TFOF Ch118
by AriaThat loathsome thing, under Gan Tangโs command, was just like a well-trained little dogโlooking surprisingly obedient and docile.
The insect monster curled up its disgusting body, lowering its “head” slightly. From its deformed lips came a series of soft, sweet hisses.
ใโTang, Tang Tang.โใ
The blurry human face on the hand seemed to be quietly observing the trembling boy.
ใโDonโt cry, IโIโll behave. Iโll listen to you.โใ
It could even act cute to please him.
As soon as that completely parasite-infested arm made a sound, Yu Huai immediately became aware of its existence.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the monsterโs appearance finally pulled Yu Huai back from his complete breakdown, forcing him to recover a shred of sanity.
โMonsterโโ
Yu Huaiโs jaw muscles instantly tensed, veins bulging like wriggling earthworms on his forehead and neck. His bloodshot eyes glared at the creature.
A hoarse grunt rumbled from his throat, and he instinctively bent down to pick up a stone from the ground.
Yu Huai gripped the stone so tightly that his knuckles began to turn pale. Even though everyone present clearly understood that a mere stone was utterly useless against the monster they faced, Yu Huai could no longer think rationally.
โTmd, you damn monster, what are you trying to doโwhat else do you wantโโ
His expression was twisted with rage, tears mixed with blood from his forehead wound, making it look as if his entire face was drenched in bloody tears.
With a hoarse roar, Yu Huai raised his arm and hurled the stone fiercely at the writhing โhandโ on the mountain path.
The rock struck the monsterโs palm directly.
But the creature merely swayed slightly, its sinuous body barely affected. A few long, thin nematodes fell from the impact, but they quickly slithered back beneath the skin of the arm.
A faint rustling sound stirred from within the insect monsterโs body.
The grotesque โeyeโ that mimicked Cen Zibai trembled slightly, its cold pupils locking onto the panting Yu Huai.
A terrifying chill radiated from the creature.
But just as the insect monster was about to act on its instincts and retaliate against Yu Huai, Gan Tangโs voice reached its ears once more.
โStop.โ
Gan Tangโs voice was ice-cold.
Like an emotionless machine issuing a command.
The insect monsterโs body immediately stiffened, then slightly curled up, freezing in place.
Gan Tang took a deep breath through his nose.
Then, he raised his arm and wiped his face roughly with his sleeve.
Yu Huai instinctively looked at himโonly to be unsettled by what he saw.
Despite everything that had happenedโeven with a lurking insect monster by his sideโGan Tang appeared eerily calm.
That unnatural calm sent a shiver of unease through Yu Huai, momentarily making him forget his anger.
Then, Yu Huai heard Gan Tang speak, each word slow and deliberate, as if he had only just learned how to use his tongue.
โLet him go.โ
Gan Tang stared at the insect monster as he spoke.
โIโll go back with you. Do whatever you want to me, I wonโt run anymore. I wonโt struggleโฆ I accept it.โ
The boyโs voice trembled slightly.
โBut let Yu Huai go. Youโve already taken so many people underground to be your food reservesโyou donโt need one more.โ
โGan Tang? Wait, what are you sayingโโ
A deep sense of dread washed over Yu Huai.
He turned to look at Gan Tang in shock.
The words were so clear, spoken with such deliberate thoughtfulness, and yet, at this moment, Yu Huai found himself struggling to grasp their true meaning.
He said he was leaving? Just like that, giving up all resistance, following the monster back to the wellโonly to eventually become one of those parasitized, hollowed-out creatures lurking in Fengjing Village?
Gan Tang met his gaze. His face was utterly expressionless, except for his reddened eyes.
The sky had begun to lighten, a sliver of morning light falling into Gan Tangโs eyes.
For a brief moment, Yu Huai thought he saw a glint of moisture thereโlike tears.
But when he looked again, Gan Tangโs face held nothing but blood and dirt.
Not even a trace of emotion remained.
Then, as if in response to Gan Tangโs plea, a rustling sound rose from the dense trees along the mountainside.
The moment he heard that sound, Yu Huai shuddered.
He turned toward its source in disbeliefโฆ
By now, he could never mistake that sound.
He knew exactly what it meant.
And so did Gan Tang.
It was the sound of insects writhing.
And for it to be this loud, for them to hear it so clearlyโ
There could only be one explanation.
Somewhere beyond their sight, hidden beneath the cover of leaves and branchesโ
The mountain was crawling with worms.
Ah, yes, after all, this was the mountains.
No matter how barren a mountain might be, it could still nurture a considerable number of wild animals.
Compared to clumsy humans, wild animals could move much faster once parasitizedโฆ “It” had already caught up with Gan Tang and the others long ago.
That was why, after all this time fleeing, they had never been chased.
The pursuers had always been there.
They just couldnโt see them, couldnโt perceive them.
โฆ
Everything seemed to have already been decided.
No one could escape.
Just like the villagers of Xianjing Village back thenโthey had lived and thrived near that well for so many years. But once the breeding season of the worms arrived, their only fate was to be swallowed by the insects, then dragged into the pitch-black underground, becoming nothing more than senseless nourishment.
Of course, at that time, there was probably also one person who was chosen by the insect monster, tasked with bearing another horrifying duty.
A nesting chamber.
Egg-laying.
Laying eggs without rest.
โฆ
And now, Gan Tang stared straight at Yu Huai, his lips moving as he chose a different path for the first friend he had made in the village.
A path to survival.
โYu Huai, you have to go alone.โ
Gan Tang looked at Yu Huai with dry, tearless eyes and said.
โGo, hurry up and go.โ
He spoke.
Yu Huaiโs heart gave a violent jolt, and his body began to tremble.
โNoโฆ Youโฆ Youโฆโ
His chest heaved erratically.
โThatโs a worm.โ
Yu Huai repeated nervously.
โThatโs a monster. An insect monster. Youโre not leaving? You want to go back with something like that?โ
โI was never going to make it out.โ
Gan Tang let out a choked sob.
His body swayed slightly, then, right in front of Yu Huai, he lifted his T-shirt.
The boyโs waist still carried the youthful slenderness of adolescence, looking exceptionally thin and flat.
However, in the dim morning light, Yu Huai saw something moving beneath Gan Tangโs fragile skin.
Something was indeed inside Gan Tangโs stomach.
Yu Huaiโs voice, his breath, even his entire body, seemed to freeze at that moment.
โโฆThat day, the morning โCen Zibaiโ came back.โ
Gan Tangโs whisper echoed in Yu Huaiโs ears again, sounding like a dream, hollow and dazed.
โI had a dreamโฆ No, I should say, I only thoughtโฆ I thought it was a dream.โ
โI dreamed that Cen Zibai turned into a writhing mass of worms and pounced on meโฆ Countless nematodes squeezed into my body just like thatโฆโ
As he spoke, at last, a single tear slid down the corner of Gan Tangโs eye.
โBut now I finally know, that wasnโt a dream at all.โ
Not far from Gan Tang, the insect monsterโs body began to stir and wriggle once again.
After absorbing all of the parasitized Cen Zibaiโs memories and obsessions, the insect monster had developed its own peculiar way of thinking. It could already tell that Gan Tang was describing the scene of their first โbreeding,โ which made the creatureโs body ripple uncontrollably.
As the hostโs excitement grew, deep in the jungle, beyond where Yu Huai and Gan Tang could see, a chorus of slick, wet sounds aroseโ
The squelching noise of rotting flesh hitting the ground.
The sickening friction of things moving.
And the insect monster, using the vocal cords of its hosts, emitting sweet, high-pitched hissesโฆ
All those sounds mixed together, sweeping past Yu Huaiโs ears like a mournful wail.
Gan Tang lowered his shirt.
He groped around, picking up the small, simple bag he had carried with him, then tossed it to Yu Huai.
Inside was the cash he had specially prepared for the trip, knowing that mobile payments would be inconvenient in the remote village.
The bag tumbled twice before landing at Yu Huaiโs feet.
โItโs time for you to go, Yu Huai.โ
Gan Tang urged once again.
Not long ago, Yu Huai had nearly strangled Gan Tang in a fit of rageโyet now, looking at the boy standing on the mountain path, his tears only fell harder and faster.
The insect monster had already begun inching forward experimentallyโfirst around his ankles, then his calves, then wrapping halfway up his bodyโฆ
Thin, damp nematodes writhed, little by little, consuming Gan Tang.
Noโฆ That wasnโt โwrapping.โ
That was swallowing.
Yu Huai staggered back two steps, desperately wiping his tears, but no matter how hard he wiped, they wouldnโt stop.
โThereโs a wayโฆ There has to be a way. Once we get outโonce we get out, there will be a wayโฆโ
He rambled on incoherently until Gan Tang cut him off with a voice devoid of all life, delivering his final ultimatum.
โI canโt go back anymore.โ
โRun, Yu Huai.โ
โWhileโฆ while I still have human thoughts.โ
โJust keep running, as far as you can. And never, never, never come back.โ
Watching the dark-skinned boy finally let out a wailing sob, snatch up the bag, and stumble away, disappearing down the mountain pathโ
Gan Tangโs strength completely drained away.
His body went limp, collapsing backward.
Something soft and damp caught him immediately.
Worms.
Long, slender worms.
Countless worms, greedily coiling around his body.
The writhing creatures barely managed to take on a vague, humanoid shape, wrapping Gan Tang tightly in their embrace.
ใโTang Tang.โใ
It nuzzled him gently.
ใโHomeโฆ Back home, together.โใ
ใโTogether, forever and ever.โใ
Strangely enough, even as this repulsive thing appeared before himโ
Gan Tang could still vaguely discern an emotion on โCen Zibaiโsโ face.
It looked like joy.
For a fleeting moment, the insect monster almost seemed human.
Did the creature that had mercilessly slaughtered entire villages, leaving one ruin after another, truly possess such human-like emotions?
Gan Tang felt half-mocking and half-indifferent in his heart.
Ah, he must have already gone mad, right?
Gan Tang suddenly snapped back to his senses.
โฆHow could a normal person ever equate these monsters with humans?
No matter what kind of emotions this thing displayed, how obedient or even cherishing it appeared, in reality, it was nothing more than a mimicry, created by absorbing the brain matter of its victims.
ใ”Tang, Tang Tang.”ใ
“Chen Zibai” seemed to have noticed Gan Tang’s distraction. He leaned closer to the young man, like a puppy seeking affection.
Thin, thread-like worms slipped down from its surface, impatiently reaching for Gan Tangโs cheek and lips.
If this scene were captured on film, it would undoubtedly be classified as a classic horror moment in any movie.
And even just a day ago, if Gan Tang had found himself so close, face-to-face with a monster like thisโฆ he would have likely screamed himself hoarse from sheer terror.
But now, Gan Tang simply relaxed his body in silence.
Without a sound, without resistance, he let himself sink little by little into the damp, mucus-filled mire constructed by the worms.
He looked at “Chen Zibai” and then spoke.
“Mm, let’sโฆ go back.”
The monster’s crawling speed was astonishing.
Gan Tang even felt as though he had merely zoned out for a moment, and when he blinked again, the familiar sight of the mountain village had already reappeared in his vision.
The terrifying, eerie village he had left behind had now, because of his return, reverted to its former lively state.
Ah, yes, โlively.โ
All the “people” had stepped out of their homes, staring at Gan Tang unblinkingly with identical, greedy, and yearning gazes.
Those people had already died.
There must have been some dreadful transformation that occurred when human bodies were turned into food for the worm creatures.
Even ordinary corpses wouldnโt begin to emit such a strong stench of rot this quickly.
Some of those who had been unknowingly parasitized long ago now looked like zombies from horror films, their guts spilling out, their bodies torn and ruined. Others, however, barely managed to maintain a fresh human appearanceโฆ
“Chen Zibai” displayed an unusual degree of attentiveness toward his breeding partner.
Logically speaking, this stockpile of food should have been sent to the cold, dark well immediately for storage and preservation.
But now, he was defying his instincts, recklessly wasting these hard-earned “provisions.” He commanded the corpses to stagger out of the village entrance, continuously smiling and nodding at Gan Tang.
He could sense that Gan Tang was feeling down.
He hoped this welcoming ritual would cheer up his tiny human companion.
And yet, the worm creature could not understand why, when faced with his former relatives and friends surrounding him, the boy in his arms turned so pale.
A bitter scent, one that signified fear and despair, seeped endlessly from the depths of Gan Tangโs still-warm flesh, making “Chen Zibaiโs” nonexistent heart tremble and tighten.
ใ”Don’t be sad.”ใ
Clumsily, he stroked Gan Tangโs thin back.
ใ”Tang Tang, don’t cry.”ใ
At a complete loss, the worm creature hugged Gan Tang tighter.
ใ”The villageโฆ it won’t be lonely. In the well, everyone is there. I’ll wake them up, let them stay awake forever, keeping Tang Tang company.”ใ
He stammered, offering a promise he had never made before.
He could do it, just like he had done for Grandma.
Even after parasitism, the hosts could retain their consciousnessโฆ They wouldnโt even realize they had changed. They would continue their daily lives as usual, completely unaware that their bodies, the scenery they saw, and the food they ate had all transformed.
This would consume a great deal of his energy.
But if it could make Gan Tang happy, he was willing.
As long as he could please this boy, he would do anything.
However, upon hearing his offer, Gan Tang responded only with a frail, nearly sobbing rejection.
โNo, noโโ
His breathing turned rapid, as if he might die at any moment.
โDonโtโฆ donโt! Just let them be food. Eat their brains, destroy their bodies, do whatever you want, but donโt leave behind any consciousnessโฆ Iโm begging youโฆ pleaseโฆโ
Unconsciously, Gan Tang clenched his clothes tightly, desperately pleading with the monster beside him.
He didnโt even dare to look at those โpeopleโ around him.
Even though he knew they were nothing more than walking corpses, in a daze, Gan Tang still felt as if their ghosts were hovering above the sealed well village, glaring at him with poisonous resentment.
It was all his fault.
The whispers in Gan Tangโs mind gradually turned into sharp, frenzied screams.
The worm creature swayed its head in confusion.
Clearly, it could not understand Gan Tangโs plea, but it still obediently nodded.
At that moment, the corpses collapsed to the ground in unison.
The worms squirmed and slithered beneath the layers of dead flesh, crawling swiftly toward the back mountainโฆ toward the sealed well village.
The worm creature hugged Gan Tang even tighter.
It was thrilled, its chest brimming with uncontainable joy.
It was about to take its breeding partner through the now lifeless village and return together to their quiet, damp, and cold home.
But just at that moment, Gan Tang suddenly spoke.
โYouโre the right hand.โ
Gan Tang spoke softly.
โI knowโฆ youโre actually just Chen Zibaiโs right hand. Come to think of it, I also saw his left hand before, along with some of his body parts. Oh, and the one thatโs been with me all this timeโthatโs his head, right? And under my bed, it should be his feetโฆ back then, he deliberately crawled toward my handโฆโ
As he spoke, he slowly pieced together in his mind how many parts he had originally dismembered Chen Zibai into.
Then, he lifted his gaze and met the monsterโs cloudy, mimicry-formed eyes.
โLet me see you one last time, Chen Zibai. I want to see you whole.โ
The worm creatureโs surface rippled like boiling water, churning without pause.
A hand, taken from the dead boyโs body, pressed tightly against the back of Gan Tangโs neck, its fingertips nearly piercing into his flesh.
ใโIโฆ I amโฆ him.โใ
The monster muttered unwillingly.
ใโIsnโt just meโฆ enough?โใ
It whimpered, sounding almostโฆ aggrieved.
โNo.โ
Gan Tang answered with absolute coldness.
โWhole.โ The boy repeated his request. โI want to see the whole you, the most complete version of you.โ
The worm creature let out a series of low, reluctant hissesโdespite being a singular hive mind, it seemed that, depending on which part was parasitized, its various fragments still experienced something akin to jealousy and rivalry.
But in the end, the monster agreed to Gan Tangโs request.
Just as when Chen Zibai was still alive.
It had always seemed as if the boy was relentlessly chasing and hunting Gan Tang.
But in truth, the one who held control over everything had always been Gan Tang.
Gan Tang felt no attachment to him.
Yet heโhe clung to Gan Tang like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline, yearning for him with mad desperation and hopelessness.
Other than letting Gan Tang leaveโฆ
Chen Zibai would agree to any request Gan Tang made, without hesitation.
And now, after inheriting Chen Zibaiโs memories and way of thinking, the worm creature had fallen into the same prison.
Gan Tang was unbearably weak.
Expressionless, he leaned against a large tree at the edge of the village.
Not long after the worm creature agreed to his request, Gan Tang finally saw the person he had asked for.
That was indeed the now-whole Chen Zibai.
At the same time, it was also a monsterโone so terrifying that no language could ever fully describe it.
A corpse beast, forcibly pieced together, staggered forward from the other end of the road, heading toward Gan Tang.
The stench of rot drifted through the wind, seeping into Gan Tangโs nose.
Gan Tang stared at it without blinking.
“Chen Zibai” had tried very hard.
With great difficulty, it had gathered all the scattered body fragments of itself from around the village and forcefully pieced them back together.
Each chunk of flesh had decayed and mutated to different degrees. Some had rotted into a sludge-like consistency, while others were merely stiff and grayish-blue, their skin covered in corpse spots. Yet, almost every single piece of flesh had sprouted remnants of “Chen Zibaiโs” facial features, all desperately yearning to continue existing as “Chen Zibai” and to stay with Gan Tang.
This led to an uncontrollable frenzy of self-devouring and tearing apart when they were brought together.
However, an intricate network of wormsโdense and tangled like the roots of a plant, writhing ceaselesslyโforcefully bound all the corpse fragments together, barely managing to form a vague and grotesque humanoid shape.
At the place where its head should have been, a charred skull was embedded.
Thin, pale pink, sticky thread-like worms completely filled the hollowed-out skull, writhing and squirming inside. Their pigments shifted constantly, mimicking the texture of human skin.
It walked with extreme difficulty. With each step, chunks of flesh fell off, but the slender worms immediately reached out, retrieving the fallen pieces and reattaching them to its body.
Finally, it stopped in front of Gan Tang.
The worms covering its face wriggled in unison, pulling apart its jawโ
It smiled at Gan Tang, a sweet and utterly maddening smile.
ใ”I’m here.”ใ
It said.
ใ”IโI am whole. Whole. Look at me, look at me!”ใ
It repeated over and over.
Gan Tang took a deep breath, and in an instant, the unbearable stench of rot from “Chen Zibai” flooded his nasal cavity.
It was the smell of a corpse.
Following the creatureโs request, Gan Tang leaned against the tree trunk without moving and stared at it for a long time.
He watched until the worms covering its body began to quiver uncontrollably due to the overactivity of their main consciousness.
Some of them started unconsciously extending outward, like countless tiny tentacles reaching toward Gan Tang.
After a long while, Gan Tang finally nodded.
“Mm, I see you.”
He said to the creature.
At that momentโฆ at that very moment, Gan Tang’s expression became unbelievably gentle.
The creature froze completely.
It didn’t know why.
But upon hearing those wordsโฆ the creature once again experienced that strange sensation, something akin to a heart pounding rapidly in its chest.
“I’m about to go underground soonโฆ Before that, I want to walk around here a little more.”
Gan Tang’s previous dazed despair had vanished, replaced by a soft and almost amiable tone.
As if, standing before him, wasnโt a loathsome monsterโ
But a friend.
“Now that I think about it, I’ve been here for so long, yet Iโve spent all my time holed up in my room, playing on my phone. Iโve never properly looked around the village. Itโs a shame, isnโt it?”
The monster couldnโt comprehend the subtle emotions in Gan Tangโs voice.
It simply listened greedily, reveling in the warmth of the young manโs soft tone, feeling utterly satisfied and elated.
It was a kind ofโฆ ultimate fulfillment that it had never known before.
And immersed in this unfamiliar tenderness, when Gan Tang took slow steps forward, heading in the opposite direction of the Flesh-Borrowing Well, the creature did not resist at all.
It only wished for this moment to last forever.
Forever.
Just like thisโwalking side by side with the boy it cherished.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
…
Gan Tang silently counted each step in his heart, doing his best to steady his emotions.
He couldnโt afford to let the creature beside him notice any fluctuations in his mood.
He had to make sure everything went perfectly.
Fortunately, from beginning to end, the monster remained dazed and obedient, following him like a loyal puppy. No matter which direction he walked, it simply trailed after him, staying close.
Before long, a deep and tranquil body of water came into view.
It was the Dragon King’s Pool.
Even now, Gan Tang still remembered the strange sight he had once witnessed within that pool.
Just as Yu Huai had saidโanything that fell into the Dragon King’s Pool would inevitably be taken away by the Dragon King.
Gan Tang recalled Yu Huaiโs warning over and over again.
The heart that had long since fallen into despair and silence suddenly stirred back to life at this moment.
Gan Tang could feel his heart again.
Thumpโ
Thumpโ
Thumpโ
The rapid pounding in his chest nearly filled him with panic.
And along with his frantic heartbeat, the sharp pain in his abdomen returned once more.
Unconsciously, Gan Tang pressed a hand to his stomach, as if afraid that the thing inside him might transmit his thoughts to the creature behind him.
Thankfully, at his touch, the parasite eggs within him immediately quieted down.
Gan Tang stopped by the waterโs edge, lowering his gaze to the rippling surface.
Perhaps out of curiosityโor maybe, simply wanting to stay close to Gan Tangโ
“Chen Zibai” pressed tightly against his side.
On the dark surface of the Dragon King’s Pool, two shadows wavered.
Standing so close together, they looked like an inseparably intimate pairโฆ
“Chen Zibai” gazed, entranced, at the distorted reflections on the waterโs surface.
Once again, that unfamiliar feeling surged through its being.
As a worm creature, it was supposed to derive only the most basic, biological satisfaction from food and reproduction.
Yet, at this moment, as it looked at the shadow in the waterโ
A profound joy, like a lightning strike, coursed through it.
In comparison, all its previous physiological pleasures seemed insignificant.
ใLike.ใ
The thoughts it had absorbed from humans burned themselves into its mind.
ใLike Tang Tang.ใ
It thought, utterly content, pressing even closer to Gan Tang.
Gan Tang did not push away its moist, writhing arms.
The young man simply stared into the water, then, after a long pause, spoke, enunciating each word carefully.
“Chen Zibaiโฆ Actually, Iโve been thinking. Back then, when I threw you into the Flesh-Borrowing Well, I never really believed you would come back to this world.”
“I was just looking for an excuseโฆ”
“So, when I dismembered you, I didnโt feel afraid at all.”
“Now that things have ended up like this, maybe this is heavenโs punishment for me. I accept itโฆ I have no choice but to accept it.”
Gan Tangโs voice remained as soft as everโ
But that unbearable bitterness seeped from his body once more, making the worm creature feel an unfamiliar restlessness, as if something inside it was twisting painfully.
The worms inside its body squirmed and roiled, its barely held-together form showing signs of falling apart againโ
Every single chunk of flesh was desperately craving the boy before it.
ใ”It’s okay.”ใ
The creature struggled to suppress its crumbling body.
It struggled to piece together words, only hoping that Gan Tang would no longer emit that bitter scentโ
No longer have such sorrowful emotional fluctuations.
ใ”As long as it’s Tang Tang, no matter what you do to meโฆ it’s fine. I’m happy, I’m happy, I’m so happyโฆ I’m really happy that you threw that human into the well. I’m so happy, I’m so happy I occupied his skull. I’m so happy, so happyโฆ After I came out, I saw youโฆ I like you, I like you, I like youโฆ”ใ
Countless fragmented thoughts filled the worm creatureโs mind, making all of its soothing words sound like a madmanโs incoherent ramblings.
And precisely because of this, the worm creature failed to notice the frozen, deathly stillness and resolve on Gan Tangโs face.
Gan Tang turned aroundโthen, he voluntarily raised his arms and embraced the grotesque, hideous monster before him.
The boy lifted his head, bloodshot eyes reflecting the creatureโs grotesque, rotting visage.
“Thatโs goodโฆ you said it yourself.”
Gan Tang leaned in close to the worm creatureโs ear, letting out a strange, breathless chuckle.
“No matter what I do, you’re willingโ”
Without warning, Gan Tang tightened his thin arms around the worm creature and, dragging the dripping, festering mass of corpse flesh, plunged headfirst into the Dragon King’s Pool with a heavy splash.
The moment they hit the water, the worm creature did not scatter.
On the contraryโout of sheer instinct, it clung even tighter to Gan Tang.
Some of the worms even bit through his skin, trying to burrow into his bodyโ
Because only by intertwining itself with the frail boy could it ensure that even the currents couldn’t separate them.
Gan Tang felt the searing pain coursing through his body as the icy pool water gurgled into his nose and throat.
As suffocation crept in, Gan Tangโs mind frantically prayedโ
Come.
Come quickly.
That which devours allโ
The Dragon.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
So slow that despair nearly overtook Gan Tang.
For a brief moment, he even began to doubt himself.
Maybe he was wrong.
Maybe there was no unspeakable monster lurking within the Dragon King’s Pool at all.
Maybe the black shadow that had swallowed the blood-stained clothes beforeโฆ
Was nothing but an illusionโan illusion born from Yu Huai’s whispered warnings and his own fraying mind.
But just as Gan Tangโs panic was about to consume him, he felt a violent surge in the water.
The disturbance did not come from the worm creature desperately trying to drag him back to shoreโ
It came from deeper beneath the surfaceโฆ
Even deeperโฆ
Something was coming from the depths.
Gan Tang had no idea what it was.
He couldn’t find the wordsโ
He had never seen anything like it.
At the very bottom of the pool, there seemed to be a narrow fissure.
Black, writhing masses of flesh.
Deformed tentaclesโฆ
And countless pale, glistening eyesโ
Eyes embedded in every crevice of the pool bed, in every hollow of the sand and rocks.
They flickered like ghostly flames.
The moment they sensed their “prey,” they began to rise, undulating like venomous snakes, greedily lunging toward the figures submerged in the waterโ
Gan Tang, and the worm creature wrapped around him.
The deformed tentacles were brutal and savageโ
At the slightest touch, they split open into mouths lined with countless jagged teeth, devouring soft flesh whole.
The worm creature realized the Dragonโs savagery almost instantly.
The moment the tentacles reached for Gan Tangโ
Its body began to dissolve on its own.
Countless thread-like worms clung desperately to Gan Tangโs skin, sealing him within its own body.
They were soft yet tenacious, stretching themselves out to resist the Dragonโs devouring limbsโ
But it was futile.
The pitch-black tentacles snapped the worms apart in an instant.
Like severed threads, the writhing fragments drifted through the water, filthy and broken.
Soon, the creature clinging to Gan Tang began to disintegrate completely.
Corpse fragments and worms alike were devoured effortlessly by the Dragon.
Gan Tangโs right arm and thigh were bitten clean through, exposing stark white bone.
โฆGan Tang could even see the faint outlines of worms wriggling beneath his torn skin, trying to weave themselves into a protective layer once again.
Blood spilled out in clouds, staining the water into thick, murky filth.
Ha.
Hahaha.
Gan Tang did not struggle.
Even as half his body was gnawed away by the Dragon, he did not resist.
He simply stared at everything before him without blinking.
And thenโ
He laughed.
A muffled, gurgling chuckle.
ใ”Tang Tang.”ใ
ใ”Tang Tangโฆ donโt cry.”ใ
The worm creatureโs whimper sounded once more by his earโ
Its voice barely more than a faint echo.
Now, only a few scattered clumps of worms remained.
Without the shelter of a human body, they looked both revolting and fragile.
Strangely enoughโ
If they dispersed, the tiny worms might still have had a slim chance to escape the Dragon’s devouring touch.
But even now, they stubbornly clung togetherโ
Huddled close to Gan Tangโs mangled bodyโฆ
Even now, they were still trying to carry him to the shore.
Soon, the Dragonโs tentacles struck again.
The worm clusters were finally crushed.
In the end, beside Gan Tangโs neck, only a single skull remainedโ
The skull of Cen Zibai, drifting and floating in the deep water.
Its hollow eye sockets faced Gan Tang.
Like a silent gaze.
Gan Tang stared at it.
For a fleeting moment, Cen Zibaiโs face surfaced in his mind once moreโ
The worm creatureโs face.
Gan Tang could no longer make a sound.
Only a piercing scream echoed in his mind.
Die.
Die.
Die, die, die, die, die, die, dieโ
Die with meโ
You say you love me? Then die with me.
NoโEven if you die with me, I will never love you.
I hate you. Whether it’s Cen Zibaiโ
Or that worm monsterโ
Both should die.
โฆThe whispers in his mind gradually turned into a roar.
But slowly, slowly, as the worms perished, the cold tentacles finally coiled completely around Gan Tangโs body.
Compared to the worm creature, Gan Tangโs flesh was so delicate, his blood so warm.
The “Dragon” easily licked away his skin and muscleโhis organs, too.
Andโthose worm eggs.
Clusters of eggs, like glistening grapes, nestled within his body cavity, spilled out from his ruptured abdomen along with the scattered visceraโ
Only to be instantly swept up and devoured by the black tentacles.
Blood stained the water an even deeper red.
Gan Tang watched the scene before himโ
And suddenly, he smiled.
And yet, at the very last moment, the words that surfaced in his mind were not his curses, nor the hatred he had harboredโ
But his grandmotherโs final words to him.
ใTang Tang, you must live well.ใ
Was that truly what his grandmother had wanted to say?
Or was it the worm creature?
That strange question flashed briefly through Gan Tangโs fading consciousness.
Then, his awareness gradually unraveled, dissipating into nothingness.
But just before his mind was completely extinguishedโ
Gan Tang seemed to seeโ
Tiny, thread-like worms.
Fragments, seemingly torn apart, scattered like debris.
Softly clingingโ
To the muscular crevices of the “Dragon Kingโs” black tentacles.
Then, little by little, they began to wriggle.
Creeping deeperโ
Deeper into the flesh of the tentacles.
ใTang Tang.ใ
ใI love you.ใ
ใI love you.ใ
ใWe will be together forever, forever, foreverโฆใ
Cen Zibaiโs whisper echoed in Gan Tangโs ears once more.
Like an inescapable curse, accompanying him in deathโ
Plunging into utter darkness.
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