In a valley, water trickled down a sheer cliff and gradually formed a pool on the valley floor.
The pool was clear to the bottom. Because sunlight never reached it, the fish in its waters were white and translucent, every blood vessel plainly visible.
Goliya stood beside the pool, her expression shifting. She was exhausted and hungry. Her Storage Space held plenty of high-energy food, but nothing she ate made her feel full. The hunger was tormenting her to the brink of a frenzy.
She was not human. Her true form was a colossal deep-sea monster. By a stroke of chance, she had embarked on the path of cultivation and eventually taken human form.
If she fell into a frenzy, she would revert to her true form and feed without restraint. At that point, she would have no reason left at all.
The problem was that reverting was too dangerous. Her true form had long since grown to the size of a star. She would be impossible to miss.
No trial-taker had voted for her, but others had received votes. Everyone was caught in a chain of suspicion. What if someone decided that the vote against them might have come from her?
Humans had a saying: "Better to kill the wrong one than let the right one go." The slightest suspicion would be enough for another trial-taker to attack her.
"Can only food from this stage fill my stomach?"
Goliya watched the fish in the pool, but she sensed danger. Some predator lurked in the water.
She took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and stepped in. Whatever happened, filling her stomach came first. She did not believe some predator in a mere pool could kill her.
Catch a few fish as fast as possible, then get out!
Goliya swam