Transmigrated into a reversed world

Viktor aimed for the opening with his shoe dagger, but the Lick suddenly let out a piercing shriek and thrashed wildly.

He missed and slammed into the Lick's body, caught off guard. A sharp wince crossed his face the moment his leg struck its rock-hard hide.

"Be careful it's enraged, one of their own is dead!" Zane warned as his sidestepped the Lick's charge.

Viktor frowned at Zane's words and stepped back—but he moved a moment too late. Strands of web splattered onto his shirt, melting with a slimy sting as they touched his exposed skin.

His face crumbled in disgust, but he wasn't allowed to dwell on the feeling; the lick was heading straight for him with a loud shriek.

"Pain, strangle it in place, just stop its movement!" Viktor ordered as he removed a dagger from his ankle.

Pain hissed in agreement and slid toward the charging monster. As it reached the lick, it coiled around its legs and struck, trying to sink its fangs in—but the hide was too tough. Pain recoiled, his fangs numbed on impact.

The Lick thrashed in Pain's grip as Viktor crept closer, patiently waiting for the lick to open its mouth.

Meanwhile, Zane had driven his sword through the Lick's mouth, piercing straight into its brain.

Black blood splattered on the ground. Zane flicked his sword to shake off the blood.

The monster dropped dead with a thud, and then Zane turned to Viktor's direction to find him still struggling with the monster.

He didn't go to help but stood at the side and watched, but he wouldn't stand by if Viktor was in a dire situation.

Viktor's grip tightened on the dagger. Now—the word rang in his mind. He struck. Web fluid splattered across his body and hand, but the blade pierced through the lick's skull.

"Hot!" he shouted, yanking off his clothes as the burning sensation spread across his skin and hands.

Viktor hopped around, his face flushed with pain, then vanished into his space without hesitation, racing straight to the bathroom to wash up.

Pain struggled out from under the weight of the Lick's corpse, too exhausted to move once free. It collapsed on the ground, motionless, as if dead.

Zane sheathed his sword and sat on a clean patch of ground, waiting for Viktor.

"Seems like nothing's changed," he muttered, slightly relieved that the home he'd known for as long as he could remember was still the same.

While waiting for Viktor, Zane doodled on the ground with a fallen cactus spike. After some time, Viktor returned—his clothes changed and hair still damp from bath.

Viktor spotted Zane crouched on the ground, drawing something with a serious expression. He couldn't make out what it was from the distance, so he bent down and picked up Pain by the tail.

He strode over to Zane. "What are you drawing?" he asked, squinting at the strange shapes scattered across the ground.

"Hm… it's nothing. You're here—let's go." Zane brushed the dirt from his hands and pants, as he stood up.

Viktor's face twisted in protest; the thought of facing more of those monsters made his skin crawl. "Do we really have to go deeper?" he asked, grimacing as his eyes fell on the Licks corpses.

"There's just one last beast left. Once we've seen it, we'll head back," Zane promised, moving forward under Viktor's resigned, pained expression.

Viktor muttered, he would rather fight a crowd of two-legged creatures than face that monster again.

"Don't tell me it's as disgusting as those licks or I wouldn't bring out more creamy chips from my space."

Zane turned to Viktor with a look of disbelief that he had threatened him with snacks.

"Go ahead, but remember I'll also tell Cyra we have been eating snacks and candies behind her back." He retorted with a composed expression, he couldn't help but smirk at Viktor's terrified expression.

''You!'' Viktor could only shout those words, unable to refute Zane's words.

Zane cast him a sidelong glance before continuing on their way, but he was still bothered by Viktor's words and explained begrudgingly.

"We are searching for a Catamel, a docile beast when unprovoked.''

Viktor eyed him suspiciously, recalling what he said about them being 'not bad.' And what happened—he was covered in web fluids, which almost burnt his flesh.

"Just curious, if it gets provoked, then what happens?" Viktor asked his expression a mix of curiosity and distrust.

Zane shrugged and replied in a flat tone, "Then either your lower half—or your entire body—gets blown apart by the force of its attack."

Viktor gulped; his eyes widened in fear and shock at Zane's words and he couldn't help but feel Zane secretly wanted him gone.

And shifted away from Zane, "Even if you try to kill me secretly, I won't leave Cyra!''

Zane nearly stumbled forward by his abrupt shout, he turned to Viktor with an expression like he was looking at a fool.

"Huh?! Kill you. If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't still be standing here today. Stop with your wild thinking, hurry up!"

Knowing Zane had a point, Viktor patted his chest in relief and hurried after him.

They continued the rest of their journey in silence, Viktor didn't dare walk distracted like before.

"By the way where did Greed go?'' Viktor asked, just remembering him.

"I think, he's at the stream. We're heading there anyways." Zane wasn't bothered, he could easily summon his beast back if he wasn't at the stream.

Viktor nodded, becoming distracted by what the next monster would look like. 'Maybe a water creature, since we are heading to a stream.'

He could only guess, but no image of the monster came to mind—he'd just have to wait and see.

****

In the Dark Organization new secret base, a red dote beamed against an enlarged map of a City.

"Using the satellite, we located where her aircraft is parked, but she's completely off the grid. We searched thoroughly and couldn't get any visuals on her," reported a woman in white garb, pointing to the glowing dot on the map.

Her words made the women gathered in the meeting room frown in disbelief.

"How is it even possible?!" One of the women asked, shock clear in her voice.

The woman delivering the report wasn't shaken by the outburst—she was already used to such reactions from her team when they first got the news.

"How are we going to explain this to the head?" One of the women rubbed her brows with an exhausted expression, already dreading that woman's reaction.

"I haven't finished my task yet. I'll leave this to you," A woman said briskly, rising to her feet. Without another word, she walked out in hurried steps, almost breaking into a run.

Everyone took it as a cue; some didn't bother to leave an excuse before striding away at a hurried pace.

Leaving the exhausted woman, she barely reacted to their retreat, knowing it would always fall on her to face that woman.

Her only saving grace was that they communicate through the Nexus or she wouldn't have sat calmly if the meeting was face to face.