Xuan Tie Shi (玄铁石) is a material from mythical beasts, typically used to forge defensive weapons.

But at this moment, countless black iron stones fused together and luxuriously built a square house.

The black iron stone is gray, and when it surrounds a person, the sense of oppression is self-evident.

But now, it's pink.

Wallpaper, posters, dolls, and other items transformed what should have been a gloomy room, perfectly matching the fantasies of a young girl.

Uesugi Sakura habitually closed the door, and the clicking sound from outside the door was a daily occurrence.

She jumped onto her bed, bouncing on the soft mattress, and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling.

She turned around and hugged a whale-shaped body pillow that was a size larger than her, about 1.5 meters tall, and started rolling around on the bed.

Behind a hidden camera in the corner, two people in white coats exchange a puzzled look.

What happened today?

The person responsible for following Uesugi Sakura said there was nothing unusual; they had just been wandering around Uesugi's house for a while.

"Then why is she so happy? Is it the effect of the drug?"

"The medicine has this kind of effect?"

The two discussed it, trying to treat the girl's thoughts as a research topic and come to a conclusion.

Inside the room, Uesugi Sakura finally stopped what she was doing and hugged the whale plushie tightly.

This is her favorite doll, not only because it is big enough, nor because it is comfortable enough, but because it is a whale.

She envied it.

In textbooks, whether in the past before the invasion of alien beasts or in today's era where huge alien beasts roam the world, whales are the largest creatures.

Before the invasion of the alien beasts, Uesugi Sakura could only see the world through books.

But in the world today, she has personally witnessed a cataclysmic whale-like monster appear near Flying Cherry City!

The figure that emerged from the water resembled a giant island, far surpassing other calamity beasts of the same level!

But this creature, which is enormous in every era, has always found a place in the ocean to contain it.

No one has ever questioned that whales do not belong to the ocean.

The ocean is the whale's home; it is where it is born and where it dies—that is its destiny.

The enormous whale has a home, but she cannot find her own.

The Uesugi family treated her very well. Whatever she wanted, they would quickly appear in her room. When she went out to rest, everyone treated her with great respect.

But they seem to have forgotten that they are only thirteen years old, a sensitive age.

Adults always say that children are immature, but Uesugi Sakura doesn't think so.

Whether it's someone who gives you a doll, someone who examines you, or a strict teacher, they all have one thing in common.

There was always a hint of fear in their eyes when they looked at her.

It was as if I were looking at a monster.

But today, she saw a different look in her eyes.

A look that's like looking at an ordinary person!

What might be a normal thing for others is like this to Uesugi Sakura, as if every rope she grabs while drowning breaks, but this time it doesn't just snap!

If you can grab onto it and climb up, it might just be the place you've always envied and longed for—your final destination.

Suddenly sitting up straight, a resolute look appeared in Uesugi Sakura's eyes.

She's going out to play tomorrow!

She had only made this request once before, and had never brought it up again since.

But whether the rope will break in the end or not, she has to climb up to find out!

"I'm going out tomorrow!"

Facing the camera, Uesugi Sakura looked like a veteran about to go into battle, exuding determination.

The two researchers behind him exchanged a slight change in expression, then raised an eyebrow: "Perfect timing, we've almost finished studying the spinal fluid we extracted last time."

A moment later, a creaking sound came from outside the door.

Sakura Uesugi knew that it was because the door lock was a bit old.

"Are you going out tomorrow?" A one-eyed man entered, wearing an eye patch over one eye.

"Um."

Sakura Uesugi looked on with a hint of fear, her head bowed like a child being punished.

"Okay, you haven't forgotten the previous procedures, have you?"

"No."

The one-eyed man nodded: "Follow me."

Inside the underground training room, the one-eyed man stood outside the glass, leaning close to the microphone and speaking: "Aim at the dummy in front of you and attack with all your might."

"good."

Sakura Uesugi's voice was a little low. Then she took a deep breath, raised her head, and stared at the row of mannequins stacked in front of her.

An invisible wave emanated from her, and her naturally white hair danced in the air, accentuating her figure.

Bang bang bang!

One by one, the dummies were disintegrated from the middle, crashing to the ground with a series of sounds, until the thirteenth one finally stopped.

However, the thirteenth dummy also had a clear groove on its chest, as if it had been cut by a katana!

The researchers behind the glass swallowed hard, staring at the data on the screen in disbelief.

"This...this is even more terrifying than an ordinary grandmaster's attack?!"

“Thirteen. Even an ordinary grandmaster's attack, after passing through more than a dozen dummies, probably wouldn't be able to leave such large marks on them…”

"But she's only a seventh-level martial artist?!"

"Isn't this just like that calamity species now???"

The person behind the glass was shocked, but inside the room, Uesugi Sakura clutched the hem of her clothes nervously, her head bowed as she awaited the next "preparation".

When the one-eyed man came to his senses, his eyes lit up as he looked at her.

However, the fleeting glimpse of the unusual color was also well concealed.

Just as the researchers nearby said, Uesugi Sakura and that calamity species seemed to be indistinguishable.

Inside the operating room, Uesugi Sakura was lying on the operating table under anesthesia, her fair back exposed.

An opening was made, and a needle was inserted into the spinal cord to begin extracting the dark blue liquid.

"this…"

Normal cerebrospinal fluid is colorless and transparent, but Uesugi Sakura's is clearly abnormal.

Last time it was only a little blue, but this time the color is almost identical to the spinal fluid extracted from that calamity...

"continue."

With one tube inserted, Uesugi Sakura's spinal fluid was completely drained!

An ordinary person would have certainly died, but she wouldn't; she would just be a little "weak".

Several hours later, Uesugi Sakura opened her eyes with difficulty, her face pale as she stared at the familiar ceiling.

She has been taken back to her room.

She felt as if she were being paralyzed by a ghost, completely unable to move, and her back felt as if it were being slowly tortured, with pain piercing every nerve.

Her eyes were filled with tears, the intense pain and helplessness intertwined, making it impossible for her to even cry out loud, letting the tears slide down her cheeks.

She was now like a soul trapped in a corpse, only able to stare at the ceiling, unable to do anything.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, she recalled the way Fuuma Megumi and the other person were looking at her.

They knew themselves, yet they felt no fear whatsoever.

She only hoped that behind this rope she was desperately clinging to, there truly lay the destination she longed for.

Tick-tock...

Only the sound of nutrient solution dripping echoed in the room.