After Being Raised by the Male Lead of a Horror World

Jiang Xiaoya, a former lifeguard with a passive and easygoing personality, dies during a rescue mission and is selected by a mysterious System to enter a supernatural horror world known as The Water-Marsh Chronicles. Instead of choosing a combat-oriented identity like Mercenary or a protective Ordinary Person, she selects the option to be reborn as an infant, hoping for a lazy, carefree existence. Upon arrival, she finds herself abandoned in the Forbidden Zone, a dangerous swamp area overrun by Water Ghouls and located within the ruins of an ancient prison. A survival squad had left her behind as bait during a Ghoul attack, but before they could execute their plan, a colossal, terrifying entity known as the Water-Marsh Monster emerges from the depths of the swamp. The creature slaughters the high-level Ghouls and the squad members with brutal efficiency. However, instead of killing the infant Jiang Xiaoya, the monster is intrigued by her giggling sounds, which break the oppressive silence of the swamp. It takes the baby back to its lair in the abandoned prison, effectively adopting her despite its lack of any human emotions or maternal instincts.

The Water-Marsh Monster is a savage, half-blind apex predator that relies on scent and sound. It initially views Jiang Xiaoya as a novel toy or a potential meal, keeping her in a wooden crate while it hunts. The dynamic between them is defined by the monster’s violent impulses and Jiang Xiaoya’s infantile attempts to bond with it. She interprets its rough handling, such as patting her head with crushing force or dragging her by the hair, as affectionate behavior. The monster, confused by her lack of fear and her persistent attempts to climb its body, struggles to decide whether to kill her or discard her. Over time, a fragile symbiotic relationship forms. The monster provides her with milk, which it steals from human settlements, and protects her from the surrounding dangers, though its methods are crude and terrifying. Jiang Xiaoya, in turn, brings a sense of noise and life to the monster’s solitary existence, filling the silence that the creature despises.

As Jiang Xiaoya grows, she learns to crawl and eventually walk, her development marked by the number of teeth she gains. Her curiosity leads her to explore the prison, but she is constantly reminded of the danger she faces. In one critical incident, she wanders too close to the swamp and is nearly captured by a high-level Water Ghoul. The Water-Marsh Monster intervenes with unprecedented speed and fury, killing the Ghoul and displaying a rage that frightens Jiang Xiaoya more than any previous interaction. This event marks a turning point; the monster realizes that its indifference has shifted toward a possessive protectiveness. It begins to actively secure the prison, blocking entrances and clearing out nearby threats to ensure Jiang Xiaoya’s safety. The creature also attempts to teach her survival skills, forcing her to confront a wounded crocodile, though Jiang Xiaoya’s inability to comprehend these lessons highlights the vast gap between human and monster.

The story explores the contrast between Jiang Xiaoya’s naive, optimistic view of her guardian and the monster’s true nature as a mindless, destructive force. While Jiang Xiaoya sees a mother figure, the monster sees a weak creature that it has chosen to keep, driven by curiosity and a growing, albeit unacknowledged, attachment. The narrative follows their daily life in the Forbidden Zone, where Jiang Xiaoya navigates the constant threat of being eaten or abandoned, while the monster grapples with its own evolving instincts. The presence of the monster also affects the nearby Asparagus City Base, whose inhabitants live in fear of the entity that once threatened to swallow their city. The story sets the stage for Jiang Xiaoya’s upbringing in this hostile world, raised by a being that is both her protector and her greatest danger, as she grows from a helpless infant into a child capable of surviving in the marshlands.