The Monstrous Hero-Chapter 48 - 47: Wake Up, Kid!

Z-34 turned his head toward Liu Xian. "Now that I think about it," he started, tilting his chin like he was about to say something deep but clearly wasn’t, "your swordsmanship was fucking awful."

The words came out with that playful edge of his — like he wasn’t sure whether he was joking or insulting you for real. "Makes sense now," he went on, gesturing lazily with his hand. "Guess you’re more of a liability than the kid, huh?" He let out a loud, ridiculous laugh that echoed, practically bending over from how fucking funny he found himself.

E26 snorted softly beside him, shaking his head, though his lips twitched like he was trying not to laugh too hard either.

Liu Xian stared at them for a moment, unsure whether he was supposed to laugh or frown. His first instinct was to shut down—keep his expression neutral, eyes blank. That’s what he always did. But then something inside him, maybe the faintest trace of wanting to belong, told him to loosen up.

Maybe this was like an inside joke.

One of those weird group dynamics he never understood. He didn’t have much experience with this sort of thing. Friendship. Teammates. Banter. All of it felt like a foreign language.

Still, he forced out a small chuckle. It came out awkward and delayed, but it made Z34 grin wider.

"Well," Liu Xian drawled after a second, rubbing the back of his neck, "I guess I’ve got a lot to learn."

"You sure fucking do," Z34 said without missing a beat. "But don’t you worry, man. You’ll be a lot of help to us. Definitely." He gave him a slap on the shoulder, making Liu Xian tense up slightly.

Was this how acceptance feels like?

He didn’t hate it.

The fire crackled as someone shifted. The air smelled like smoke and dirt and faint metallic blood that refused to leave their hands no matter how hard they’d scrubbed.

Z-34 leaned back, stretching his arms with a groan. "Alright, I think that’s enough storytelling for one night." He yawned, tilting his head toward Liu Xian. "How about you go get some sleep, yeah? You must be exhausted."

Liu blinked at him.

"Go on," Z-34 said, waving him off. "We’ll keep watch for now. You and the kid can get some shut-eye."

Liu Xian hesitated for a second, then nodded and stood up. The ground under his boots felt uneven, soft from churned dirt and dried leaf debris. He walked a few paces away from the fire, choosing a spot near the edge of the camp where the flames barely reached.

The earth was cold as he laid down.

The kind that seeps through your clothes, clinging to your bones no matter how hard you try to get comfortable. He turned onto his side, eyes half-open, watching the firelight across the clearing.

Z-34 and E-26 were still up, talking in low tones. 27-C sat a little apart from them, listening.

He could hear bits and pieces of their conversation drift through the air.

"...Yeah, that would be perfect."

"Ha, you should thank me."

"We’ll make it quick."

"Sure."

Their laughter came again, softer this time, blending with the whisper of wind and crackling wood.

Liu Xian exhaled slowly.

It wasn’t exactly home, but for the first time since waking up in this strange world, he didn’t feel like a test subject or a mistake. Just another person sitting under the stars.

He turned onto his back and looked up. The sky here was strange—violet haze and streaks of white light that pulsed faintly, like veins under skin. It never went fully dark. There was always this faint light, this humming energy that reminded him he wasn’t really on Earth anymore.

But tonight... it didn’t feel as alien.

For once, he didn’t feel like running.

Maybe this was fine.

Temporary, but fine.

He let his eyes close.

The noise of the night pressed in softly, the distant call of something winged, the lazy rustle of leaves, the occasional pop from the campfire. Someone shifted positions; boots scraping against dirt.

A low sigh escaped him.

His body was still tense, but exhaustion had its way of blurring fear into something duller. He could feel his heartbeat finally starting to match the rhythm of the crackling fire.

His last clear thought before slipping into half-sleep was how weirdly peaceful it all felt.

He hadn’t felt peace in... fuck, he couldn’t even remember how long.

And for a while—maybe an hour, maybe more—Liu Xian didn’t dream. He didn’t think about labs, collars, Rankers, or the way Koro’s voice had sounded the last time he heard it.

Just the hum of fire, the soft wind, and the distant echo of voices.

Somewhere in that quiet, something inside him eased.

He didn’t know that Z-34’s laughter would fade soon after, replaced by low murmurs between the others. He didn’t see 27-C’s eyes flick in his direction now and then, watchful, cautious.

He didn’t see the way E-26’s hand never left his gun, or how the light from the fire made their faces look more like masks than people.

He just slept—half curled, one hand resting loosely over his weapon like instinct wouldn’t let go completely.

And yet, he did let his guard down, didn’t he?

That wasn’t exactly the smartest thing to do, not here, not in a place where "alive" was a temporary status. But when your brain’s been running on fear and adrenaline for days, when every sound, every movement of light sets your nerves on fire—eventually, exhaustion wins.

And for Liu Xian, that little flicker of ease was all it took.

At some point, he must’ve drifted deep. Sounds came muffled. The cold air on his skin felt far away.

Then something... shifted.

A breeze slipped through the clearing, cold enough to make him shiver even through his clothes. He squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to ignore it. His mind told him to wake up, but his body just wanted five more minutes.

Then a voice cut through the haze.

"Wake up, kid!"

His eyes snapped open.

For a moment, everything was a blur... firelight, movement, the metallic hiss of something slicing through air. Then his vision cleared just enough for him to see Z-34 standing in front of him—his silhouette outlined by the fire’s dull glow.

Sword raised above his head.

And positioned straight at Liu Xian.