Chapter Seven: Crisis

Wu Ya was trembling all over, her legs kicking uncontrollably as if in spasms, desperately trying to scramble backward.

A giant bee, its sharp stinger glistening with a cold luster, loomed closer. The scarlet tip at its end grew larger and larger in Wu Ya’s eyes, while an increasingly thick, foul stench filled the air, making her stomach churn and pushing her to the brink of vomiting.

It was unbearable. Truly unbearable!
It was nauseating. Truly nauseating!
Go away, go away, don’t come any closer!

Wu Ya was crying and snot-nosed with terror, but her limbs felt weak. Like a fish tossed onto the shore, she could only struggle powerlessly.

Was she going to die?

The string pulled to its absolute limit finally snapped with a sharp, resonant "twang." Wu Ya’s vision went black, and she fainted.

...

"Bang!" At the critical moment, Xiao Xiao, having arrived just in time, acted without a second thought. He hurled the book in his hand with all his might. He hadn't expected much, merely hoping to hinder the monster’s movements, but to his surprise, the impact sent the creature flying off entirely.

Xiao Xiao was dazed for a moment.

He quickly hurried to Wu Ya’s side, knelt down, and checked on her. Fortunately, she had only fainted.

"Hiss—" A sharp, piercing sound, like fingernails scraping against glass, suddenly erupted. The hairs on Xiao Xiao’s body stood on end. His vision blurred, and it felt as if a knife were violently churning inside his brain; his head throbbed with excruciating pain.

Xiao Xiao struggled to steady himself, though his vision remained a blur.

Even though it looked like an oversized bee, its cry was nothing like the low buzz of a normal bee. It was sharp and piercing, as if an endless, thick darkness were unfolding before his eyes, leaking threads of ominous blood-red color.

Enduring his physical discomfort, Xiao Xiao slowly stood up and looked ahead.

Perhaps the previous blow had made the monster wary, as it did not immediately launch another attack. This bought Xiao Xiao some time to catch his breath.

He still didn't understand what had happened earlier, and besides, he no longer had a book in his hand.

Xiao Xiao forced himself to remain calm. His hands, clenched at his sides, were stiff and spasming; veins bulged, and his fingertips were deathly pale.

"Thump-thump-thump-" His heart beat erratically, the sound so loud it fueled his panic.

...

Xiao Xiao tightened his fists, the slight, sharp pain of his nails digging into his palms helping him force himself to keep his eyes on the "bee," tracking its every move.

Its scarlet eyes shimmered with a cold, sinister light in the night.

Its massive body perched on a high branch, and the crescent moon cast a pale, sickly light that outlined a heavy, dark shadow.

A foul, fishy stench kept wafting into Xiao Xiao’s nose—a smell of decay, like bones buried in a swamp, mixed with a slick, cloying sweetness. It was cold, viscous, and so disgusting that Xiao Xiao almost vomited.

...

Xiao Xiao had never expected things to turn out this way. Even if he had wanted to visit the small woods, he would have chosen to go during the day.

However, plans rarely survive reality.

That evening, the eldest of his dormitory had treated everyone to a meal to celebrate getting over a recent scare. On their way back, they happened to see several girls wandering outside the small woods, looking panicked and helpless.

Out of a sense of chivalry, the eldest and his friends stepped forward.

Upon asking, they learned that one of their companions had run into the woods and vanished, and they were too afraid to go in after her.

The small woods had effectively become a restricted zone on campus; the police cordon had only been removed that afternoon. If it hadn't been for Wu Ya, they never would have come here. But because Wu Ya had been acting strangely earlier, they were both worried and terrified.

Just as they were debating whether to find boys from their class or school security for help, they bumped into Xiao Xiao and his friends. Like drowning victims grabbing at a straw, they begged them to go in and find their friend.

"Uh..." Zhang Bo looked at the gloomy, eerie woods with some hesitation, but upon seeing the tearful faces of the girls, he immediately patted his chest and declared that they would handle it.

Zhu Ge Yun and Zhao Luzheng were even more eager, thumping their chests louder than the last.

"Third brother, why are you spacing out?"
"Don't tell me you're scared?"
"Don't worry, big brother will protect you, haha."

Xiao Xiao didn't respond, only staring fixedly at the woods.

He didn't notice that a faint golden glimmer flashed and vanished in his eyes.

In his field of vision, a wispy black aura drifted above the woods, clawing and reaching, permeated with an unsettling aura of death.

This was...

"Hey, Third, why so serious?"
"What's wrong? Is something off?"
"You aren't really scared, are you?"

"I'm fine," Xiao Xiao said, withdrawing his gaze. "Let's split up after we go in. It will be faster."

"Alright."

Originally, Xiao Xiao had wanted to stop the others from entering, as the woods felt very wrong to him. However, it was hard to find a reason, and he was worried that if they delayed, the girl would be in danger.

The photograph from the morning was still fresh in his mind.

Moreover, he had noticed that the black aura was not evenly distributed. He had a premonition that the place where the aura was densest was where the girl was.

Since that was the case, he just needed to make sure the others avoided that direction.

As for what he might encounter alone, honestly, he hadn't thought much about it.

Of course, he wasn't some self-sacrificing hero, especially not for a stranger—if it had been his roommates, it would be a different story. If not for the strange changes in his own body, he certainly wouldn't have made this choice.

It was simply that, as far as the current situation went, he was the most suitable person to go there.

Finally, after instructing the girls to find security, Xiao Xiao followed the others into the woods.

Once inside, Xiao Xiao rejected the proposal to pair up and chose the direction where the black aura was densest, heading in alone.

He didn't have the confidence to protect anyone else. And he had no intention of telling anyone about his own secret.

...

As for the current situation, Xiao Xiao didn't know if it was better or worse than he had expected.

At the very least, the fact that the monster was wary of him because of that one book-throw was the best possible outcome. He really should thank the classmate who had asked him to carry the book; otherwise, he wouldn't have known how to stop the monster from attacking the girl.

But now, what should he do?

Though the monster was wary of him, it showed no intention of retreating. Its gloomy eyes never left him.

The thick, viscous malice made him feel like he was suffocating.

Xiao Xiao was now in a dilemma. He had no means to deal with a monster, and he had no effective weapons at hand.

What to do? What to do?

Drops of sweat trickled down Xiao Xiao’s cheeks.

"Hiss—" The monster seemed to grow impatient, pacing back and forth on the branch, its gaze never shifting from Xiao Xiao.

In the silent night, the monster’s owl-like cry was bone-chilling. Its scarlet eyes were so thick it seemed as if fresh blood were about to drip from them.

The faint flickering of phosphorescence, set against the pale moonlight, only added to the horror.

Xiao Xiao’s brain raced, even feeling a series of sharp stabs from the overexertion.

Damn it!

Still no solution!

All he could do now was stall for time.

*Heh,* to be a hero saving a damsel in distress and end up in this state—what a joke.

Truly, being a hero was not an easy task.