Even though Yu Sheng had said he was hanging up to Irene, he didn’t disconnect immediately.


    It wasn’t because the beast before him had suddenly decided to be a vegetarian. No, the terrifying creature seemed, for some reason, confused. It stood frozen in the breeze, its grotesque form covered in dozens of ovepping, chaotic eyes, all fixated on its prey. Oddly enough, Yu Sheng thought he could read confusion in those eyes, the kind of bewilderment you might have when trying to bnce a checkbook and the numbers just won’t add up.


    Irene’s anxious voice echoed in his mind, calling his name, but it felt distant, muffled, as though she were speaking from the other side of thick curtains. Yu Sheng’s attention was entirely focused on the creature before him. His heart raced like a drum, every fiber of his body tense as he observed the monster’s every move. He could see the faintest twitch of its muscles, the pulse of its veins — all as clear as day.


    He’d been ready for this moment ever since his “resurrection” in the ruined temple, but facing death’s crushing weight again still made him shiver.


    This time, though, the fear wasn’t as overwhelming. Instead, it was mixed with something new, something primal he didn’t quite recognize at first — excitement.


    Then, something shifted.


    He could feel the creature’s muscles tightening, hear its blood pumping like a roaring waterfall, its hunger rising from deep within. In that split second, rms went off in Yu Sheng’s head, outlining the danger before him with pinpoint uracy.


    The monster was about to attack. It would lunge at him from the left, but that would only be a distraction. The real dangery in its tail — sharp and deadly, about to whip around from behind.The creature lunged, one of its grotesque limbs snapping open to reveal a gaping maw aimed at Yu Sheng’s left side. But before it could strike, Yu Sheng was already moving. His instincts kicked in, and without thinking, he dodged, sidestepping with a swiftness that even surprised him.


    He noticed that the sprain he’d suffered earlier had healedpletely. Since his “resurrection,” his body had been in perfect condition.


    The beast missed its target, its treacherous tail just grazing past Yu Sheng’s back. The sensation of narrowly escaping death made his hair stand on end. But more than fear, he was filled with disbelief.


    Did I really just dodge that? What’s happening?


    There wasn’t time to dwell on it. Another wave of danger loomed behind him. Before he could regain his footing, he saw a sharp w descending toward him like a meteor crashing to earth.


    Desperation surged through him. Instinctively, Yu Sheng raised his arms, his frail human limbs the only thing between him and the monstrous w.


    Dust and grass scattered everywhere as the air exploded around him with a thunderous crash. Pain shot through his body as though a dozen bones had shattered at once. He grunted, stumbling back two steps, the breath knocked out of him.


    But he had blocked the attack. He couldn’t believe it — he had actually blocked it.


    Staring in disbelief at his hands, he saw his left arm bent at a strange, broken angle. Yet, the pain was already fading, and the bone was slowly knitting itself back together.


    He remembered the monster’s first strike, its immense power. It should have been able to crush him easily. Yu Sheng was certain that if the creature had used its full strength, he wouldn’t have stood a chance, broken bones or not.


    But the creature wasn’t about to let him think for long. After pausing for just a second, it roared furiously, charging once more at its frustratingly elusive prey.


    The wind howled as the monster’s massive body bore down on him like a falling mountain. Yu Sheng reacted quickly, rolling awkwardly to the side and leaping up to dodge a tail swipe that could have split stone. But before he could fully steady himself, the beast’s tailshed out again, sweeping his legs out from under him.


    The monster’s body split open in the middle, and a long, wriggling, tentacle-like tongue shot out of the darkness. It wrapped tightly around Yu Sheng, dragging him toward the creature.


    He pressed hard against the slimy tongue, trying to stop it from crushing him — or at least slow it down. But the tongue dragged him closer to the monster, which had opened its enormous, tooth-filled maw. The sharp teeth clicked together hungrily, eager for a meal.


    As Yu Sheng neared the gaping mouth, he kicked out desperately, smashing the ground beneath his feet with a loud crack. The force of his kick was so strong that it caused the monster to stumble.


    He didn’t waste time wondering where that sudden strength hade from. Instead, he seized the moment, using every bit of energy he had to tear the tongue apart. With a roar, he grabbed a sharp piece of broken rock from the ground and flung himself toward one of the monster’s cloudy, trembling eyes.


    The severed tongue caused the monster to let out a chilling scream, blood spurting from its middle as it struggled to regain its footing. Dozens of eyes filled with madness and hunger locked onto Yu Sheng.


    So fragrant… So delicious…


    The scent of blood filled the air, stirring something deep within Yu Sheng. Something primal. Something long dormant.


    It smelled…so good.


    Yu Sheng’s heart pounded wildly in his chest, something hot and boiling coursing through his veins. It was a strange feeling, a kind of ecstasy rising inside him. He struggled to understand why he felt so ted, and finally, he realized.


    It was the thrill of an imminent feast, the joy of hunger about to be satisfied.


    That giant beast before him, that mass of writhing flesh, that chaotic, lost soul—it was… exquisite meat.


    The sharp stone in his hand crumbled into dust under the force of his grip. He breathed heavily, feeling as if the entire world had slowed down around him.


    He charged at the monster, and the monster lunged at him in the fashion of prey meeting prey. At that moment, Yu Sheng felt as though he hadn’t truly eaten in twenty years or perhaps had never tasted “real food.” He clung to the monster’s grotesque limb while the beast “embraced” him with even greater force, crushing bone after bone in his body.


    But Yu Sheng didn’t care. He was already biting into the monster’s flesh. It wasn’t a desperate, final act like before. This time, he had a new perspective—


    He wouldn’t die. He’de back. No matter how many times the creature killed him, he would always return.


    And with each death, he’d learn how to defeat it.


    It might take a while, but he would savor this fine piece of meat, one bite at a time.


    Several of the monster’s dozens of eyes began to tremble, flickering wildly. Some of them seemed to realize something was wrong and finally focused on Yu Sheng.


    A massive mouth, filled with sharp teeth, was tearing into him, but those eyes… they showed fear.


    Yu Sheng felt his body being ripped apart. He knew he had lost again, just as expected. He would die, consumed by the beast.


    But this time, he’dsted longer than he thought he would. He’d expected to die instantly, but instead, he had managed to fight back, exchanging blows with the creature.


    “Irene…” Yu Sheng tried to reach out in his mind as his consciousness began to fade.


    Irene’s voice was there almost immediately, “Yu Sheng! Are you okay?! I’ve been calling you and you didn’t answer…”


    “It’s fine. I guess I spoke too soon. I’m… going to hang up now…”


    He ignored Irene’s panicked shouts, quietly awaiting the end.


    But just before the darkness fully swallowed him, he heard a voice nearby. It wasn’t in his head—it was real, echoing through the valley.


    “Don’t worry! I’m here to save you!”


    Yu Sheng’s mind was hazy, his body numb, but the words jolted him awake. A thunderous realization struck him—


    Someone?


    Is there someone here?


    He forced his heavy eyelids open, struggling to see the source of the voice. Through the blur, he spotted a figure running toward him in the distance. It looked like a girl, her clothes ragged and torn. But before he could make sense of it, he saw another shape swaying quickly behind her, darting through the night.


    What was that?


    A tail?


    A fox?


    A person?


    No… it was a supersonic headbutt.


    Yu Sheng watched in despair as the girl, who had just yelled she wasing to save him, elerated mid-air like a speeding missile, head lowered and charging directly at him. The monster chewing on him shifted slightly—probably on purpose—making him the unintended target of her collision.


    “Oh, cra—”


    He didn’t even have time to finish his curse when the supersonic headbutt collided straight into Yu Sheng’s chest. And then… his chest was no more. Everything below his neck vanished as if it had evaporated.


    “Miss, you… hit the wrong spot…” he managed to whisper.


    And with that, Yu Sheng was saved—right to his death.


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