After dawdling for quite a while, the bathroom door finally opened.
The Butcher lowered his head and looked inside.
The girl, barefoot, was bathed in steam until her skin turned a rosy pink, even her plump toes tinged with a delicate flush.
【Black Mist Density -3】
Bending over, the Butcher picked her up and headed toward the sofa.
Jiang Liuying curled her toes slightly, sinking into a strange, shameful feeling.
She didn’t notice that the monster holding her lowered its pale skull slightly, burying it in her damp platinum hair.
【Black Mist Density -5】
The second night in the game ended with Jiang Liuying occupying the only bed in the room.
Like in the bathroom, the Butcher wanted to get on the bed too, but she coldly suppressed him: “Good dogs sleep on the sofa.”
Although the bed was his to sleep on, Jiang Liuying didn’t rest well.
Her body was exhausted, yet her mind unusually active; even in sleep, nightmares haunted her relentlessly.
She dreamed of the people who died before her eyes, dreamed of stepping barefoot into sticky, warm pools of blood, trapped in a maze with no escape.
She also dreamed of monsters chasing her; she ran and ran but could never shake them off.
Jiang Liuying slept poorly, but someone else stayed awake all night.
As Zane’s personal secretary, the brown-haired man stood inside the luxurious suite, simmering with resentment.
The events of today’s deadly game had already spread throughout the Upper City.
Ten X7 Aracnids had been deployed; eight were completely destroyed, two severely damaged.
The MF Group had invested massive financial and human resources into the X7, the Research Department’s pride and joy—an elite hunting weapon.
For their first deployment to end in such a disaster was a loud slap across everyone’s faces.
But that wasn’t the biggest problem.
According to tests, the X7 never showed mercy to prey.
They were programmed to kill instantly upon command.
Yet the accident had occurred…
The brown-haired man carefully scrutinized the young man standing by the Panoramic Window.
His brilliant golden hair, a symbol of his lineage, shone brighter than the neon lights outside.
This young heir was undoubtedly colder than old Mr. Montford.
Zane swirled the dark red liquid in his wine glass, ripples radiating: “Tell me, have those idiots found the cause yet?”
The brown-haired man answered immediately: “There was a malfunction in the experimental system. According to Biological Information Data feedback, at precisely 11:27:36 a.m., they simultaneously entered a… uh… strange and mysterious state.”
He added, “The Research Department believes that in this state, the X7 experienced great pleasure.”
Zane’s interest peaked as if he’d just heard something particularly intriguing.
He turned to look, his green eyes momentarily taking on snake-like vertical pupils in the shifting light.
“Let me guess, at that moment they saw my Little Angel?” His tone was eerily playful.
The broadcast footage retrieved by the brown-haired man answered the question.
The Aracnids, following commands, darted swiftly through the heavy rain, formation tight, movement precise—the perfect hunters.
Soon, they surrounded the building where the target was, silent and ghost-like.
But once the first Aracnid spotted Jiang Liuying, everything changed.
It circled outside the window, deliberately making noise, leisurely playing a game of chase with her.
Even the fastest predator in nature—the cheetah—couldn’t outrun the Aracnid, yet these deadly creatures had been playing with that fragile girl for over ten minutes.
Even after losing its tail, it refused to retreat, dragging its broken body in a desperate bid to win the girl’s slightest pity.
Zane stared at the screen repeatedly.
The girl running helplessly in the rain was fragile and pale like a fairy with broken wings, yet those green eyes identical to his glowed with vibrant life, watered by the rain.
“Snap!”
The wine glass shattered suddenly, sharp shards cutting Zane’s fingers.
Red wine mixed with fresh blood trickled down his slender hand, but he seemed not to notice and laughed lowly, his handsome features both gorgeous and maddening.
“She always surprises me. How did I never realize my dear sister was so interesting before?”
Hearing the words “sister,” the brown-haired man’s scalp tingled.
That was a family secret of the Montford clan!
Not something a mere employee like him should overhear!
“Don’t let anyone interfere with my game.” Zane abruptly stopped laughing, each word hissed like a snake’s tongue.
“She is mine.”
No matter what secrets his beloved sister held, he would personally protect her.
Jiang Liuying stretched lazily in the nest, blinking open her eyes.
Though she hadn’t slept well the first half of the night, she’d rested relatively soundly afterward and felt not too bad upon waking.
She didn’t rush to get up but stared at the flowers arranged by the bed for a while.
This was the first time in two days that she’d seen such vibrant plants in this world.
Tender green stems, moonlight-white blossoms, and even a faint fragrance wafting when close.
After lingering, Jiang Liuying slowly climbed out of bed.
“Brr… it’s so cold.” Just as she slipped out from the covers, a shiver ran through her.
As she hesitated whether to wrap herself back up or grit her teeth and get used to it, the door opened.
The Butcher entered, still carrying the chill of the water vapor, as if he’d just finished bathing.
Seeing Jiang Liuying standing by the bed in just a single layer, he took three or four steps forward and stuffed her back under the covers.
Close by, Jiang Liuying caught a fresh scent emanating from him: “Where did you go? Has it cooled down outside?”
The Butcher remained taciturn, his usual no-nonsense style: “It’s snowing outside.”
Jiang Liuying eyed him like he was Santa Claus as he dug through a large supply bag: two coats, three pairs of pants, four pairs of socks, thick-soled snow boots, hat, gloves… all branded with the “MF” logo.
“I thought you’d bring some high-tech gear, like a thin inner layer that automatically adjusts temperature,” she said, touching the coat’s thick fabric, which felt warm and solid.
“This is all I found,” the Butcher replied with slight regret.
Jiang Liuying said casually, not really expecting more: “It’s fine, this is good enough.”
The Butcher stayed silent, methodically helping her dress.
She wore the smaller pink coat underneath and the white one outside.
Then the pants, socks…
Though bulky, Jiang Liuying became a round little ball, looking like a soft, fragrant little dessert trudging through the snow.
The air outside was bone-chilling.
But Jiang Liuying didn’t feel cold at all, wobbling as she stepped on the snow with creaking sounds.
No choice—being a Southerner, she couldn’t control her excitement seeing so much white snow.
After playing for a while, she noticed many supply drops piled beside the house.
She thought the Butcher had brought them and curiously opened one.
Inside was a black leather dog collar.
Feeling strange, she opened another.
Pure gold dog collar, diamond-studded dog collar—different styles and colors, all dog collars!
Jiang Liuying: “……”
She turned and left immediately.
Ten seconds later, she sneaked back, grabbed a dog collar, and left.
The collar was made of tungsten steel, cold and gray, connected to a worn matte black leather choker.
The temperature dropped faster than Jiang Liuying expected.
By nearly noon, the entire Adam District was covered in silver-white, transformed into a frozen snowy world.
Many bipedal sheep froze to death, unable to grab warm supplies.
The survivors dwindled to 41.
After going out once in the morning, Jiang Liuying didn’t leave the house again, obediently staying inside.
The temperature outside continued falling, the biting cold showing no sign of easing.
At night, a blizzard hit.
The old, aging buildings groaned on the verge of collapse under the extreme weather.
Windows rattled despite being tightly shut, and the wailing howls outside echoed like ghosts.
Jiang Liuying curled up on the bed. Clothes that were fine during the day weren’t enough at night.
She trembled under the covers, still cold and unable to sleep.
Tossing and turning several times, she suddenly sat up and looked toward the sofa.
The Butcher still wore only a pair of work pants, shirtless on top.
The cold hadn’t affected him in the slightest.
She could even feel a steady warmth radiating from him.
Yet Jiang Liuying hesitated to call him over; after all, she had kicked him out yesterday.
After a few seconds’ hesitation, she chose comfort over pride.
If the Butcher wouldn’t come, she could go to him.
She was the master; she had the final say.
As Jiang Liuying stood, two red glows lit up in the darkness, locking onto her like a wild beast.
Each step closer felt like walking into the tiger’s den.
But she didn’t stop; the cold dulled her mind.
“I’m sleeping here tonight.” Her delicate voice was a bit unreasonable.
The Butcher obediently moved aside.
【Black Mist Density -1】
Jiang Liuying’s night vision was poor; standing close to the sofa by the window, she only sensed a sudden mountain-like presence in front of her, intense heat washing over her face.
She froze, feeling that if she leaned forward just a little, her lips would brush against the eerie pale skull.
The wind and snow outside howled more fiercely, mingled with deep, hoarse breaths.
Startled awake, Jiang Liuying stepped back abruptly and hastily sat at the other end of the sofa.
The cold rustle of fabric rose and fell; she slowly curled up and lay down.
After a while, the annoying Miss X made a new demand: “Your breathing is too loud, it’s disturbing me.”
The girl who had stolen the spot kicked the monster once, then rested her leg on the Butcher’s strong, muscular thigh, firmly taking up most of the sofa.
The electronic red light flickered briefly, then calmed again.
【Black Mist Density -1】
Not only had Jiang Liuying moved closer to the heat source, but she also erased two points of Darkening value, feeling utterly content.
She wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, satisfied, and closed her eyes.
The Butcher remained like a black statue, maintaining his previous posture until steady, long breaths came from under the covers.
【Black Mist Density -1】
He reached out, pulled back Jiang Liuying’s sliding legs, placing them on his stomach while still holding his pose, awaiting the long night.
【Black Mist Density -1】
Deep within the Adam District, inside the Mutated Pine Forest.
Two bipedal sheep who had fled here were frantically wrestling with an Orange Cat.
The injured Orange Cat let out a piercing cry, its sharp claws and teeth tearing the two to bloody shreds.
“Damn it, hold it down quickly! I haven’t eaten for two days; I’m going to skin it soon!”
One man’s eyes were bloodshot with hunger.
“I’m going to pull out its teeth and claws!”
The other’s face was twisted with cruelty.
Just as they prepared to finish the cat off, they realized their knives were missing.
“Are you looking for this?” a mocking voice rang out above them.
Instinctively, they looked up.
A slender, bony hand casually toyed with a dagger, the silver blade glinting dangerously close to drawing blood, yet always dodging just in time.
Its owner squatted lightly on a tree branch, elegant like a cat.
The two on the ground were shocked; they hadn’t even heard when this person appeared!
“Mind your own business!” one threatened.
“Disgusting humans.” Xin Kelai squinted, his bright yellow eyes revealing cat-like vertical pupils, the sharp tilt of his eyes and delicate brows full of aggression.
A cold gleam flashed.
With two sounds of bones breaking, the two men collapsed twitching on the ground, necks broken.
Xin Kelai leapt down from the tree, landing silently.
Stretching, his figure looked even more slender.
Disgusted, he avoided the corpses and tapped the cat’s behind on the ground with his toe: “Stupid to the death. You can’t even handle two trash like that, and you want me to waste time saving you?”
The cat emitted a “meow,” suddenly transforming into a twelve or thirteen-year-old orange-haired boy.
He hobbled over to Xin Kelai, cat eyes sparkling: “I’m just injured. Once I’m better, I’ll definitely kill them.”
Xin Kelai ignored him and walked forward alone.
The Fruit Cat Boy followed closely behind, tone reverent, his fluffy tail uncontrollably flicking: “Boss, you were amazing just now, taking them out in a blink. Guess what I overheard outside? The deadly game has started again, but this time it seems different—looks like the Butcher has found his owner.”
Xin Kelai stopped in his tracks: “Impossible.”
The Fruit Cat Boy hurriedly caught up: “It’s true! The Butcher’s owner is in your house.”
Xin Kelai wasn’t familiar with the Butcher, but he’d heard stories.
Bought by the First Owner, then mercilessly sold.
Such similar experiences.
There was once a deceitful human who promised Xin Kelai but betrayed him in the worst way.
That human likely died alone, miserable, and regretful in some dark corner.
The shared experiences made Xin Kelai occasionally pay attention to the Butcher.
But more often, he despised the Butcher.
That guy was ugly, expensive, and boring—what right did he have to an owner?
The gods gave freely and with care, yet that detestable human hid the Butcher away, keeping him in the shadows.
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