited her small face. She had a modest chest, yet an evident look of elegance.
"They're the ones fighting that monster. Did they kill that beast... or I guess not, looking at the current scenario."
At first, he thought they had dealt with the monster. However, he quickly changed his mind, considering the situation.
"Should I help or not?" He pondered what to do. Though the situation needed an immediate decision, he remained indecisive.
He had no idea what to do. He was woken up by a loud roar, then the next moment, he was in the middle of a disaster. What Jian needed first was a place to rest and think of what to do. He needed someone to help him. "I guess I should do what the situation needs."
He looked at the distance with resolute eyes. His obsidian-black eyes glinted with thought. With new found determination, he decided to help them. However, how to get past this invisible wall that seemed to prohibit entry? Jian did not hesitate this time. He touched the invisible wall with his right hand. With his left hand, an invisible canvas appeared. With his finger, he wrote [Decomposition]. The word glowed, then Jian felt an intense headache. He grabbed his head, then the pain vanished.
"What was that? Maybe a side effect. Anyways, let's focus up," he said in confusion.
He closed his eyes, gathering the mysterious power he felt back then. He deep-dived into his consciousness. A massive wave of power swept away his focus, like he was fighting against the current. Yet he kept pushing, swimming even deeper. A burst of light suddenly flashed, but Jian couldn't grab it. He tried hard, but it was futile. He felt an intense pull, being dragged back by something powerful. His eyes opened wide, his breathing ragged.
"..." He was speechless. No, he could not speak. He tried to open his mouth, but it was strained. On the bright side, his right hand began to disintegrate the barrier like acid poured on thin wood. Jian was neither happy nor sad. All he could think about was the thing he saw inside him. Was he still human? Had he been reborn as something else? Was he no longer human?