Despite the fact that, on the day the incident occurred, this monster did not appear to fear the jadeite stone as most beasts in the Inner Ring do, once Brian Cooper hid inside the Jadeite House and closed the door, he was still safe. The monster did not actually launch a frenzied attack on the Jadeite House, but instead left in the end.

Recalling those underdeveloped insect eggs inside the Jadeite House, which were clearly suppressed and had their vitality damaged by the power of the jadeite, it was evident that the mysterious force contained within the jadeite stone might still exert a certain suppressive effect on this kind of monster.

However, at this moment, there was still a long distance between him and the thirteenth Jadeite House.

The calm night had now been shattered by violence; the rampaging monster was madly chasing from behind, while the long road ahead seemed endless.

Brian Cooper dashed forward, but after only five or six steps, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, the muscles on his face contorted, as if in that instant, he was struggling intensely within, facing an extremely difficult decision.

A moment later, he let out a cry of pain, and then, as if throwing all caution to the wind, he suddenly turned around and charged back into the dense forest.

Beneath the night sky, in the vast darkness, the monster was roaring furiously, charging through the thick forest like a ship cutting through waves, while Brian Cooper actually ran headlong back into the same forest.

The night was dark and gloomy, the sky hung low, and only at the far end of the distant forest, in the deepest darkness, did a pair of eyes seem to suddenly open, gazing in this direction.

Chapter 9 Beastification (Part 1)

Brian Cooper made a shocking and inconceivable decision. Faced with the pursuit of the terrifying monster behind him—one that was almost impossible for any human to contend with—not only did he not choose to keep fleeing, but instead turned back and ran toward the direction from which the monster was coming, re-entering the forest.

However, Brian Cooper was certainly not truly insane, nor was his mind clouded by the immense pressure. The reason he acted this way was because, in that split-second at the edge of the forest, standing on the road, Brian Cooper had painfully but clearly realized that if he kept running along this road, there was absolutely no way he could escape.

The thirteenth Jadeite House was too far ahead, and the monster chasing from behind was too fast. If he kept running forward, there was only one outcome: certain death.

Therefore, he had no choice but to turn back and re-enter the forest. But obviously, he could not possibly intend to fight the monster to the death.

Given the vast difference in strength, that would be nothing but suicide.

After returning to the forest, Brian Cooper did not hesitate at all. He immediately turned aside, completely disregarding the repeated warnings and strict instructions given during the day to never leave the main road or recklessly enter the woods on either side. He jumped into the dense forest beside the road, and then, in the pitch-black depths of the jungle, ran desperately without looking back.

The monster charged over, its momentum as unstoppable as a raging tide. But just as it was about to burst out of the forest, it suddenly dug its claws into the ground, letting out a thunderous roar, and its massive body forcibly twisted around.

There was a tremendous crashing sound as a large circle of trees was knocked down, making the ground tremble continuously.

Immediately after, the giant beast roared again, and as if aided by some supernatural force, it locked directly onto the tiny figure in the darkness—Brian Cooper, who was desperately fleeing through the forest—and chased after him once more.

Rushing into the depths of this forest was already extremely dangerous. The dark woods were full of hidden threats, with countless potential deadly dangers lurking within. But the greatest and most terrifying threat was clearly still the monster behind him, now in a state of berserk frenzy.

Brian Cooper racked his brains but could not figure out why that terrifying monster seemed able to track him with unerring accuracy, as if it were locked onto him.

Perhaps there was something on his body that allowed the monster to sense him, refusing to give up even from such a distance.

Hearing the footsteps behind him growing ever closer, the wind whistling ever more fiercely, Brian Cooper's heart pounded faster and faster, feeling as if the footsteps of death were drawing nearer and nearer.

However, perhaps because of the terrifying monster, many of the dangers that should have been lurking in the darkness of this forest suddenly vanished or fell silent. Brian Cooper had been running for so long, and apart from some thorns and brambles scratching at him, he had not encountered any real threats. Yet the threat of death behind him never faded, only drew closer.

At one moment during his escape, as Brian Cooper panted heavily and pushed aside a vine in front of him, his sleeve slipped down, revealing the green mark on his wrist.

In the darkness of the night, the mark was faintly glowing, as if it were about to come alive.

Brian Cooper suddenly understood. In that instant, he even had the urge to draw his blade and cut off his own arm!

But in a place like this, self-mutilation was definitely not a good idea, and Brian Cooper did not believe he could, under such circumstances, still have the strength to endure such a serious injury.