Hell on Earth

Sea Circle Calendar, 1484.

The far reaches of the West Blue.

God Valley!!!

Black smoke blanketed the sky, scarlet blood splattered everywhere, and lifeless corpses covered the land. The entire island was like hell on earth.

Figures in prison uniforms and the island's civilians fled in every direction. Every gunshot was followed by someone falling to the ground, their life extinguished.

Jin An stared blankly at the scene before him, leaning against a tree to support himself so he would not collapse.

A moment ago, he had still been in a bustling modern city, peaceful and tranquil. In the blink of an eye, he had been thrown into a bloody battlefield.

No, this was merely a one-sided slaughter!!!

This could not possibly exist on twenty-first-century Blue Star—at least not where he had lived.

Yet everything happening around him was so real.

His trembling hands uncontrollably clenched the object he held. The Yanling saber he had commissioned someone to forge had followed him to this unfamiliar place, perhaps offering him the slightest bit of comfort.

Looking at the hellish scene, he found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Even drawing a single breath seemed to require all his strength.

And at that moment, human tragedies continued to unfold across every corner of the island.

"Run! Get out of this area!"

"They're about to come!"

"I'm the last person left in my family. Why did this have to happen to us?"

"As long as... as long as I survive for three weeks... No!"

"Why was this island chosen by those people? I hate this!"

"I don't want to die! I have to get out of here alive!"

Deafening roars came from all directions, sending chills through one's body. It was as though this place were a slaughterhouse, except the prey being hunted were living human beings.

Bang!

A bony fist smashed viciously into Jin An's cheek, and drops of blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Caught completely off guard, Jin An was left dizzy from the blow and fell to the ground.

"Are you fucking trying to die, standing in the middle of the road like an idiot?" the man roared furiously. "You're blocking my way! If you don't want to live, don't get in my way. Get lost!"

Jolted awake by the pain, Jin An shot the man a resentful look. His hand tightened around his weapon, and a glint of cold light flashed through his eyes.

Anyone would be unhappy about getting knocked down by a random punch, especially when there was no road here. Everyone was weaving through the forest, dodging the bullets fired by the nobles.

Then he smiled in realization.

Sure enough, no matter where one went, there would always be scum like this. Even facing death, they still wanted to die later than everyone else.

After knocking Jin An down, the man still seemed dissatisfied. He moved closer to Jin An almost hysterically, the bloodshot veins in his eyes plainly visible as his pupils contracted unnaturally.

It seemed he was enduring immense fear inside and desperately needed an outlet.

"Kid, you still look unconvinced?" The man glanced at the weapon in Jin An's hand and smiled disdainfully, pointing behind himself.

"With that scrawny body of yours, you probably can't even use a weapon properly. The nobles are still chasing us. How about I keep it for you first, then return it once we get out of here?"

With a savage grin, he swung his not particularly muscular arm and threw a punch.

"What, are you sick? There are so many paths here. How am I in your way?"

Under the man's confused gaze, Jin An sheathed his weapon and rolled sharply twice to the side, dodging the attack.

He could not understand how this kid had evaded his strike. Just moments ago, he had been standing there like an idiot.

Jin An did not waste any more words. He swung his blade hard, striking the man between the legs.

"Awooo!!!"

A burst of excruciating pain hit the man, and he curled up and dropped to his knees.

Having succeeded with one blow, Jin An did not linger. Leaving the man behind, he turned and ran into the forest.

"Rat-a-tat-tat..."

After he left, a burst of dense gunfire suddenly rang out.

At the same moment the gunshots sounded, a group of lavishly dressed nobles appeared where Jin An had been standing, looking down at the wailing man.

The man had been about to continue cursing when, before he could even see who stood before him, a bullet pierced straight through his forehead. Red and white matter instantly spilled from the wound.

The man's expression remained as ferocious as ever, but his body had already lost control and slumped to the ground.

In the distance, Jin An watched everything from behind a tree.

Jin An instinctively wanted to cover his mouth, trying to suppress the urge to vomit.

This was the closest he had ever been to death in both his lives. The people here did not care about anyone else's death.

Quite the opposite. To survive, the people here would resort to any means necessary.

He knew that if he did not flee quickly, he would become like those people around him—struck by a bullet in an instant, lying on the ground in agony, waiting for death...

"Hahahaha, did you see that? Those people can even start infighting while they're running away!" A man in extravagant clothing said teasingly to those beside him.

On God Valley, although ordinary nobles like them were far inferior to the Celestial Dragons in status, the feeling of lording it over slaves was still exhilarating.

Like a group of cats, they toyed with the slaves and natives like mice, watching them die in despair.

Such entertainment was hard to come by.

"I saw it. Sure enough, slaves are slaves. Still so ugly and vile, enough to make one sick."

"Livestock is meant to be hunted. If they can bring us a little enjoyment while they're at it, then they've proven their value. They died well."

"How many points have you all gotten? I'm getting closer and closer to catching the attention of the Celestial Dragons, hahahaha."

"I don't care about things like points. Killing alone gives me incomparable pleasure."

"Forget about those rewards. The lords of God's Knights have already left us far behind in points."

"Didn't a little white rabbit just escape? I hope he can bring me a bit more fun. Hehehe."

The nobles abandoned what little noble etiquette they had left, laughing as they raised their guns and searched for their next target.

Jin An rubbed his forehead as his legs kept moving. He seemed to hear those people's mocking laughter ringing in his ears.

He withdrew his gaze and, now clear on the situation he faced, temporarily forgot the exhaustion in his body under the threat of death. His eyes searched for the next place to hide.

He guessed that he had transmigrated, and he had arrived straight into a hellish opening. He was probably one of those people's hunting targets too.

He did not know how much longer he could hold on, but in this situation, only staying calm could give him a better chance of surviving.

There was also something Jin An found extremely strange. Those people had clearly been desperately fleeing for their lives, yet what he saw in their eyes was more anticipation than fear...

The madness here surpassed his imagination. He could not understand the reason for this slaughter. Could it really be just for amusement?

Jin An's head was full of questions, but in a place like this, there was probably no one who could explain the situation to him.

"..."

"Big brother, it's too dangerous for you to stay here."

A tall boy in prison clothes ran up to Jin An and spoke to him. His toes kept twitching inside his torn shoes, making it clear that he was not as calm as he appeared.

"I... I still have some companions in a relatively safe place. Do... do you want to come..."