Chen Sixi is a man who never forgets a kindness.
Before, when Jiang Huaying was trapped in the Insect Fog, she saved his life, so when he found the special item, she was the first person he thought of.
Every instance is fraught with danger; a single misstep could mean dying without a trace. Yet every instance also offers different opportunities.
Chen Sixi said he was lucky to find the level 5 item “Mom I Want To Go Home” that could be used to leave at any time.
But if he wasnโt lucky, he would have been devoured by the monsters long ago and still met the usurious assassin of his identity.
Naturally, Chen Sixi was reluctant to use such a powerful item just as they were about to clear the instance, but nothing was more important than oneโs own life.
The item “Mom I Want To Go Home” can bind two players within the same instance, so he did not hesitate to choose Jiang Huaying.
ใPlayer has cleared the instance, and will leave this world in 5 seconds.ใ
Jiang Huaying was still in shock, until the Silver Tableware slipped from her semi-transparent fingertips, bouncing on the dining table with a sharp clatter.
Five seconds was far too short.
She didnโt even have time to do anything or to speak.
Because her body was turning transparent, disappearing bit by bit.
This was absolutely not a beautiful sight.
Jiang Huaying hastily lifted her eyes to look at Butcher and Sinclair.
The two figures at the dining table suddenly leapt forward, lunging at her.
Jiang Huaying dared not blink as the moment stretched into slow motion.
The butcherโs powerful arm, bulging with veins, overturned the entire dining table; porcelain plates shattered into countless shards midair.
Crystal-clear tears welled from the corners of Sinclairโs eyes, like broken threads snapping.
A pitch-black shadow erupted behind Sinclair, forming countless palm-shaped hands rushing to grab her.
The sleeves desperately tried to catch her,
but the moment they reached out, they passed straight through her body.
Jiang Huayingโs pale lips moved slightly, silently uttering a few words.
โSorryโฆโ
โAndโฆ goodbye.โ
Sorry, she had once again deceived the sleeves and could not keep her promise of a future together.
But she did not regret it.
The real world was her true home, no matter what price she had to pay, she wanted to go back.
The echo of the fallen silverware lingered in the diner for a long time.
The butcher maintained his previous pose, light shining through his fingers that could never quite grasp anything.
The shadow behind Sinclair flailed helplessly in midair, repeatedly closing and opening its grasp in vain.
She was gone.
She just vanished before the gods.
After a brief silence, Sinclairโs eyes burst with rage.
A desperate scream tore through the air, nearly shattering the glass ceiling; those nearby bent over in pain, covering their ears.
The busy cats, upon hearing the howl, bristled with fur and looked up in disbelief.
โThe whole city is on lockdown until she is found.โ
Sinclairโs cold and grim voice echoed through every shadow, spreading fiery wrath to the ears of the cats!
Who this โsheโ referred to was obvious.
The cats dropped their work and mobilized.
Even the distant Black Forest stirred to life.
The sleeping woods awakened, and the trees slowly pulled their deep roots from the earth, trudging heavily toward the Upper City.
Sinclairโs eyes remained fixed on the spot where Jiang Huaying disappeared, red as if about to bleed.
Her failing heart felt hollowed out, a gaping wound pouring out a black, bloody hatred, disappointment, and rage.
It nurtured the seeds buried deepest insideโnamed โDeviationโ and โBrutality.โ
โAh Yingโฆ my Ah Yingโฆ once I catch youโฆ I will never be soft againโฆโ
The withered heart sprouted wildly, breaking through the soil in a frenzy.
โHey, what are you waiting for?โ Sinclair looked at the motionless Butcher, the sharp words almost spilling but swallowed back.
The sleeves seemed abnormal.
Butcher stood there like a petrified statue.
In the dark cave of Black Hollow, the red electronic lights flickered erratically, as if under a viral attack, threatening to go out any second.
In Zhiโs mind, Zanenโs words rang again.
โWhy do you think she chose you? It was just to survive. Once she no longer needs you, sheโll abandon you again.โ
โMonsters and humans will never be together.โ
When Zanen said this, he smiled with a madness and certainty as if he already saw the scene unfolding now.
โZanen.โ
The rusty mechanical grinding sound echoed from the ramโs skull as Zhi slowly lifted his head.
โHow could that human possibly know where Ah Ying is?โ Sinclairโs first reaction was denial.
โHow could he know?โ
โWhy would he know?โ
The last two questions came fast and sharp, full of bitterness.
No matter how unwilling, Butcher and Sinclair still found him.
Zanen was locked in the seventh-floor underground prison.
Four armed guards took shifts watching him 24/7.
The cell was small, containing a desk, a single bed, and a simple cleanroom.
The desk was cluttered with paperwork; when Butcher and Sinclair arrived, Zanen was busy working.
Hearing the noise, he put down his documents and slowly turned his wheelchair.
His blonde hair was a little long, falling casually by his face; the severe injuries had made him thinner than before, his features sharper and more sinister.
โUnexpected guestsโฆโ Zanen lazily curled his lips, showing no intention to greet them, glanced once, then returned to his work.
This was the task his beloved sister left him, and the greatest value keeping him alive now.
As for these monsters who came to flaunt power and declare sovereigntyโฆ
Hmph, one day, he would kill them all.
But soon, Zanen realized things werenโt quite as he thought.
Being the heir to the Montford Familyโs MF Group, he wasnโt stupid; he quickly pieced together information about Jiang Huayingโs fall from various details.
Suddenly, he grew interested.
He wheeled himself to the transparent glass wall; at the broken leg, a prosthetic limb had been installedโthe silver cold metal oddly suited him.
โHow come you guys showed up, but my dear sister didnโt?โ Zanenโs first words struck exactly at the monstersโ weak points.
โIโll kill you!โ Sinclair was a powder keg ready to explode!
If not for the special material of the prison glass, Zanen would already be a corpse.
But he was not afraid; instead, he laughed aloud.
The cold white fluorescent light from above only highlighted his frailty, pallor, and gloom.
โClangโ!โ
The glass was hit hard again.
Sinclair stared at him with murderous eyes and said, โAh Ying is in Yunli? Was that your doing?โ
Butcher looked at Zanen, his voice unreadable: โYou know.โ
โHahaha, cough coughโฆ looks like I was right.โ Zanen half-closed his eyes, his green gazeโthe same color as Jiang Huayingโsโfixed on Butcher with pity, โShe doesnโt want you anymoreโฆ cough coughโฆ right?โ
No need for answers; the monstersโ reactions said it all.
His beloved sister had not disappointed him.
The Montford Family had cold blood and selfishness in their bones, willing to use any means to achieve their goals.
After Sinclairโs next question, Zanen only smiled.
Yunli was coughing so hard he almost couldnโt breathe; waves of sharp pain radiated from his chest, yet he still laughed wildly.
His pale face flushed with a strange blush, lips bloody red, making him look even more sinister and gaunt.
โIโm crazy to ask him; he couldnโt possibly know!โ Sinclairโs patience was gone; wrapped in shadows, he vanished into the underground seventh floor.
Sinclairโs search caused a huge commotion.
All entrances were locked down; only those passing rigorous searches could pass.
From Upper City to Lower City, everyone was restless.
Compared to the chaotic outside, MF Group was unusually quiet.
Jiang Huayingโs bedroom door was half-open.
Butcher sat motionless in the dark room, like a giant guard dog watching over a master who would never return, his tall frame stooped and emaciated.
The sleeves did not bother to look for Jiang Huaying.
Because the faint white light belonging to her had vanished from the sleevesโ world, just like three years ago.
The difference was, three years ago, she disappeared without a trace, as if she had never existed.
But this time, the contract etched on her soul had undergone some change.
The faint call had a response.
Weak, but it existed.
Find herโฆ find herโฆ find herโฆ find herโฆ find herโฆ find herโฆ
Together.
โTogether forever.โ Butcher slowly buried his pale skull into the clothes imbued with Jiang Huayingโs scent.
At the godโs side lay the second gift, already unwrappedโa new Custom Apron and a Handwritten Letter.
Jiang Huaying tried to soothe the monsters once more in this way.
But what she did not know was that once you provoke the sleeves, you will never shake them off.
Monsters donโt know what love is; her presence made the sleeves grow flesh and blood, hearts beating.
The sleeves only instinctively approach, possess, and feign submission.
Once abandoned, the gods would stop at nothing to reclaim the only โlove,โ dragging her into the abyss, never resting.