Chapter 8 Creeping city

The subway station is only about a kilometer away from the neighborhood where Xiao Huan's house is located, but it is not early to pass through a bustling square in the middle, but on the railing at the edge of the square are sitting six or seven students who look like middle school students, they tie their school uniforms around their waists, some dye their dazzling white hair, some wear huge silver earrings, and some have trouser legs rolled up high, revealing dense tattoos.

They shared cigarettes with each other, passed the wine bottles in their hands, and when they saw Xiao Huan and Yang Jia coming, they all stopped laughing and turned their heads to look at them expressionlessly.

Xiao Huan and Yang Jia didn't look directly at their eyes, and slowly walked in front of them.

The teenagers in the city are full of anger, and even adults can't just look at them, otherwise it is very easy to cause unnecessary fights.

As they walked a little further, there was a burst of laughter and whistles behind them, as if they were announcing their victory.

Yang Jia accompanied Xiao Huan, who seemed to be a little lost and depressed, and walked out of the subway station, and followed him quietly, without trying to interrupt the surging fear and distortion in his heart.

It wasn't until she was away from the angry and aggressive young man that she slowly took out a cigarette and lit it, and looked at Xiao Huan gently.

Xiao Huan, who didn't smoke, saw the cigarette and subconsciously wanted to reach out, but after Yang Jia lit it, he directly handed over the cigarette and stuffed it into his mouth.

The mint-flavored cigarette stimulated Xiao Huan to cough, but his numb head seemed to turn again because of this.

"What the hell is this?"

"..."

His voice was hoarse and he asked non-specific questions.

"As you see."

Yang Jia said softly: "We live in a living city, and its will is always watching us!" "

"Some people say that we are pulled into this false and crazy world by a powerful, unspeakable being, which has everything we remember that is familiar, but the essence is alive."

"Others say that it was our world that was invaded by this unknown life form that devoured our cities."

"There are people who believe in either version, and they have all found their own evidence, but we believe in the former, so we call ourselves strangers."

"At least, if we understand it this way, our hometown still exists, but we can't go back."

"..."

Xiao Huan didn't understand why Yang Jia pointed out these two theories, in his opinion, no matter what the reason, it changed this crazy and terrifying fact.

The city is alive...

How can there be a living organism that exists in the form of a living city?

"For some high-level life forms, it is possible to exist in any situation, but we can't understand it."

Yang Jia seemed to guess what he was thinking, and said softly: "Of course, our goal now is just to learn to survive in such a city." "

"Live?"

Xiao Huan was a little stimulated by these three words, and he only felt ridiculous.

"How do you survive?"

He even felt a little absurd: "We are in a world full of monsters, even the city where we are located is just a monster ..."

"Of course, suicide is not ruled out as an option."

Yang Jia smiled and said softly: "The gun is still in your hand, whether you are willing to kill yourself or keep it for self-defense, that is a path you can choose freely." "

This answer surprised Xiao Huan a little, and it seemed that he had thought about it seriously.

Yang Jia seemed to have waited seriously for a while, and seeing that Xiao Huan did not try to shoot him in the head, a smile gradually appeared on his face, and he nodded lightly: "It seems that you have chosen to live." "

"Yes, live."

"Even if there is no reason to live, wanting to continue to live is our most precious quality!"

"After all, as long as you live, you can always find a reason slowly."

"..."

"I really don't want to die..."

Xiao Huan answered this question calmly, looked at Yang Jia's gaze, but was also a little low: "But how should I live?" "

He looked back at the group of truant middle school students, and saw that they seemed to be surrounding a homeless man, who was jokingly beating him in a circle, kicking and playing with his snakeskin bag containing his belongings.

"This city is full of monsters, how are we going to live?"

He picked up the pistol given by Yang Jia: "Do you rely on this?" Can it work? "

"That's another question."

Yang Jia said with a smile: "As long as you decide to live, of course you have to work hard for this goal." "

As she spoke, she had already turned her steps slightly, came to an old ATM on the side of the street, looked at Xiao Huan and smiled: "What's more, we can still find a way to please 'him'?" "

"Flattering?"

Xiao Huan was incredulous as he looked at the city's tall and jagged buildings and the lights like the deep sea.

"Yes."

Yang Jia said: "As living beings, everything we usually see, including those who play various roles, is part of this city. "

"The city can sometimes get sick, breed some deformed creatures that can easily cause disasters, or be affected by other mysterious wills, which will affect the city and the 'people' in the city."

"And 'he' needs us to help him solve these problems."

"As long as we are willing to exercise his will and help him heal, then we can receive his goodwill."

"His malice will make it difficult for us to move around the city, there are monsters everywhere, and his kindness can give us everything."

Xiao Huan followed her and looked at the ATM in front of her.

There are many marks of being knocked on the old ATM, as well as exaggerated graffiti, and the camera on it scans itself like an eye.

He waited for two seconds, and suddenly saw the picture on the ATM, flashing as fast as the power was unstable, and soon there was a dark red back and the chaotic lines intertwined and reorganized, forming a piece of text.

[Name: Xiao Huan]

[Age: 21 years old]

[Contract: Low-level]

[Points:30]

[...]

Xiao Huan was a little surprised, and raised his head suddenly: "What is this?" "

"It's the kindness of the city to you."

Yang Jia smiled softly and said: "Malice cannot be measured, but kindness can be calculated. "

"You just took out a rat-man for the city... Well, in the end, you made up a shot, so you can count it as you. "

"... So he gained his kindness, and this kindness is usually reflected in the form of points. "

"You usually won't feel the hostility of the city until these points are depleted, and everyone you meet will continue to play their part..."

"... You can even pretend that your life hasn't changed. "

"..."

Xiao Huan felt a little ridiculous for a while, and wanted to ask how to treat living in a group of human beings who were monsters under the appearance as if nothing had happened.

But when the words came to his lips, he suddenly closed his mouth again: did he know what was beneath their appearance before?

"It's good to get used to it."

In the face of his desire to speak, Yang Jia was very relaxed, and helped Xiao Hao on the ATM, and said, "Go home and sleep well." "

"Remember this point, it's the most important thing for us."

"Tomorrow, I will arrange for a more professional person to teach you how to use these points to strengthen yourself."

"But I want you to be prepared."

"..."

She turned her head, looked at Xiao Huan seriously, and said, "In this city, the only way we can live is to solve the problem for him and cure the disease in this city." "

"But I have to say that there are some things that are really scary, neither you nor I can guarantee that I will be able to survive in front of this nightmarish monster in the future."

"That's why I wouldn't stop you if you just chose to shoot yourself in the head."

"It's no easier for us to stay alive than to shoot ourselves."

"..."

In the ATM, a dark red card was spit out, with the texture and touch of flesh and blood on it.

Xiao Huan took it in his hand, stood at the entrance of the subway station, and watched Yang Jia's figure slowly disappear into the misty light of the street lamp, and after a long time, he slowly turned around and walked home.

Coming to the dark alley, he looked up.

When he just walked out of the small alley with Yang Jia, he didn't feel anything special.

But now when I come back, it's as if I'm going to walk into a huge mouth.

The three vicious dogs in the neighbor's yard looked at themselves as if they were flashing with ghost fire in their eyes.

The old record player behind the white curtain on the second floor was making a hoarse cry, like a tormented soul struggling in hell.

At the end of the alley, a butcher in a blood-splattered apron, three meters tall, holding a chainsaw stained with flesh and blood in his arms, stared at his prey on the meat rack.

Xiao Huan stood in the middle of the alley, letting the countless cold eyes and weirdness intertwine on him, feeling the real fear burrowing into his heart, but he didn't speak for a long time.

He just stood in silence in the dark, not saying a word, just a stubborn existence.

I've been struggling with fear and pain for four years, struggling to survive in my tiny bedroom.

I endured countless torments, endured countless nightmares, exercised my concentration, and forced myself to adapt to normal thinking under this tremendous pressure.

All of this is done just to get back into this world.

But now, I have finally done it, and I can finally step out of the house and walk on the street normally.

But the world has been stolen?

At this moment, a flame of chagrin suddenly rose in Xiao Huan's heart, and in the face of the huge and wriggling city in front of him, he had the urge to let him return his world...

... But after a long time, he just lowered his head and slowly walked to his bedroom.