"Why can't we eat monster meat, Father?"
The clear, bell-like voice drew the attention of an aged priest. His gentle gaze fell upon the petite girl with golden hair, her large, amber eyes looking up at him.
The priest turned, slowly kneeling on one knee until he was at eye level with her, then placed a scarred hand on her head.
"Lily, why do you ask?"
His voice was light as wind chimes yet resonated through the space.
"I was just curious."
The priest tilted his head slightly, then lowered his voice mysteriously:
"Because... well, obviously, because you'd drop dead."
He spoke with a teasing tone, ruffling Lily's hair vigorously until it was a mess. Lily stomped her foot in annoyance, puffing out her cheeks:
"Father! Please be serious!"
The old priest chuckled softly, then his gaze grew grave, his voice deepening:
"The mana in their bodies and humanity's are incompatible. Consuming a large amount of monster flesh causes a violent internal conflict between the two mana sources, leading to backlash and instant death."
He pushed up his glasses, his brow furrowing in thought:
"Almost no one can neutralize the chaotic mana of monsters... except for one being."
He looked up at the old picture on the bookshelf: "The Sky Hero."
...
Suddenly, a terrifying surge of backlash energy shot back along the conduits she had created to save Long. It corrupted the holy light, twisting her golden magic veins into a sickly, venomous green, before violently blasting her away.
"Ah!"
A sharp cry escaped her lips as her body slammed hard onto the stone floor. Pain shot up her spine, but Lily didn't care. She stared blankly at her violently trembling hands, then, through her spinning vision, turned her panicked gaze toward the grotesque mountain of flesh.
Around her, her teammates had stopped fighting, looking at her with deep concern. She saw them screaming, their mouths moving frantically, but her ears were ringing; she couldn't hear a sound.
Lily's heart pounded as if it wanted to burst from her chest. A surge of dread overwhelmed her as she saw a blinding, sickly green light beginning to leak through the slimy gaps of the toad pile.
"GET AWAY, EVERYONE!!!"
Lily screamed, her voice tearing through the chaos.
The group froze, whipping their heads toward her. Their scalps tingled, goosebumps rising as they saw the vertical third eye on her forehead wide open, glowing with a mystical light.
"Lily saw the future! Move, now!"
Jack bellowed, ordering everyone to evacuate immediately. Everyone complied instantly. Lucas didn't hesitate; he hurled his twin blades, embedding them deep into the high stone wall, then yanked the chains taut to vault himself up to safety.
Arwen sprinted toward Lia, who was wailing in despair:
"WHY ARE YOU ALL RUNNING?... He's still in there!"
Arwen didn't say a word. She snatched Lia up, hoisted her onto her shoulder, and bolted.
Just in the nick of time, a ferocious green fire erupted from deep within the slimy mass of toads. The pillar of flame shot straight up to the dungeon ceiling before spreading outward with terrifying speed, incinerating everything in its path.
Ash and dust from the incinerated toads swirled around a silhouette looming within the dying flames. As the fire flickered and faded, it revealed a naked body, still licked by residual embers dancing in the air.
His eyes snapped open—wide, cloudy, and completely devoid of humanity—staring blankly at the group. Long's muscles bulged unnaturally, angry purple veins pulsing violently beneath his skin. Saliva drooled uncontrollably from his mouth, dripping over razor-sharp fangs that had just elongated into a predator's maw.
Long lunged forward with terrifying speed. His long hair, now a chaotic blend of black and white, whipped wildly in the wind.
Long's vision blurred and swayed. Darkness swallowed the space around him, leaving only a single beacon of light in the distance. He sprinted toward it, running for his dear life like a man dying of thirst in a desert.
There, the beloved figure of his grandfather was laying out steaming, delicious dishes. The aroma of food, mingled with rushing memories, made Long's empty stomach scream in agony.
His elongated, mutated arm reached out, snatching the edge of the table. He used all his strength to yank it toward him, burying his face to devour the feast.
But suddenly, a colossal shadow slithered over, enveloping him.
"Is eating my flesh... still not enough to satisfy you?"
Long looked up. The giant serpent from the past was coiled tightly around his body. It brought its triangular, scaled head close to his face, its yellow eyes boring into his soul.
"Why... aren't you dead?" Long asked, his voice hoarse.
The monster hissed, cracking a twisted, malicious smile as it stared down at its consumer.
Crunch!
Long clamped his jaws down hard on the snake's body. Yet, the harder he bit, the louder the creature laughed, its maniacal cackle echoing through the void, leaving him stunned.
"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? LET ME GO!"
He screamed, biting down with even more ferocity. Suddenly, a familiar, deep voice cut through his rage.
"You silly boy, why are you eating that filthy thing? Is my cooking not good enough for you?"
His grandfather approached slowly, holding a plate of steaming buns. The fragrant aroma of the dough mixed with herbs wafted right under his nose, causing Long's jaw to instinctively relax and release the snake.
"Grandpa..."
Before he could finish, a hot bun was stuffed into his mouth, melting into a sweet sensation on his tongue.
"Is it good?"
Long's eyes snapped open, glistening with tears as reality flooded back. The surrounding darkness and the giant serpent shattered like smoke. Before him was Lia, holding him tight, her breathing heavy and ragged. The scent of pure herbs radiating from her now mingled with the metallic stench of fresh blood.
Long's entire body trembled violently. His horrified gaze fell upon her left shoulder—it was mangled, shredded by deep, jagged bite marks. His heart seized in his chest; his lips quivered, but his throat was choked, unable to form a sound.
Lia's small, soft hand cupped his cheek, transferring a gentle warmth to his face. Her fingers lightly caressed him, soothing the panicked monster within. She smiled weakly, her voice whisper-soft yet hitting him like a thunderclap:
"Are you okay now? Was I... delicious?"
Long shifted slightly, wanting to check on Lia, but froze mid-motion. He looked down to find his entire body bound tight by brilliant, glowing golden chains.
Tracing the source of the bindings, he saw Lily gripping her staff white-knuckled, her brows furrowed in a glare directed squarely at him. Her lips parted, whispering a single, damning accusation:
"Monster."
The word pierced his heart. Long's face drained of color as he surveyed the aftermath. The stone floor was shattered with spiderweb cracks. Nearby, Jack, Lucas, and Arwen lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for air as if they had just survived a massacre.
Long's face went deathly pale, not a drop of blood left. His gaze wavered, fixed blankly on the cold stone ground as he whispered in a trembling voice:
"Am I... a monster?!"