The little girl wore her emotions on her sleeve—joy, anger, and everything in between—just like any ordinary child.
If not for her murderous tendencies, she truly seemed like a normal kid.
Live commenters glanced at the pampered little girl happily eating beside Yin Xiu, then at the other rooms where the same girl waited for her meal with a vicious glare. For a moment, they wondered if these were two different children.
"Bad brother, I'm done eating." The little girl devoured the entire packed meal in one go, then pouted contentedly at Yin Xiu. "Wipe my mouth."
Yin Xiu glanced at the blood-soaked towel in his hand, then grabbed a tissue instead to clean her lips before putting away the lunchbox.
As he tidied up, the little girl hugged her rabbit and watched with innocent curiosity. "Bad brother, can you come read me a story before bedtime?"
Requests from the little girl couldn't be refused.
Yin Xiu nodded. "I'll come before bedtime."
"I'll wait for you, then." She beamed, her mood visibly bright.
Meanwhile, in other players' rooms, the little girl took one bite of the unappetizing meal before scowling and tossing her chopsticks aside. "This tastes awful! I'm not eating!"
Since she had taken a bite, the rule was technically fulfilled. The players hastily collected the dishes, avoiding further interaction.
"Hey." Ignored, the little girl yanked a player's sleeve, displeased. "Come sleep in my room tonight."
The player stiffened, on the verge of tears. "But at night, I can only stay in my own room, or else it's dangerous..."
The rules stated that players must remain in their rooms after dark and avoid the living room. But reaching the little girl's room required crossing that very space—where a lethal monster would surely roam.
"I don't care! The food was bad, so you have to sleep in my room!" Her bloodstained face twisted into a cold glare. "Or are you saying no?"
The player's heart sank. "...Fine."
He'd figure it out when the time came. Who knew dealing with this little girl would be so exhausting?
Live comments drifted by: "Compared to this, Yin Xiu's little girl is so well-behaved..."
"She just wants a bedtime story. Tuck her in, and you're free."
"Aren't all the little girls the same? Why such a huge difference?"
"Yin Xiu just handles it better. He even wipes her hands and face."
"True. Other players just cooked but didn't care for her. Do Monstrosities have affection meters?"
"Probably not... And even if they did, who'd dare try raising it?"
"Not me, that's for sure."
Yin Xiu stepped out to check the wall clock. It was past five, the sunset still glowing outside. Nightfall wasn't far off.
Setting down the towel, he noticed the food had been moved from the kitchen to the living room table. Li Mo sat there properly, smiling as always, waiting for him.
The two ate in silence. Yin Xiu was quiet, but Li Mo's chewing was unmistakably loud.
His movements were delicate, yet the sound of him savoring each bite was clear. Judging by his expression, he enjoyed the meal just as much as the little girl had.
Yin Xiu raised his gaze to stare at the moment Li Mo parted his lips, revealing teeth so densely packed it sent a shiver down one's spine.
Noticing Yin Xiu's discomfort, Li Mo pressed his lips together in a smile. "If you don't like it, I can change to a more normal appearance."
He swallowed, then opened his mouth again—this time, the structure inside was much closer to a human's, though still slightly off, like the overly long tongue and the arrangement of teeth.
"Isn't it a bit late to tone down your inhuman traits now?" Yin Xiu remarked casually, picking up a bite of food with his chopsticks.
He could tell Li Mo was mimicking human behavior. Despite having a flawless human exterior, his mannerisms were unsettling—his posture too perfect, his smile too measured, devoid of individuality, as if following a strict template of how a human should act.
"The mouth isn't often seen, so I had little reference." Li Mo smiled faintly. "If it bothers you, I'll adjust."
"I don't care." Yin Xiu shrugged. Whether the other was a Player or something else didn't concern him. Once this Instance was over, they'd all be kicked out of his room anyway.
As for whether the other Players would mind, he cared even less. If this Monstrosity posed a threat, he wouldn't hesitate to strike back-until then, he wouldn't act.
"If you don't mind, I'll revert. It's easier to eat this way." Li Mo lowered his head, picking up food and chewing—the unsettling, dense sound of grinding teeth resumed.
Nightfall approached, the window gradually darkening. Yin Xiu had tried lighting the lamps in the room, but they wouldn't ignite. Once night came, visibility would be zero—meaning when the window turned completely dark, the Instance's night would begin.
Before full darkness set in, Yin Xiu hauled the Little Girl into the bathroom, making her wash off the bloodstains covering her, then found a clean dress for her to change into.
"Bad Brother, tell me a story!" The Little Girl, nestled in her pink bedsheets, looked unusually excited, showing no signs of sleepiness.
Holding an old book of fairy tales, Yin Xiu sat by the bed and flipped through it. "Isn't reading a story enough?"
"No more reading! I'm tired of these stories! I want Bad Brother to tell me a story!" She burrowed under the covers, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Yin Xiu considered the time left before full darkness. If he didn't get her to sleep soon, he'd have to cross the living room at night.
He patted the covers gently, his expression softening, voice tender-almost as if he truly were her doting older brother. "What kind of story do you want?"
The Little Girl blinked, staring intently at him. "I don't have a brother, so... I want to hear your story."
"My story..." Yin Xiu lowered his gaze, his profile gentle in the dim light. "I don't remember much of the past. My memories from the last two years are fading—I can't even recall how long I've lived in my town."
A barrage of furious Live comments instantly flashed by.
"Six years! Six years!! You forgot, but we remember!"
"Do you have any idea how we suffered these six years?!"
"Slacking off every day, never taking us seriously! You don't even remember who you cut down at night, do you?!"
"Lol, why are the earlier comments so mad? Are those Monstrosities from the town posting?"
"LOL, is it a Monstrosity that got slashed by Yin Xiu coming for revenge? Hahahaha."
"You'll find out soon enough. Keep laughing, and I'll come for you right now."
"Hahaha, bring it on! I don't believe you're really a Monstrosity."
"Tell me where you live, and see if I won't show up."
"You think I'm scared? Pretending to be a Monstrosity in the middle of the night? Alley D, No. 101. Come if you dare."
"Heh, remember to open the door later."
"Bro, don't mess around. What if it really was sent by the town's Monstrosities?"
"No way. I've lived in this town for a year and never heard of such a thing. Must be some dude pretending... Oh, the door's knocking. I'll check it out."
"Don't go!"
"Rest in peace, bro."
"Bro, you still there? Say something?"
"Why did that guy stop talking? I'm scared now."
"Me too..."
In the town square, under the live projection screen, a dense crowd of shadowy figures sat beside the Night Goddess, staring intently at the live comments, barely restraining their urge to reply.
"Did big brother lose his memory? Like in those TV shows?" Inside the Instance, the Little Girl grew curious about Yin Xiu's words.
Yin Xiu shook his head. "Not amnesia. I remember why I came here, but many memories have grown fainter the longer I've stayed in this town."
The Little Girl looked puzzled but didn't dare probe too deeply into where Yin Xiu had been. Instead, she changed the subject. "Then why did you come here, big brother?"
Yin Xiu hesitated for a few seconds before gazing at her and answering slowly, "Looking for someone. I came here while searching for a girl about your age..."
The Little Girl's eyes immediately sparkled. "Who? Your sister?"
Yin Xiu nodded.
"But it's been six years. You still haven't found her?" The Little Girl tilted her head, then froze mid-question before shrinking further under the covers.
Another live comment floated across the screen.
"I remember it too clearly! Sixteen-year-old Yin Xiu wandering around town at night with a knife, asking every Monstrosity about his sister. Gave me nightmares for weeks."
"LOL, really? Kinda makes me want to see it now."
"See what? Try having a knife pointed at you, then talk!"
"...Never mind."