"Heterotypic name: Touching Beetle, Wingless Subclass, Medium Intelligence Species..." read the information below the sketch."Predatory creatures, armed with sickle-like forearms, prominent compound eyes, and abdominal tentacles used to ensnare prey. They have flexible necks and serrated mouthparts..." Carl read aloud from the document."Touching Beetle? Are these the names of these monsters?" William questioned. Carl shrugged. "That's what the file indicates."William couldn't help but feel that this world was growing increasingly bizarre. "If there's information about the appearance and characteristics of these monsters, that means someone has studied them. Could it be that if we find someone who has studied these creatures, we can find a way to defeat them?""Even if we could defeat them, do you think the city would cease to be a human pasture?" Carl sighed, his gaze shifting to Lucy, who was beside him. "I hope Lucy can grow up safely and lead a simple life," he said, gently patting her head. "That's all I've ever wanted."Carl's perspective was clear: he wanted to coexist with these monsters peacefully, even if he knew that everyone around him was a monster. He simply wanted to live and protect his sister.However, William held a different view. He harbored deep resentment toward these monsters, who had separated him from his biological parents. If possible, he wanted to uncover the truth about this world and find a way to rid it of these monsters."Do you really believe these monsters will leave us alone if we just want to survive?" William argued. "To them, humans are nothing more than food.""They don't care about the food, they don't care if the food they're about to consume has dreams or aspirations. All they care about is opening their mouths and devouring their prey," William continued. "Carl, we can't just run away from this," William stated."I ran away," Carl responded simply. He glanced at the information in William's hands, took out the last page, and placed it at the top. He pointed to the handwritten note on it. "As long as we go here, we can survive."Following Carl's gesture, William's eyes fell on the faintly written words in pen. It was a neat line that read, "Far North Land? Peach Blossom Garden? The last hope for humanity?""What does this mean?" This was the only portion in the materials that had been written with a pen. If William's hunch was correct, it might have been written by the skeleton before his demise."North," Carl explained. "Once we leave this place, we head north. There may be a place that belongs solely to humans, devoid of monsters. That's what they call the 'Peach Blossom Garden.'""Suppose we go there; we might be able to live peacefully," Carl added."Are you insane?" William was taken aback. "This line was clearly written later, and it has a question mark at the end.""How can you know if you don't go and find out?" Carl maintained his determination. Just as they were debating, Alex, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sat up. Three bloodletting knives from the bag hovered in front of him. Alex fixed his gaze on William and the others and calmly stated, "You can't go anywhere."Before William could even turn around, three bloodletting knives suspended in front of Alex shot up with a "ceng" sound. William was startled. He hadn't expected Alex to move so quickly. It was too late to evade. One of the bloodletting knives hovered perilously close to William's forehead, poised to strike at any moment. Arthur found himself in a similar predicament, with another knife pressed against his neck, ready to pierce his skin with the slightest movement.Carl, on the other hand, managed to avoid the flying bloodletting knife due to his enhanced sensory abilities. However, in his haste to dodge, he slipped and fell. The bloodletting knife that Carl narrowly avoided came to a halt in front of Lucy."Don't harm her!" Carl urgently got back on his feet and pleaded with Alex, his eyes fixed on the bloodletting knife threatening his sister.Alex glanced at them coldly and sneered, "I told you that you can't escape." "Why?" William protested, refusing to back down."Don't speak!" Carl barked at William, deeply concerned for his sister's safety. He then turned to face Alex and asked, "What do you want from us?"

Alex slowly rose from the ground, his eyes fixed on William as he walked over to pick up the key box from the ground. "Even if my knives couldn't touch you, how far do you think you can get once you leave this city?" He continued, his tone disdainful. "Rather than letting you die at the hands of monsters outside, I might as well end your lives here. At least that way, you'll die as humans, with some semblance of dignity."With those words, the bloodletting knives that had been suspended menacingly in front of William and the others flew back, returning to their sheaths in Alex's bag. Alex then sat down on the ground, clutching the key box."You think killing a monster makes you great?" Alex looked up slightly, glaring at William. "Who wouldn't talk big? You want to eliminate them. Who do you think you are? You're just a helpless rabbit without fur.""Do you believe that all humans in this world are as powerless and foolish as you?" Alex's words left no room for argument. Although William was displeased, he had to admit that Alex had a point. William desired to rid the world of these monsters, but was he the only one with such aspirations? If eliminating these monsters were as straightforward as it seemed, the city wouldn't have become a human pasture. "You." Alex turned his gaze to Arthur. "Your limbs are underdeveloped, and you're rather simple- minded. If you had remained blissfully unaware of the existence of these monsters, you might have survived a few more years. But now that you know, you won't last three days outside."Arthur, with a resigned expression, nodded in agreement. "And you." Alex glanced at Carl, who was standing protectively in front of Lucy. "Your ability is quite convenient. It allows you to detect monsters and evade most attacks.""But where does that leave your sister?" Alex continued, his voice cutting. "Can you always be by her side? Moreover, you're not strong yourself. Even if you're with her all the time, the inevitable outcome will be witnessing your sister's death at the hands of those monsters.""Is this little trick enough for you to leave this place? And what then? You'll just die somewhere else. If you want to die, you might as well do it without the involvement of those monsters," Alex concluded. Although his words were harsh, they struck a chord with William and the others."Alex, we were mistaken," Arthur admitted quietly after a brief pause. Alex paid them no mind, closing his eyes as if to rest.William gazed at Alex, who was seated on the ground. His mind was in turmoil. After a night spent under the shelter of a large tree, William had reflected upon many things. At dawn the following day, he stood up and approached Alex, seemingly with something to say. But before William could speak, Alex opened his eyes."What is it?" Alex asked without looking up."Alex, I have a request," William began, crouching down to meet Alex's gaze. "You're incredibly powerful, and not even those monsters can challenge you. I want to ask you to teach me." Alex raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning on leaving?""I will leave eventually," William replied firmly, "but not right now. You were right, Alex. I'm not prepared to face those monsters. If I were to leave this city now, I'd only meet my demise.""I want to become strong," William continued, his tone serious. "I want to reach a point where, when I encounter a monster, my first thought won't be to run away, but how to defeat it." William didn't share Carl's aversion to monsters, so he knew he would likely face them more often than Carl did. He didn't want to flee in fear every time he encountered a monster outside the city. If the world beyond the city was also teeming with monsters, where could he possibly escape to? He remembered the sight of Alex confronting a group of monsters in the previous timeline. If it weren't for Alex's injuries and the burden of protecting William and Carl, those monsters might not have stood a chance against him. William aspired to be like Alex."Me too!" Arthur's voice chimed in from the side. He swiftly rose from the ground and joined William, saying, "Alex, please teach me as well.""Over these past few days, I've been utterly useless," Arthur continued. "I don't want to see my friends in danger while I can't do anything to help them."Alex didn't immediately respond. Instead, he turned to look at Carl, who was not far away, tending to Lucy. "And you, Carl? What are your thoughts?" Alex inquired.Carl glanced at Lucy, who was still asleep beside him. Though she hadn't spoken, she stood resolutely by William's side. "I'm in," Carl declared.

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