Under the pale light, the monster glared at Ling Mo and Xu Shuhan with bloodshot eyes. Its entire body was covered in silt, yet its nearly transparent skin was still visible beneath. But compared to its grotesque appearance, the skin color was the least of concerns. Its eyes bulged almost completely out of their sockets, its nose had degenerated into mere black holes, and its mouth resembled an inverted, writhing mouthpart.
Its neck had vanished entirely, and the body was compressed into a compact form, with limbs reduced to mere hands and feet. The only intact part of its torso was emaciated to the point of being skin and bones. When it crouched, it resembled an adult, but standing upright, it was only as tall as a normal person’s calf. Its head was positioned on its chest, giving the impression of a headless torso standing in the silt-a torso that could make sounds!
“Wow!” The monster opened its mouth, causing its eyes to protrude even more. Though momentarily blinded by the sudden light, it was still drooling with excitement at the sight of its prey. The transparent saliva dripped down to its chest and then “plopped” into the silt below.
“Stop shouting!” Ling Mo unleashed a flurry of Tentacles. To evolve a human body into such a form was an affront to nature itself! If it were to be condensed further, it might as well be just a head! This kind of evolution, which defies understanding of even basic movement, is an insult to the human form!
He cursed silently in his heart, yet his gaze remained cautious. This monster had descended from above, and from the moment it fell, Ling Mo had launched concentrated attacks on its head. He used a mix of Materialization and psychic type attacks, but aside from showing signs of pain, the monster had no other reaction.
Moreover, as time ticked by, it had clearly adapted to the Tactical Flashlight’s beam.
“Living underground, its eyes should have degenerated to a certain extent… Yet it not only possesses vision but can withstand sudden exposure to light…”
Ling Mo had merely acted on instinct. As the distance between them closed, he began to feel a gaze from the darkness. Unlike the Humanoid Monster, this gaze was truly fixated on him, exuding an intense excitement and even delight.
However, his primary reason for using the flashlight was to prevent the creature from getting too close. Blinding it was just a bonus. His decision proved correct, as when the monster was “shot down,” they were less than thirty meters apart. The thought of this creature silently reaching the tunnel entrance made Ling Mo’s skin crawl.
Seeing the monster quickly adapt, Ling Mo felt some frustration but didn’t panic. He pulled Xu Shuhan back slowly, whispering, “We need to take it down quickly… there’s more coming.”
Xu Shuhan glanced behind the monster, seeing nothing but darkness and hearing no sound. But if Ling Mo said so, it meant he sensed something through other means. Superhumans with mental abilities have heightened senses, not just the usual five senses, but something more elusive.
Ling Mo was particularly skilled in this area. Though she didn’t know how he ended up with those Female Zombies, the experience itself was a form of training. Just like when this monster appeared, Ling Mo had instinctively grabbed her Arm in the dark.
“Don’t move.” Ling Mo held her again. “The monster is waiting for us to approach.”
Xu Shuhan was startled, forcing herself to look closely.
Indeed, the monster appeared excited but remained stationary, showing no intention of lunging. Instead, its body swayed continuously, its hands awkwardly tucked under its armpits, beckoning them with a strange gesture. After being attacked by Ling Mo, it retreated a few steps in the silt but bizarrely returned to its original spot during its swaying.
Xu Shuhan felt a chill run down her spine, recalling the unease she felt earlier. She hadn’t expected something to actually beckon them! The “clang clang” sound emanated from its hands, as if its bones collided with each gesture, amplified by its body.
Ignoring its horrifying appearance, in terms of size…
“It actually looks like a speaker…” Xu Shuhan whispered.
Ling Mo was taken aback, then nodded internally… it really did!
“Damn, chased by a speaker for half the day…”
As Ling Mo and Xu Shuhan continued to retreat, the monster swayed forward. Its gaze was almost exclusively locked on Ling Mo, occasionally emitting a “wow” from its mud-filled mouth.
“What do we do? It seems to be stalling us…” Xu Shuhan frowned. All attacks were ineffective, approaching recklessly could lead to a trap. The monster seemed to be playing a psychological game with them, and the longer it went on, the more their disadvantage would grow.
A surge of anger rose within Xu Shuhan. This monster was downright disrespectful! Its eyes clearly mocked and taunted them!
“No rush…” Ling Mo said calmly.
Xu Shuhan glanced at him, momentarily stunned. Ling Mo’s eyes seemed excited too…
Unlike the monster, his excitement was filled with rationality and calmness, along with a confident assurance.
“If I say run, how fast can you accelerate with me?” Ling Mo asked quietly.
“Four… six seconds for a hundred meters,” Xu Shuhan replied, giving a conservative estimate. She wasn’t sure of her full acceleration potential, but she knew she couldn’t perform at her best while carrying Ling Mo.
“Don’t worry about me, just accelerate for one second, with all your might!” Ling Mo instructed.
Xu Shuhan opened her mouth but, seeing Ling Mo’s profile, silently nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Let me know when you’re ready,” Xu Shuhan said.
Ling Mo’s lips twitched into a brief smile. “Okay.”
“What is he planning…” Xu Shuhan looked at the monster again. Under the flashlight’s beam, it was drooling profusely, waving its bizarre body at them.