Chapter 12: Chaos

"Bang—!"

At the same moment, a powerful arm smashed through the door.

This was no ordinary human arm. It was broad, muscular, and bronze-colored, with bulging muscles that looked like they were cast from steel. The back of its massive hand was covered in eerie, scaly textures, and its four fingers bore razor-sharp claws several centimeters long.

Just as Gao Yang tackled Fat Jun to the ground, the beast's claws slashed through the air and grazed his left arm, leaving a deep wound.

Sensing fresh blood, the claws trembled in excitement before launching into a frenzy, tearing apart the door like it was nothing more than fragile paper. Within seconds, the entrance was reduced to splintered ruins.

The beast stepped into the room, its feet crunching against the broken wood.

The main lights were off, leaving the room dimly lit, bathed in an eerie red glow, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

"Three… three of them… Ah, ahhh…" Aunt He's voice was trembling with excitement, yet there was a strange undertone of sorrow and gratitude. "They're all mine… all mine…"

Gao Yang crouched behind the waterbed, enduring the searing pain in his wounded arm. He covered the trembling Fat Jun's mouth, holding his breath.

Soon, Gao Yang felt his fingers grow damp—it was Fat Jun's tears.

In the dim lighting, Gao Yang used the ceiling mirror to get a clear look at their enemy.

It was indeed "Aunt He"—a middle-aged woman in her fifties, dressed in a cleaner's uniform. She appeared thin and frail, her face and upper body still retaining a human form, but her limbs had grotesquely transformed. Her arms and legs had become thick and muscular, bursting through the sleeves and pant legs of her uniform, making her body look absurdly unbalanced.

She stepped further into the room, her body trembling with excitement.

Then, something else emerged—a slick, deep blue tail slithered out from her lower back.

The tail's growth was slow and agonizing, inching out bit by bit, accompanied by thick, murky fluids, like the amniotic sac of a newborn.

It pressed against her hip bones and spine, forcing her to hunch forward in discomfort.

Finally, a massive, two-meter-long tail fully emerged, dragging along the floor with a chilling, slithering sound—like a reptile creeping through the darkness.

She now looked like a full-fledged lizard-human hybrid.

Witnessing the grotesque transformation, Gao Yang felt his blood run cold. His head spun, ears ringing.

There was nothing he could do but endure the pain, hold his breath, and hope to delay his inevitable death just a little longer.

He knew he had no chance of defeating this monster.

For a brief moment, his mind wandered.

He thought about the times he had used a slipper to kill cockroaches.

Back then, the cockroach would scurry under the bed in a desperate attempt to escape, but Gao Yang would easily flush it out. Then, with a look of disgust and superiority, he would slam the slipper down, ending its life in an instant.

At that moment, he realized—he was that cockroach now.

His only hope lay in Qing Ling, who was hiding somewhere in the room.

The tense standoff lasted an excruciating ten seconds.

Or maybe just seven—Gao Yang wasn't counting.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three sharp daggers shot out from the shadows, aimed directly at Aunt He's eyes.

She raised her arm in defense.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The daggers bounced off her hardened skin, falling to the ground without leaving a scratch.

Of course, this was just a diversion.

In the split second Aunt He blocked the attack, Qing Ling burst out from the wardrobe, gripping a Tang sword with both hands, and lunged at her heart from the side.

Aunt He was a fraction too slow but still reacted quickly—she grabbed the sword with her clawed hands, causing sparks to fly as the razor-sharp blade scraped against her claws.

"Ah!" Qing Ling gritted her teeth and channeled all her strength—from her legs, waist, and arms—into a single powerful thrust.

Bang!

Aunt He was slammed against the wall, still gripping the blade to protect her heart.

Qing Ling pushed harder, the sword inching deeper into Aunt He's chest.

"Awooo—!"

Aunt He let out a mix of a human scream and a beastly roar.

Her tail lashed out like a whip, striking Qing Ling's waist. The impact sent her staggering back, all the power in her body dissipating instantly.

Aunt He seized the moment, yanked the sword aside, and flung Qing Ling across the room.

Crash!

She smashed into the bathroom's tempered glass door, shattering it into tiny shards.

Aunt He's wound was deep, and she panted in pain and fury as she slowly turned toward the bathroom.

Whoosh!

A blanket flew through the air, covering her head.

During Qing Ling's brief skirmish, Gao Yang and Fat Jun hadn't been idle.

Fat Jun had thrown the blanket over Aunt He's head—not to stop her, but just to buy a second or two. His plan was simple: block her vision for a moment, then run.

Unfortunately, in his panic, he slipped on the blood-slicked floor, crashing down right in front of Aunt He.

"Please… don't kill me… Mom… help me…!"

Fat Jun flailed on the floor like a stranded fish, but the slippery, viscous fluids made it impossible to get up.

Aunt He tore off the blanket, her gaze locking onto Fat Jun.

She was done playing. If she couldn't savor her prey, she'd just kill them one by one.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three more daggers shot through the air, piercing into Aunt He's eyes.

Blood gushed out instantly.

"Aaaah…! My eyes…!"

She flailed her claws wildly.

At that moment, Gao Yang's entire body was trembling, but his hands didn't stop moving.

—You're useless.

—You can't change anything, so don't overthink it.

—Just do it. No point in worrying.

Using his own bizarre way of self-encouragement, Gao Yang managed to suppress his fear.

As Fat Jun threw the blanket, Gao Yang had already made his move.

He grabbed the fallen Tang sword, sliced the power cord off a hairdryer, and plugged it into the wall.

Not enough reach!

Gritting his teeth, he stabbed the sword into Aunt He's thigh.

The wound wasn't deep, and she swiped at him instantly. Gao Yang barely dodged, but his nose got scratched—hot pain flared up immediately.

Blinded, Aunt He tried to pull the sword out. It should've been easy, but for some reason, it wouldn't budge.

Qing Ling, lying on the ground, had spread her hands wide, using every ounce of her strength to hold the blade in place.

"Now!" she shouted.

Gao Yang pressed the exposed wire against the blade.

No dramatic sparks, no Hollywood-style special effects—just a low, dull zzzzt.

Aunt He shuddered and collapsed to her knees.

She twitched, trying to get back up.

Gao Yang shocked her again.

This time, she convulsed violently and slumped to the ground.

Qing Ling staggered up, yanked the sword from Aunt He's thigh, and drove it straight into her heart.

Aunt He let out a final, strangled gasp and went still, impaled against the pink wall.

Qing Ling, covered in wounds and exhaustion, slumped onto the waterbed.

Gao Yang stood frozen in the chaos, gripping his injured shoulder.

Fat Jun, still shaken, muttered, "Damn… good thing this floor's empty…"

"You said there was only one room left on this floor," Gao Yang muttered.

"Heh… I lied. Business has been terrible lately."

At that moment, a voice called out from behind.

"Of course my bro's smart as hell!"

Gao Yang spun around.

It was Wang Zikai.