Chapter 15: Blame “husband”

Jiang Huaying carefully wiped the bloodstains off the Butcher’s body.

But looking at the wounds exposed to the air, she felt somewhat helpless.

At least the bleeding had stopped.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

A gentle male voice broke through the secluded world of the two.

Jiang Huaying jumped in surprise, clutching her head as she looked toward the door.

The young man stood tall and graceful, dressed casually in white, resembling the handsome and gentle “boy next door” often seen in many shoujo manga.

Chan Yue had received orders from the boss to come pick up Jiang Huaying.

To facilitate communication, he had taken on a human form.

“My name is Chan Yue. I’m a native of the Swamplight Forest.”

He introduced himself, his gaze sweeping over the two people standing very close together.

Seeing the Butcher here didn’t surprise Chan Yue.

He was only astonished by the huge change in demeanor.

In the forest, the Butcher was like a mad dog without a master, destroying and wrecking everything in sight.

But in front of this human girl, it was as if all his bones had softened.

A ferocious wolf trying to pretend to be a loyal family dog, clinging tightly to her side.

Upon seeing himself, he began baring his teeth, protecting his food once again.

“Kill Zhi.”

The Butcher spat out the three words coldly, adopting the stance of a guardian.

As long as Jiang Huaying nodded, Zhi would act.

The atmosphere became tense and hostile.

Jiang Huaying didn’t respond immediately, watching Chan Yue warily.

Sensing her gaze, Chan Yue paused slightly and tried his best to appear harmless.

“I mean no harm. This dream core is about to collapse. Staying inside is very dangerous.”

Jiang Huaying did not lower her guard.

“Will you let us leave?”

Hearing the coldness and indifference in her voice, Chan Yue felt a sudden emptiness in his heart.

He couldn’t describe it, only that it made him uncomfortable.

Not long ago, she had complimented his looks, every word like dripping honey.

“The forest was severely damaged not long ago.”

Chan Yue suppressed his thoughts and shook his head slightly.

His words were pointed.

“It is currently in a state of upheaval. Forcibly breaking out is extremely dangerous.”

Jiang Huaying hesitated, unconsciously biting her lower lip.

The bite marks pressed out a vivid red, delicate and moving.

Chan Yue didn’t answer her question directly, but his attitude was intriguing.

“I am not lying. The danger of the forest’s unrest is not just from the living branches, but also from the ground beneath our feet. Even our leader might not make it out alive.”

Both his tone and demeanor were unusually sincere.

At the key words, Jiang Huaying’s eyes flickered.

She looked toward Chan Yue.

He smiled faintly at her, warm as a spring breeze.

Only then did Jiang Huaying notice that his eyes were clear blue, the same as the Cloth Doll Princess’s eyes.

Just as she was staring, the hand hanging by her side was suddenly grabbed by a dry, calloused large hand.

“I can.”

The Butcher interrupted the eye contact between Jiang Huaying and Chan Yue.

Those three firm words seemed to carry a hint of competitiveness.

Jiang Huaying naturally trusted the Butcher, but the wounds on Zhi were serious and not to be ignored.

She didn’t want Zhi to take any more risks.

Seeing the girl’s hesitation, Chan Yue urged at the right moment.

“There isn’t much time. Please decide quickly.”

“We’ll follow him out first.”

Jiang Huaying finally gave up her stubborn resistance to leaving the forest and pulled the Butcher to walk outside.

But he didn’t move.

The towering monstrous creature stood rooted to the spot, its inorganic crimson electronic eyes watching her, scanning the cat fur on the hem of her clothes.

【Black Mist Density +1】

Jiang Huaying suddenly felt like she was dragging along a huge stubborn dog.

The dog, unsatisfied, was lying on the ground refusing to move.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Jiang Huaying patted Zhi again.

But the Butcher remained motionless.

This time, Chan Yue did not urge.

Jiang Huaying and the Butcher stalemated for a few seconds, then she shook off Zhi’s hand.

【Black Mist Density +5】

“Carry me, quickly.”

She reached out to the Butcher, making a hugging gesture.

【Black Mist Density -15】

The big stubborn dog immediately wagged its tail and came over, skillfully lifting her with one arm.

A faint smile gradually faded from Chan Yue’s face, settling into a calm curve on his lips.

“Keep up with me.”

He walked ahead, leading the way, with the Butcher carrying Jiang Huaying behind.

As if afraid she wouldn’t feel involved, the Butcher slipped a cold metal chain into her palm.

“You can hold onto me.”

Jiang Huaying, somewhat spitefully, tugged the chain hard and murmured in a coquettish voice, “Bad dog.”

The leather collar tightened instantly, and her Adam’s apple rolled slowly up and down, a sensuous sight. “Together.”

Jiang Huaying rolled her eyes at Zhi without restraint.

She truly doubted whether this guy, if he could, would implant himself into Zhi and carry him wherever he went.

Chan Yue said nothing further.

Only when there was no more movement behind did he resume his role as a competent and considerate guide, beginning to explain the situation of Swamplight Forest.

The past of this forbidden zone was no secret.

“Years ago, a devastating experimental disaster occurred in the Yadan Zone. A biochemical weapon leaked inside the lab. Once infected, all living things—whether human, animal, or plant—would transform into monsters fused with machinery and flesh.”

Jiang Huaying had never known this history.

Whenever she encountered plot introductions in games, she always chose to skip them with closed eyes.

Jiang Huaying asked, “Then what happened?”

Chan Yue’s tone remained gentle, as if the story had nothing to do with him.

“Then everyone fled the city. The wealthy and powerful humans left first, followed by those with connections. But the infection spread too fast, beyond control. Eventually, the MF Group decided to abandon the Yadan Zone and conducted a large-scale purge. That operation was known to outsiders as the ‘1707 Purge Plan.’”

“Before the purge, many poor people were still in the Yadan Zone, but no one cared about their survival—just as no one cared about the other lives there.”

The Yadan Zone once had another name, the City of All Things.

Due to environmental degradation and rapid technological advancement, animals and plants were quickly going extinct.

To satisfy the laughable “compassion” of the nobles and tycoons, most surviving animals and plants were collected and displayed in the Yadan Zone for people’s amusement.

A disaster created by humans, yet the consequences were borne by other living beings.

They were trapped in cages, watching their bodies decay and fuse with machinery, becoming mindless monsters.

Probably unwilling to die so easily.

All the deformed humans had died; only the deformed animals and plants survived.

“…And later, a legend arose: no human who entered the Swamplight Forest ever left.”

Jiang Huaying didn’t catch the last sentence clearly and asked, “What?”

Chan Yue smiled faintly.

“Nothing. Just remember to stick close to me.”

After that, no one spoke.

Jiang Huaying wanted to ask where Sinclair was, but the Butcher was right beside her.

She could only open her personal interface and check Sinclair’s Darkening Value.

Since Zhi suddenly left, the Black Mist Density had been steadily increasing, sounding continuously along the way, making Jiang Huaying’s skin crawl.

It felt as if Sinclair was right beside her, like an evil ghost staring at her, but she could see nothing, only a tangible chill crawling up her spine to her skull.

Her body trembled lightly, instinctively pressing close to the Butcher, trying to draw some warmth from Zhi’s furnace-like body.

After exiting a twisted, strange passageway, Jiang Huaying’s vision suddenly brightened.

Looking at the lush greenery before her, she was stunned.

This place was completely different from the monsters’ lair in her imagination.

The little cat creatures busied themselves walking back and forth.

Occasionally, a few would lose control and transform into grotesque monsters, but it didn’t matter; they would flail about clumsily to steady themselves and then continue with their tasks.

Some would intentionally revert to their true forms and wrestled playfully with companions, rolling into a heap.

Strange, yet imbued with an inexplicable sense of harmony—like a secluded paradise.

“Welcome to the Mutant Home.”

Chan Yue looked at Jiang Huaying, pride involuntarily tinting his voice, a clear smile in the cadence.

Her reaction was adorable, her butterfly-like long lashes fluttering up and down, all her emotions almost written across her face.

Curiosity, surprise, disbelief… but no disgust.

She was different from other humans.

The remaining five bipedal sheep who survived the game pause were all captured by the cat creatures and locked in cages.

The cages were located in a damp, dim underground space, guarded by two cat creatures.

Chen Sixi was among them.

The cages were very small, with low height.

Five adults crowded inside couldn’t stand upright; any slight movement would cause them to bump into each other.

Occasionally, low groans came from inside the cages.

The surviving bipeds were too preoccupied to notice, and naturally didn’t pay attention to one motionless biped in the corner, stooping his waist with his head deeply pressed to his chest.

In the darkness, blue light flickered momentarily then vanished without notice.

The houses here looked like treehouses from fairy tales, each unique, varying in height and shape.

Jiang Huaying was taken to the one that most closely matched the fairy-tale spirit treehouse she had imagined, her temporary residence before leaving.

During the allocation of houses, a small hiccup occurred—one cat creature demanded that she and the Butcher be separated.

The Butcher completely ignored the request.

Holding Jiang Huaying, he went inside and closed the door, leaving the cat creature outside grumbling—yet it was settled for now.

Knowing she hadn’t eaten yet, the Butcher very conscientiously started cooking.

Jiang Huaying, on the other hand, surrendered without hesitation to the embrace of the big bed.

Softly sinking into the thick, fluffy quilt, Jiang Huaying let out a comfortable sound.

She hadn’t expected the Cat House to have such clean and fresh human supplies!

Though there was a little silicone under her.

Half closing her eyes, she reached under the quilt, feeling around.

After a while, she pulled something out.

It was a crumpled piece of paper, probably accidentally folded inside.

Jiang Huaying unfolded it casually.

At the same moment, the shadow in the corner suddenly expanded, like the open jaws of a deep abyss swallowing the entire room into darkness.

Jiang Huaying only felt the world go black for a moment.

When she came to, she had already been pounced on by Sinclair on the bed.

Her hands were empty—the paper had been swallowed by the darkness.

But she still saw it.

It was a Death Warrant, with her enlarged portrait printed on it, a huge bloody red “X” marked across it.

Jiang Huaying rolled her eyes toward Sinclair, who was leaning over her.

His slender vertical pupils were filled with chaos and distortion, his eye sockets bloodshot with intense emotion.

She silently watched Zhi while Sinclair stared at her relentlessly.

Like a cornered beast who finally caught his prey.

The petite prey was pinned beneath him, platinum hair scattered over her delicate, fragile neck, a messy collar revealing a small patch of smooth, white skin.

Sinclair felt his canine teeth uncontrollably pressing out from the corners of his mouth, aching and swollen, wanting to bite hard into her collarbone, grind and tear out blood.

Such foolishness—god himself would do the same.

But a second before his teeth touched the jade-like skin, he forcibly retracted, finally turning into a cold, moist, obscure kiss.

“I didn’t know you were the Butcher’s master back then.”

Sinclair explained to Jiang Huaying.

But his tone was jealous and sour, more like a jealous husband accusing a cheating wife—rough, dark resentment mingled with sharp cunning and panic.

In the closed bedroom, the air grew thick.

The wind blew open a crack in the window.

The two bodies pressed together, limbs entwined, paid no attention to the pair of blue glowing eyes outside the window, watching like venomous snakes in the dark.

Closer still, military boots stepped onto the stairs.

The Butcher, holding a tray, was walking up step by step.