Upon seeing Jiang Ming arrive, the dog lost its former enthusiasm. Instead, it stared fixedly at him, its eyes brimming with greed and craving.
Jiang Ming met its gaze in silence. After a brief stand-off, the dog seemed to lose interest and quietly lay prone on the floor.
In silence, Jiang Ming gathered the shed fur from the ground and replenished the dog food in its bowl. He cast one final, profound look at the creature before sealing the door to the storage room.
Stowing the collected fur into his bedroom cabinet, Jiang Ming recalled the dog's half-moulted coat, feeling a budding headache.
The rate of mutation felt alarmingly rapid. It had only consumed human blood this morning, so how could it undergo such a drastic metamorphosis by the afternoon?
Didn't the diary state that it would take until the seventh day to fully transform into a human?
Why was it accelerating so much for him? Jiang Ming was rendered speechless: perhaps this was the true terror of S-grade difficulty.
However, panicking served no purpose. If the dog exhibited no major mutations by tomorrow morning, he would simply have Uncle Li butcher it. If severe anomalies did manifest, he would have to formulate an alternative countermeasure.
Beyond the matter of the hound, other pressing issues demanded resolution. Take the two White One-Eyed Abominations for instance. According to the diary, they were considered benevolent entities with negligible combat prowess. He needed to find a way to establish contact again, as they might prove to be valuable allies.
Then there was the electrical crisis. Although he had siphoned power from his neighbour, it felt inherently precarious. He needed a contingency plan and alternative light sources, but where could he scour for them?
Jiang Ming turned his sights toward the vending machine, or more accurately, the LED light tube attached to it.
Perhaps he could dismantle the tube. After all, this was an illumination source thoroughly within his absolute control.
Finally, the most paramount task of all: eating.
Dining was of the utmost importance. This time, Jiang Ming deliberately lingered in the kitchen while cooking, wasting a considerable amount of time.
To his dismay, the White One-Eyed Abominations never materialised, even after he had completely finished his meal.
Staring at the gargantuan vending machine before him, Jiang Ming deliberated for a moment. He shoved aside the surrounding tables and clutter, then tipped the machine over.
He had to admit, even completely barren of merchandise, the apparatus was staggeringly heavy. It was no wonder three of them were enough to pin ‘Mother' down.
Gazing at the toppled contraption, Jiang Ming gripped a screwdriver and commenced his strenuous labour. Having no prior experience in dismantling vending machines, his initial efforts were clumsy and exhausting.
Furthermore, he had to constantly scan his perimeter while working, primarily for two reasons. Firstly, to monitor if the White One-Eyed Abominations would make a sudden reappearance; secondly, he was thoroughly traumatised by ‘Mother', preventing him from relaxing even within the confines of his own home.
Consequently, Jiang Ming's efficiency plummeted. Fortunately, the night remained tranquil and utterly uneventful.
After an hour of gruelling toil, Jiang Ming beamed with satisfaction at the exposed circuitry and the liberated LED light tube.
Due to his amateur dismantling, he had accidentally severed a wire, rendering the LED tube completely dark.
That was of no concern, for Jiang Ming possessed ample experience in such repairs. He simply needed to splice the severed ends back together and wrap them in black electrical tape. Although this method resulted in a somewhat fragile connection, it mattered little. With this experience under his belt, he would not repeat the blunder next time.
Just as Jiang Ming retrieved the black tape from the cabinet and settled into his chair to mend the wire, a crisis struck: the world went pitch black, or rather, the power failed. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The blackout arrived with jarring abruptness. Jiang Ming recoiled in shock. Had his scheme to siphon the neighbour's electricity failed?
Or had some other catastrophic variable emerged?
His mind raced at breakneck speed. Before he could deduce an answer, a bone-chilling aura enveloped his body, sending a violent shudder down his spine.
Despite never having encountered them before, a singular realisation manifested in Jiang Ming's consciousness: ‘they' had arrived!
When you are plunged into darkness, ‘they' will see you!
Countless eyes seemingly materialised in the obsidian void, all fixated upon Jiang Ming. Some bore curiosity, others sinister delight, unbridled greed, or sheer disgust. Among them lurked existences that instilled a soul-crushing terror, scrutinising Jiang Ming as though dissecting him from the inside out.
In this fleeting instant, only one thought dominated Jiang Ming's mind: flee!
He vaulted from his chair like a coiled spring, sprinting furiously toward the bedroom!
He remembered clearly that the bedroom was situated to his rear left. Yet, the moment he took a step, an unnatural resistance seized him. He trudged forward with agonising difficulty, as though wading through a viscous mire.
Gritting his teeth, he forced more strength into his legs. Traversing this darkness transformed the typically silent living room into a bustling, chaotic tavern.
Unctuous, slithering textures periodically brushed across his skin. Countless grotesque anomalies whispered blasphemies into his ears, while unseen hands grasped at him, attempting to drag him down into a fathomless subterranean abyss. Amidst this arduous trek, he even felt something furry rub against his calf.
The entire space felt grotesquely lively. Jiang Ming clenched his jaw, ignoring the phantasmagoric interference to push relentlessly onward.
At last, his fingers grazed the door ahead. After blindly groping around, he rested his hand upon the frigid doorknob. A piercing chill surged through him, and at that very moment, the frenzied movements of ‘them' surrounding him seemed to abate.
Jiang Ming exhaled a long breath. Just as he prepared to turn the knob, a distinct sound shattered the atmosphere.
“Woof!”
Hearing the bark, Jiang Ming instantly froze.
An intense sense of dissonance washed over him. His expression twisted into one of agonising struggle as countless thoughts cascaded forth like a ruptured dam:
Why?
Why was this happening?
When the darkness descended, why hadn't his immediate reaction been to summon a brand-new vending machine? After all, it emitted light.
Why was he so absolutely certain that the bedroom lay in this specific direction?
Why hadn't his Sanity dropped in the slightest since the darkness fell, and why hadn't he suffered any tangible threat?
Did that make any logical sense?
Question after question bubbled to the surface, bringing to light far too many contradictory and bizarre anomalies.
Startled into acute awareness, Jiang Ming instantaneously summoned a vending machine. The LED light tube radiated a brilliant luminescence that washed over his body, alleviating the nauseating sensation of being swarmed by malevolent wraiths.
Under the illumination of the light tube, Jiang Ming beheld the grotesque, blood-red patterns etched onto the door.
Seeing the full picture, Jiang Ming rapidly jerked his hand away from the doorknob. However, in that exact moment, the malevolent wraiths that had fallen silent were abruptly enraged.
The suffocating darkness blanketing the surroundings began to churn and surge like a tempest-tossed fog. Muffled roars echoed from within the shadows; the sound was deep and horrific, striking straight at the heart as though ascending from the Nine Nethers.
Even more heart-palpitating were the silhouettes of the malevolent wraiths, darker than the abyss itself, flickering in and out of the gloom. Their contorted forms seemed to bear the weight of boundless resentment and curses.
Though Jiang Ming now stood in the light, the shrill shrieks of the wraiths clung to him like maggots on decaying bone. He could clearly witness the shadowy figures continuously writhing and mutating in the darkness, as if mocking his utter impotence.
The ceaseless roars reverberating in his ears plunged his mind into chaos. At this point, Jiang Ming's Sanity began a sluggish, downward descent.
Panic swelled in his chest. As expected, his cognition and rationale had somehow been clouded moments prior, bewitched by those malevolent wraiths into unlocking the room of ‘Mother'.
Recalling the harrowing ordeal, an inexplicable dread washed over him. “Just what exactly is inside ‘Mother's' room? What makes it worth all this immense effort?”
Jiang Ming surveyed his hellish surroundings and shook his head. Forget it, he would deliberate over this enigma once he secured his safety.
Relying on the radiance of the LED tube, Jiang Ming pinpointed his bedroom on the opposite side. He spun on his heel and departed. Witnessing his retreat, the malevolent wraiths in the darkness seethed with amplified fury, yet with him shrouded in light, they were completely powerless.
Hmm?
Was that so?
Were they truly left without any recourse?
This intrusive question suddenly bloomed in the mind of the retreating Jiang Ming. He snapped his head back toward the vending machine. Rapidly, an audacious yet entirely logical hypothesis took shape in his consciousness.
“Fuck, run!”
Realising the catastrophic possibility, Jiang Ming's eyes widened in sheer horror. He pumped his legs, accelerating like a madman as he sprinted for the bedroom!
The bedroom was right ahead. Faster, faster, faster!
Just a little faster!
Excellent! Only one step away! One step left!
He was there!
Almost there!!
Just an inch away!!!
Jiang Ming roared in his mind. Just as he stood a single step away from salvation, a deafening crash echoed from behind him as something collapsed. Subsequently, the light evaporated, and the suffocating darkness reclaimed the living room.
Meanwhile, within Jiang Ming's grasp, the familiar, frigid doorknob reappeared.