Chapter 48: Little Baby, I Found You

CREAK!

The door slowly opened a crack, as if pushed by the wind.

A few seconds passed.

Hearing no movement from within, two figures entered, one after the other.

They walked straight into the room.

They moved as casually as if they were in their own home, seemingly unconcerned about being discovered by the room’s occupant.

Aided by the light from the hallway, their eyes immediately fell on the slight bulge under the covers on the bed.

Just as the two were about to get closer...

QUACK! QUACK!

The Camphor Tea Duck, which had been squatting and sleeping in its cage, was apparently startled by the sudden noise and began to flap about in a panic.

"Hm?"

The abrupt sound drew their attention.

However, when they saw what was making the noise, they both froze for a moment, a bit dumbfounded.

’Is that... a duck?’

WHOOSH!

In that instant, a powerful gust of wind erupted from behind the wardrobe behind them!

The man whipped his head around, only to see the glint of an axe swinging straight for his face.

Seeing this, not only was he not the least bit panicked, he even let out a soft, disdainful chuckle.

He reached out to grab it.

After transforming into a Black Blood Species, his physique, strength, and defense had all been greatly enhanced.

Although at his current level, he hadn’t yet reached the point of being as indestructible as solid iron...

...an axe was certainly not enough to harm him.

SPLAT!

However, in the next moment...

His defense, which was strong enough to ignore most blades, was like paper before this axe. It was pierced instantly, and the bones in his hand were torn apart.

After splitting his hand, the axe blade didn’t pause for a second, continuing straight on to chop into the man’s forehead.

The immense force directly cleaved the man’s skull in two.

In an instant, thick Black Blood erupted like a geyser compressed to its limit.

It shot toward the ceiling, splattering everywhere.

The man’s headless body fell to the floor with a THUD.

It seemed to happen so fast that he wasn’t quite dead yet; his limbs twitched faintly.

"Ah Yi! You’re dead!"

The woman stared at her fallen boyfriend, her face contorting as a low roar of fury escaped her lips.

The next moment, her skin turned deathly pale, as if drained of all blood.

Her body swelled as if being inflated, reaching a height of two meters. The slip dress she wore was torn to shreds.

In an instant, she had transformed into a monster.

Viscous saliva dripped from her saw-like teeth. With a lunge, she threw herself at Hu Qi.

Hu Qi’s expression was impassive. He said nothing.

He gripped the axe tightly with both hands, the muscles in his arms and wrists bulging.

He drew a breath, swung the massive axe, and met her head-on.

As the axe blade moved, its edge reflected a flash of white light.

He swung it in an upward arc.

SCHLICK!

The axe, weighing over thirty pounds, became a blur as Hu Qi swung it with immense force.

The moment the blade made contact with the monstrous woman, it tore through flesh, bone, and sinew.

A withered, clawed arm that had been reaching for Hu Qi was sent flying high into the air.

Not only that, but a massive gash, deep enough to expose bone, now ran from her lower abdomen to her shoulder.

Flesh peeled back and tore open. Dark red blood gushed out, pooling on the floor and releasing a pungent, foul stench.

—AGH!

A short, miserable shriek escaped the monster-woman’s mouth.

The intense pain and the threat of death snapped her mind, which had been lost to frenzy and rage over her boyfriend’s death, back to clarity for a moment.

Reason retook her body.

Looking at Hu Qi, who stood holding the massive axe and bathed in blood, a tremor of fear ran through her heart.

At that moment...

She turned and bolted for the open door behind her without a moment’s hesitation.

Strangely, despite her large frame, she was incredibly fast.

In the blink of an eye, she was out in the hallway.

"Hmph? You think you can just piss me off and run? As if it’s that easy!"

A savage grin spread across Hu Qi’s face.

Looking at the monster whose head he’d split with one blow, Hu Qi suddenly realized that these creatures weren’t as powerful or invincible as he had imagined.

If you hit a vital spot, they die just the same.

’And if they can die, what the hell is there to be afraid of?’

He hefted the massive axe and executed the [Crane Leg] technique.

With a single step, his figure was like a white crane spreading its wings, effortlessly crossing several meters to give chase.

...

The silent corridor was deathly still.

A mottled trail of bloodstains, varying in size, stretched into the distance along the floor.

The air was thick with the pungent, metallic smell of blood.

"You’re a naughty one, little darling. Stop hiding, big brother sees you! Come on out. I’ll even fix your pipes for free, no charge."

Hu Qi called out softly, a smile on his face.

His voice echoed through the dim, silent corridor.

Anyone who heard him would think he was a gentle, good-natured young man.

Assuming, of course, they could ignore the fact that he was covered in blood and holding a massive axe that was half as tall as he was.

Hu Qi’s gaze swept across his surroundings.

As far as he could see, the doors along the corridor were all ajar. Some rooms had lights on inside; others were pitch black.

Seeing this, and realizing that no one had come out to investigate despite all the commotion...

...and smelling the choking stench of blood in the air...

...a bold guess began to form in Hu Qi’s mind.

’It’s highly likely there are no living things left on these few floors, maybe even in the entire building.’

His guess was confirmed when he pushed open the door to one of the rooms.

Inside was nothing but torn limbs. He even saw an infant lying in its swaddling clothes, its neck bitten through.

The baby’s innocent eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling.

As if it still didn’t understand what had happened.

Seeing this, a dark look flickered in Hu Qi’s eyes.

But the smile on his face only grew wider.

...

TAP... TAP...

The sound of pacing footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

At a corner at the end of the hallway...

...behind a security door that was left ajar...

...in a shadowed crevice near the top of the doorframe...

...a white figure clung to the wall.

Her eyes were fixed on the door in front of her.

She looked like a giant spider about to pounce on its prey.

Only when she heard the footsteps fade away did she let out a long sigh of relief.

’What in the world is that guy?’

The image of her boyfriend’s head being split open with a single blow, and the memory of that immense strength, caused a flash of terror to cross the woman’s ghastly, pale face.

’No, that can’t be right. He’s clearly a normal person.’

’He was beaten and hospitalized just a month ago. How could he possibly be this strong?’

She couldn’t understand how someone could change so drastically in such a short amount of time.

Unfortunately, there was no one who could explain it to her.

’Thankfully, he hasn’t found me yet.’

’Once I escape, I have to report this to the Master.’

’I’ll make this lowly blood-fodder pay a terrible price.’

Just as she was thinking this...

"Little darling, I’ve found you!"

Suddenly, a whisper like that of a Demon sounded right from the crack of the door.

The woman looked up and saw a blood-soaked figure standing in the doorway. A single bloodshot eye was staring quietly at her through the crack.