Jiang Qian was dead.
Lin Qiye witnessed the entire process of her death.
The monster came crashing down from above, its nails slicing through her neck like a hot knife through butter, and then it began to feast with ecstatic fervor.
Until the very last moment, Jiang Qian's eyes remained filled with terror and despair.
Lin Qiye's spiritual perception sensed every single detail, his stomach roiling violently, nearly causing him to vomit.
Despite having endured countless hardships and tribulations — despite his mind having matured far beyond his years — this was still the first time he had witnessed such a gruesome scene.
But now wasn't the time to throw up.
Lin Qiye didn't hesitate for even an instant, spun around and bolted down the other way of the alley while the monster was still gnawing at Jiang Qian's corpse.
His original escape route was already cut off by the monster. His only choice was to go against the grain — to run toward where Wang Shao had fallen.
The creature appeared to have greater interest in the corpse before it, so it didn't pursue him which let Lin Qiye let out a breath of relief.
He didn't know what the monster truly was, but one thing was undeniable — it didn't fall within the category of "human", nor did it belong to any known category of "beast".
If someone told him it was a mutated ape altered by radiation, he might believe it. This kind of size, strength, speed — none of it was something a normal human could contend with.
Yet it remained merely a possibility.
In this mist-covered world, having witnessed with his own eyes the existence of a Seraph, he didn't believe that science was the only truth in the world.
He had faith that the supernatural existed.
And Lin Qiye couldn't shake the feeling that… this creature's appearance seemed familiar somehow, as though he'd heard of something like it somewhere before.
While his thoughts were racing, something else entered the range of his spiritual perception. Lin Qiye slammed on the brakes, coming to a sharp stop.
His breathing grew heavier and more labored.
Ten meters ahead, the creature's form materialized once more. Lin Qiye was certain of one thing — this was not the creature he'd just encountered.
Though both were roughly as grotesque, there was no doubt this was a different one.
The most obvious evidence lay in the fact that this one held the body of the already-deceased Wang Shao in its hands, continuing to gnaw on it.
By now, Wang Shao's face had completely disappeared, leaving only a blur of blood and flesh. If not for his distinctive clothing, Lin Qiye might not have recognized who it was.
This was a second monster.
And it was the one that had killed Wang Shao!
When he had been with Jiang Qian and the others, he hadn't seen the events beyond the ten meters' range, so instinctively, he had assumed there was only one monster. But in retrospect, he couldn't have been more wrong.
From the behavior of the creature that killed Jiang Qian, it was clear these monsters preferred to feast on corpses rather than chase living prey. Otherwise, Lin Qiye would never have escaped.
Yet right after Wang Shao died, a monster immediately pursued Lin Qiye and the others.
This could only mean one thing — another monster had already been feeding on Wang Shao's corpse.
One alley. Two monsters. His escape route completely sealed off.
Lin Qiye's face drained of all color. A sensation he hadn't experienced in years — despair — welled up in his chest.
In his seventeen years, only twice had he truly felt despair.
The first time was ten years ago, when he saw those eyes on the Moon.
The second — was now.
Before him, the monster that had finished feasting on Wang Shao's face discarded his corpse like garbage and turned toward Lin Qiye. Its crimson tongue flicked out, licking the blood from the corners of its mouth.
At that instant, Lin Qiye felt the urge to swear.
Damn it! Why does crap like this always happen to me?
As a kid, all I did was climb onto the roof, yet somehow saw a Seraph, lost my sight and fell off the damn roof. People thought the fall knocked something loose in my head, so I ended up spending a year in a mental hospital.
And now, just when I finally managed to get out of that mess and was about to hit the books, nail the university entrance exam, and welcome a fresh start…
I run into you, you ugly freak?
Other people go their whole lives never meeting such misfortune, and I've already encountered it twice?!
Absolutely ridiculous!
Under the pressure of imminent death, years of suppressed frustration and sorrow that had been building in Lin Qiye's heart erupted like a volcano, surging forth uncontrollably!
This rage burned fiercely, the terror in his heart was being crushed into nothing, until a ruthless determination burst forth from some unknown depths within him!
He clenched his white cane in his fists, confronting the creature braced to attack, his chest heaving with violent, ragged breaths.
In that moment, before him was not a monster that had just finished devouring a human, but rather the embodiment of every grievance and setback he had suffered over the past decade.
Even his aunt and Yang Jin had no idea what kind of fury lay dormant in the heart of this youth, suppressed for ten years.
He refused to accept this!!
Perhaps even Lin Qiye himself hadn't realized that beneath this surging tide of emotion, those eyes — sealed shut for ten years — trembled violently, as though they were about to burst open at any moment.
"Keeegh—!"
The monster, eyeing the delicate, tender-looking Lin Qiye like a rogue eyeing a beautiful woman, let out a piercing shriek and pounced!
"Damn it! I'm not scared of you!" Lin Qiye growled fiercely, gripping his white cane as he charged straight toward the leaping creature!
The distance between them shrank rapidly!
Just as the monster's claws were about to tear through Lin Qiye's throat, the latter twisted his body sharply, narrowly — barely — avoiding the strike!
Yet though Lin Qiye could perfectly track the creature's movements, his body's physical strength still fell short. The claw grazed his temple, leaving behind a thin line of blood.
At the same time, the black silk ribbon was sliced open, carried off somewhere by the rising gale.
Eyes still shut tight, Lin Qiye seized the chance and let out a thunderous yell, thrusting his white cane fiercely at the monster's abdomen!
Snap—!
A crisp sound rang out. Lin Qiye felt the cane suddenly go light in his hand, and then an overwhelming force struck his back — the monster's tail had lashed him directly, sending him sprawling!
Lin Qiye was knocked to the ground and tumbled several times before gritting his teeth and struggling back to his feet. Through his spiritual perception, he could sense that his white cane had been snapped cleanly in two.
The white cane had been designed for guiding the blind — its material was never meant to be particularly durable. When pitted against a creature as hard as stone, it was no match at all.
"F*ck!"
He cursed violently, hurling the broken half of the cane to the ground.
He had barely managed to seize an opportunity, and now it was completely wasted.
The shattering of the white cane was like a fuse, igniting every last ounce of emotion within Lin Qiye. He stood there, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, leaving trails of blood.
"I refuse to accept this!" he roared!
At the height of this emotional storm, an inexplicable feeling rose within his heart.
As natural as spring warming into summer, as inevitable as water seeking its level — a thread of coolness flowed from his heart, streaming into his mind toward that place of obstruction, and with the lightest touch…
That thin veil tore open!
Lin Qiye felt as though a sun had erupted within his body — an unprecedented inferno that consumed his entire being. Beneath his eyelids, his eyes burned as if being seared by flames, scorching hot beyond measure!
Thus, as if it were the most natural thing in the world…
He opened those eyes that had been sealed shut for ten years.
The first thing those eyes saw upon opening was a pair of eyes — the Seraph's eyes.
In that instant, a magnificent pillar of blazing light erupted from the alley at the edge of the old district, piercing straight through the heavens!
Night became indistinguishable from noon!