The nightmarish humanoid monster was silent, like an emotionless machine, following Starry Lin's command. It reached into the chest of the person lying on the ground and swiftly and accurately grabbed the tail of the bug.

This scene reminded him of a skilled butcher, who was pulling out the intestines from the belly of a slaughtered animal.

Although this scene did not happen on a physical level and was not too bloody, it already looked eerie...

Next, a thick black mist rose from it, pulling the bug creature out of Shi Hui's body.

Sunny Xu and Starry Lin were already familiar with the appearance of this bug creature. Sunny even experienced being possessed by it through "mental perception".

But when they had the opportunity to witness the true form of the bug creature with their own eyes, seeing every detail on its winding body, they still felt... uncomfortable.

The two of them began to discuss their feelings towards insects.

"I'm more afraid of soft and slimy bugs like slugs or snails, or more accurately, 'disgusted'," Sunny Xu said. "I remember when I accidentally touched a slug while climbing a tree when I was a child. It was an unforgettable feeling. I felt a sticky and slippery sensation on my fingers for several days."

"I dislike centipedes, which are relatively hard and have many legs. Whenever I saw them crawling on the ground, I would be scared and avoid them. I also dislike maggots, as they always appear in a big lump near leftover food and public toilets..."

As Starry Lin continued speaking, even she felt a bit overwhelmed and shivered, hugging her arms.

Sunny Xu sighed.

"But this thing is different."

Indeed, the appearance of the bug creature was different from the arthropods and soft-bodied animals mentioned earlier. It often had the characteristics of multiple types of insects, creating a visually shocking and nightmarish creature.

The scenes Sunny Xu saw through mental perception were presented in black and white, and the images were blurry. The sounds he heard and the things he felt were like being separated by a thick layer of frosted glass. So at that time, he only found the events in the haunted house strange.

Now, thinking about it, they were actually going to swallow this thing. Sunny Xu didn't want to think about it anymore.

The bloated bug struggled and wriggled, looking "fatter" than he remembered. It opened its mouth, surrounded by short tentacles, and emitted a silent screech.

Shi Hui, lying on the ground, let out a scream of agony.

What he was facing was not just the physical pain, but also the fact that his body, both physically and mentally, was gradually merging with the alien.

Even Shi Mingjun, who had not completely merged, lost consciousness after the bug creature left his body and became no different from a vegetable. It was clear that Shi Hui's situation would be worse than Shi Mingjun's.

Little An separated him from the bug creature, as if extracting consciousness and soul from this human body, leaving behind only dead flesh with remnants of instinct and consciousness.

And this separation process was also vividly reflected on a physiological level. After the bug creature left Shi Hui's body, he looked like a deflated balloon, his skin sagging as if he had rapidly aged in that instant. At first glance, he appeared to be a skinny old man with just skin and bones.

"Crack, crack."

The humanoid monster lifted the illusory bug with one hand, and in the center of its sturdy body covered in scales, a pitch-black hole opened, inside of which was a rapidly rotating vortex.

It forcefully stuffed the struggling bug creature into it. Soon, an endless stream of turbid flow emerged from it, completely devouring its prey.

...

... It's over.

Finally, it's over.

Starry Lin waved her hand, and the humanoid monster disappeared silently into the air.

There was no thrilling battle, only one-sided slaughter, ruthless and cruel removal, and a devouring filled with greed.

Throughout the entire process, Sunny Xu forced himself not to look away, his expression tense, and even his neck stiffened as if it were set in plaster.

Whether it was ugly, terrifying, or even disgusting, since it was a scene created by his best friend, he felt obligated to watch it from beginning to end and learn to accept it.

Where did this sense of responsibility come from? He couldn't even say. It was just an instinctive feeling that it should be this way.

Starry Lin remained silent as well. The long-haired girl stood beside him at the door, quietly watching the end of this bizarre "drama."

"...Okay, let's go."

After a moment of silence, Sunny Xu blinked his slightly sour eyes and said so.

"Yeah."

The girl nodded gently.

*

The place Starry Lin chose was a secluded ward in a desolate hospital building, quite far from the old warehouse where the initial signs of destruction appeared. Obviously, it was not chosen randomly.

Sunny Xu only saw a police car coming. At this moment, the police should be inspecting the scene under the guidance of the hospital security. They wouldn't search this ward so quickly.

But to say that they had plenty of time was not necessarily true. They needed to leave before the hospital staff gathered and started a large-scale search. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them not to be suspected when they were found together with the "victim."

Most importantly, how could the two of them leave? Should they leave through the back door like they came? He felt like he had forgotten something...

While Sunny Xu was thinking, he suddenly noticed that Starry Lin's body swayed slightly.

He immediately realized what was happening and hurriedly rushed forward, catching the girl's delicate arm in time.The girl saw Sunny Xu approaching and instinctively showed a relieved smile. At the same time, she completely gave up on supporting her body and leaned into the boy's arms.

Yes, every time Starry Lin used her superpowers for a long and intense period of time, her physical strength would be greatly depleted. During this time, she couldn't even walk alone.

If it was just to deal with Shi Hui, Starry Lin might not need to exert too much effort. But trying a completely new ability was beyond her control.

The girl with beautiful long hair fell into his arms, but Sunny Xu didn't have the mood to feel the softness and tenderness. He looked at his friend's pale cheeks and the slight frown on his face due to his own weakness. His heart felt like it was being squeezed.

"Are you an idiot?" Sunny Xu couldn't help but curse, "You know you have this weakness, yet you still came here to test your new ability alone."

Starry Lin blinked, not feeling angry at being scolded, just smiled and replied:

"That's why I'm in the hospital... After I finish what I need to do, I'll say I have anemia and go find a doctor for a glucose drip."

In the end, she added:

"Actually, I've been slowly adapting to this kind of burden recently, so I won't immediately collapse. Before stopping the use of my abilities, I will ensure the safety of the surrounding environment."

Sunny Xu had nothing to say.

He was actually unhappy that Starry Lin had kept it from him, but he felt a bit embarrassed to speak directly. He wanted to find an excuse, like criticizing this girl for not being careful enough, but it seemed that she had thought it through...

"Don't worry."

Starry Lin didn't look up, just buried her face in his chest.

"I won't do it again in the future. If I encounter any problems like this again, I will honestly tell you and won't act alone."

Her voice was muffled, but her tone was serious.

"—Definitely not."

Sunny Xu sighed.

"Let's leave the future for later. Let me take you away first."

...

Sunny Xu supported Starry Lin and slowly walked through the corridor, down the stairs, out of the hospital building, and into the deep night.

"You came in through the main entrance?"

"At that time, I was afraid of being noticed by the people in front of the door, so I went through the back door."

"Huh? But now I..."

"Yeah, you can't run now." Sunny Xu deliberately said, "So for now, I can only take you to the outpatient building for an injection and glucose drip until your body recovers."

"No, I don't want to..."

Starry Lin instinctively shouted.

"I'm fine, I just need to rest for a while!"

"Are you afraid of injections?"

"It's not that I'm afraid." Starry Lin muttered, grabbing Sunny Xu's sleeve with both hands and quietly pressing her slightly feverish cheek against his arm, "...I just feel like it's a waste of time."

Hearing this, Sunny Xu knew that his guess was correct and couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry, I was just joking. The police are here now, and it would expose you if they took you to the doctor. I can't take that risk."

"Then..."

"I have my own way."

Sunny Xu replied.

Seeing his confident expression, Starry Lin stopped asking.

...

The night was becoming darker and darker.

The two of them silently walked on a dark path in the woods for a while.

The wind blew the branches and leaves on both sides, and the rustling sound of the dense leaves colliding with each other sounded like distant waves, as if they were trekking by the coast.

"Hey, you..."

Starry Lin's tone still sounded hesitant.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think of my new ability?" she asked softly, "No, rather than calling it a 'new ability,' it's more like Little An's nature, right? I feel like it was specifically created to bring fear to people..."

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"You're still asking about that." Sunny Xu answered somewhat helplessly, "I've said it before, as long as you're willing, I can provide you with nutrients."

"You're silly. You've seen what happened to Shi Hui, and you still say that?"

"That's because the monster possessing him was removed, which caused him to become like that."

"That doesn't rule out the danger of this ability," Starry Lin's expression became serious, "So, don't mention this again in the future."

"Then don't ask about that topic just now."

Sunny Xu's counterattack was sharp.

Starry Lin opened her mouth to say something, but it turned into a sigh at the tip of her tongue.

"I promised you just now that I won't hide anything from you anymore. If I encounter something like this in the future, I will definitely tell you."

"Then why did you ask?"

"But, I still hope to consider your feelings." Starry Lin shook her head, "Don't you feel scared at all? Like when you first saw Little An—"

Sunny Xu looked into his friend's eyes, and she had an unusually serious expression on her face. After thinking for a moment, he honestly admitted.

If you want to talk about being scared, there was a bit. The first time I saw Little An, didn't I faint?"

"I told you..."

"But it's only a little bit. Later, when I thought that you were controlling everything, it didn't matter anymore. I just felt that I could rely on you."

"...Really?"

"Really."

After hearing the boy's decisive answer, Starry Lin finally let go of her worries and let out a sigh of relief.

It was only at this moment that she realized her face had become so hot. She felt embarrassed and instinctively pressed her face against the boy's arm, not wanting her blushing face to be seen.

But Starry Lin soon realized something: her face was so hot, and she was pressing it against someone's arm. Surely it had already been noticed, right?

She couldn't help but raise her eyes quietly, wanting to see the other person's expression. Was he secretly laughing at her, or did he not notice anything at all?Reflected in the girl's pupils was the boy's stern face, taut with seriousness. He was staring straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to everything around him, leading the two of them forward on his own... However, his ears, flushed as if he had a fever, faithfully reflected his true feelings.

Starry Lin suddenly wanted to laugh, but she also pursed her lips like her friend, pretending not to notice. She just held the boy's arm in her arms a little tighter, following him step by step.

...

The sound of the waves in the forest surrounded Sunny Xu and Starry Lin as they walked in the night. At this moment, it seemed as if they were the only two people left in the world.