Nie Ran listened with furrowed brows, then returned to the door again, but this time he didn’t open it. Instead, he held his breath to listen to the situation outside.
The noise grew louder and more chaotic, indicating that those things had already come in, likely searching for them.
Ning Xin pulled his arm, anxiously admonishing, “Don’t go out, just hide for the night.”
“I’m afraid it won’t be that easy,” he whispered.
“What?”
“Shh.”
He covered Ning Xin’s mouth, pulling her into his arms.
She felt extremely uncomfortable, gently struggling twice.
Though they shared the same body, when personalities shifted, the changes were almost earth-shattering.
Every inch of pressed skin, every breath close to her ear, made her heart race, wishing she could escape now.
The sound reached outside the door, then stopped, but soon a more chilling movement echoed, as if countless small snakes were crawling on the door panels.
They had sealed the door tightly during the day, blocking every gap, so tight that only a needle could penetrate.
Yet even so, Ning Xin could still clearly see a glowing tentacle constantly wriggling its way into the bathroom.
Nie Ran suddenly pushed her behind him, silently raising a broken dawn, quietly observing the tentacle.
Once it successfully wriggled in, it began to thicken, squeezing the door frame with a creak.
Every time a bit of space opened up, new tentacles drilled in, spreading across the floor.
In just a moment, the two of them were surrounded by tentacles, like a pile of small snakes, wildly dancing in the darkness.
Ning Xin felt her scalp tingling, wishing only to dig a hole and escape.
However, they were searching for moisture, so she dared not even breathe, lest it attract more danger.
She stood stiff as iron, her back pressed tightly against the bathroom tiles.
Nie Ran stood in front of her, his tall figure like a shield, preventing her from completely breaking down.
The tentacles moved closer and closer, reaching Nie Ran’s feet. Sensing his pulse, their tips narrowed to a point, poised to strike.
With a gentle swing, Nie Ran emitted a dark golden flash in the darkness, cutting the tentacles in half.
The severed parts writhed in agony on the ground, emitting insect-like screams.
The remaining halves swiftly retreated.
One small piece jumped in front of Ning Xin and tried to climb up her leg.
Before she could evade it, Nie Ran crushed it with a swift stomp, splattering juices.
He proceeded to flatten the remaining tentacles on the ground using the same method.
After the tentacles died, the light disappeared, and the bathroom fell back into pitch-black darkness.
Ning Xin was drenched in cold sweat, her clothes soaked through. Involuntarily, she grabbed his hand, her voice trembling.
“Sh-should we… should we go out?”
Their position was exposed, and the door was damaged. Continuing to hide here would likely lead to their demise.
Nie Ran didn’t speak, his gaze fixed on the door.
Ning Xin soon noticed as well; it seemed like footsteps were approaching their direction.
The footsteps were heavy, indicating that the approaching figure must be hefty.
She remembered the terrifying hole in the living room and the footprints on the stairs. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She tugged at Nie Ran’s sleeve, whispering into his ear:
“Shouldn’t we run?!”
Otherwise, once the door was blocked, there would be nowhere to escape.
Suddenly, Nie Ran grabbed her hand and bit her finger, as if warning her not to make a sound.
She covered her finger, silent, unable to comprehend what he was thinking.
They were already exposed. Should they just stand here and be captured?
The footsteps stopped outside the door, heavy breathing sounding like that of a bull, the pressure so intense it made it hard to lift one’s head.
With a loud bang, the metal door was punched through, a hairy fist protruding through, followed by a pair of blood-red eyes.
It used brute force to pry the door open and stepped inside from outside.
Due to its towering height, it had to stoop, which only made it appear more terrifying and ferocious.
Ning Xin was nearly frightened to death, crouching in the corner, shielding her head. However, she saw Nie Ran take a step forward, piercing the creature’s chest with dawn, leaving only the hilt outside.
He pushed the half-dead monster outside and called Ning Xin’s name.
She hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed, hiding behind him.
The living room was filled with tentacles and towering beasts, all rushing towards them as soon as they were spotted.
Nie Ran drew Dawnbreaker, slashing left and right. Despite the weight of the blade, his movements were so fast they were barely visible.
He pushed Ning Xin to the corner, with sturdy walls on both sides and his figure in front of her.
No one could approach her; she had obtained temporary safety.
In the darkness, all she could see were flashes of golden light, dazzling her senses.
She knew she couldn’t help, so she obediently hid behind him, hands protecting her head, each second of survival a precious gift.
After an unknown amount of time, a knife was thrust in front of her.
She lifted her head in fright. In the moonlight, Nie Ran was covered in dirt, but he gave her a barely visible smile.
“It’s over.”
Behind him lay a ground littered with corpses and tentacles.
As the daylight flooded in, Ning Xin took a broom and began cleaning the tentacles in the living room all by herself.
Their bodies lost their fluids quickly, already dried up like firewood.
She piled them all in the open space outside the door and lit them with a lighter.
With a loud bang, the flames leaped high.
A large pile of paper notes burned to ashes within minutes.
There were still more than a dozen beast carcasses in the living room. Originally, they were all over two meters tall, but after sunrise, they reverted to being small mice and rabbits.
She was very suspicious; could one of them be the one she encountered in the flower field that day?
During the day, they were cute, but at night, they were so brutal. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed it even if she were beaten to death.
The meat looked quite fresh, but she didn’t dare to eat it. She just burned it to a crisp.
As she returned, Nie Ran came out of the bathroom, clean and wearing only pants, with a few bloodstains on his body.
“You’re injured!”
She hadn’t noticed before because he was too dirty.
Ning Xin was about to get some medicine, but he glanced at it and said, “It’s just a scratch.”
Well, compared to the injuries he had suffered before, this scratch really wasn’t much.
“Um… thank you for last night.”
If it weren’t for him, she could imagine how gruesome her fate would have been.
Nie Ran didn’t pay attention, walking to the door and gazing at the trees outside, lost in thought.
The two had been getting along quite well in the 21st century, but ever since that incident, the distance between them had quickly grown, and even speaking felt awkward.
Ning Xin turned and went upstairs, lying on the bed, sighing softly.
In the afternoon, Nie Ran knocked on the door.
She snapped out of her drowsiness instantly, getting out of bed to tidy up her clothes and hair. She opened the door and politely asked, “Are you hungry? I’ll go make some food.”
He glanced her over, seeing she was unharmed, and smiled.
“Sister.”
“Oh, it’s you.”
His smile turned bitter. “You didn’t expect to see me, did you?”
“How could that be? It’s just a bit unexpected. Don’t overthink it.”
To emphasize her words, she patted his head.
Nie Ran clearly wasn’t convinced, evading her hand and turning away. “Let’s go downstairs and eat. I’ve already prepared.”
Watching his retreating figure, Ning Xin felt like this kid had something on his mind.
He was usually very talkative, but today he was surprisingly quiet. He served her food and even handed her the chopsticks himself, but he refused to make eye contact with her, burying his head in his food once he finished these tasks.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ning Xin grabbed his hand when he passed her some food.
“Do you have something you want to say?”
Nie Ran looked up, his eyes unexpectedly red.
“Do you think I’m useless?”
“What?”
“I can’t protect you, I can’t even protect myself.”
Seeing the sadness in his eyes, Ning Xin suddenly understood and comforted him, saying, “It’s not your fault. After all, you’re still… a child.”
Although he was taller and a bit older, his heart was still innocent.
Who would expect a child to protect them?
Hearing her words, Nie Ran felt even more saddened.
“He should be the one staying by your side, shouldn’t he?”
Ning Xin’s lips twitched. “Are you saying he’s… another you?”
He nodded.
Ning Xin couldn’t help but laugh and cry.
“Come on, you two are the same person, it’s just that you’re distinguished because of illness. In my eyes, you’re both the same.”
“Really?”
She suddenly hesitated, unable to answer.
Are they really the same?
Nie Ran chuckled self-deprecatingly, “You don’t need to comfort me anymore, I know. There might not be much difference between us usually, but in this situation, he’s more suitable than me.”
Ning Xin patted his shoulder.
“Don’t overthink it. It’s not something we can decide on our own. Thinking too much will only add to the worries.”
“No, I can.”
Nie Ran got up and went upstairs. Shortly after, he returned with a box and placed it on the table.
Ning Xin opened it to find the medications they had brought back from the hospital.
“I hid them.”
He said with his head bowed.
“Why?”
“Every time I take them, he comes out. The more I take, the longer he stays, and I can’t reclaim my body.”
Nie Ran picked up a bottle of medication, his eyes filled with vulnerability that tugged at the heartstrings.
“If I follow the doctor’s instructions and keep taking the medicine, I’ll probably disappear forever.”
Ning Xin snatched the bottle of pills and stuffed it into her pocket.
“Then don’t take them. If you don’t take them, you’ll be fine.”
“But what about you?”
He gestured towards the door. “Those things coming in again, I won’t be able to resist.”
Ning Xin didn’t speak, feeling a sorrow like never before in her heart.
Nie Ran walked up to her and gently embraced her.
“Sister, I don’t want you to die. I’m really happy when I’m with you. I really wish we had the chance to eat hot pot together.”
Ning Xin’s nose tingled, her voice muffled.
“You silly kid, we definitely will.”
He smiled and took the bottle of pills from her pocket, poured out a few into his palm, and swallowed them.
The pills contained sedative ingredients, and drowsiness quickly washed over him.
Ning Xin held him as they sat on the couch, and he leaned against her shoulder, sleeping soundly.
When the sky was tinted red by the sunset, he opened his eyes.
Ning Xin had intended to greet him, but suddenly her heart tightened, and she reflexively pretended to be asleep.
Nie Ran got up from her embrace, furrowing his brows as he observed everything.
After a while, he draped a blanket over her.
He tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, sat across from her, and used a clean towel to wipe dawn.
“Haha, fell asleep while chatting…”
As night fell, Ning Xin pretended to just wake up, nervously scratching her head as she sat up.
Nie Ran calmly said, “Get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“Last night’s counterattack succeeded because it was unexpected. Tonight won’t be so easy.”
Ning Xin gasped, her heart racing. “What should we do then? Find a new place to hide?”
“Hide where?”
She looked around in confusion, searching desperately, but ultimately shook her head.
The small building was only so big, with just a few rooms. Where else could they hide?
Jump into a well?
But they could dig holes, and they might just jump right into the creatures’ mouths.
Nie Ran stood up. “We’re leaving here.”
She was even more surprised. “Where are we going?”
“A cramped terrain is not conducive to fighting. Let’s find a suitable place before the hunting starts.”
Ning Xin nodded and followed behind him.
He turned his head to ask, “Do you need to bring anything?”
It was then that she suddenly realized and ran to the kitchen to grab a kitchen knife. She also brought vinegar and a lighter, thinking they might come in handy.
The two of them left and closed the door behind them.
It wasn’t completely dark yet, and the animals and plants had not yet awakened. Walking through the forest, they couldn’t hear anything except for the sound of their footsteps.
But Ning Xin could distinctly feel pairs of eyes staring at them, waiting eagerly to devour them once their bodies recovered.
With a chill running down her spine, she stuck close to Nie Ran, fearing being left behind.
As the light slowly faded, a vine silently crept towards them.
Nie Ran leaped over it effortlessly. Caught off guard, Ning Xin stumbled and fell flat on her face.
He helped her up and whispered, “Run!”
Almost in the same second, the forest… came alive.
Trees were uprooted, bushes grew to cover the sky, and vines slithered like countless cunning snakes, weaving through piles of fallen leaves, occasionally poking out to try to entangle them.
At first, Nie Ran ran ahead on his own, but then he noticed Ning Xin struggling to keep up and grabbed her hand.
With the other hand holding the dawn, he swung it whenever a plant approached, leaving behind countless broken branches along the way.
The air was filled with countless tiny particles of light, smaller than fireflies, resembling glowing dust.
The more particles flooded into the plants, the stronger they became.
Ning Xin deliberately grabbed a handful, intending to study them carefully during the day, but when she opened her palm, there was nothing left.
As the two ran to the edge of the forest, just about to burst out, several huge figures suddenly emerged, blocking their path.
“Hold on to me!”
“Huh?”
Before Ning Xin could react, Nie Ran grabbed her and threw her onto his back, like a rag doll.
Nie Ran continued running forward at an incredible speed.
She almost fell off, but remembering his instructions, she immediately clung to him with both hands and feet, clinging to him like an octopus.
Nie Ran quickly approached the monsters.
He was already tall, towering above others on the street.
But they were even taller, with muscles bulging, appearing as hard as steel. Their blood-stained mouths gleamed with sharp fangs, emitting a foul stench that almost made Ning Xin gag.
Surrounded by so many monsters, Nie Ran showed no sign of backing down, swinging his blade.
The Dawnbreaker was incredibly sharp; Ning Xin had never seen anything it couldn’t cut through.
Limbs flew as blood sprayed everywhere.
The scene was brutal and bloody, and she didn’t want to watch anymore. She buried her face in Nie Ran’s back, but then she saw one of the monsters sneak around to his back, preparing to attack.
What should she do? Should she warn Nie Ran?
But he was already overwhelmed.
Ning Xin gripped the kitchen knife tied to her waist, took a deep breath, and as the monster charged towards them, she fiercely swung the knife, hitting it right between the eyes.
It staggered back, a liquid oozing from the wound.
Ning Xin was about to cheer, but then she saw it, with the kitchen knife still stuck in its forehead, charging at them again.
!!!
Its claws slashed out, and Nie Ran happened to dodge to the side, but the claws left three bloody marks on his shoulder.
Ning Xin clearly heard him grunt in pain.
The monster was about to attack again. She fumbled around and only found a glass bottle of vinegar, tightly gripping it in her hand, and slammed it down with all her might.
The bottle shattered, and the kitchen knife sank a few centimeters deeper into its head. Dark vinegar poured all over its face and head. After swaying for a few moments, it collapsed with a loud crash.
Ning Xin felt completely drained, praying for it to end quickly.
A few minutes later, they burst out of the forest, escaping the encirclement.
However, the situation was far from optimistic. The plants in the flower sea were also converging towards them, countless small animals were undergoing incredible transformations in the darkness, turning from palm-sized creatures into towering beasts over two meters tall.
Nie Ran surveyed the surroundings, his gaze fixed in the distance.
Ning Xin looked over and saw a multitude of glowing particles there, dazzlingly bright.
These particles were probably the reason for the “resurrection” of the animals and plants. The more there were, the more dangerous it would be, right?
She patted his shoulder, wanting him to run in another direction.
But Nie Ran dashed towards the source of the light.
Ning Xin was shocked. “What are you doing?”
“Capture the ringleader first. I want to meet the master of this world.”
Ning Xin wanted to persuade him, but she didn’t have a better plan herself. So, she made up her mind and followed him to meet the master of this world.
The two of them were a bit far from the light source, and Nie Ran had to deal with the surrounding plants while carrying her on his back.
She wasn’t disabled, so she felt a bit embarrassed being carried by him. She cleared her throat and said, “You can put me down.”
He didn’t even respond.
Ning Xin raised her voice a bit. “I can follow behind you myself.”
“And then get dragged away by the beasts?”
“…I’m not that fragile.”
Just now, she had even defeated a monster.
Nie Ran’s response was short and sharp. “Shut up and let me protect you.”
Although she felt scolded, she couldn’t help but feel warm and cozy inside, making her unable to resist hugging his solid and broad shoulders, pressing her chest against his back.
When the distance to the light source was reduced to a certain extent, a strange phenomenon occurred.
Those crazed animals and plants actually stopped far behind them, not chasing after them.
Nie Ran slowed down, and the two of them looked back with puzzled expressions on their faces.
Why weren’t they coming over? Could it be that there was something even more terrifying here?
Ning Xin got down from his back and walked shoulder to shoulder with him.
The terrain was open and flat, with no flowers, grass, or trees, and no animals in sight.
The light was blinding, yet the temperature was low, causing her to instinctively hug her arms.
Nie Ran held the Dawnbreaker, ready to step into the glowing sphere. He heard a call from behind.
“Wait.”
He turned around, seeing Ning Xin reaching out her hand to him.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he took her hand, and they walked into the light together.
Inside, everything was the same, just brighter. It took a few seconds for their vision to gradually adjust.
Ning Xin looked around in confusion and spotted something, walking over out of curiosity.
Nie Ran held her hand tightly, staying close by, ready to be on guard at any moment.
As they got closer, about two or three meters away, she could see clearly what it was.
Furry and gray-black, curled up into a small ball, just slightly larger than a palm, sitting with its back to them.
From behind, it seemed like a small animal.
But because of the lesson learned from the white rabbit earlier, she dared not be careless. Instead, she focused intensely, afraid of overlooking something.
Nie Ran frowned as he scrutinized it, then suddenly uttered a low growl.
The little creature seemed startled, trembling slightly, and scurried a bit further away, hiding behind a rock.
The two looked at each other, unsure of what was going on.
“I’ll go take a look,” Nie Ran said as he released her hand.
Ning Xin hurriedly grabbed him. When he turned back, she said sheepishly, “Be careful.”
Nie Ran nodded and walked behind the creature. He stared at it for a moment, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of its neck skin, lifting it up.
His action startled Ning Xin, fearing that the next second the creature would transform into a monster and swallow him whole.
However, several seconds passed, and the creature remained small, its short and chubby hind legs kicking and struggling under his firm grip.
Seeing this, Ning Xin ran over to take a closer look.
This thing had a protruding snout, erect little ears, and a round belly.
It was actually a… dog?
It looked very small, probably only two or three months old, not even weaned yet.
Why was it alone here? Where were the adult dogs?
And what was the deal with the glowing sphere?
Suddenly, Nie Ran asked her to hold the dog while he raised his knife.
Ning Xin’s heart tightened. “What are you going to do?”
He raised his chin. “Take care of it. One less trouble to deal with.”
“Wait, wait!” She quickly pressed his hand down. “Don’t act rashly. Let’s understand the situation first. What if it’s like the Yan Ji Grass, the natural enemy of these things?”
He reconsidered and realized she was right. He put down the knife.
The puppy lay in Ning Xin’s arms. While they were talking, it bit her and then ran away as soon as it hit the ground.
Ning Xin sucked in a breath of cool air, subconsciously covering the wound.
Nie Ran pried open her hand and examined it carefully.
Fortunately, there was no broken skin, just two shallow bite marks.
He frowned slightly, walked up, grabbed the little dog that had run so hard for only a few meters, and gave it two slaps on the buttocks, making it howl in pain.
Ning Xin couldn’t help but laugh and cry. “You didn’t struggle when someone caught you? Forget it, stop hitting it.”
This dog looked silly. Hitting it too much might really make it stupid.
Nie Ran snorted coldly, tore off two pieces of cloth from his sleeve, tied up the puppy’s limbs, and threw it on the ground.
They searched around for a while but found nothing.
Returning to the original spot, Nie Ran said, “Let’s go back now.”
Ning Xin, still thinking about what had just happened, shook her head.
“Day hasn’t broken yet, it’s safe here. Let’s wait until it’s light before we go,” Ning Xin suggested.
He agreed and sat down on the floor, taking off his shirt to inspect the wound.
Ning Xin remembered the injury on his shoulder. She knelt behind him, carefully lifting the fabric to take a look, and exclaimed, “The wound is quite deep. I wonder if it’s poisoned.”
He turned to look but couldn’t see well. Ning Xin had a quick idea and brought the Dawnbreaker closer.
With its blade shining like a mirror, Nie Ran finally saw the wound and said as he put his shirt back on, “Just a minor injury.”
A minor injury? He really had thick skin.
Both of them were tired and lay down on the ground to rest.
Nie Ran, because of his injured shoulder, could only lie on his side, expressionless as he looked at Ning Xin.
She reached out to pet the puppy, but it was very timid. Every time she tried to pet it, it would howl, trying to move away from her, even if it couldn’t escape, it would still try to wriggle its body, turning its back to her.
The more it resisted, the more excited she became, wanting to tease it.
From behind came Nie Ran’s voice, “About last time… I’m sorry.”
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