Yuuichi barely had time to process what happened.
One moment, he was standing there, grinning. The next—
CRACK.
Dawood moved.
His speed was terrifying—so fast that even Fang Yuan, whose battle senses were sharpened by endless life-and-death struggles, barely registered the motion before it happened.
Yuuichi's body flew backward. The sheer force of the kick sent him tumbling through the dirt, skidding over jagged rocks. His head hit the ground—hard.
He didn't move.
Unconscious.
Silence.
The others simply watched. Not out of shock, but out of analysis.
—Aizen smirked. Dawood had just established dominance in the simplest way possible—by removing the unpredictable element before he could play his games.
—Moriarty narrowed his eyes. That was not just brute force. It was calculation.
—Ayanokōji observed. Speed. Precision. Intentional. A message.
—Dazai laughed softly. "Ahh, poor Yuuichi. But it's not like he wasn't asking for it."
Bai Ning Bing exhaled slowly, his muscles still tense from his previous mistake. But Dawood ignored his frustration and turned to him.
"If we don't go and settle at the top of that mountain," Dawood said, his voice calm, "we'll die here. The beasts won't let us last long."
His eyes flicked to the massive jungle surrounding them—dense, dark, and filled with unseen dangers. Then, he looked up at the mountain peak in the distance, looming high above the island.
"Take Yuuichi," Dawood continued. "Drop him there. Let's see how he survives. If he makes a way, we'll set up our camp there."
Bai Ning Bing frowned. "You're giving him a chance?"
Dawood smirked. "No. I'm giving him a challenge. If he's as clever as he acts, he'll survive. If not…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence.
Bai Ning Bing glanced down at Yuuichi's unconscious body. Then at Dawood. Then at the mountain.
Fang Yuan watched the exchange with mild amusement. Interesting. Instead of killing Yuuichi, Dawood is testing him. Seeing if he has what it takes to become useful later. A classic move.
Aizen chuckled. "I suppose I should praise your efficiency. But tell me, Dawood… do you truly believe in teamwork?"
Dawood looked at him, his smirk never fading.
"No," he said simply. "But I believe in useful pieces."
Fang Yuan smiled. Now that, he could respect.
The Ascent Begins
Bai Ning Bing sighed. "Fine." He grabbed Yuuichi's limp body and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "But if he dies, I'm not coming back to collect his corpse."
Dawood shrugged. "Then the problem solves itself."
Without another word, Bai Ning Bing started walking toward the mountain.
Fang Yuan stood up, stretching lazily. "I suppose I'll go take a look too. Watching someone struggle for survival has always been… educational."
Aizen smirked. "Oh? Now this is getting entertaining."
Dazai sighed dramatically. "Maa, maa~ Since everyone is going, I guess I'll tag along. Who knows? Maybe I'll have some fun."
Moriarty smiled. The game had begun.
And as they made their way toward the mountain, Dawood glanced up at the sky, eyes gleaming with something unreadable.
This was only the first move.
The group moved toward the mountain, the dense jungle pressing around them. Bai Ning Bing carried Yuuichi's unconscious body, showing no concern for the bruises forming on his pale skin.
The island had been silent at first. But as they walked, the silence cracked.
Rustling. Low growls. Unseen eyes watching.
The beasts were awake.
Fang Yuan's fingers twitched. "Tch. They're watching us."
Aizen chuckled. "Of course they are. Predators always recognize their own kind."
Dazai grinned. "That's a poetic way of saying we're probably about to be attacked."
Dawood said nothing. His eyes scanned the trees, calculating. His Punisher Gu ensured he couldn't be harmed, but that didn't mean he could let his guard down. The Gu's power protected him, but survival on this island required more than just immunity. It required domination.
Ayanokōji walked calmly, analyzing each step. He had already identified the optimal climbing route to the mountain, calculating the amount of effort needed to conserve stamina.
Moriarty, meanwhile, seemed amused. "Let's test something," he mused. Then, without warning—
He picked up a rock and threw it deep into the jungle.
SNAP.
A blur of teeth and muscle shot forward from the shadows, crushing the rock in its massive jaws.
A black-furred beast, easily the size of a tiger, emerged from the underbrush. Its golden eyes glowed, intelligent and filled with hunger.
The beast wasn't alone.
More shapes moved behind it—three, four, five. Their claws dug into the earth, nostrils flaring as they smelled prey.
Aizen smiled. "Oh? Now this is interesting."
The First Encounter
Bai Ning Bing dropped Yuuichi.
The unconscious body hit the ground with a thud.
"Someone wake him up," Bai Ning Bing muttered, cracking his knuckles. "If he can't run, he can die here."
Dawood looked at the beasts with calm, unreadable eyes. His Punisher Gu ensured that if the beasts tried to attack him, they themselves would suffer the pain.
But the others? They had no such protection.
Fang Yuan's eyes gleamed. "Well, this saves us the trouble of finding food."
Ayanokōji took a step back, observing reactions. This was a test. The first real measure of power on the island.
Moriarty smirked. "Beasts operate on instinct. If we show dominance, they will retreat."
Aizen chuckled. "Or… they'll learn we're worth eating."
Dazai sighed. "Ahh, I was hoping for a peaceful stroll up the mountain."
The first beast lunged.
But before it could even reach them—
CRACK.
Its body twisted unnaturally in the air, bones snapping as if struck by an invisible force. The moment it thought of attacking Dawood, Punisher Gu activated—forcing the pain back onto itself.
The beast crashed to the ground, howling in agony.
The others hesitated.
They saw one of their own fall without even being touched. And beasts understood one thing above all else—dominance.
Dawood took a step forward. His voice was low. Calm. Absolute.
"Leave."
The remaining creatures snarled—but they backed away, dragging their wounded kin into the darkness.
For now.
Moriarty's eyes gleamed. "Well, that was useful."
Aizen tilted his head, smiling. "So, Dawood… does that ability have a limit?"
Dawood didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Bai Ning Bing.
"Pick up Yuuichi. We're not stopping."
Bai Ning Bing scoffed but obeyed, slinging Yuuichi's body back over his shoulder.
The mountain loomed closer.
The group had set up a temporary camp at the foot of the mountain. With no permanent shelter, they had fashioned makeshift tents from gathered materials—large leaves, vines, and whatever little they could scavenge. The beasts had retreated for now, but everyone knew—this was only a temporary reprieve.
The night was dark, the air thick with tension.
Dawood sat alone in his tent, preparing to refine the last 5% of the Punisher Gu.
Even though no one knew the exact percentage, two people had their suspicions—Bai Ning Bing and Fang Yuan.
Bai Ning Bing had a natural intuition when it came to understanding pain and endurance. Having experienced inhuman torment during his own transformation, he could sense that Dawood was about to undergo something severe.
Fang Yuan, on the other hand…
He calculated.
Dawood's battle earlier was too decisive, too calculated. If he had absolute confidence in his Punisher Gu, he wouldn't have moved so directly against Yuuichi. He had taken a risk, meaning the Gu wasn't in perfect condition.
Fang Yuan had seen countless Gu refiners in his past lives. He knew that even a 5% refinement could be agony beyond imagination.
Let's see how he endures it…
And so, as Dawood isolated himself, the others continued with their own silent calculations.
---
Fang Yuan and Aizen – The Meeting of Two Minds
Fang Yuan sat outside, calmly carving symbols into the dirt. These were not just idle scratches but rough simulations of how Gu worm refinement worked. Though he lacked Gu in this world, he could still analyze, adapt, and predict.
Aizen approached, his signature calm smile in place. "You seem deep in thought."
Fang Yuan didn't even look up. "Aren't we all?"
Aizen chuckled, sitting beside him. "A man like you—always thinking, always calculating. I respect that."
Fang Yuan glanced at him. Aizen was dangerous. Not because of brute force, but because his mind worked on long-term strategies.
"Respect?" Fang Yuan echoed. "You mean… you're trying to figure out how I think?"
Aizen smiled. "You and I… we're similar, aren't we? The others move based on instincts or emotions. But us? We move based on control."
Fang Yuan smirked. "Control? I think you mistake me for someone who cares about order. I move only for my own benefit."
Aizen tapped the ground with a single finger. "And yet, you haven't killed anyone yet."
Fang Yuan's eyes gleamed. "Because it's not the right time."
Aizen chuckled. "Then I look forward to seeing when that time comes."
The two sat in perfect understanding. Neither trusted the other. Both knew the other was a predator in human skin.
---
Moriarty and Ayanokōji – The Silent Exchange
Moriarty sat by the dying fire, his sharp eyes watching Ayanokōji across from him.
Ayanokōji had barely spoken since they set up camp. He didn't need to. He was listening. Calculating.
Moriarty took a small piece of wood and began carving with a sharp stone. "You're quiet, Ayanokōji. Almost as if you're waiting for something."
Ayanokōji glanced at him. "I prefer to observe before acting."
Moriarty smirked. "A wise choice. But observation alone won't win you this game."
Ayanokōji met his gaze, unreadable as always. "Games are won before they even begin."
Moriarty's grin widened. "Ah… a strategist through and through. But tell me—do you think Dawood is ahead of us? Or do you think he's just playing his own game?"
Ayanokōji didn't respond immediately. He thought carefully before answering.
"Everyone here thinks they're ahead."
Moriarty chuckled. "And that's what makes this so fun."
The fire crackled between them.
Both men understood something about the other. They weren't just playing this game. They were here to win.
---
Bai Ning Bing – Watching from Afar
Bai Ning Bing sat away from the others, arms crossed, watching the mountain. His mind was elsewhere.
Dawood… That ability of yours… how much longer can you endure it?
He had seen people break from less. He had seen people scream for days, losing their minds to agony.
If Dawood was in that tent, enduring the worst pain imaginable, then it meant one of two things—
1. He was stronger than expected and could endure it alone.
2. He was too prideful to show weakness.
Bai Ning Bing smirked. If it's the second one… I wonder how long before you crack?
He turned his gaze to the tent, where Dawood was still inside.
No screams. No sound.
Interesting.
---
Dazai – The Unseen Smile
Dazai had been listening to everything, though no one paid him much attention.
He lay back against a tree, grinning to himself.
"Aahh, everyone's plotting so seriously," he whispered. "How adorable."
Dazai understood the game, but unlike the others, he wasn't trying to control it.
He was simply enjoying the chaos.
And chaos was coming.
---
Inside Dawood's Tent – The Refinement Begins
Dawood bit his tongue to keep from making a sound.
The Punisher Gu refinement had begun. 5% left.
It felt like his soul was being torn apart.
His nerves burned as if drenched in fire. His bones ached, cracked, and repaired themselves in endless cycles of agony.
His veins felt like molten metal was running through them.
This was the cost of power.
His body shuddered. His muscles tensed. But he did not scream.
He endured.
Because weakness was not an option.
And outside, as the group continued their own calculations, the first true night on the island passed in uneasy silence.
But no one slept peacefully.