The Monstrous Hero-Chapter 39 - 38: PHASE TWO

Liu Xian blinked, once, twice, the world slowly bleeding back into focus. The ground beneath him wasn’t sticky anymore—it was cold metal, polished enough that he could see a faint reflection of his face. He pushed himself up on his elbows, grimacing as every joint in his body complained at once. His vision swam for a moment before settling.

And then he froze.

Both hands.

They were there—whole. His fingers flexed automatically, slow, disbelieving. He turned his wrist, watching light reflect off the familiar fabric of his uniform. He wasn’t missing an arm.

The relief he felt was beyond words.

Everything was exactly as it had been before the trial.

Except for him.

He sucked in a breath through his teeth, blinked it away, and forced himself to look around.

He was in a hall.

A huge one—stretching endlessly in both directions, metallic walls lined with strips of light that pulsed faintly like they were breathing. The air smelled faintly sterile, with a metallic tang that reminded him of the lab.

And he wasn’t alone.

He blinked again, slower this time. His team. They were all there.

Most of them looked like hell—tired, drained. A few sat sprawled across the floor like broken dolls, heads hanging low. B67 was sitting closest to him, curled up against the wall, knees hugged tight to his chest, eyes vacant like he was still seeing the nightmare they’d all just been dragged through. G-25 sat beside him, rubbing at his arms.

Across from them, Z-34—the tall one with jagged hair and that black visor covering half his face—was pacing like a caged beast, muttering under his breath. His uniform was intact but there were small fresh cuts that had long dried over with blood.

Liu Xian tried to piece together what had happened.

His mind was foggy, still echoing with the sound of that damn voice. The being’s mocking chuckle lingered somewhere deep in his head.

You’d be nothing without me.

He clenched his jaw. The bastard wasn’t wrong—not entirely. If not for that strange boost of strength, he would’ve been candy food. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

He pressed a palm against his chest, half expecting to feel the faint hum of that being’s presence.

Nothing.

Just a steady, tired heartbeat.

Then a faint whirring sound broke his thoughts.

A drone descended from above, the same kind they’d seen before—white metal casing, glowing blue eye at its center, quiet mechanical wings that buzzed faintly. It hovered just above their heads, casting a cold light over the group.

A screen flickered to life beside it.

TRIAL COMPLETE.

PROCEEDING TO PORTAL.

The words flashed across the screen in bold white letters, and for a second, no one moved. No one even breathed.

Then Z-34 let out a low, guttural growl. He pushed off the wall, grabbed his weapon from where it leaned beside him, and before anyone could blink, hurled it at the drone.

The blade hit dead center. The drone stuttered, sparks snapping across its casing, its voice glitching into static.

"Wh—Unit... error... protoco—"

Z-34 stomped forward, grabbed the drone mid-air, and slammed it into the ground hard enough to crack the floor panels.

"Fuck this!" he shouted, voice raw. "Fuck these assholes!"

He raised his foot and kicked it again. And again. The metal crumpled like paper under his heel. Blue sparks burst out with each hit.

B67 flinched, curling tighter against himself. G-25’s muttering stopped for the first time since Liu Xian woke. 27-C just sat there, her dagger pausing mid-spin, eyes cold, watching like she was deciding whether to join in or stab him.

The rage pouring off Z-34 was wild, unfiltered. It wasn’t just anger—it was fear, wrapped up and burning like gasoline.

"Those bastards!" Z-34 snarled, slamming the ruined drone against the wall now. "We’re their fucking experiments! You hear me? They’re laughing up there while we—while we suffer in those goddamn portals or whatever horseshit they call it!"

The metal screeched under his grip, sparks spitting into the air.

After a few more slams, he stopped. Just stood there, chest heaving, visor tilted down like he couldn’t bear to meet anyone’s eyes. His fists were still trembling.

E-26 sighed, long and slow, the sound slicing through the tension. "Now look what you’ve done," he muttered. His voice was dry, rough. "Now we don’t even know what the next phase is."

Z-34 turned on him instantly. "Like those bastards were gonna tell us shit anyway!"

E-26 shrugged, the corner of his mouth twisting into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Maybe not. But destroying the only thing that does talk to us? Smart move, genius."

"Say that again," Z-34 snarled, stepping forward.

27-C’s dagger flashed between them in an instant.

"Enough."

That single word cut cleaner than her blade could. "We all want to hit something. But if you two start throwing punches, I’ll make sure neither of you has hands left."

"And how the fuck do you intend to do that!"

"Try me and you’ll see."

The tension crackled for a moment longer, then broke.

Z-34 backed off, breathing hard. E-26 leaned back again, unbothered.

Silence fell again.

Liu Xian finally exhaled, rubbing his thumb against his palm, his gaze flicking toward the shards of blue glass on the floor. Then toward the ceiling, where the cracked hologram flickered one last time before fading completely.

Trial complete.

It didn’t feel complete.

He exhaled through his nose, jaw tightening.

B67’s shoulders trembled. The sound of his breathing was small but loud in the emptiness, making Liu Xian stare at him.

The kid had survived, somehow. So had he. So had all of them.

Maybe that was the point.

Then, from the ceiling, another drone descended.

"Unit 17," it said, voice smoother than the first. "Commencing portal synchronization. Timer: two minutes until recalibration."

Heads turned.

Z-34 muttered something under his breath, wiping his arm across his face. 27-C stood, dagger vanishing into her belt. G-25’s pacing stopped. E-26 dragged himself upright with a quiet groan.

The screen blinked to life again, casting everyone in blue glow.

PORTAL TRIAL – PHASE TWO.

UNIT 17-A.

STATUS: SURVIVED INITIAL STAGE.

That word again—survived.

It sounded like mockery.

Liu Xian’s fingers curled slowly into fists, the faint blue veins under his skin sparking for half a second before fading.