Fang Senyan could clearly see a massive amount of blood flowing across the ground, almost forming a shallow ocean; stepping into it felt like sinking past the ankle, and due to the viscosity of the blood, it was already semi-congealed, creating strong resistance when lifting his foot.

It was almost certain that no amount of human blood could account for such a volume; to create such a wide expanse of gore would require draining dozens of people. Contract Holders, with their superior healing and hemostatic capabilities, couldn't produce this much blood unless they were instantly killed.

In this dangerous wasteland, such a large pool of blood was an irresistible attraction. Numerous dangerous insects and small animals crawled out, greedily licking the rare nutrients; approaching them caused a sudden surge—a "whoosh"—creating a feeling of sky-obscuring cover.

Within the slick formed by the blood, great clumps of dark red, blocky matter were chaotically piled together, appearing massive. A foul, metallic stench wafted from the distance, making it easy to identify the contents as viscera and organs.

Ramtas, now recovered, let out a gleeful grunt upon seeing the throng of attracted toxic insects and small animals. He hefted his staff and unleashed a wave of Nature's Tremor. Then, he bent down, scooped up the stunned, unfortunate creatures one by one as if gathering candy beans, tossing them into his mouth, chewing with loud, juicy crunches.

Fang Senyan took a step forward and noticed a patch of dark fur floating in the blood ahead. The hairs were like stiff, black steel needles, still attached to flesh and gore. He casually picked it up and tossed it to Artificial Human No. 1. Results from the analysis lab soon followed: the fur belonged to a Raging Wolf-Badger.

Bokan, meanwhile, signaled Fang Senyan over from about six or seven meters away, where he and his Artificial Human had discovered the unconscious Ronnie.

Ronnie's injuries were near-fatal for an ordinary human: his neck bone was broken. A horrific gash scarred his right chest, exposing several ribs, clearly indicating severe blood loss.

However, for a powerful Awakened being, such wounds were not instantly fatal. As long as no external negative factors interfered, Ronnie could survive and slowly recover.

Nearby, several bizarre, deep craters were scattered about, as if something massive, heavy, and incredibly hard had plummeted from the sky. They were several meters deep and easily five or six square meters wide. Yet, nothing was found in or near the pits; they seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

The current situation was utterly bizarre, and Ronnie was incredibly fortunate not to have died here. Logically, the Raging Wolf-Badger could have finished him off with one more swipe, yet Ronnie somehow lived.

After a series of investigations, Fang Senyan's three Artificial Humans discussed the findings among themselves and reconstructed the most likely scenario.

Ronnie and the Raging Wolf-Badger had chased each other to this location, engaging in another ferocious battle. The Wolf-Badger likely achieved victory, but just then, an unimaginably powerful external force descended. It killed the Wolf-Badger and then brutally tore it apart mid-air! This explained the blood pool and the scattered internal organs.

Then, that irresistible force departed satisfied, taking the Wolf-Badger's carcass with it, much like a contented housewife leaving a supermarket after a successful shopping spree... Perhaps that entity’s diet excluded mammals, or perhaps Ronnie’s scent was utterly unappetizing, or maybe it simply wasn't in the mood for human flesh that day. In any case, Ronnie, who was seconds from becoming a meal, survived, while the Raging Wolf-Badger, which should have feasted, became the main course.

As for why the entity left no trace, that could probably be attributed to biological displacement abilities.

Fang Senyan recalled Ramtas's deep-seated terror earlier and accepted this conclusion. If the threats posed by beasts on Planet Uprose were truly terrifying, they would establish clear territorial boundaries. The foolish Raging Wolf-Badger must have been focused only on its appetite and strayed into the territory of some giant, thus becoming food.

Realizing this, Fang Senyan immediately disengaged and retreated. He had no intention of staking his life on the creature having no desire for an after-dinner stroll or dessert. Seeing Fang Senyan flee like a terrified stray dog, Bokan, even without fully grasping the reason, instinctively fled without question, reasoning he could figure things out while running.

They sprinted several hundred meters when Fang Senyan abruptly turned and asked, "Where's Ronnie?"

Panting heavily, Bokan whined, "How was I, a purely magic-based Contract Holder, supposed to carry him?"

Fang Senyan: “...That still seems problematic.”

After some haggling, Bokan eventually sent his sole Artificial Human to backtrack and haul Ronnie back—there was little choice, given Bokan's closer ties to Hedikuri and their group. Poor Bokan's Artificial Human was already running at maximum capacity; now it was overloaded almost to the point of collapse, requiring a bottle of nutrient fluid every kilometer and sparking electrical arcs from its knee joints, threatening imminent breakdown.

Meanwhile, Fang Senyan’s three Artificial Humans kept casting glances—a mixture of strange curiosity, relief, and sharp greed—clearly anticipating Bokan’s unit collapsing so they could swarm it and dismantle it, or perhaps, more accurately, ‘cannibalize’ it for parts.

Fang Senyan and the others were now heading back toward the direction they came, specifically toward the location where Ronnie had lit the bonfire. The dense smoke plume would have been visible across most of the plain, meaning any other Contract Holders with a modicum of sense would be converging there.

When they reached the old campfire site, two other individuals had already arrived: Paul, who could modify flying devices using metal manipulation, and Vassily, a staunch supporter of Aziza.

Although Paul had profited immensely and gained considerable attention by customizing machinery earlier, underestimating his combat prowess would be a grave mistake. He had already summoned a powerful War Metal Automaton using his control over metal. The construct stood over three meters tall, encased in full bronze heavy armor etched with clear secret runes and arcane arrays, wielding a massive siege hammer styled heavily after Babylonian weaponry!

Frankly, this War Metal Automaton’s combat strength clearly surpassed that of Ramtas, and likely even the Raging Wolf-Badger wouldn't stand a chance against it.

Vassily, a munitions fanatic, had already hastily fortified the bonfire area. He laid out three circular tracks for five machine guns to patrol back and forth. Furthermore, the hundred-meter perimeter around the fire pit was sown with five smart mines, surrounded by a high-voltage electric fence, and equipped with a holographic scanning system covering both air and ground.

With these two present, the location was virtually impregnable. Vassily specialized in establishing astonishingly strong defensive lines quickly—a master of static warfare—but their weakness was glaringly obvious: lack of mobility and long-range striking capability. If an enemy possessed a high-damage, long-range attack pattern, like a sniper, they could only passively absorb fire. Encountering a sudden ambush while moving was their worst nightmare.

Evidently, in this perilous environment, these two were quite relieved to see Fang Senyan and the others—or rather, three of them now. Though Vassily was aligned with Aziza, he set aside factional differences to provide Ronnie with a wartime life-support module worth two thousand universal credits, giving Ronnie a chance to heal completely within three hours.

Bokan, holding the title of Terrain Shaper, effortlessly reformed the area, which had been slightly low-lying. Earth elements rapidly condensed, melted, and were kneaded together, quickly forming a high ground. The soil continued to spread and solidify in the air, constructing sturdy fortifications and habitable combat bunkers.

Fang Senyan did nothing personally, but Bokan introduced him by claiming Ronnie was rescued under his leadership—an act of voluntary rescue would naturally garner respect, as nobody knew when they might need saving in this place. Most importantly, Fang Senyan also opportunely gifted each of the attendees a vial of his personally mixed potion.

Truthfully, the trio hadn't initially placed much value on the potion Fang Senyan casually handed over, only accepting it because of its attractive appearance, shimmering with a faint tri-color luminescence. But upon examining it, they were genuinely stunned: “Increases all of the drinker's attributes by 10%, and this increase will not be less than a base value of 8 points!?”

“Potion effect lasts one hour, duration of enhancement is 24 hours?”

“Damn it, is your potion brewing ability S-rank?”

“F***, the best our team’s alchemist can manage is +2% critical hit chance, but it lowers health by 33% and only lasts ten minutes. He needs to learn from you!”

“Ah, what a shame the potion’s active duration is so short, only one hour, otherwise we could sell these for a fortune.”

“……………”