The thought of being casually blown apart by a passing bald man, or accidentally crushed by Tornado while she was pulling radishes, sent a shiver down Han Sen's spine.
Gulp...
He couldn't help but swallow, his gaze becoming more serious.
"No! I must gather information and improve my strength as soon as possible!"
Han Sen was the kind of person whose execution could instantly go full throttle once he had a driving force.
He didn't linger any longer, identified the direction, and then strode away in the direction he came from.
In the blink of an eye, the dark body covered with crimson patterns disappeared into the darkness at the end of the passage.
...
...
The journey was smooth, and he didn't encounter any other ignorant Monsters.
Han Sen thought about it and then understood.
It was normal; Lord Poqi's activity area was an absolute forbidden zone for ordinary Monsters.
Ordinary Monsters naturally avoided it, fearing they would become a passing snack.
The further he walked, the stronger the sewer-like stench in the air became, even mixed with a nauseating, sour smell of excrement and undigested flesh.
The light ahead grew brighter, and soon, an underground space the size of a football field appeared before his eyes.
This was one of the areas where the lower-level Monsters exchanged tasks and gathered for activities.
Hundreds of Monsters of various forms were gathered in the relatively spacious underground space, most of them Wolf-level, grotesque in shape.
Some resembled giant insects, some mutated beasts, some distorted abominations of discarded machinery filled with flesh, and some were simply unidentifiable piles of meat.
Under the light from above, Monster shadows flickered.
A few Monsters whose aura reached Tiger-level each occupied a territory, enjoying the fearful gazes of the surrounding Wolf-level subordinates.
As for the Demon-level Monsters, who were the backbone of the Monster Association, or the Dragon-level cadres at the core, not a single one could be seen here.
The strong, like Lord Poqi, all had their own territories and naturally disdained associating with these lower-level Monsters.
At this moment, the daily life of the Monster Association was unfolding in the underground space—
In a corner, several hyena-like Monsters were tearing and fighting over a piece of rotten internal organs from an unknown creature, emitting threatening growls.
In the center of the field, a Mantis Monster and a Scorpion Monster were engaged in a primitive claw-and-fang brawl, with severed limbs and bodily fluids flying.
A Monster with fly compound eyes was spewing saliva, boasting to several timid subordinates about how many humans he had tortured and killed in his last mission...
Chaos! Barbarism! Evil!
This was the truest portrayal of the Monster Association's lower levels.
Han Sen's appearance immediately attracted the attention of almost all the Monsters in the underground space.
Not because of the faint Tiger-level aura he carried, but because of that hint of destructive... Dragon-level pressure!
Silence!
The clamor came to an abrupt halt.
For a moment, the underground space fell silent.
Dozens of eyes, some murky, some blood-red, full of malice, simultaneously turned and focused on Han Sen, who had just emerged from the passage.
Suspicion, scrutiny, confusion, greed... fear!
It seemed Lord Poqi's deterrent power was even more effective than imagined.
As this thought crossed Han Sen's mind, he immediately saw a Mantis Monster in the corner, who, after a brief moment of astonishment, was the first to regain its senses.
It then suddenly raised its blade-like arm and pierced a terrified Rabbit Monster nearby, lifting it high!
Then it brought it to its mouth, bit off its head with a "crunch," and then casually dragged the still-twitching corpse into the shadows, quietly feasting on it.
Han Sen: "..."
Good heavens, so the ultimate form of workplace bullying is...
Eating colleagues alive.
Han Sen's mouth twitched. While speechless, he gained a deeper understanding of the Monster Association's survival rules.
Just then, a muffled sound like bubbles being blown underwater broke the dead silence.
"Strange...?!"
From behind the Monsters, a surprised voice came from a crude but massive stone throne.
"Why isn't this trash dead?!"
The scene instantly quieted down. The Monsters quickly parted to create a path, and a figure significantly larger than the surrounding Monsters, sending a slightly slower, obstructing minion flying, strode out.
This fellow was about three meters tall, with a huge octopus head that dripped transparent slime.
Below the head was a bloated body resembling a human, and eight slippery tentacles covered with disgusting suction cups writhed restlessly like pythons.
Han Sen paused, his gaze suddenly turning cold.
He remembered this guy, this octopus-headed Monster was the strongest in this area, a Tiger-level Monster—
Slime Octopus!
According to the rules set by Great Eyes, Monsters of different levels had different divisions of labor. Dragon-level Monsters were core cadres, and Demon-level and above were qualified to serve as combatants, researchers, and other positions.
Lower-level Monsters, based on their respective specialties, were responsible for basic tasks such as resource collection, logistical support, and construction, serving the upper echelons.
Slime Octopus's assigned task was a logistical one, mainly responsible for feeding Lord Poqi's meals.
It was his casual remark that sent Han Sen and five other Monsters to become snacks for Lord Poqi.
Han Sen's narrowed eyes gleamed with dangerous light, and the crimson patterns on his dark face mask flickered like breathing: "Who are you calling trash?"
"Trash, of course, I'm calling you! Uh...?"
Slime Octopus instinctively retorted, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt vaguely that something was off.
However, a lack of intelligence was a common ailment among lower-level Monsters.
Although Tiger-level Monsters could already withstand human modern weaponry, making them difficult for modern forces to eliminate.
Yet, in the Monster world, they were still ubiquitous cannon fodder, weaklings at the bottom of the pyramid.
Without thinking much, Slime Octopus curled up his eight slippery tentacles, making a "gurgling, squishy" sound, and sneered: "Hehehe! Kid, it seems you're lucky to have returned alive from Lord Poqi."
Slime Octopus took a step forward, his eight slowly writhing tentacles slightly raised, attempting to pressure Han Sen with his three-meter height and Tiger-level Monster aura.
"Since you're back, stay put!"
He coiled a severed arm, left by some unfortunate soul on the ground, with one tentacle, and stuffed it into the mouthpart beneath his head, chewing it until juice splattered.
"Tomorrow's meal delivery mission... hehehe, you're still going!"
Such a matter-of-fact tone of command, and the undisguised malice, intensified the chill in Han Sen's eyes.
This guy not only completely ignored the Monster Cell reward from the previous mission but also planned to continue pushing him towards death, clearly intending to treat him as a tool that could be sacrificed at will, while also monopolizing the reward.
"Heh heh."
A low chuckle emanated from Han Sen's masked mouth, carrying a faint burning sensation, as if igniting the air.
"What are you laughing at?!"
Slime Octopus's face darkened. Being mocked by someone he considered trash made him feel offended.
The suction cups on his eight tentacles suddenly opened, revealing the dense, sharp fangs inside, enough to send someone with trypophobia straight to heaven, exuding a dangerous aura.
"Could it be... you have an opinion on my arrangements?!"
Boom!
The Tiger-level Monster's aura erupted without reservation, a Fishy wind blowing face! (a wave of Fishy wind blowing face!)
Seeing this, the surrounding Monsters excitedly retreated, consciously clearing an open space.
Their eyes were filled with the expectation of watching a spectacle and a thirst for blood.
Although there was behind-the-scenes manipulation and unified management by Great Eyes, there was a set of unwritten rules among the lower-level Monsters of the Monster Association.
The so-called rules were—
No rules!
If one had to say, it was the most primitive law of the jungle—
The strong prey on the weak, and the strong dominate everything!
Psykos didn't care how many low-level Monsters died in a day; she could easily create more anyway.
Therefore—Grab food、Fight for territory、They kill each other if they disagree ...
These had long become commonplace for lower-level Monsters, merely basic operations.