 |
| Descend from the Stars (STARS) |
Xu Dan lowered his head and gently took the gruesome wound into his mouth before carefully licking away the blood that kept welling up.
Having been human for less than a month, he still retained many animalistic habits, which at this moment made him appear more genuine and unguarded than most actual humans.
Xu Rongchuan was actually in pain from the licking, but he didn't voice any objection, tolerating the behavior with silent indulgence as he wiped the messy face clean with his hand.
When his fingers brushed against the eyelashes, Xu Dan blinked, his damp lashes fluttering like tiny brushes.
Xu Rongchuan smiled faintly.
Soon, the consciousness projection specifically targeting Xu Rongchuan completely dissipated, revealing the room's true appearance. He reloaded his gun and used Xu Dan's necktie to roughly bandage the wound. After being licked by Xu Dan, the bleeding had already stopped.
"What did you see when you entered the room?" Xu Rongchuan asked.
Xu Dan was still staring fixedly at his wound with his brows furrowed tightly as if lost in thought before answering distractedly: "I saw... probably Zhao Wen. He was kneeling in an extravagantly decorated room, his expression twisted with agony and continuously muttering something—mainly about how his father had always favored Zhao Zheng too much, even giving Wenzheng to him. Then he slit his wrist and used his blood to draw six overlapping Pupil-less Eyes on the carpet before collapsing to his knees and begging his 'Lord' to return everything that rightfully belonged to him."
He lowered his head again, blowing gently on the necktie-wrapped wound before continuing: "His 'Lord' answered his plea. His stomach began to swell grotesquely until something burst forth from within, wrapped in a bloody membrane—I couldn't make out what it was. Zhao Wen was still alive as he stagger to his feet while staring at me, and bloody drool continuously dripping from his mouth as if he found me fascinating... Then I heard your gunshot."
"And you? What did you see? I've never seen you like that before."
Xu Rongchuan didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the intricate carpet and the dark red Pupil-less Eye at its center.
"Is this it?" he asked.
Xu Dan finally tore his attention away from the wound, following his brother's line of sight to the carpet.
With all consciousness projections gone, they now stood in an opulent presidential suite.
Unlike the dilapidated horror outside, this suite was impeccably maintained—spotless furniture, luxurious new decor—as if someone had been living here continuously. At first glance, it almost felt like they'd returned to the Chaos Hotel.
The only eerie element was the six-layered Pupil-less Eyes pattern drawn in blood on the carpet before them.
The origin of this pattern was difficult to trace. Some claimed it came from the Mariana Trench expedition team and discovered on fragments of a surviving submarine; others said it was recorded in unearthed ancient texts that caused the entire archaeological team's death before being secretly circulated; there were even rumors that the pattern had been carved on a meteorite, representing some alien civilization's totem descending from the heavens.
Domestic control over Sacrificial Patterns was extremely strict. Upon discovery, all involved personnel underwent memory erasure procedures. Thus, while knowledge of Anomalous Objects and certain occult studies circulated in small circles, Sacrificial Patterns rarely appeared outside of Pangu.
Xu Rongchuan frowned.
Zhao Wen—an ordinary rich second-generation who lacked for nothing—how could he have come into contact with the Pupil-less Eyes?
What exactly had he sacrificed to summon something so powerful and terrifying?
And...
He looked at Xu Dan. "That thing" had descended directly through a sacrificial ritual here. According to Pangu's classification rules, it should be rated at least S-class or above, yet it couldn't affect Xu Dan at all. Instead, Xu Dan had witnessed its descent.
Perhaps because it wasn't fully awakened during the day, or perhaps because Xu Dan's "Divinity" matched or even surpassed its own.
Sensing his gaze, Xu Dan turned back and nodded: "Yes, this was the room I saw earlier. Zhao Wen was kneeling right there." He pointed at the Pupil-less Eyes. "But the patterns I saw were more vibrant. The bloodstains now look much darker—it must be a different timeline."
Xu Rongchuan said, "Hold onto my sleeve."
Xu Dan immediately grabbed his brother's sleeve tightly, smiling: "Got it!"
Xu Rongchuan continued, "Stay close, watch for any abnormalities in each other, and don't separate. It might not be fully awake yet, but... the breathing is getting clearer."
The air pressure in the room dropped further. Despite it being high noon on a sunny day, the temperature plummeted, casting an eerie atmosphere even in broad daylight.
He walked deeper into the living room. The space was surprisingly large, with six additional rooms corresponding to the six directions of the Pupil-less Eyes in the pattern. All the doors were closed, and his Intuition couldn't discern what lay inside.
Xu Rongchuan stopped at the nearest door. Holding his gun in his right hand, he tried the doorknob with his injured left—it didn't budge. Xu Dan shot his brother an annoyed look, grabbed the knob, and with excessive force, ripped the entire handle clean off.
Xu Rongchuan gave him a puzzled glance. Weren't you just crying? How did your temper flare up so fast?
Just as he reached to push the door open, Xu Dan blocked his hand and stepped in first—still gripping his sleeve firmly with the other hand.
Hah. Xu Rongchuan smirked.
The room's decor was even more lavish. A beautiful Mermaid was confined in a massive transparent tank, a pearl necklace around her neck, eyes shut, hands clasped in prayer, her long curly hair floating like seaweed in the water. The tank's plaque read: "06 Foam."
It was the same "food" display they'd seen in Chaos.
They were on the right track—Wen Shu was likely imprisoned here too!
After confirming the Mermaid was still alive, Xu Rongchuan said, "Let's find Team Wen first. Today's 'food' is already up to number six—we'll need more firepower for the rescue."
Xu Dan nodded, gently closed the door, and began searching room by room.
05 Spirit Deer: a young man stitched onto a white deer.
04 Chang'e: a girl with rabbit ears and a tail.
03 God of War: a human whose limbs and head were encased in machinery, rendering their gender indistinguishable.
...
All the victims lay unconscious, arranged as exquisite artworks, stripped of dignity to cater to Desire and wealth. Finally, they pushed open the central door—only to find the familiar dark-red cross, but the "01 Muse" who should have been hanging there was gone. The room was empty.
Xu Rongchuan: "...Where's Wen Shu?!"
This can't be happening, right? The Eye of Doom only opened three eyes!
Xu Dan reassured him, "Maybe Team Wen escaped on their own."
Xu Rongchuan fell silent for a moment, recalling many painful memories from the past, his expression heavy. "It's not that I lack confidence in Wen Shu, but in my own luck..."
He silently prayed for Wen Shu in his heart, closed the door, and headed to the last two rooms. Neither showed any trace of Wen Shu.
In the entire suite, only the open master bedroom and bathroom remained unexplored.
They had been here for a while, yet "that thing" had shown no signs of attacking them, allowing them to wander freely. But as they approached the master bedroom, the breathing sounds suddenly grew thick, as if something tangible was pressing against their necks, carrying a faint, fishy stench...
Xu Rongchuan tensed and stepped into the bedroom.
A pair of light-colored eyes calmly watched them.
He paused, stopping at the doorway.
On the oversized bed in the master bedroom, coiled a young Snake-Human Hybrid. His hair had grown long and his features delicate—monolid eyes, thin lips, with an indifferent expression—with an iron collar around his neck that were chained to a pillar in the corner of the room.
His Serpent tail was that of a true jungle python, with a heart-shaped pattern near the tip.
Xu Rongchuan's lips parted in surprise. He lowered his gun, momentarily at a loss for words.
...Shen Shancang was still alive, locked in Room 5409 for who knew how many years.
The two humans and the snake studied each other. Shen Shancang still seemed "normal," not completely reduced to a puppet of desire like Zhao Zheng. After a moment of scrutiny, he curled his lips slightly, his voice hoarse: "Lost?"
Xu Dan spoke first. "We're looking for someone. Have you seen a beautiful Snake-Human Hybrid? His name is Wen Shu. He was kept in the central room before."
Xu Rongchuan held little hope for this question. The fact that Shen Shancang was still alive confirmed his suspicion—Zhao Zheng's emotions had influenced "that thing," making it develop a keen interest in "Xiaoshan."
Thus, it was unlikely to allow anyone near Shen Shancang. Just like now—the breathing had grown rapid and heavy, the temperature plummeting, his Intuition screaming warnings. It might wake any second.
Unexpectedly, Shen Shancang nodded and pointed toward the bathroom.
"He's there."
Xu Rongchuan froze.
He signaled Xu Dan, who went to search the bathroom for Wen Shu, leaving him alone with Shen Shancang.
Time was running out. Xu Rongchuan cut to the chase: "How do we save everyone and get out?"
Shen Shancang's expression remained impassive, colder than Zhao Zheng's, and more like a Human-skin robot. But Xu Rongchuan was certain—this was still Shen Shancang, the real one.
"No one gets out," Shen Shancang said. "Everything in this room stays here."
"But 'food' is transported out daily, and we entered without trouble," Xu Rongchuan countered.
Shen Shancang smiled faintly. "Even the air here moves only by His will. The only reason you got in is because He allowed it."
Xu Rongchuan: "..."
His grip on the gun tightened.
"No loopholes?" he pressed.
"No," said Shen Shancang. "This is the crevice of chaotic time. I haven't found any opportunity so far."
Silence.
Xu Rongchuan's mind raced. The breath against his neck grew increasingly distinct and his Intuition screaming wildly, warning him that something utterly terrifying and immensely powerful was about to descend upon this place. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he turned to look back at the direction from which they had entered Room 5409.
Where was the iron door now?!
While they spoke, Xu Dan had already found Wen Shu. Carrying the unconscious, drenched Wen Shu on his back, he returned to the master bedroom and also frowned. After staring at the empty ceiling for two seconds, he suddenly tossed Wen Shu onto the bed and grabbed his brother's arm.
"It" was waking up.
With overwhelming malice.
Xu Rongchuan abruptly drew his dagger and said to Xu Dan, "Help me!" Then he swung at the chains restraining Shen Shancang. Xu Dan seized the chains and yanked with all his might, tearing them apart with brute force.
The moment the chains broke, an overwhelming tide of rage and Darkness flooded the entire room.
Xu Rongchuan pressed the dagger against Shen Shancang's carotid artery, his back drenched in cold sweat.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Advanced chapters are now available up to chapter 70 on my Ko-fi page!
If you appreciate what I do, please consider supporting me on kofi. Thank you!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•