Silence.
Vinh stood up.
Slow.
Unsteady.
But alive.
"I'm leaving."
Flat.
Direct.
Hongco didn't move.
"…No."
One word.
Vinh frowned.
"…Why?"
A pause.
Hongco looked at him.
Cold.
"Ngươi còn không hiểu năng lượng thứ nguyên là gì…"
"…mà dám bước ra ngoài sao?"
Silence.
Vinh clenched his jaw.
"…Then tell me."
No answer.
"…Why keep me here?"
Hongco turned slightly.
"Đây không phải trò chơi."
"…Muốn sống thì phải hợp tác."
Vinh stared at her.
"…Why me?"
No response.
But inside—
Because you're weak.
Easy to control.
A shift.
Both of them felt it.
At the same time.
They turned.
Something stood there.
Tall.
Massive.
Too still.
Too quiet.
It looked at them.
No sound.
But both understood.
This was a fight.
Hongco moved first.
Fast.
Her blade cut clean—
The creature's arm dropped.
Severed.
But—
A force hit her.
She was thrown back.
Hard.
Vinh's eyes narrowed.
The arm—
Moved.
Twitched.
Then—
Regrew.
"…Tch…"
Not normal.
Vinh stepped forward.
Sound.
A pulse.
High frequency.
The creature flinched.
Its movement broke.
For a moment.
Then—
It adapted.
And charged.
Vinh dodged.
Barely.
No strategy.
Just instinct.
Lightning flashed.
Hongco.
Back on her feet.
Her hand pressed against the creature—
A surge.
Electric.
Violent.
The creature froze.
Locked.
For a second.
Vinh saw it.
An opening.
He moved.
Closer.
Sound—
Sharper—
Deeper—
Then—
Impact.
Too fast.
Both of them were thrown back.
Hard.
Vinh hit the ground.
Air gone.
Pain.
Again.
The creature stood.
Then—
Turned.
Toward Hongco.
Not Vinh.
Her.
The real threat.
Hongco tried to stand.
Failed.
She retreated.
Forced.
Into cover.
Now—
It looked at Vinh.
Only him.
Silence.
"…Yeah…"
Vinh exhaled.
"…I'm dead."
He stood anyway.
Sound.
Wind.
Everything left.
He used it.
Nothing worked.
The creature didn't slow.
Didn't stop.
It closed in.
Vinh's vision blurred.
Then—
A thought.
The weapons.
—
They appeared.
In his hands.
Without warning.
The sword.
The dagger.
No time to think.
The creature attacked.
Vinh swung.
Missed.
No contact.
Nothing.
Then—
The creature stopped.
Split.
Clean.
Two halves.
Silence.
"…What…?"
Inside—
Something moved.
A sphere.
Pulsing.
Reforming.
"…That's it…"
—
Hongco moved.
Fast.
Her hand—
Crushed it.
The body collapsed.
Still.
Dead.
This time—
truly.
A light flickered.
Cold.
Clear.
[Species Identified: DETROY]
[Weakness: Core Destruction Required]
"…Detroy…"
Vinh whispered.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Then—
The weapons disappeared.
Instantly.
Vinh froze.
Something felt—
Wrong.
He looked down.
His left arm—
Gone.
A beat.
Then—
Blood.
It spilled out.
Dark.
Warm.
Dripping.
"…Cái—"
Vinh staggered back.
Eyes wide.
"…Không… không…"
He grabbed at the wound.
His hand came back—
Wet.
Red.
"…Tay… tay của mình…"
His breathing broke.
Fast.
Uneven.
"…Không thể…"
His legs gave out.
He fell.
Hard.
"…Không…!"
His voice cracked.
The pain hit.
Late.
Sharp.
Real.
He pressed harder.
But the blood didn't stop.
"…Không… không…"
His body trembled.
Not from pain.
From fear.
Hongco stood there.
Watching.
Not moving.
Not helping.
Her eyes shifted.
To Vinh.
To the missing arm.
To the weapons—
That no longer existed.
Her gaze changed.
Not just evaluation.
Understanding.
"…Ta đã thấy."
Quiet.
Vinh looked up.
Panicked.
"…Cái gì?"
A pause.
Hongco turned away.
"…Không có gì."
But inside—
the answer was clear.
System.
Manifestation.
Unstable energy.
—
Displayer.
Vinh sat there.
Bleeding.
Breathing broken.
Alive.
Barely.
He killed it.
But not with his own power.
And now—
Nothing was truly hidden anymore.
Even if no one said it.