Duàn Chén's actions caught everyone off guard, leaving them stunned.
Lu Shuishui's large, confused eyes stared in terror at the scene unfolding before her. Why would their instructor commit suicide? What had happened?
But Duàn Chén wasn't dead.
From everyone else's perspective, Qian Huàn Pānduōlā had exploded Duàn Chén's head. However, Duàn Chén knew this wasn't the case. The moment he'd ducked his head, he'd felt an suffocating sensation, as if something had clamped onto his face. He'd fired his gun directly at his own face. With whatever it was blocking it, the shot hadn't harmed him. After being shot, that thing let out a shrill cry, sounding like an infant's wail. Wáng Zǐháo and the others heard it. Duàn Chén calmly fired another shot. Only then did the thing clinging to his face fall to the ground. For less than a second before it died, its form was revealed, and everyone got a good look.
"So disgusting!"
Based on what they saw in that fleeting moment, the creature that had been on Duàn Chén's face was a blood-red, eight-tentacled octopus. Its entire body was covered in eyes. Internally, it had suction cups, and its exterior was covered in warty bumps, like a toad's. Each bump had small, darting eyes. The pus-yellow bumps looked like they might spew pus and blood at any moment.
Even though the girls weren't weak-willed, seeing such a repulsive creature made their faces pale. They shuddered to think what would have happened if they, themselves, had looked under the bed at that moment and had this thing latch onto their faces. It sent a chill down their spines.
Duàn Chén spat on the ground with a sense of frustration. He retrieved a healing spray from his spatial ring and sprayed it on his face. He felt a slight burning sensation, which was very uncomfortable. The moment the healing spray touched his skin, it felt much cooler. Duàn Chén frowned, put the spray back into his ring, and unhappily lowered the bedsheet that had been covering it. He had truly proven with his own experience that nowhere was safe here.
Lóng Yì, still trembling, reached out to where he had seen the octopus fall. But he felt nothing. The ground was empty.
Duàn Chén said, "Stop touching." He pulled over a chair, sat down, and said with lingering fear, "It's a good thing it was me who looked underneath, not any of you." He warned them, "Be extremely careful of these things. If you ever feel like you're suffocating or suffocated, don't hesitate. Immediately aim for your own face." This thing was truly insidious. The most critical issue was that they didn't know its characteristics, and therefore didn't know when they might appear or what their attack methods were. All they could do now was defend themselves.
After what had happened, everyone else raised their vigilance, lest they carelessly lose their lives. This was no game.
Tiān Xīmèng suddenly realized, "Fortunately, we set up soundproofing artifacts." But... she frowned, "I don't know if the soundproofing artifacts can block the scream that little monster let out when it died."
Duàn Chén wasn't sure about that either. This wasn't the kind of combat with sea monsters he was familiar with. After the Leviathan's resurgence, the world seemed to have undergone another drastic change. Most importantly, this change hadn't deviated too far from the past, yet it was entirely different. It was as if, on the foundation of 1+1=2, a square had suddenly appeared. He didn't dare to be careless. His intuition told him this mission wasn't as simple as the guild thought.
Just then, he heard a knock on his door. Duàn Chén took the lead and walked to open it. In reality, Pānduōlā was already on standby, ready to transform into a shield and block him if any problem arose. Fortunately, there was no "opening kill." Standing at the door was an old woman. Her peculiar, inverted triangular eyes looked unfriendly, and her face wore a forced smile of amiability and kindness. The wrinkles around her eyes were so deep they could crush mosquitoes.
Upon seeing Duàn Chén open the door, there was a slight shift in her emotions. "Why are you young people hiding together? I knocked on the door earlier, but no one opened it for me."
Duàn Chén calmly asked, "What is the old lady's name?"
The woman chuckled. "Just call me Granny Xú." Granny Xú, or rather Xú Pó. She craned her neck to look behind him, her eyes falling almost blankly on the three girls. A flash of crimson greed flickered across her gaze.
"Ma'am, what do you need?" Duàn Chén stepped forward, blocking Xú Pó with his body, shielding the girls from her gaze. Even though her view was blocked, Xú Pó didn't look away. She continued to stare intently in their direction, as if she could see the girls behind Duàn Chén through his body. Hearing Duàn Chén's question, Xú Pó reluctantly withdrew her gaze. She smiled falsely, "My memory! I almost forgot. The wedding banquet is about to start. Why are you still in the room?" She continued, "Come out and join the wedding banquet." She beckoned. Having said that, she didn't leave, but remained standing at the doorway, her eyes darting around as if they might fall out at any second. This somewhat eerie sight made everyone's hearts tighten involuntarily.
Lóng Yì gritted his teeth and said through their linked telepathic communication, "I really can't stand it anymore! What kind of hellhole is this? Are these people really human?"
Duàn Chén withdrew his gaze from Xú Pó and signaled Su Bái Yī and the others to leave. As he closed the door, he mentally warned Lóng Yì. "Don't do anything. Don't forget we can't attack ordinary people."
"Aren't they human?"
Quite the opposite. Duàn Chén silently refuted. Based on his detection, he couldn't be wrong. Although Xú Pó didn't look human, she was absolutely a genuine human, not possessed. He didn't know why this was happening, but not attacking ordinary people was the primary rule.
However, when they stepped outside, they were stunned. They had said it was a wedding banquet. Yet, the sides of the street were lined with red lanterns, casting a red glow. White paper money fluttered down from the sky. It was grim and terrifying.