The trio—one man, two beasts—stepped out past the safety bulkhead.
The once-sturdy reinforced concrete tunnel was now scorched a charcoal black. The acrid tang of gunpowder mingled with the heavy, cloying scent of charred flesh hanging in the air. The destructive power of a thermobaric warhead in such a confined space was nothing short of horrific.
The hatch leading to the surface had been completely deformed, widened to twice its original size by the dragon's frantic thrashing in its final moments.
"Convenient, at least. A hole this large makes dragging the carcass down easier," Thien Anh assessed, then turned to Azure Sky. "Thanh, get up on that snow bank and scout. Report any movement immediately."
"On it, Boss!" Azure Sky glided with liquid speed to a high vantage point, her brilliant golden eyes scanning the bruised, grey sky.
Thien Anh flicked the switch on his battery-powered industrial chainsaw. The mechanical whine of the motor hummed to life, shattering the silence.
"Let's begin."
The alloy-steel blade spun into a blur, biting into the rock-hard scales of the dragon. A shower of sparks erupted.
The dragon's hide was incredibly resilient. Every few feet, Thien Anh had to pause to swap the blade or apply cooling oil. The dragon's blood was thick and viscous, a deep crimson that bled out to stain the surrounding snow.
Lam Linh, having just changed into dry clothes, rushed out to assist. She used a crowbar to pry the joints apart and held the flashlight steady for Thien Anh's cuts. Her strength was failing; she gasped for air after every small exertion, yet her gaze remained stubbornly persistent.
Four hours passed.
The gargantuan carcass was finally partitioned into massive slabs of meat, which Thien Lang spent the next hour hauling down into the cold storage vault.
The final stage was clearing the scene. The dragon blood soaking into the snow would act as a beacon for other monsters.
"Mutt, handle the rest."
Thien Lang nodded. He knelt and began licking the blood-stained patches of snow clean. With the iron-clad stomach of a Tier-2 beast, eating snow or stone made little difference to his digestion.
Meanwhile, Thien Anh and Lam Linh toiled to weld the hatch shut once more.
By the time the final steel plate was secured, both humans were utterly spent.
Back in the common area, Lam Linh collapsed onto the floor, her chest heaving violently, sweat drenching her shirt despite the comfortable room temperature. She had pushed past her physical limits long ago.
"Rest for a bit. Shower later," Thien Anh said, heading in to wash up first. He needed to scrub the metallic stench of dragon blood from his skin.
...
Fifteen minutes later, Thien Anh emerged, feeling refreshed. Lam Linh clutched a change of clothes and staggered toward the bathroom, her gait unsteady and her face unnaturally pale.
Thien Anh narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. He walked to the living area, where Thien Lang and Azure Sky were savoring the "spoils of war."
The two beasts were tearing into the dragon's head.
"The meat of this flying lizard is incredible!" Thien Lang praised between wet, rhythmic crunches. "The fibers are dense, surging with energy. I can feel a warmth spreading through my entire body."
Azure Sky, busy sucking the marrow from a cervical vertebra, nodded in agreement.
"I can feel my cells dividing rapidly. This sensation… it's like a parched throat finally finding water. At this rate, it won't be long before I ascend to Tier 3."
Thien Anh sat on the sofa, pensive. "The change is that noticeable?"
"Extremely," Thien Lang confirmed. "But there's something strange. Eating this meat only makes the muscles swell and the hide thicken. It doesn't 'brighten' the mind like that white substance or the brains of those Ghouls."
Thien Lang's observation struck Thien Anh like a bolt of lightning.
Eat the brain of an intelligent being -> Increase intelligence. Eat the flesh of a powerful being -> Increase physical attributes.
The law of "You are what you eat" had never been more literal in this deranged world.
A dark thought flickered through Thien Anh's mind: If he allowed Thien Lang and Azure Sky to feast on living humans… would their intellect evolve to match, or even surpass, humanity?
He looked at his two beast companions and quickly suppressed the thought. Humanity was the final line. If he crossed it, he would be no different from the monsters outside.
THUD!
A heavy sound echoed from the bathroom, cutting through his thoughts.
Thien Lang's ears pricked up. "The sound of a heavy fall. There is a scent of… illness."
Thien Anh's expression shifted. He lunged toward the bathroom door.
"Lam Linh! What happened?"
The hiss of the shower continued unabated. There was no reply.
"Dammit!"
Thien Anh took a step back and delivered a powerful kick to the door latch. Crack! The door swung open. He had controlled his strength perfectly so the door wouldn't strike whoever was inside.
The sight made his heart skip a beat.
Lam Linh lay sprawled on the wet tiles, right by the door frame. Water from the shower lashed down on her, her clothes clinging to her gaunt frame. She was completely unconscious.
Thien Anh quickly cut the water and knelt to check her. Her pulse was rapid and thready. Her forehead was as scorching as a hot coal.
"High fever. Exhaustion coupled with thermal shock."
Without a moment's hesitation, he scooped her up and carried her to the bed.
Her soaked clothes were sapping the last of her body heat. Thien Anh knew what he had to do. In his eyes right now, there was no man or woman—only a doctor and a patient.
He decisively stripped away Lam Linh's wet clothing and tossed it aside. He used a dry towel to quickly wipe her down before bundling her tightly in a heavy duvet.
Thien Lang stood at the bedroom door, watching with a cold, detached gaze.
"Is it dead?"
Thien Anh turned, glaring. "No. She just fainted."
"What a nuisance," Azure Sky slithered over, her tongue flicking with disdain. "Weak as a snail. Should I just give her a 'mercy bite'? It'll save us rations and medicine."
Thien Lang nodded in agreement. "Master, why keep this liability? Should we just toss her out the hatch as bait for the rats?"
Thien Anh looked at the girl shivering in her delirium, then at his two ruthless pets. He let out a sigh, his voice surprisingly tempered.
"That's enough, you two!"