Chapter 7: I Want to Live

"Wang Shao?!" Li Yifei and the others shouted in unison when they heard the familiar voice.

The three of them exchanged a glance before running toward the narrow alley where Wang Shao had gone.

Lin Qiye stood still, frowning as he gazed into the dark alley, his expression serious.

Although he didn't know what was happening, a sense of unease grew in his chest.

Outer old district, a deranged killer, a strange foul smell, screams…

Something was off.

He hesitated for a moment, engaged in an internal struggle, then sighed in resignation. He picked up his cane and rushed toward the alley.

If it were any other time, Lin Qiye would have ignored the situation, quickly running in the opposite direction, as far away as possible!

If people were screaming, it was definitely not something good.

And if it wasn't something good, it meant trouble.

Robbery, murder, or perhaps witnessing a crime scene... any of these would be things Lin Qiye didn't want to get involved with.

He wasn't curious enough to find out what was happening, nor did he have an overflowing sense of compassion to act like a hero.

Most importantly, he couldn't fight. What if he ended up losing his life?

But this time was different.

If they hadn't actively escorted him home, maybe Wang Shao would have taken another route, or maybe he would have returned a few minutes earlier, avoiding this situation entirely.

Lin Qiye didn't like getting involved in other people's business, but he disliked owing people even more.

No matter what, he at least had to check what was going on. It was the least he could do, and if danger struck, he could always run away.

Lin Qiye's eyes were still closed, but his pace didn't slow. The closer he got to where the screams were coming from, the tighter his brow furrowed.

The stench grew stronger.

"Ahhh!!"

A second scream rang out from around the corner ahead. This time, it was a woman's voice.

Jiang Qian!

Lin Qiye suddenly stopped at the corner of the alley. He sensed Jiang Qian and the others within his mental range.

Not far in front of him, Jiang Qian was collapsed on the ground, her mouth wide open in fear, her whole body trembling.

In front of her, Liu Yuan and Li Yifei were frozen like statues, their eyes fixed ahead, also trembling.

Further away... Lin Qiye couldn't sense anything else.

He still couldn't open his eyes, so he couldn't see the world around him. His mental sense only extended for about ten meters, creating a rather awkward situation.

Within that ten-meter range, he could sense everything, but beyond that, he was as blind as anyone else.

What had Jiang Qian and the others seen to scare them so much?

Though he couldn't see, his hearing was incredibly sharp. He could clearly hear a rustling sound not far away.

It was as if someone was gnawing on something, doing so wildly and with obvious enjoyment.

Hmm... It sounded like how a dog chews on bones.

"What happened?" Lin Qiye whispered.

Jiang Qian seemed startled by his sudden appearance. She grabbed his clothes in panic, her teeth chattering.

"A monster... A monster is gnawing on Wang Shao's face!"

Lin Qiye's expression immediately darkened!

"Run!!"

Both Lin Qiye and Li Yifei shouted at the same time!

The moment the words left his mouth, Liu Yuan, like a mad dog, suddenly turned and bolted backward. After crashing into Lin Qiye's shoulder and stumbling, he quickly scrambled to his feet and ran for his life!

"Monster... Help! Someone, please! A monster!" He screamed as he ran.

Lin Qiye was caught off guard by the collision. He staggered, but before he could regain his balance, a heavy, dull thud echoed from afar.

It sounded like a bear stomping on the ground, charging straight toward him.

Jiang Qian's pupils suddenly contracted. Whether from adrenaline or sheer terror, she swiftly rose from the ground, screaming as she ran.

As for Li Yifei... he was already a few steps ahead. The moment he yelled "Run!", he had already gained some distance, faster than Liu Yuan, who had bumped into Lin Qiye.

Had Liu Yuan not collided with Lin Qiye, he would have been much further ahead.

But in that split second of delay, he too had fallen behind, now trailing just like Jiang Qian.

At this moment, it seemed everyone had forgotten about Lin Qiye's "disability". The classmates who had promised to escort him home had already completely abandoned him in their panic.

Facing such a blood-curdling, terrifying scene, fear had taken over their minds.

Lin Qiye had barely taken a few steps when something intruded into his mental sense range.

It looked like a person, but it didn't feel like one.

It had four limbs and a head like a human, but it was crawling on all fours like a hyena, its body massive like a brown bear!

Most terrifying of all, its head was twisted into a grotesque, pale face.

Its long, blood-red tongue flicked from its mouth, extending half a meter, twisting like a snake.

Lin Qiye's face paled.

It was too fast. In just a few steps, it had jumped from beyond his range into his mental sense, now speeding toward him with terrifying speed!

He could already feel a gust of wind rushing toward him from behind.

Jiang Qian seemed to sense it too. Her face turned ashen, fear and panic filling her heart. She stiffly turned her head, trying to gauge how far the monster was from her.

It should... be far, right?

"Don't look back!" Lin Qiye's voice suddenly rang out beside her.

But it was too late. Jiang Qian's pupils constricted as the hideous, monstrous face nearly pressed against hers. She could feel the overpowering stench of blood on its body!

"Ahhh!!!"

A piercing scream echoed through the alley. She slammed her eyes shut, twisting around to grab her backpack and throw it at the creature's face.

She had completely lost control.

The backpack wasn't a weapon, and she wasn't a trained warrior.

In life-or-death moments like this, the one who loses their composure first, loses their life.

The monster grabbed the straps of her backpack, using immense strength to yank it off her. The force threw Jiang Qian off balance, and she fell to the ground with a crash!

A heavy shadow suddenly fell down, crashing onto her body...

The next moment, blood soaked the night air, turning it crimson.