Chapter 25: The Shapeshifter

Tang Yingying understood Zhao Kuo's lip movements, and her eyes widened in an instant.

Wasn't it said that as long as there was a fire source, the supernatural couldn't get close? Outside, there were four stoves burning brightly, so the area should be well-lit.

Girls were naturally afraid of the supernatural, and Tang Yingying instinctively clung to Zhao Kuo.

Zhao Kuo, with a serious expression, pried her hands away.

It wasn't because he was being unromantic, but if he was being held, he wouldn't be able to act quickly if something truly supernatural entered.

Tang Yingying pouted and released her adorable bunny and crocodile plushies.

The two exchanged a glance, and Tang Yingying controlled the plush crocodile to crawl toward the door of the small room. Its steps were light, almost silent.

Amidst the wind and snow, the footsteps outside the carriage were faint, giving off an extremely eerie feeling.

The plush crocodile used its hand to pull the door open a crack, then slipped out in a flash.

At the same time, Tang Yingying gained the crocodile's vision.

Outside, the stoves were still burning fiercely, dispelling the cold brought by the extreme weather.

Because of the small room they had built, a narrow corridor had formed between the carriage and the room. Tang Yingying controlled the plush crocodile to sneak a peek down the corridor.

The corridor was empty, with only the flickering flames.

Tang Yingying opened her mouth, about to speak, but Zhao Kuo covered it again.

She struggled slightly, then heard Zhao Kuo mouth the words: "Don't make a sound."

So Tang Yingying also mouthed: "There's nothing outside."

Zhao Kuo's brows furrowed.

He naturally believed the girl. They were in this together, and Tang Yingying had no reason to deceive him.

But the footsteps were real. There was definitely something unknown in the carriage outside.

Zhao Kuo, being cautious, didn't let his guard down because of Tang Yingying's words. He held the talisman between his fingers, ready to use it at any moment.

Tang Yingying sighed helplessly and controlled the plush crocodile to patrol the first carriage.

There was nothing supernatural—everything was normal. Then she controlled the crocodile to check the second carriage, the third carriage, and even the newly built bathroom and toilet.

Finally, she checked the storage room, but still found nothing unusual.

Tang Yingying shrugged. Honestly, sharing the crocodile's vision to do all this was quite nerve-wracking, as she feared something might jump out at any moment.

Zhao Kuo's frown deepened. He suspected that the thing outside had the ability to become invisible, which was why the crocodile couldn't see it.

If that were the case, things would be troublesome.

Neither he nor Tang Yingying had any tools or abilities to detect invisible entities, and it wasn't unusual for supernatural beings to have such abilities.

Tang Yingying controlled the plush crocodile to return to the first carriage. Just then, her brows suddenly furrowed.

A strange feeling, as if... something was watching her!

The girl trembled and leaned closer to Zhao Kuo.

After experiencing so much, Tang Yingying, even if she were slow, couldn't dismiss this sudden feeling as a mere illusion.

There was definitely something in the carriage!

Was it some kind of monster, or... something supernatural?

Tang Yingying thought the latter was more likely, as a monster would have already attacked.

The monsters in the subway world were usually mutants, driven by a bloodthirsty instinct.

"Don't be afraid," Zhao Kuo mouthed. From Tang Yingying's reaction, he understood that she must have detected something, confirming his suspicions.

Should he use the pendant to drive the thing away? Zhao Kuo hesitated.

[Cursed Pendant x1]

[When activated, it creates a 1-meter-diameter dispelling aura that can harm and repel spiritual entities, consuming 3 sanity points per second]

But a one-meter diameter couldn't cover the entire carriage, which was Zhao Kuo's main concern.

They still needed to find the thing.

Zhao Kuo pondered and also sent a warning to Luo Ping'an and Gu Shan about their situation.

The records in that notebook weren't necessarily accurate, or perhaps the thing in the carriage was too powerful to be affected by the fire source?

Either way, it was absolutely bad news.

Zhao Kuo stared intently at the slightly open door.

Just then, the door opened a bit more, and the plush crocodile slowly crawled back in.

Zhao Kuo nudged Tang Yingying beside him and asked, "Did you find anything?"

Tang Yingying pursed her lips: "Still investigating. It's strange—something was definitely watching me earlier."

Zhao Kuo nodded. With Tang Yingying's plushie, they could indeed save a lot of trouble. It seemed that teaming up with her was a wise choice.

But something still felt off... Zhao Kuo's brows furrowed tighter. This sudden unease made him uncomfortable.

He refocused his gaze on the plush crocodile crawling toward them. Zhao Kuo's expression suddenly changed. He pulled out the Lucky Gun and aimed at the plush crocodile, firing without hesitation.

[Player activated trait: Fate Manipulation. Current progress: 2/10]

The loud gunshot startled Tang Yingying, and she quickly disconnected from the plush crocodile's vision link.

"Huh? Why is there another crocodile here?" Tang Yingying's eyes widened. She clearly remembered controlling her cute little crocodile to inspect the back of the first carriage. How had it suddenly appeared here?

Zhao Kuo coldly looked at the plush crocodile with a hole in it and said, "Without a doubt, this is the monster."

Yes, when Tang Yingying said she was still investigating, Zhao Kuo had noticed something was wrong.

Investigating? Why would it return to the room? Moreover, when he drew the Lucky Gun, Tang Yingying hadn't reacted at all.

What exactly was this thing? It could transform into the plush crocodile's appearance—a shapeshifter?

Clearly, the Lucky Gun's attack had made a hole, but it hadn't caused any substantial damage to the thing.

The plush crocodile's body suddenly twisted and transformed, slowly taking on Zhao Kuo's figure, including his build, clothes, and hairstyle. Only its face remained a blank void.

"Holy crap!" Tang Yingying cursed, and a bracelet appeared on her wrist.

Zhao Kuo didn't hesitate. He activated the pendant's aura, and instantly, a white light spread from the pendant, covering a one-meter radius around him.

"Sizzle..." The monster was indeed affected by the light, emitting pink smoke from its body.

But it didn't flee immediately. Instead, it reached out and slowly walked toward them.

What the hell! Zhao Kuo's eyebrows shot up. Clearly, this thing's level surpassed the pendant's power. While it could cause damage, it couldn't be driven away.

[Sanity -30]

Suddenly, accompanied by the system's notification, tentacles sprouted from the monster's body, each covered with compound eyes like those of a dragonfly.

Cthulhu!

Zhao Kuo didn't hesitate any longer. He ignited the talisman in his hand.