Am I a Monster?

"The man has distinctive features, and his back glows—we should be able to find him quickly."

"Speaking of which, is he even a candidate? I'm starting to think the officials deliberately placed him here as a boss."

He wasn't the first to believe Jiang Yan was planted by the authorities. Suffice it to say, the officials were taking an undeserved hit this time.

Jiang Yan was roused by the dense patter of footsteps.

He opened his eyes and saw a massive procession of candidates marching ahead. Strangely, none of them were fighting over Points.

Cease strife for gain.

Clearly, this group had banded together for a shared interest.

"So what's the reason?" Jiang Yan rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

"Hey, handsome guy up ahead, wanna join us?"

A young girl suddenly ran over and extended a verbal invitation.

"What's in it for me if I join?" Jiang Yan asked casually.

"Plenty." The girl planted her hands on her hips, then leaned in to whisper near his ear. "We're going to take down a big boss. Killing it should net us a ton of Points."

Jiang Yan's interest piqued.

"What big boss?"

"No idea. I only sneaked a peek from far away last night. This thing looked human but also like a monster, with wings on its back that sparkled in the dark."

The girl gave Jiang Yan a bizarre description that only left him more confused.

He summed it up and repeated it back to her: "Human but not, has wings, and glows?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, that's the gist."

"So, you joining our hunting party?"

She extended the invitation once more, sincere.

"Sure." Jiang Yan smiled, clearly intrigued by this so-called big boss.

And just like that, Jiang Yan inexplicably joined the hunting party.

Of course, he only wanted to see what this fearsome boss—the one that made people band together just to take it down—actually looked like.

"Strange, why haven't I seen it?"

It never crossed Jiang Yan's mind that someone would describe his dashing cloak as something like a moth's wings.

In the girl's account, he wasn't even considered human anymore.

The party kept growing. Along the way, no one dared to provoke this group. In no time, candidates from all around joined, swelling their numbers to five hundred.

The figure that had hung in the sky last night left an indelible shadow on everyone. And since his cloak glowed, Jiang Yan was always backlit, so almost no one recognized him.

In the game of telephone, the thing hanging in the sky was no longer considered human.

Some said it had fangs dripping with blood and could devour a candidate in a second.

Others said it was covered in tentacles that loved slithering through the hollows of animals.

And some bastard even claimed the monster was a pervert, targeting tender-skinned girls to ravage and then eat.

If Jiang Yan could figure out they were talking about him, he'd need a fortune teller at home.

When the livestream cut to this scene, both commentators went silent for a moment. The footage just played on quietly, carrying a calm sort of madness.

The barrage was in hysterics. No one ever thought they'd see the day someone joined a party hunting themselves.

They started anticipating the look on these people's faces when they realized Jiang Yan was the very boss they were after—like they'd bitten into a rock.

"Hey, you up ahead, wanna join us?"

Li Qingle held a long spear, her hair tied back in a ponytail. Her face bore no makeup, carrying a commanding aura without needing to speak. Her posture was straight, made to look even slimmer by the spear's contrast.

"What's the matter?"

This one didn't like to talk much.

"Did you see that monster in the sky last night? We're a group specifically formed to hunt it down."

The leader was a guy who turned especially enthusiastic at the sight of Li Qingle's cool features.

He liked that type.

"No thanks. I'll deal with it myself."

Li Qingle turned and walked away.

Too many people here—she hated this chaotic atmosphere.

"Ah, what a shame." The man sighed and went back to scouting for more members.

"This old man can take down your so-called monster all by himself."

On the other side, Xiao Ziming also turned down the rabble's invitation.

"Heh, so that's the guy who beat Shang? Can't wait~"

Xiao Ziming gripped his Longsword tightly, a faint aura of slaughter radiating from his body.

It had to be said, most geniuses carried their own pride; before experiencing failure, they all believed they could defeat their opponents.

In contrast, Jiang Yan was far more laid-back, staying with the group and listening to their amusing tales about that monster, enjoying the gossip with relish.

Finally, night fell.

"Quick, it's dark! Everyone on alert!"

"That monster likes to hang in the sky, and it's fast—you must be careful."

The team's atmosphere tensed instantly. Everyone looked up at the sky, their faces grim.

Jiang Yan followed their gaze and glanced upward a few times, the more he looked, the stranger it felt.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared ahead.

Jiang Yan focused his eyes and recognized Shang Xingren, the one who had escaped from him last time.

"Hey, found you."

Without a second word, Jiang Yan activated the Battle Saint Armor.

In the dim firelight, a beam of golden divine light illuminated everyone's faces.

Jiang Yan rose into the air.

The crowd followed the light and froze in place.

Not far away, Shang Xingren's legs trembled, and he instinctively wanted to flee.

"No, I can't run!"

Shang Xingren gritted his teeth. Last time, he had fled on instinct—what would this be?

Xiao Ziming's words echoed in his mind, the disappointment in that tone still fresh.

Once, he had been so proud!

Suddenly, the dejection in his eyes dissipated, replaced by a fierce fighting spirit.

Even if it meant elimination, so be it—he, Shang Xingren, needed a battle to find himself!

"He... he's the monster!"

The hunting team fell into chaos.

People screamed in terror and began scattering in all directions. The once-united front crumbled like loose sand.

This temporarily allied group had zero cohesion; the slightest external force could easily tear it apart.

Subdue the enemy without fighting.

Jiang Yan suddenly understood.

So I'm the one you're all talking about? The one who eats people without spitting bones, devours ten kids in one go, and likes to burrow into every hole?

"Heh, you sure know how to spread rumors, don't you?"

Jiang Yan grinned savagely at the fleeing examinees, as if he had truly become the demon they spoke of.

Just then, several figures cut against the tide of escapees, darting through like lightning.