At this point, Lucas's Ki was able to cover a radius of roughly thirty meters.
Just as he was about to take a short rest, something abnormal appeared within his detection range.
If described using a flat radar analogy, it was as though countless enemy markers had suddenly appeared inside the circular detection zone.
And as time passed, those markers continued to multiply—until they densely filled the entire "screen."
Soon, Lucas saw it with his own eyes.
The hardened soil was suddenly torn apart, and one creature after another emerged—scorpion monsters identical to the one he had just fought.
What was even more outrageous was that those scorpion monsters were merely the smallest among the group. There were even larger, more grotesque creatures mixed in.
"Shit!"
Lucas turned and ran without hesitation.
There was no other choice. One scorpion alone had already pushed him to his limits—this many would drown him outright.
He fled at full speed, and the monsters behind him instantly locked onto his position and gave chase.
"They must've been stimulated by the scent left from my fight earlier!"
At this point, hesitation meant death.
The sense of danger behind him grew more intense, forcing Lucas to grit his teeth and push his internal energy to the limit.
With his potential fully unleashed, his speed increased sharply, and the pressure behind him eased slightly.
However, in his perception, the distance between him and the monsters had only widened by a small margin. They were still pursuing relentlessly, giving him no chance to slow down.
Soon, Lucas crossed the boundary of the Eternal Night Zone.
The moment he did, he abruptly stopped.
Because within his senses, every single monster halted at the boundary line.
Lucas turned around—and sure enough, not a single creature dared cross into the brighter region.
They bared their fangs at him, radiating killing intent, yet none of them dared step beyond the border of the Eternal Night.
"So that's how it is…"
Only then did Lucas finally relax.
Still, he couldn't help muttering,
"This Eternal Night Zone is way too terrifying. The gravity is higher than here, sure—but why are there so many monsters?"
After resting for a long while, Lucas flew back toward the cave he had excavated earlier, moving even faster than before.
By the time he returned, Hela had already chosen the room on the left.
Lucas sat down heavily in the empty "main hall."
Hela was leaning against the cave wall, resting. She still hadn't fully adapted to the gravity, but her condition was clearly better than before.
"Looks like you went through a tough fight," she said, noticing the abnormal look on his face.
"Yeah. If I'd reacted a bit slower, I probably wouldn't have made it back," Lucas replied.
He didn't try to hide anything and briefly recounted what had just happened.
The story clearly caught Hela's attention. Her eyes shifted slightly, as though she were thinking.
"You've thought of something?" Lucas asked.
Although he still wasn't used to Hela voluntarily speaking—or helping him analyze problems—it didn't really matter anymore.
After all, they were the only intelligent beings left on this planet.
Hela spoke slowly,
"Under normal circumstances, if gravity varies so drastically on the same planet, it means something is seriously wrong with the planet's interior."
"The planet's interior?" Lucas rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Hela glanced at him and continued,
"During the thousands of years I spent conquering the Nine Realms, I set foot on countless worlds and encountered vast amounts of information from different civilizations."
"In one civilization's records, I once saw a description extremely similar to this planet."
"What kind of description?" Lucas asked immediately.
Based on her words, this planet was far more complex than it appeared.
After a brief pause, Hela said,
"If I'm not mistaken, this planet was likely once a banishment hell-world created by a civilization."
"…What?" Lucas froze for a moment.
She clarified,
"That's what they called it. We could also call it a prison planet."
"A planet specifically created by that civilization to imprison its criminals."
"A prison planet…" Lucas narrowed his eyes.
"Yes. Such extreme gravity would serve as a natural restraint, ensuring prisoners couldn't easily escape," Hela nodded.
"Then how do we leave?" Lucas pressed.
"There's no record of that," Hela replied calmly.
"If there were, I would've said so already."
"Then what about the monsters in the Eternal Night Zone?" Lucas asked again.
After some thought, Hela said,
"The records don't mention them, but based on logic, they were likely artificial lifeforms created to serve as the prison's guards."
Lucas frowned.
"Then why are there so many of them? And why can't they leave the Eternal Night Zone?"
Hela shook her head.
"I don't know. That wasn't recorded either."
"It's possible that the civilization managing this place suffered some catastrophe, leaving the planet abandoned for far too long—allowing uncontrolled reproduction within the Eternal Night Zone."
"Or it could be something else entirely. In short, the information I have is very limited."
Lucas rubbed his temples helplessly.
"So in the end, we still don't have a way to leave this planet, right?"
"That's correct," Hela said calmly.
"Though there might be a way—and if so, it's most likely within the Eternal Night Zone."
Lucas immediately complained,
"So you're saying that if we want to leave, we'll have to charge straight into a nest full of monsters and search for a miracle?"
Hela looked at his conflicted, helpless expression—and suddenly laughed.
"You could put it that way," she said lightly.
"For now, it's the only possible option."
---
Earth
Four months had passed since Lucas disappeared.
Summer had arrived, and the world was bathed in blazing sunlight.
Yet the world had not fallen into chaos because of his absence.
In fact—it had become more peaceful.
Metropolis.
The Daily Planet.
"Um… Lois, are you free tonight?"
In the break room, Clark looked at Lois, who was lying back with her eyes closed, and asked cautiously.
"Oh?" Lois opened her eyes and glanced at the shy newcomer.
"You've been at the Daily Planet for over three months now. Why ask me out all of a sudden?"
She smiled faintly.
"So—dinner, or a movie?"
"Well… actually…" Clark scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I was wondering… if you're free tonight, could you help me with my article?"
"My draft has been rejected by the editor-in-chief four times already," he said apologetically.
"So I was hoping you might be willing to help me out."
_____
T/N:
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