Chapter 19
Shi Xu’s attacks were swift and relentless, but the black worm’s regeneration was equally rapid. Each severed piece instantly reassembled, tirelessly attacking Shi Xu.
Its desire to consume him was overwhelming, its voice, Lin Zhi’s voice, a constant, insidious whisper.
“You’re mine…”
Shi Xu was usually impassive, but the worm’s persistence fueled his anger, his increasingly cold eyes betraying his inner turmoil.
After such a prolonged battle, a normal person would be exhausted, but Shi Xu’s attacks didn’t falter, growing even fiercer.
This was the result of his brutal training in the world rifts.
The age of 17 was a turning point.
After spending time in the rifts that year, Shi Xu gained superhuman strength and stamina, surpassing most espers.
This wasn’t a secret, but no one questioned it. It was assumed he had received some sort of boon from the pollutants, granting him this enhanced physique.
Many others had endured the rifts, but they either went insane, succumbed to the psychological pressure, or returned to normal life, unwilling to participate in the war against pollutants and Variants.
If the rifts were a colosseum, then Shi Xu was the sole survivor of countless brutal battles.
This black worm was more formidable than any Variant he had encountered.
It was unkillable, regenerating even after being sliced into threads.
After another attack, the worm suddenly stopped, but Shi Xu didn’t lower his guard.
After three seconds of eerie silence, a deafening chirping filled the basement.
Shi Xu covered his ears, his eardrums throbbing.
The black slime on the floor coalesced, the worm reforming, larger than before, its body no longer fitting within the basement.
Before the house collapsed, Shi Xu escaped.
The worm wasn’t afraid of sunlight. Under the bright light, Shi Xu saw its true form clearly.
Disgusting.
The word instantly came to mind.
He had to eliminate this creature.
Every second he looked at it was an insult to his eyes.
Fortunately, Lin Zhi’s house was isolated, posing no threat to ordinary people.
The massive black body lunged at him, blocking the sunlight. Shi Xu swung his sword, bisecting it again.
But he knew it wasn’t over. This was a battle of attrition.
Even with his enhanced stamina, he would eventually tire against the worm’s relentless regeneration.
But he had no choice. If he didn’t fight, the worm would engulf him. It was forcing him to fight.
His only option was to wait for Tan Xiao’s backup.
He was confident he could last until then.
The reformed worm opened its mouthparts, screeching, “Why are you avoiding me? Let’s become one. Isn’t this what you want?”
Shi Xu frowned.
What did it mean, “what he wanted”?
The black silkworm stopped its relentless attacks, rearing up, spewing black threads towards Shi Xu.
The attack wasn’t difficult to evade, but as he raised his arm, Shi Xu froze.
He was right-handed. The pain in his left shoulder shouldn’t have affected him, but it had been aching since the beginning of the fight. He had ignored it, but now, it hindered his movements.
This wasn’t a new injury. He remembered the red spot from last night, which he had dismissed as a bug bite.
Lin Zhi had planted this trap without him noticing. He didn’t even know when it happened.
The momentary hesitation allowed the black threads to bind his right hand and feet.
The worm continued to spew threads, attempting to cocoon him. Even with its mouthparts open, it spoke clearly, “Captain Shi, you don’t like being touched by me, do you? But the more you dislike it, the more I want to touch you.”
The worm’s head suddenly transformed into Lin Zhi’s face, twisted and contorted, his red eyes fixated on Shi Xu, a chilling smile on his lips.
“You’ve been waiting for death, haven’t you?”
“You’re actually looking forward to being consumed, aren’t you?”
“You’ve known your fate all along, haven’t you?”
The pain in his left shoulder spread throughout his body. Lin Zhi seemed to enjoy torturing him slowly, binding his limbs and torso, but leaving his senses unobstructed. He wanted Shi Xu to hear his voice, to see his face.
“Do you like me like this?” The black worm wriggled, Lin Zhi’s face approaching. “Memories can be fabricated, but instinctual fear cannot. I saw other things in your memories…”
Sweat beaded on Shi Xu’s forehead. The warmth of the sun was gone, replaced by a chilling cold. He stared at Lin Zhi, watching his every move.
He was thinking of a way to escape, but Lin Zhi anticipated him, not giving him the chance.
With a chilling laugh, the black threads enveloped Shi Xu, forming a cocoon.
He could still hear Lin Zhi’s satisfied sigh. “Captain Shi, we’re finally one…”
Shi Xu wasn’t tired, but his eyelids felt heavy.
A faint voice called out in the darkness. He struggled to open his eyes, the voice growing clearer. As his eyes opened, a figure appeared before him.
Not quite human.
It was a black worm with a human head, the face both familiar and unfamiliar.
Unfamiliar because it had been so long, the memory fading.
Familiar because, as a child, Shi Xu longed to see this face every day.
His older brother.
His favorite brother.
The face shared a strong resemblance with Shi Xu. Ignoring the grotesque lower body, it was a handsome face, captivating at first glance.
He smiled gently, the same smile from Shi Xu’s memories, whispering, “Xiao Xu, come here, come to brother.”
Shi Xu blinked, his throat tightening.
At the age of five, his father told him his brother died in a car accident, that he would never see him again.
12 years later, he saw his brother again, in the rift.
