The warship slowly pulled ashore, dropping anchor in the shallows.
The people aboard crowded off the warship and began searching.
The search didn't take long. After all, a giant stone engraved with a square pattern was a rare sight. They found the stone mentioned in the telegram after just a few minutes of searching along the shore.
"Slash!"
Once Bai Ina had confirmed the location, he stepped forward and cut the boulder into head-sized chunks. "Move faster. Once you've dug out the supplies, carry them straight to the warship. We can't stay on this island for long."
Ever since setting foot on this uninhabited island, Bai Ina's swordsman instincts had been sending him warning signals. There was definitely some extremely dangerous creature on the island.
The five hundred team members tensed instinctively at Bai Ina's words, and immediately began digging faster.
After about two minutes of digging, they uncovered a large sheet of canvas. They cleared away all the soil on top of it, then pulled it aside.
Beneath it was a huge pit filled with crates of firearms and ammunition, armor and clothing, as well as some food and liquor. Bai Ina didn't inspect the supplies; after a quick glance, he directed the others to load them onto the ship.
The loading proceeded in an orderly fashion. Seeing that most of the supplies had been loaded, Bai Ina couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but he didn't dare let his taut nerves relax in the slightest.
"Hm?"
Bai Ina's expression darkened. "Something's coming. Prepare for battle!"
'Rumble—'
The moment Bai Ina finished speaking, the sound of heavy footsteps pounding the ground reached them. From outside the forest, they could clearly see what looked like a colossal creature charging wildly through the trees, crashing into every tree in its path.
Bai Ina tensed. Judging by the tremors underfoot, whatever was charging toward them at such speed had to be enormous!
"Roar—"
With a piercing howl, a colossal beast burst out of the forest and came crashing down toward them, blotting out the sky. Its true form finally came into view: a giant gorilla, four or five meters tall, its black fur gleaming like metal.
The instant the giant beast appeared, everyone's faces changed.
'Boom, boom, boom...'
As soon as the cannons fired, everyone else began firing at the giant beast in a panic.
'Boom—'
With a series of explosions, the beast in midair was engulfed in flames and smoke.
"Did we get it?"
"I think... we did."
"Even a monster that big couldn't come out unscathed after taking this many cannon blasts at once!"
"..."
"No, it's not down! Everyone, fall back toward the ship!" Bai Ina's voice rang across the battlefield, more urgent than ever. Everyone froze, then instinctively began to retreat.
But just then, the giant beast suddenly burst out of the smoke, completely unharmed. With a muffled crash, it landed where Bai Ina and the others had been standing moments earlier. Its massive claws snatched up two team members who hadn't dodged in time and tossed them straight into its mouth.
'Crack...'
As the beast chewed with a sickening crunch, blood burst from its mouth. The two team members didn't even have time to scream before they became food in the beast's belly.
Their teammates, who had been laughing and talking with them just moments ago, had suddenly become a giant beast's meal. Every Revolutionary Army member turned pale, staring at the scene in terror. Even their fleeing steps faltered.
"Fall back... Everyone, get back to the warship!"
Mo Mo's urgent voice reached every team member, jolting them back to their senses. They turned and sprinted toward the warship's mooring place. Bai Ina stayed behind to guard the rear, watching the giant beast with a grave expression.
"Roar—" When the beast saw its food running toward the sea, it let out a deafening roar and charged at the crowd on all fours.
Bai Ina's expression changed. His Black Blade flashed out of its sheath, and every muscle in his body tensed.
But what he hadn't expected was that after charging a few steps, the beast suddenly leaped into the air. Its enormous body shot through the sky like a cannonball, sailing straight over the crowd.
"Not good!!!"
Bai Ina's face turned ashen. He twisted his left foot against the ground and, as he turned, stamped his right foot down hard. His whole body shot forward.
But it was already too late.
"Ahhhhhhh..."
Piercing screams rang out along the shore as the beast landed right in the middle of the crowd. Those who hadn't managed to dodge were trampled beneath its colossal body, and blood sprayed into the air. The impact of its landing also sent the team members within a few meters flying.
"Monster, die!"
"Damn it, let's fight!"
"..."
With nowhere left to run, the crowd grew frantic. They attacked the beast with their guns, cannons, and even swords. But all they accomplished was a series of deafening booms; their attacks had no effect at all.
The giant beast seemed enraged by the noise. It swung its enormous hand, and the dozens of people in front of it were sent flying. A cloud of blood burst around them in midair. The force killed them instantly...
"Thousand Chestnut Ghost Devour!"
Just then, a figure wrapped in terrifying yin energy shot through the crowd like a meteor, leaping straight toward the giant beast in midair.
Seeing a figure as small as a mosquito, the beast swung its hand at him as if swatting a fly.
As the giant palm came down, Bai Ina remained utterly calm. He let go of his Black Blade, then spun and kicked the hilt. Using the force of the rebound, he narrowly evaded the giant claw and dropped toward the ground.
But the Black Blade slipped straight between the beast's claws and plunged into its eye.
"Roar—"
The beast let out a howl of pain, and its massive body staggered.
Meanwhile, Bai Ina charged forward again the moment he landed. He leaped onto the beast's foot and raced up its leg, then sprang onto its shoulder and leaped up to grab the hilt of Dawn.
'Shhk—'
The force of the impact sent Dawn sliding down, carving a long gash across the giant beast's eye, which was much larger than Bai Ina himself. Blood sprayed out, soaking Bai Ina from head to toe.
"Raooar!!!"
The deafening howl, coming from just a few feet away, shook Bai Ina's mind. Blood trickled from his ears in an instant.
Just then, the beast's hand came down, swinging straight at Bai Ina.
Bai Ina's expression changed. He braced himself against the Black Blade, planted a foot on the beast's eye socket, yanked the blade free, and held it across his chest. By the time he'd completed the move, the beast's hand had already struck.
The enormous force from its palm sent Bai Ina hurtling backward. He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body shot through the air like a cannonball and slammed into the ground.
'Boom—'
With a thunderous crash, dust billowed from the place where Bai Ina landed, leaving a massive dent nearly a meter deep and half a meter wide.
"Ugh..."
Though the Black Blade had absorbed most of the impact, the remainder still made Bai Ina cough up blood. Pain coursed through his body as he staggered up from the pit, pointing the Black Blade at the giant beast still raging madly from the pain.
"Everyone, get back to the warship at once."
Bai Ina's cool voice left everyone frozen. They stared blankly at the figure, who could barely stand.
"What are you waiting for? Get back to the warship, all of you! You can't help the commander by staying here!" Mo Mo shouted at the stunned figures. His angry scolding jolted them back to their senses. They took one last long look at Bai Ina, then ran toward the warship.
The enraged giant beast paid no attention to the fleeing food. It kept its one remaining eye fixed on Bai Ina, its gaze filled with savage bloodlust.
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