The facility shook violently as the ceiling began to cave in, metal beams snapping like brittle twigs. Alarms blared, their shrill cries swallowed by the roar that still echoed through the crumbling structure. Dust filled the air, making it harder to see, harder to breathe.

  "MOVE!" Juwon shouted, leading the charge toward the entrance.

  The floor cracked beneath their feet as they sprinted forward, dodging chunks of falling debris. The flickering emergency lights cast erratic shadows on the walls, making everything feel even more unstable. The entire structure was seconds away from complete collapse.

  Juwon was the first to reach the exit door—a towering metallic frame that led into a massive tunnel road. The dim lighting flickered above, illuminating two SUVs parked near the entrance, their engines still warm from recent use.

  The moment the last person made it through, the facility behind them gave way. A deafening crash rang out as the entire underground lab collapsed, sending a wave of dust and rubble outward.

  Juwon coughed, scanning the group quickly. "Is everyone out?!"

  Luo Qing, shielding Yun Ji and the Miao warriors, gave a tense nod. "We're all here!"

  Huai exclaimed, breathless, "Huff... Whatever is out there is either massive, or at least capable of destroying the whole Hei Long facility."

  Zhen Yu nodded. "We need a plan."

  Juwon turned to Qing. "Take the Miao people and head back to the village. Now."

  Luo Qing’s brows furrowed. "What? And leave you guys here?!"

  "We don’t have time for this!" Juwon snapped. "If we all try to escape together, that thing will hunt us down. We need to split up—you take them, and we’ll draw it away."

  Yun Ji clenched his fists. "You're making yourself bait."

  Juwon gave a sharp, knowing smirk. "You’re only going to get in our way. Just go."

  Luo Qing hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Damn it. Try not to get yourself killed."

  Just as they started loading into the SUVs, the tunnel walls trembled.

  Cracks raced across the ceiling, dust and pebbles raining down on them.

  Juwon’s eye twitched. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

  "EVERYONE, INTO THE CARS! NOW!" he yelled.

  The team scrambled into their vehicles. Juwon, Yan Huai, Bai Xueling, Zhen Yu, and Xu Weishan piled into one, while Luo Qing and the Miao warriors took the other.

  As soon as the engines roared to life, the tunnel started collapsing behind them.

  Yan Huai slammed his foot on the accelerator. The SUV shot forward, narrowly dodging falling steel beams and massive chunks of concrete. The roar of destruction followed them, the tunnel caving in mere meters behind their tires.

  "This tunnel is going down!" Zhen Yu yelled over the noise.

  "JUST DRIVE!" Juwon barked.

  The moment they burst out into open air, the two SUVs split up—one taking the north road, the other veering south.

  Then, the sky darkened.

  A massive shadow loomed over the forest path. The sunlight dimmed as something enormous flew overhead, its presence alone enough to send shivers through their bones.

  Juwon looked up.

  His breath caught.

  A Wyvern?

  Pitch-black scales. Red eyes, burning with a malevolence, like the last embers of a dying inferno. They glowed with an eerie, pulsating light.... Black flames trailing from behind its neck to the edges of its wings. The very air around it seemed to distort with heat, wisps of dark smoke curling from its form like living tendrils.

  It was massive—eclipsing the sky, its wings outstretched like an endless stormcloud.

  A Rank 4 Qi Beast.

  "That’s… huge." Bai Xueling whispered, her voice barely audible.

  The Wyvern's neck tilted towards the SUV driven by Luo Qing.

  "Shit—IT’S LOCKED ONTO THEM!" Yan Huai shouted. "JUWON!"

  "I Know"

  Juwon reached into the dashboard, his fingers wrapping around the cold grip of a pistol.

  He pulled it free, steadying his breath as he took aim.

  A single shot rang out—the bullet didn't even reach the beast.*

  BUT the sound was enough.

  The beast’s gaze shifted to him.

  "That's right, Eyes on me"

  "DRIVE! NOW!" Juwon roared.

  Yan Huai slammed on the gas. The SUV shot forward as the Wyvern let out an earsplitting shriek.

  Then, it breathed.

  The Inferno Unleashed

  A torrent of black fire poured from the Wyvern’s maw.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  The flames weren’t normal—they didn’t just burn. They devoured.

  The trees caught fire, exploding into a cascade of embers before disintegrating instantly. The very ground itself cracked, warping under the unnatural heat.

  The SUV swerved violently as Yan Huai fought to keep control. The Wyvern’s shadow flickered across the burning wreckage as it soared overhead, its black flames still trailing from its maw.

  "That fire’s consuming everything!" Bai Xueling gasped, gripping the door handle as the vehicle jolted over uneven terrain.

  "It’s not normal fire," Zhen Yu muttered, bracing himself against the dashboard. "It’s… corruption."

  Xu Weishan cursed, glancing in the rearview mirror. "We can’t outrun this forever! How the hell do we shake a flying beast?!"

  Juwon steadied himself, eyes flickering between the collapsing road and the looming Wyvern. "We don’t. We make for the final outpost and find cover!"

  He narrowed his eyes, then smirked. "Or better yet… we push this bastard onto Hei Long."

  Yan Huai didn’t argue. He gripped the wheel and pushed the SUV to its limits.

  The Wyvern hovered high above, its wings flapping in slow, deliberate motions, maintaining its dominance over the battlefield.

  It watched, tracking the SUV’s movements, its glowing red eyes flickering with eerie intelligence.

  Then, it roared again—a deep, guttural sound that sent shockwaves through the ground.

  It opened its mouth.

  Xu Weishan’s eyes widened as he gripped the seat. "I don’t think we can dodge this one!"

  Juwon’s heart pounded. "Everyone, brace for impact!"

  The black flame surged forth from the wyvern's mouth, an all-consuming inferno, final and absolute.

  The Wyvern's breath gathered again—a void of darkness forming at its core.

  Then, silence.

  The air twisted. The trees groaned. Then—

  BOOM.

  A streak of fire slammed into the ground just behind them, the force of the explosion sending the SUV airborne.*

  The world flipped.

  For a moment, everything slowed. The SUV spun through the air, weightless, as shards of glass caught the glow of the raging inferno behind them. The deafening crack of metal twisting filled their ears, followed by the sickening crunch of impact. Trees splintered, the ground tore apart, and then—

  A bone-jarring slam.

  The SUV was airborne again, tumbling violently through the sky as its occupants were thrown from its shattered frame.

  Juwon’s world spun in a chaotic blur—glass shards catching the fiery glow behind them, the deafening rush of wind drowning out all sound.

  Juwon got shot out of the SUV.

  For a split second, mid-air, Juwon turned his head.

  Huai had crashed against a thick tree trunk, blood erupting from his mouth as he slammed into the bark with brutal force.

  Xu Weishan's hand twitched slightly, emerging from the wreckage of the overturned SUV, fingers curling weakly as if grasping for something—anything. The rest of his body remained unseen.

  Juwon’s breath caught as his own trajectory sent him toward a lake.

  The cold expanse rushed up to meet him, and before he could brace—

  SPLASH!

  The water swallowed him whole, darkness consuming everything as the force dragged him deeper into the abyss.

  Juwon crashed into the water surface, the impact knocking the air from his lungs. He barely registered the pain before he was submerged.

  The cold shock of water wrapped around him.

  Juwon’s body screamed in protest, the shock of icy water ripping the breath from his lungs. Smoke still burned in his throat. He kicked upward, arms sluggish, the weight of exhaustion dragging at his every move. When he finally broke the surface, he gasped, coughing violently, the cold air a slap against his burning lungs. He pulled himself onto the muddy shore, coughing violently. Where were the others?

  Then, the sky darkened again.

  He looked up.

  The Wyvern descended, its hulking form standing as tall as a mountain.

  Juwon could only watch as the beast inhaled deeply

  Juwon screamed, "Nooooo!"

  —The wyvern exhaled a wall of black flames.

  The entire forest ignited.

  Juwon gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the dirt.

  Were his teammates even alive?

  Juwon’s mind raced, panic clawing at his chest. He had seen Huai crash, seen his body slam against that tree—was he still breathing? And the others? Where were they? Had they even made it out of the wreckage?

  The Wyvern let out a final, ear-splitting roar, the roar sounded more like a screech. The creature had exerted its dominance.

  Juwon clenched his fists, watching the destruction unfold. His breath came in ragged gasps as his eyes darted across the inferno, desperately seeking any sign of life. He moved into the forest.

  His heart pounded.

  Was this it? Had he dragged them all into an unwinnable battle? Had he led them to their deaths?

  The flames burned. The sky cracked. And the beast loomed above him. For a moment, it remained motionless, as if admiring its own destruction. Then, with a deep, guttural growl, the Wyvern slowly flapped its wings, lifting itself back into the sky. Its red eyes flickered as it surveyed the devastation one last time before ascending higher, disappearing into the smoke-filled heavens.

  Juwon stumbled forward, heading toward the spot where the SUV had landed. Smoke curled from the wreckage, the twisted metal still glowing from residual heat. His breath was ragged as he moved, eyes scanning frantically.

  Then he remembered—Xu Weishan’s hand.

  He rushed to the overturned SUV, grasping at the melted metal door and pulling it outward with everything he had. The metal groaned, resisting for a moment before finally giving way.

  Inside, Xu Weishan lay slumped, blood trailing from a wound on his forehead. His chest was rising and falling—he was alive, but barely.

  Juwon reached in. "Come here, buddy. Give me your hand."

  Xu’s eyelids fluttered open, his voice barely a whisper. "What... happened?"

  Juwon gritted his teeth. "Let’s get you out first."

  With a deep breath, he pulled Xu Weishan’s heavy body out of the wreckage, dragging him away from the burning car.

  They barely made it a few meters before—

  BOOM!

  The SUV exploded, the shockwave throwing both of them through the air. Juwon hit the ground hard, his vision blurring as the world spun around him.

  His consciousness flickered. He could hear voices—urgent, worried—but they sounded distant, as if underwater.

  Then—

  Darkness.

  Juwon lost consciousness.

  Juwon’s eyes fluttered open. A dim, flickering light danced across the wooden ceiling above him. His limbs felt heavy, his muscles sore.

  He blinked a few times before realization sank in—he was in a hut, resting on a woven mat.

  Sitting across from him, one figure had his chin placed on his arm, which rested on his knee. His sharp gaze watched Juwon with an air of amusement.

  Yuxian.

  Standing just behind him, arms crossed, was another familiar face. Yunfei.

  Juwon exhaled. "Of all people..."

  Yuxian smirked. "Good morning to you too. Didn’t expect to see me so soon?"

  Juwon’s gaze hardened. "What happened? What are you doing here?"

  Yuxian raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading into something resembling irritation. "That’s the first thing you ask? Not ‘Glad to see you’? Not ‘Thanks for coming to see me'’?"

  Juwon exhaled, rubbing his temple. "I just woke up in a place I didn’t expect, after nearly getting incinerated by a wyvern. Forgive me if my first thought isn’t celebrating a reunion."

  Yuxian clicked his tongue, leaning back. "Typical. Ungrateful as ever."

  Yunfei spoke first, his voice calm but firm. "Bai Xueling called for reinforcements. She was in better shape than the rest of you and managed to stabilize Xu before we arrived."

  Juwon sat up slowly, his body protesting with every movement. "And the others?"

  Yuxian’s smirk faded slightly. "Xu Weishan is in critical condition. Yan Huai is still unconscious but recovering. Luo Qing and Yun Ji returned to you gues as soon as the Wyvern flew away—they found Bai Xueling tending to you all while she was still bleeding herself. She wouldn’t stop treating you, even while injured."

  Juwon clenched his jaw. "So she saved us all."

  Yunfei nodded. "And almost killed herself in the process."

  Silence settled over the room. Juwon leaned forward, rubbing his temples. The last thing he remembered was the explosion—the rest was a blur.

  Yuxian stretched lazily. "You always find yourself in the worst situations, don’t you?" He eyed Juwon. "So, what’s next?"

  Juwon exhaled sharply.

  He met Yuxian’s gaze, his expression hard. "There are many things we need to talk about."

  "But the most important of it all, is Heavenly Demonic Cult!"

  Yuxian and Yunfei's expression darkened.