Chapter Fifteen: Hot Pot
Qin Changsheng had no idea where the other teammates had gone, but the red creature before him was clearly an ally.
Those blood-red scaly claws belonged to the Shanhai Beast that Cao Mengmeng had always kept hidden from him, never revealing its full form. His situation was not yet hopeless!
Knowing this, Qin Changsheng felt a bit more at ease, but he still could not afford to relax. The mountain of corpses was advancing faster and faster, and Momo was nearly overwhelmed.
He recalled hearing a voice earlier, calling him to “come quickly.”
If that voice came from the red creature, did that mean Cao Mengmeng was directing him to move toward her?
But would that really help?
At this point, Qin Changsheng couldn’t worry too much. With nothing to lose, he had to trust her blindly.
Opportunity was fleeting!
As the mountain of corpses attacked again with swords, Qin Changsheng’s thoughts instantly transmitted into Momo’s mind above him. The blade that had been resisting the sword’s edge suddenly shifted direction, and all the tentacles stretched toward the center, weaving a net right before Qin Changsheng’s eyes.
The swords thrust by the mountain of corpses passed exactly through the mesh of tentacles. Seizing the moment, Momo’s tentacles snapped tight, instantly entangling all the sharp blades within the net.
“Now!” Qin Changsheng instinctively shouted, as Momo exerted full strength. The taut net absorbed the force carried by the blades, spinning it around and around, then suddenly—
“Crack—!!!” A tremendous sound echoed, like a stretched rubber band snapping, amplified dozens of times over. The net, formed by Momo’s tentacles and holding dozens of swords from the mountain of corpses, violently rebounded along its original path.
The net tore away from Momo’s body, its natural elasticity expanding it to instantly envelop the entire mountain of corpses, trapping it completely, unable to move for the moment.
Without hesitation, Qin Changsheng turned sharply and sprinted toward the red creature’s direction.
Success!
A rush of joy surged in Qin Changsheng’s heart—he had survived the mountain of corpses’ grasp!
He took three strides at a time, rushing up to the red creature, thinking he was finally safe.
But just as he steadied himself, the red creature suddenly extended a hand and grabbed his throat in a tight grip.
What?
The suffocating pressure left Qin Changsheng dazed. Wasn’t this red creature on his side? Why the sudden betrayal?
He was powerless to resist. The large net that had trapped the mountain of corpses had thrown most of Momo’s body out, meaning it would take some time for her to recover enough to shift freely again.
The red creature was right before him—an angelic figure with a devilish face, a terrifying mouth agape, rows of sharp teeth dripping with saliva, as if it could swallow his head whole.
He was doomed!
Qin Changsheng cursed himself for his carelessness, trusting such a horrifying-looking monster on a mere instinct. Given the dire situation earlier, he hadn’t had time to think clearly.
The monster opened its mouth but didn’t bite immediately. Just as Qin Changsheng wondered what it was waiting for, a mass of red substance suddenly emerged from its throat.
A wave of heat swept over him as a glob of red slime oozed out of the creature’s mouth, looking utterly disgusting.
Seeing the red glob inching toward his face, Qin Changsheng instinctively tried to dodge. But the creature’s grip on his neck was like iron, holding his head perfectly still.
As the pressure increased, Qin Changsheng could no longer resist. His jaw was forced open involuntarily.
Damn! Watching the red glob extend from the monster’s mouth, Qin Changsheng suddenly realized what was about to happen—the creature was forcing him to swallow that disgusting slime!
No way! Dying is one thing, but being humiliated like this? If I’m going to die, at least give me a quick death!
His mind and body rebelled instinctively against the impending horror, struggling desperately but to no avail.
He watched helplessly as the red slime slid mouth-to-mouth into his throat. The viscous, repulsive liquid emerged from the monster’s terrifying fish-like face, dripping down deep inside with a “sssllurp—” sound.
It was over.
The red creature suddenly released Qin Changsheng’s hand. His body went limp, collapsing to the ground. His mouth was shut, but tears slowly trickled from the corners of his eyes.
He… had actually swallowed it…
Honestly, Qin Changsheng felt almost nothing. The slime’s surface was smooth, sliding almost vertically down his esophagus, straight into his stomach. His tongue barely touched it, and he sensed no taste or texture.
Even so, an overwhelming nausea welled up from within, nearly causing him to vomit on the spot.
This is freaking disgusting!
Though he desperately tried not to dwell on it, his reckless nature wouldn’t let him stop. He gradually realized he had just engaged in a revolting “indirect kiss” with a nonhuman monster.
Damn it, why not just kill me outright?!
As Qin Changsheng’s mind spiraled into despair, a burning sensation suddenly flared from within him. He paused briefly, then immediately understood—it was spreading from the red slime he had just swallowed.
Why had the monster forced him to eat that red slime? Qin Changsheng hadn’t known before, but now he was beginning to guess.
The burning sensation intensified rapidly, becoming scalding hot in an instant, as if a full pot of boiling water had been poured directly into his stomach. The pain was so fierce he clutched his abdomen and collapsed.
What had he just eaten? As his consciousness blurred, the first thought that came to Qin Changsheng’s mind was the acid blood from the horror movie Alien.
Was this excruciating pain the result of his internal organs being dissolved into mush?
He recalled the grotesque scenes from the movie where living people were corroded by strong acid, screaming in agony. If this was the case, his death was not going to be pretty.
His mind raced as he became unable to speak from the pain. The heat radiating from inside drenched him in cold sweat, making him tremble uncontrollably, like he had just been pulled from a swimming pool.
It hurt—terribly!
Was this really how he was going to die?
Clutching his stomach, curled like a boiled shrimp, his vision blurred and darkened as if something was being drained from inside him bit by bit. Then—
His stomach suddenly stopped hurting?
Blinking in confusion, Qin Changsheng noticed the scene in front of him clearing up. The unbearable pain had vanished without a trace, and even his mind felt much clearer.
What on earth was happening?
Just as Qin Changsheng was puzzled, a hand reached out before him—no scales, no claws, clean, soft, and delicate.
He lifted his head and finally saw the face he had longed to see.
“I told you, come quickly. Don’t dawdle,” Cao Mengmeng said, her expression unexpectedly warm. Though her tone carried some complaint, it was more than enough for Qin Changsheng.