[The scene continued.]
[Below the surface team, the Mana Bloom was still absorbing life essence from the Devourers.]
[Suddenly, Mark-Beast's expression became dazed.]
[He shook his head twice. The bloodthirsty red in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by clarity.]
[Clear, human-like awareness returned to his gaze.]
[His eyes darted around, scanning his surroundings—]
[—and he immediately realized something was wrong.]
[Then, he felt something unusual in his abdomen.]
[Lowering his head, he saw a golden tendril piercing into his body.]
[For a moment, he froze.]
[Then—]
[He grabbed the tendril with both hands and pulled hard.]
[With a violent tug, the glowing golden tendril was ripped out of his body, dragging along strands of strange blue fluid.]
"An intelligent Devourer?!"
On the Lighthouse, the Hunter squad members were all shocked.
They had suffered plenty at the hands of Devourers while scavenging on the surface.
No one understood these creatures better than they did.
But a Devourer with clear awareness… resisting the Mana Bloom…
This was the first time they had ever seen something like this.
Could it be…
That just like those people in the video said—
It was once human?
…
Unconsciously, the entire squad turned their gaze toward their captain—
Mark.
"Hey! What are you brats staring at?! Want me to smack you?!"
Mark snapped, annoyed at their suspicious looks, raising his hand threateningly.
Unlike the others, who were doubtful—
Ran Bing looked at him with concern.
She wasn't afraid that Mark might turn into a Devourer.
After all, the one in the video still had his own consciousness.
What she feared was—
If Mark did become a Devourer…
How would others treat him?
Would the Lighthouse still accept him?
…
If that Devourer really was Mark—
Why was he alone inside the vortex?
Had he been… expelled?
…
And what about her?
Where would she be in that future?
Just as Ran Bing was lost in her thoughts—
A large hand gently rested on her head.
"What are you thinking about?"
Mark's voice, soft and warm, sounded beside her.
She snapped back to reality.
"Nothing."
She shook her head.
She didn't voice her worries.
Because saying it wouldn't solve anything—
It would only create more trouble.
Instead…
She would find a way herself.
A way to prevent Mark from ever becoming like that.
She glanced up at the sky.
If this video ends…
Will there be another dungeon like before…?
Maybe… I can get something that can help him…
[The scene continued.]
[After Mark-Beast forcibly tore the tendril out of his body, the disturbance immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding Devourers.]
["Look! He's resisting the Mana Bloom's command!"]
[Xia Dou shouted after spotting the change through her binoculars.]
[The others froze—then quickly looked down.]
[The screen showed the massive crimson Mana Bloom occupying most of the frame—]
[like a grotesque, mutated sun looming before Mark-Beast.]
[On both sides, Devourers had already begun surrounding him.]
["He still has some humanity left! His spirit hasn't been fully eroded yet!"]
["He might still be saved!"]
[Xia Dou urgently reported to Bai Yuekui.]
[Bai Yuekui frowned slightly.]
[After a brief moment of calculation—]
[she made her decision.]
["Prepare to move."]
["Once we leave the Return-to-Origin state, we'll be exposed."]
["Stay alert."]
[Everyone nodded in unison.]
["Got it!"]
[Below them, the Devourers had already launched their attack.]
[Mark-Beast, alone—]
[was instantly overwhelmed and pinned to the ground.]
[The camera shifted back up.]
[The team began preparing their equipment.]
[Xia Dou put on her punk-style visor.]
[Guayan opened his laptop and began typing rapidly.]
[After a moment—]
[he spoke:]
["Ready."]
["Scanning nearby Mana signal terminals."]
[The view switched to Xia Dou's visor display.]
[Under Guayan's control—]
[six Devourers attacking Mark were instantly locked on and labeled:]
[E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6]
[After analyzing their signals, Guayan reported:]
["E3 has the strongest energy signature."]
[At once—]
[Xu Tong, Shan Da, and Suixing stepped forward with their weapons.]
[After observing the battlefield—]
[Suixing selected her target.]
[She flicked out a bronze ring from her sleeve, hooked it onto her bowstring, and drew a glowing arrow—]
[Pulling the bow to its full limit.]
["Haa… haa…"]
[She steadied her breathing.]
[Exited Return-to-Origin.]
[And channeled energy into the arrow—]
[Then released.]
[TWANG!]
[The arrow shot forward like a blue comet—]
[ripping through the air toward E3.]
["BOOM!"]