Chapter 11: Blood Slave Attacks, Abilities Emerge

Description

In the midst of chaos, Bai Fan saw a ball of white flame. It looked very weak, flickering in the wind as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

All around was nothing but darkness.

Beside the white flame, a small yellow fire huddled close, as if they were keeping each other warm.

For some reason, she felt a warmth in her heart at that moment. The small yellow flame reminded her of the comfort she felt when Da Gan curled up at her feet.

Suddenly, a blood-red flame burst into the area.

Her heart tightened. A strong sense of danger surged within her.

“Woof!”

Bai Fan’s eyes snapped open.

Da Gan’s bark jolted her awake from the dream.

Pain—a stabbing, needle-like pain—erupted from her chest.

“Ah.” She pulled open her clothes and saw the Trinity Mark emerge once again on her sternum.

It burned her skin like a branding iron.

It took a while before the burning pain faded.

Had something triggered it?

“Woof!” The big yellow dog lowered its body, arched its back, and bristled all over, as if facing some natural enemy.

Bai Fan rarely saw Da Gan so stressed.

She pulled on her jacket and looked outside.

In the darkness, the rustling wind carried the smell of rain into the room.

When had the door been opened?

Bai Fan clearly remembered locking it before she went to sleep.

She tried pressing the light switch. Nothing.

Either a short circuit or a power outage. Tonight was definitely not going to be a good night.

In the pitch black, she could faintly hear rustling sounds, along with suppressed, beast-like breathing.

‘Did someone break in?’ Bai Fan wondered. But then she reconsidered.

In the Nine Provinces of the Northern Federation, Yuzhou was considered a poor area. Lincheng was even more remote, at the very edge.

Dirty, chaotic, dangerous—gangs, murders, and basic governance had almost completely failed. Some areas were even directly controlled by gang forces.

But she lived in a shipping container house that even construction workers didn’t want. In the middle of nowhere, drafty in summer, leaking in bad weather, and she still owed a pile of credits.

What thief would be stupid enough to target this place?

Bai Fan shook her head helplessly.

She figured if a thief came in to rob her, they’d probably have to leave two hundred credits on the table out of pity.

But that heavy breathing in the darkness had grown slightly louder.

Bai Fan carefully got out of bed, bent down to pull a steel rod—used for self-defense—from under the bed, and deliberately kept her footsteps light.

She went downstairs.

The first thing she saw was the door handle, which had been violently broken, and a trail of footprints leading from the doorway inside.

Other than that, she couldn’t see anyone.

Where was he hiding?

“Hey, thief friend, you’ve made a mistake. There’s nothing in my house.”

She was so broke she’d sell her own hair to pay off debts. How could anyone be dumb enough to target her place?

No one answered. Only the faint wind rustled through the room, and even the earlier breathing had vanished.

Bai Fan carefully groped her way to the second-hand refrigerator she’d bought from a recycling station. The door was open.

The light inside flickered, as if it was about to go out completely.

‘Huh… maybe this thief isn’t here for money, just hungry?’

But what hit Bai Fan like a thunderbolt was that her shredded chicken—bought during a clearance sale a few days ago—was gone.

Damn it… She hadn’t even been able to finish that whole plate in one sitting.

Was there no humanity left?

Seeing the black fingerprints on the plate, Bai Fan felt like she might actually scream.

She suddenly felt a genuine hatred for this intruder.

She raised the steel rod and shouted angrily, “Come out, you little thief! Stop hiding in other people’s houses!”

No response.

Everything was pitch black. She couldn’t find anything.

‘Right, didn’t I just learn a new skill?’

Bai Fan took a deep breath.

The Awareness—the perception of the soul—began to spread from her mind. Soon, she sensed something unusual.

A restless, hungry presence was right beside her.

Above her head!

In that instant, Bai Fan jerked her head up.

A gust of foul wind hit her face. The eyes she met were blood-red.

They made no effort to hide their craving for flesh and blood.

That person was hanging upside down from the ceiling above the refrigerator, like a hunched spider, his mouth still moving, chewing on the leftover bones of the shredded chicken.

The moment she saw him, the hairs on the back of Bai Fan’s neck stood up.

She instinctively stepped back half a step and gripped the steel rod tighter.

Horrible memories surged back. That night in the church, Master Mo had the same look in his eyes.

And those blood-red eyes were fixed intently on her.

“Get down here!”

He was very obedient. The moment Bai Fan’s words fell, he pounced.

Fast. Too fast.

It was like a mantis that had been crouching for a long time, finally striking its prey.

The foul wind engulfed Bai Fan in an instant.

She instinctively stepped back, slamming the refrigerator door shut in front of her.

Bang! The next moment, the thick refrigerator door was pierced by his sharp fingers, leaving a hole.

The sharp nails continued forward without slowing, grazing Bai Fan’s cheek.

‘Damn it, what kind of monster is this!’

In panic, Bai Fan kicked him in the waist. She couldn’t budge him, and instead the force knocked her back several steps.

She stumbled to a nearby table and touched her cheek.

It was cold. A cut had been opened.

The monster casually tore open the refrigerator door, baring his teeth. The corners of his mouth seemed torn apart, and a long tongue extended from it.

He licked the blood from his fingertips, as if tasting the finest delicacy in the world.

His bloodshot, murky eyes rolled wildly, and he screamed hysterically, “Fragrant… fragrant, so fragrant! Give me… more!”

Bai Fan no longer wanted to tangle with this inhuman monster.

“Come out and tell me—what is this thing?”

“Hey? What should I do?”

“Where are you?”

She was calling out to the attached spirit who claimed to be her sister.

But this time, something was different.

The “sister” who had been haunting her, chattering nearby for the past couple of days, didn’t show up this time. Not even a sound.

‘Didn’t you say you’d be my attached spirit and stand by me through thick and thin?’

‘How could you disappear at a time like this!’

Since “big sister” was unreliable, she had to rely on herself.

She gripped the steel rod with both hands, knuckles white, and warned, “Don’t come closer! I won’t hold back with this thing in my hands!”

But the monster clearly didn’t care about her warning. His blood-red eyes locked onto her.

What awaited her was his wide-open, bloody maw.

“Fragrant!”

The foul wind hit her again. That life-and-death crisis surged once more.

This time, that monster could definitely kill her.

“Fragrant your sister!”

At the critical moment, her Awareness instinctively expanded to its maximum.

Every detail of the room flooded into her mind: every subtle change in his pouncing movement, his slowly rolling eyeballs, the flying spittle, the bared fangs, and the undisguised hunger on his face.

Time slowed down again.

Bai Fan took a deep breath. Her consciousness became eerily calm.

She turned, twisted her hips, raised her arm, and swung the steel rod with all her might.

Even a champion baseball player standing there would marvel at the perfection of her form.

Bang! The steel rod, swung with full force, hit the weak joint in his neck.

A loud crash erupted.

The attacking monster was sent flying backward like a dark shadow.

At the same time, the steel rod in her hand felt like it had hit a concrete pillar. The recoil sent it flying out of her grip.

Her tiger’s mouth was numb, her entire arm trembling.

But Bai Fan was certain that the force she’d just used could have broken the necks of several grown men.

She looked closely.

The monster’s neck was bent at an unnatural angle. Blood flowed, and his body lay still.

With injuries like that… he had to be dead, right?

‘Did I… win?’

‘Is he dead? I survived.’

Bai Fan panted heavily, her body weak, almost completely drained.

“That thing… definitely wasn’t human, right?”

She suddenly felt troubled. How was she going to dispose of the body? If she called the police…

First of all, it was hard to explain. Second, if the police came, with her gray work history, wouldn’t she end up eating prison food?

So… like in those cheap horror movies, find a remote place to dump the body?

While she was worrying, the body she thought was completely dead—neck broken—got up again at a bizarre angle.

Bai Fan was still looking down, unaware that the monster had “revived.”

“Woof!” Da Gan’s bark jolted her awake.

The monster pounced again.

“Still alive!” Bai Fan turned and rolled, narrowly dodging.

But it was bad. The monster was too close. His claws grabbed her shoulders.

His mouth opened wide, sharp teeth like blades, aiming for her neck.

At the last moment, Bai Fan’s peripheral vision caught the steel rod that had been knocked away, lying not far away.

She stretched out desperately and grabbed it, just in time to block as the monster’s mouth came down.

His fangs bit into the steel rod.

He didn’t seem to care. Saliva dripped from the torn edges of his lips. He pushed against the rod, inching toward her neck.

He muttered vaguely, “Fragrant… fragrant…”

“Fragrant my *ss!”

With his strength, Bai Fan’s back was pressed against the wall.

‘What kind of monster is this? So strong…’

‘I can’t hold out much longer.’

Watching his face draw closer, a chill ran down her spine.

‘No way… Am I going to die here?’

‘I just barely survived.’

‘But… my strength is really fading.’

In the darkness, Da Gan’s low growls grew faster and faster, like a taut string.

Clang! Bai Fan’s eyes flew open wide. The steel rod in the monster’s mouth was bitten through.

Now nothing stopped him. He lunged at her neck.

‘How… is that possible?’

She could only watch as he came for her neck.

“Woof!”

The next moment, a yellow figure, having gathered its strength, burst out of the darkness.

Da Gan slammed into the monster with full force.

Bai Fan had never seen Da Gan go all out. The impact was so strong it sent that thing flying.

Bang! The moment the monster hit the ground, Da Gan pounced, biting and tearing at his body.

Bai Fan fell back, gasping for air, watching Da Gan tussle with the monster.

Her eyes were incredulous, but more than her own safety, she was worried about…

“Da Gan, run! He’s dangerous!”

Da Gan seemed not to hear her at all, still biting down relentlessly.

Blood dripped from the corners of its mouth. It was impossible to tell if it was the monster’s or its own.

“No!”

Bang! The monster’s claw slammed down hard on Da Gan’s head.

That blow was terrifyingly heavy. Da Gan’s body flew like a ragdoll, crashing heavily into the wall before bouncing onto the ground.

Bai Fan heard the sound of bones breaking.

Da Gan lay on the ground, its head already a bloody mess, its body convulsing violently.

But it still raised its head with the last of its strength and let out a faint cry toward her.

“Woof…”

Bai Fan’s tears burst out instantly.

She understood that sound.

‘Run. Don’t worry about me. Run.’

It was using its own life to buy her an escape.

‘How could I ever run!’

In that moment, all fear and hesitation vanished, replaced by a fire that burned from deep within her bones.

Bai Fan was trembling all over, not from fear, but from anger.

“You beast!”

“I’m going to kill you today!”

Thump, thump, thump!

The Bright Divine Jade sensed its master’s surging fury, resonating with her violent heartbeat, letting out a low hum as if roaring on her behalf.

She gripped the broken steel rod in her hand, her knuckles white, almost embedded in her flesh.

Her silent, furious gaze locked onto the flesh-eating monster.

If looks could kill, he would already be torn to pieces.

The monster got up, seeming to tremble with excitement.

Awareness extended again. The slow, transparent world descended once more.

This time, every movement of the monster was slowed down. Every twitch of muscle was clear.

Bai Fan had no hesitation, no fear. Only one thought filled her mind.

‘Kill him!’

The steel rod shot out like lightning, accurately thrusting into the monster’s mouth!

“Ssssaaa!” The monster let out a sharp roar and staggered backward.

Bai Fan leaped and kicked him out of the shipping container door. The force was so strong she almost fell herself.

Before the monster could roll over and get up, Bai Fan pounced like a cornered beast, throwing her entire weight on top of him.

She held the steel rod with both hands and drove it deeper into his neck, again and again and again.

Crack! The sound of bone breaking.

The monster let out an even sharper roar—a howl full of hunger and pain. It made Bai Fan’s eardrums ache.

Even with the steel rod piercing his neck and pinned to the ground, his limbs kept writhing, tearing, struggling, overturning everything nearby—chairs, clutter, all scattered.

Bai Fan was knocked this way and that, but she didn’t let go. She refused to let go.

His twisted face was covered in terrifying blood red. He opened his mouth wildly, desperately trying to bite her.

Even though his throat was pierced by the steel rod, even though black blood gushed from the wound with every movement.

Bai Fan stared into those blood-red eyes and forced out the words between her teeth, one by one: “Go. To. Hell.”

With all her might, she pressed down on the steel rod, pinning his head to the ground.

But she couldn’t hold on much longer.

Her muscles were trembling violently. Her tiger’s mouth had split open. Blood dripped down the steel rod onto the monster’s twisted face.

This thing was too strong. It showed no sign of weakening even after struggling for so long.

Bai Fan felt like she wasn’t holding down a thin, humanoid creature, but some kind of giant monster disguised in human skin.

If she relaxed even a little, she’d be torn to pieces in the next instant.

She could feel a disgusting blood-red power hiding in his eyes, ears, and mouth, writhing, gnawing, parasitizing inside his body like maggots.

Driven by this power, fatal injuries meant nothing to him.

Even his broken neck was slowly reconnecting, making a faint “crack-crack” sound.

He ignored the steel rod piercing his throat, lifting his head bit by bit. His murky eyes fixed on her, filled with hunger.

‘How do you kill a monster like that?’

The monster’s sticky blood splashed onto Bai Fan’s hands.

Cold, sticky, with a nauseating, murky aura.

Just like the filth in the Ether Crystals.

‘Can I purify him?’

A thunderous boom seemed to explode in her mind.

The moment the thought arose, the Bright Divine Jade seemed to respond, trembling violently.

Bang!

The Bright Divine Jade resonated with her heart, emitting a blinding white light.

Bai Fan felt a warm power surge from her heart, flowing through her veins to her shoulders, to her fingertips.

“Purification!”

She almost instinctively shouted those two words.

Light extended from her palm through her fingers, forming a complex matrix that seeped along the steel rod, pouring directly into his mouth.

Then, something seemed to boil. A thick, bloody color burst from his mouth, nose, and eyes.

That blood-colored mass writhed like a mad worm encountering its natural enemy, trying desperately to escape his body.

But the white flames caught up with them.

The blood color struggled wildly in the white flames, letting out silent screams—like the death cries of something at the end of its life.

Three seconds. Five seconds. Seven seconds.

The blood color grew fainter. The struggles weakened. Until the last wisp of crimson turned into smoke in the white flame, completely dissipating.

The monster’s body went completely limp.

The steel rod was still stuck in his throat, but he no longer struggled.

Then, like waking from an endless nightmare, the chaos and hunger in his eyes slowly receded like a tide, finally revealing clarity.

He opened his mouth.

No sound came out.

He looked like a person trapped in darkness for so many years, finally seeing light filtering through a crack in the door.

He showed a relieved smile. His eyes slowly lost focus.

Bai Fan knelt beside him, her body completely drained.

Her tiger’s mouth was still bleeding, her arms still shaking, her heart still pounding. But she didn’t even have the strength to raise her hand to wipe the sweat.