"Go beat him," one An Chen whispered into the other's ear, as though afraid the approaching Monster would hear.
"Me?" The other An Chen pointed at himself in disbelief.
The two An Chens were bickering so intently that neither noticed the Monster had already stepped out of the rift.
Once it stood fully among the trees of the Star Dou Great Forest, the rift behind it snapped shut.
Only then did the two An Chens react.
"Go on, go on, you useless fool." One An Chen waved the other away in disgust.
The other An Chen was about to retort, but then confusion crossed his face. "Aren't I you? Doesn't that make you a useless fool too?"
As soon as he finished speaking, one An Chen turned into a puddle of black water and seeped into the shadow beneath his feet.
The Monster across from him was still curiously studying its surroundings. The glaring sunlight made the two sparks in its eyes flicker wildly.
Scorching heat radiated from the Monster, instantly setting the plants and trees around it ablaze.
An Chen was only a few meters away. He took several steps back, keeping a safe distance as he watched its every move.
Red light flickered in the gaps across the Monster's body.
It suddenly turned its head and fixed its gaze on An Chen, the closest living creature.
It grew restless, as though it had found its prey.
An Chen watched its every move. The flames in the Monster's eyes leaped again, and something seemed to spread invisibly outward from it, reaching An Chen.
An Chen felt his emotions shift. He found the Monster unbearably loathsome, thought it was asking for a beating, and wanted to give it one.
Before he could suppress the feeling, the Monster roared. Scorching flames