Night fell without warning.

The area designated by Wu Hao as the "bridal chamber" was located in a low-lying area a hundred meters outside the camp.

The towering wheat stalks around had been pressed down, with a layer of clothes spread as bedding.

Red moonlight poured down, casting an ambiguous and eerie filter over the scene.

"Brother Jinsheng... be gentle, okay? Don't hurt me."

Bai Lianhua sat on the pile of clothes, pretending to shyly unbutton her shirt while rolling her eyes inwardly.

This place was full of wheat stubble, painfully poking her behind.

And in front of her, Wang Jinsheng had been standing there dumbly since he arrived.

His face was obscured by the light, but his heavy breathing was audible.

"Heh heh..."

Wang Jinsheng let out a dull laugh and slowly approached.

Bai Lianhua suppressed her disgust and wrapped her arms around Wang Jinsheng's neck, her breath fragrant.

"Dummy, what are you waiting for? Didn't you say... you wanted me?"

"Come on, as long as you listen to me in the future, I might just let you enjoy..."

However, before she could finish her sentence.

The hands that were supposed to embrace her waist suddenly clamped tightly around her neck!

"Cough! You..."

Bai Lianhua's eyes widened in terror, just about to curse, but under the red moonlight, she saw Wang Jinsheng's face.

The face that was once simple and honest was now splitting open from the middle!

Not just the mouth opening, but the entire face, like an ill-fitting garment, tearing apart from the bridge of the nose!

Beneath the split skin, there were no bones, no muscles.

Only clusters of dry yellow straw, stained with dark red blood!

"Yes... I want... you."

Wang Jinsheng's voice changed.

No longer the voice of an honest man, but like two pieces of rotten wood rubbing together, harsh and hollow.

"The skin... too tight... need a new... one..."

"Ah!!! Monst... mmm!"

Bai Lianhua finally reacted, letting out a piercing scream.

But the scream was cut short as rough straw shot out from Wang Jinsheng's mouth, forcibly stuffing her throat!

"Mmm!! Mmm mmm!!"

Bai Lianhua struggled frantically, her nails clawing at Wang Jinsheng, but all she got was handfuls of rotten straw.

Squelch!

Wang Jinsheng's hand, now entirely made of straw, plunged into Bai Lianhua's abdomen!

As if stuffing a doll with cotton.

He frantically shoved straw into Bai Lianhua's body!

First the stomach, then the chest cavity, and finally the limbs.

He even tore her mouth and eyes to fit more.

Under the blood-red moonlight, two figures intertwined, shaking violently.

The sound of bones cracking and dull thuds echoed.

……

"Heh heh... listen to that, listen to that noise."

In the camp, a few boys on guard duty exchanged winks, their faces lewd with smiles.

"That Wang Jinsheng seems so honest usually, who knew he was such a beast!"

"That noise, no wonder he's a sports student, his stamina is great!"

"Bai Lianhua with her plastic face, she must be having the time of her life now, huh?"

The group burst into knowing laughter.

However, Wu Hao, sitting by the campfire, didn't look pleased.

He held half a piece of compressed biscuit, his brow furrowed.

It wasn't because Bai Lianhua had been "taken down," but because he sensed something deeply amiss.

"Too fast..."

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

Wu Hao glanced at the luminous watch on his wrist; it was only two in the afternoon, yet the sky was already pitch black.

This unnatural flow of time made the unease in his heart grow stronger.

"Wu Hao, we're running low on supplies."

Liang Rui finished checking the backpack and walked over with a serious expression.

"Even if we ration, this stuff will only last two more days at most."

"Don't panic."

Wu Hao took a deep breath, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes, pointing to the sky.

"Remember that leaderboard?"

"The top scorer 'No Need for Words' managed to rack up points, which means the monsters can be hunted!"

"If I'm not mistaken, this thing tallies up every day."

Electric arcs danced in Wu Hao's hand, illuminating his ambitious face.

"As long as we start hunting those crows tomorrow, we can earn points and rewards!"

"With me, a B-Rank superpowered individual, it's a piece of cake."

"The longer we survive, the richer the rewards!"

Liang Rui nodded, eyes full of admiration.

"Alright, I'll join you."

"As long as we work together, we can dominate this area."

Then she glanced at the wheat field still making noise in the distance, sneering.

"Shouldn't we call Wang Jinsheng?"

"No need."

Wu Hao snorted coldly, "Let him enjoy himself for a day first."

"Once Bai Lianhua is satisfied, that bitch couple will be more loyal as my dogs."

Liang Rui was more than happy with this arrangement.

As long as Wang Jinsheng and Bai Lianhua were tied together, no one would compete with her for Wu Hao.

……

However, not everyone was so well-behaved.

"Let's go, let's crash the 'bridal chamber'!"

Three bold boys, their curiosity piqued by the noise, exchanged glances and grinned wickedly.

"Heh heh, let's sneak a peek and see what that high-and-mighty Bai Lianhua is like in private!"

The three crouched low, using the wheat waves as cover, quietly moving toward the source of the sound.

Soon, they saw a patch of flattened ground ahead.

Under the blood-red moonlight, a pale figure knelt with its back to them, motionless.

"Damn... so white?"

The three's eyes widened, swallowing hard, they signaled to each other.

Three, two, one!

"Ha! Surprise, surp..."

The three jumped out of the wheat field, intending to give the wild couple a scare.

However, when they saw the scene before them, their lewd smiles froze, turning into sheer terror.

"Uh... ah..."

The figure kneeling on the ground was indeed Bai Lianhua.

But her skin was in tatters.

Her mouth agape, eye sockets hollow, nostrils flared, ears torn.

And in all these openings...

Stuffed with dry, blood-stained straw!

Her belly was split open, organs missing, replaced by bundles of straw!

This was no seductive bridal chamber.

This was clearly a freshly made, still bleeding "human skin scarecrow"!

"Ah!!!"

The three were scared out of their wits, their screams barely escaping their throats.

"Sur~prise~"

A voice like rustling echoed behind them.

The three turned stiffly.

Behind them, where there was nothing before, now stood a towering scarecrow.

It held a tattered lantern.

"Ah ah ah! Monster!"

The three screamed in unison.

The next second.

Snap!

The lantern's handle extended instantly, transforming into a massive, rust-covered but razor-sharp scythe!

A flash of cold light!

Splat! Splat! Splat!

Three heads flew into the air, blood spraying onto the wheat stalks.

The scarecrow didn't stop.

It extended two more hands, grabbing the headless bodies, straw surging into the neck cavities.

It was creating new companions.

……

"Ahhhhh! Murder!"

Not far away, another boy, who had lagged behind, witnessed the scene and wet his pants, letting out a shrill scream before turning to flee!

"Help! Brother Wu, help! There's a monster!!"

The scream shattered the night's silence.

The scarecrow paused in its corpse-making.

Creak...

Its head rotated 180 degrees, its glowing red eyes locking onto the fleeing boy.

"Roar!!"

This time, it no longer mimicked human voices.

Instead, it let out a beast-like roar!

Its previously stiff body crouched low, a third withered arm bursting from its back!

Using three hands, it moved like a giant, deformed spider, scuttling across the wheat field at breakneck speed, leaving afterimages!

…

"What was that sound?!"

In the camp, Wu Hao and Liang Rui jumped to their feet.

"Over there! It's that idiot who went to crash the bridal chamber!"

The remaining boy also pointed in that direction.

"Ahhh! Stay away!!"

The desperate cries for help were abruptly cut off, followed by the sound of bones snapping.

"Damn it! How dare you touch my people?!"

Wu Hao's eyes burned with anger, fueled by his confidence in his B-Rank power.

"Liang Rui! Come with me! The rest of you, grab your weapons and follow!"

"Yes!"

Three of them charged toward the depths of the wheat field.

However, when they arrived at the scene, all they found were scattered pieces of flesh and newly impaled "scarecrows" on stakes.

"What... what the hell is this..."

The boy vomited on the spot.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Wu Hao's hands crackled with lightning, illuminating the surroundings.

Whoosh~

A chilling wind blew.

The wheat waves rolled.

A massive shadow descended from above!

"Watch out!"

Liang Rui screamed, launching a fireball.

Boom!

The flames hit the scarecrow, but only singed a few strands of straw before extinguishing.

"No damage! How is this possible?!"

Wu Hao was horrified to find his lightning was blocked by the scarecrow's withered arms!

This was no ordinary monster!

This was a BOSS! A lord!

"Run! Run!!"

Wu Hao finally realized the gap in power, turning to flee.

But it was too late.

The scarecrow swung its scythe, and in this wheat field, it was a god.

"Ah!!"

"My leg!!"

This was a one-sided massacre.

In front of this terrifying monster, the three were like lambs to the slaughter.

The scythe swung, heads rolled.

In just three minutes.

The lightning was extinguished, the flames dissipated.

"Uh... uh, Liang Rui... save... save me!"

Wu Hao was cut in half by the scythe, his lower body still running, while his upper body was already filled with straw.

The once arrogant demeanor was completely gone, replaced by desperate cries for help...

And the transformation into a scarecrow.

……

Five minutes later.

The wheat field returned to silence.

Only the heavy scent of blood lingered.

In a furrow beside a pile of corpses.

Liang Rui curled up, covering her mouth tightly, tears streaming down her face, but she dared not make a sound.

She had seen it.

She had hidden in the shadows, witnessing the monster stop after killing Wu Hao.

It was listening.

Wherever there was a scream, the scythe would fly.

"Sound... it locates by sound!"

Liang Rui was overjoyed, she had found a way to survive!

"As long as I don't make a sound... as long as I stay absolutely silent... it won't find me!"

She held her breath, suppressing even her heartbeat, lying on the ground like a stone.

Sure enough.

The terrifying scarecrow spun in place twice, seemingly losing its target, waved its lantern, and prepared to leave.

"I'm alive... I survived..."

Liang Rui felt a surge of joy at her narrow escape.

However.

Just as the scarecrow was about to turn away.

Whoosh~

A night breeze swept through the wheat field.

Rustle rustle...

The tall wheat stalks swayed in the wind.

One stalk brushed against the sleeve of Liang Rui's windbreaker.

"Plop."

The sound was faint.

As light as a pin dropping.

But in Liang Rui's ears, it was like death knocking at the door.

She looked up in horror.

And met the scarecrow's gaze as it turned back sharply.

That mouth, split to the ears, smiled at her.

"Shh."

The scarecrow raised a finger like a withered branch, making a silencing gesture.

The next moment.

The scythe fell.

Blood stained the wheat field.