Monsters Are Coming

Endocrine System: Digestion is just too dumb. We joined the Wind Poem Team for our dreams and sacrificial power, but honestly we could just occasionally tip them to support the Wind and Scenery Poem Plugin’s development. Getting personally involved? Forget it, run while you can, don’t become a slave to money. We are the free Exploration Faction.

Circulatory System: Report, I’m in the Fallen Star Sea Area right now, riding my Little Flying Dragon. I just found an Ocean City in the sea area Fog Zone. Here, feast your eyes on the handsome snapshot the Guidance just had me take on the spot (pic.jpg). I’ll go take a closer look later, hope it doesn’t take a swing at me.

Respiratory System: Bros, send me some sacrificial power flowers. I haven’t had any business lately, about to starve to death on the exploration road. There isn’t even an Enlightenment Information Ball anywhere nearby. If I don’t get sacrificial power in soon, I’ll have to "go home and visit often" (devout kowtow.jpg).

Sports System: (Designated red packet: Respiratory System) Take it and spend. I got sent back to the village a few days ago, then went hard in the mining zone for three days straight and ruthlessly stacked up a fortune. I’m about to get Potion and food ready and set sail again. Hope this run takes me farther.

...

Scanning over the brothers’ bantering replies in the chat group, a faint smile surfaced on Xia Sheng’s face.

This bunch of brothers from all over the place were all old friends who had followed him, switching from their last game all the way to Monster World.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Besides fellow Human Clan, there were three Alien Race brothers he’d known for years.

Before they got Monster World Player Qualification, they could only be "Backseat Drivers," drooling over things on the forum.

The decision to become the Exploration Faction traced back to the "Qi Die beating up the Explorer" incident that blew up the Player Forum.

They laughed so hard through the whole thing their stomachs hurt.

Their little group only started paying attention to that quirky, nonconformist Explorer because of that incident.

But what truly drew them in wasn’t the dramatic clash between the Explorer and Qi Die.

It was more the travel sights that appeared in the follow-up streams.

Colorful Mist Coast, Bright Star Sea Area, Frosty Winter Snowfield... breathtaking scenery they’d never seen in their lives kept rolling into the livestream, along with close calls on the road, and even bits and pieces of lost civilizations and ancient ruins being dug up.

The Explorer’s journey was like a window, showing them a Monster World far broader than they’d ever imagined.

Their small group went from discussing Star Vein builds after getting Player Qualification to chasing the Explorer’s streams on schedule every day and passionately dissecting them.

This long‑accumulated yearning finally condensed into a shared decision: once they got Player Qualification, they’d become the Exploration Faction together.

Now, they’d gotten what they wished for.

It had been over a year since they obtained player status, and they had honored their original pact.

Aside from occasionally gathering at Colorful Mist Coast for a meal, most of the time was like this moment: each of them exploring the unknown on their own.

Through the chat group they shared the grand sights along the way and funny little happenings around them; this "together yet independent" mode of companionship made Xia Sheng feel incredibly at ease.

It chased away the loneliness that clung to the heart while exploring, yet kept his freedom unbound.

He drained the last mouthful of Spiritual Wine. The spicy warmth slid down his throat, washing away the fatigue in his body and even perking up his spirit quite a bit.

"Set off."

Stowing the bottle, he looked toward the massive setting sun about to sink below the Horizon, etching this vast, majestic scene deep into his heart.

Then he stepped forward, heading into the unknown area shrouded in Mist.

In his ears were the brothers’ noisy chatter.

In front of him was an unknown adventure.

Days like this, there was something to look forward to every single one.

Two hours later, Xia Sheng passed through a stretch of open field in full bloom, and a Challenger Tips prompt suddenly rang in his mind:

[Challenger Tips: New scene "Land of Unceasing" discovered. Exploration reward obtained: 600 points of sacrificial power.]

Before the joy of sacrificial power arriving could fade, a foul wind reeking of thick blood stench rushed at him from behind.

Xia Sheng’s hairs all stood on end; he instinctively rolled to the left while simultaneously turning around.

As he raised his hand, Qi-Blood surged out. A Battle Axe formed entirely from golden Energy condensed into his grip.

Right where he’d been standing just moments ago, a ferocious Evil Beast had appeared without him noticing.

Its body was lion‑like, covered in dim Scale Armor. A scorpion‑tailed, Bone Spike‑lined long tail swayed in the air. Ghostly green vertical pupils locked onto him, and the drool dripping from its maw corroded the ground with a soft "zizi" hiss.

Roar!

The Evil Beast let out a low, muffled roar. Its hind legs bent slightly; it was just about to pounce.

Realizing that this battle was inevitable, Xia Sheng gripped his Power Barbarian Axe tight, muscles tensing as he readied himself to go all in.

Yet just as the Evil Beast’s hind legs exerted force and it was about to lunge—

Boom!!

The ground under the Evil Beast’s feet collapsed without warning, the edge’s earth and rocks sliding down like flowing sand.

The beast’s stored‑up leap turned into an uncontrollable fall. It gave a short, abrupt howl of pain as its massive body was swallowed in an instant by the deep pit, disappearing from Xia Sheng’s sight.

The surroundings returned once more to Deathly Silence, with only a bit of dust still drifting down.

Xia Sheng maintained his combat stance, hands still clenched around the Power Barbarian Axe, but the expression on his face shifted from wary to stunned.

The Evil Battle he’d envisioned never happened.

He moved his feet with caution, edging closer to the pitch‑black hole that had abruptly appeared ahead.

Coming to the rim, he lowered his head to peer downward.

The pit was bottomless and utterly black; not even the sound of the Evil Beast falling had echoed back up.

A cool breath mixed with earth and floral fragrance wafted up from the hole and brushed across Xia Sheng’s face, but it made him involuntarily frown.

Thinking carefully, over these past two days, similar "coincidences" had already happened more than once.

Two days ago, when he was being cornered by a pack of Poison Saliva Hunters, the mountain wall beside him conveniently collapsed. The tumbling rockface not only crushed several Monsters, it also blocked the only exit, letting him slip away easily from the other side.

Another time, he blundered into a sea of flowers that released hallucinogenic pollen; just as he was feeling dizzy and woozy, a sudden, unheralded torrential downpour crashed down, washing the pollen away and snapping him back to clarity.

There were plenty of other similar incidents.

Every time he fell into a desperate situation and thought he was about to go "home" to pay respects to Brother Di Zhao’s statue, some unexpected coincidence would always descend, saving him from danger.

At first, he thought he was just lucky.

But with coincidences like these happening one after another, this was way too abnormal.

The problem was, he hadn’t socketed any "Strong Luck" Life Soul that could bring good fortune. So how was he this lucky?

Scratching his head, Xia Sheng—unable to puzzle it out—put away the Power Barbarian Axe and continued on his way.

Just as Xia Sheng’s figure grew more and more distant, at the very spot he had just been standing, the air rippled like water. A blurry silhouette quietly appeared.

It gazed at Xia Sheng’s receding back, then merged into the surrounding shadows and tailed after him.