Chapter 55 Part 2

“Rawr!” It bit down, severing the tentacle. Blue-black blood splattered.

The octopus rolled up the frantically writhing severed stump—as if in pain—and offered it pitifully to Zhong Nian. “Pop…”

Zhong Nian, still holding the knife, froze.

—

“Did something happen?”

The Masked Man looked at the teenager who returned from the bathroom with a strange expression.

He bit his red lips, furrowed his brows, looking puzzled or conflicted about something.

“Nothing…” Zhong Nian mumbled.

For some reason, he kept quiet about the octopus demon hiding in the bathroom drain.

He had meant to get revenge, but the little monster had preemptively severed its own flesh as atonement.

Looking at the bloody tentacle, he couldn’t bring himself to do more. In the end, he tossed the octopus out the window and let the matter drop.

Apart from that one overstep, the octopus demon wasn’t irredeemably evil. It had also saved him from other devils twice.

“Alright, let’s head out now.” Zhong Nian pocketed the item and said.

The food in the cabin was running low. Though he still had some from the children, it wasn’t enough for both him and the Masked Man.

He planned to trade labor with the Small Town residents.

They welcomed his arrival warmly, saying he didn’t need to give anything and just take the food directly.

“You’ve gotten so skinny, poor thing… Just take it and eat, child.”

“I have plenty at home. Don’t stand on ceremony with me.”

“Why trade for anything else? I’m giving this to you willingly. Thank you for playing with my kids.”

“Thank you, but I can’t do that.” Zhong Nian pointed to the Masked Man waiting outside at a distance. “My friend is very strong and good at work. We won’t trouble you—let us do something.”

Seeing there was someone else for the hard labor, the residents changed their tune. “Oh, then let him do it. Good child, you rest. Come to my house for tea.”

For players other than him, the residents never had good expressions. The work they assigned to the Masked Man wasn’t light either.

Hoeing, watering, repairing houses… even herding sheep.

Zhong Nian thought of the man’s injuries and felt reluctant to let him labor alone.

But the man pushed him. “You go. And keep our food safe while you’re at it.”

He thought for a moment and added, “This is important.”

He wasn’t wrong. Zhong Nian hugged the bountiful basket and found it hard to refuse the residents’ invitation for afternoon tea. He obediently went.

It was also important to properly reciprocate the residents who gave food, so Zhong Nian wholeheartedly chatted and drank tea with them until they finally let him go.

He planned to head to the Sheep Pen to find the Masked Man. On the way, an apple in the basket inexplicably rolled out.

No matter how he chased, he was always a step short of picking it up. When he finally caught up, panting, he looked up to find the apple had coincidentally stopped right outside the church at the Small Town’s center.

He kept his distance from that place and turned to leave, but from the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a familiar figure inside.

Tall and slender, wearing a hood and mask—wasn’t that the Masked Guy who should have been working for the residents?

Why was he in the church?

Puzzled, Zhong Nian figured he must have run into trouble, or he absolutely wouldn’t enter the church. Without hesitating long, he followed.

The man ahead walked quickly. Due to the special location, Zhong Nian didn’t call out rashly and quickened his pace with the basket in his arms.

With all his attention on this, he didn’t notice the fog silently gathering and spreading outside the church doors behind him.

…

They circled all the way to the church’s most desolate rear. The figure he chased finally stopped.

Zhong Nian was a bit out of breath. He walked up and patted the Masked Man’s arm. “Why are you here?”

The Masked Man turned his head, his exposed eyes fixed on him without a word.

Zhong Nian assumed there was something inconvenient to say. While warily scanning the surroundings, he lowered his voice. “Did something happen?”

After asking, he saw the Masked Man beckon him closer. Without any guard, he leaned in, ready to listen at his ear.

Unexpectedly, his body—arm included—was encircled by the man’s arms and pressed against the brick wall.

Zhong Nian was startled by the man’s sudden action. Once he recovered, no thoughts of resistance or suspicion arose. He just assumed some situation required them to hide pressed tightly together.

“W-What’s wrong?”

He nervously glanced around but saw nothing. Seeing the Masked Man only staring at him silently, he finally felt a bit panicked and tried to push away.

“Don’t move.” The Masked Man said.

Zhong Nian halted, his bewildered eyes looking over. “What exactly is it?”

The Masked Man tilted his head, as if appraising him. “So obedient?”

“…”

Zhong Nian was somewhat speechless. “Didn’t you tell me not to move?”

The man chuckled lowly, the vibration passing through his chest. “What if I told you to open your mouth and stick out your tongue?”

Zhong Nian’s brow twitched, his gaze instantly cooling.

“With our relationship, this request isn’t okay?” The man pressed his face closer, shrinking the distance between their lips to nearly zero. Their breaths mingled faintly as he spoke, his eyes burning with hot lake-blue light, locked firmly on the person in his arms.

“I just want to see your tongue.”

But Zhong Nian’s face was frosty. He unceremoniously spat out, “Get away from me, you stinky devil.”