Coach Wang nervously carried a bowl of tomato egg drop soup, wondering if they would accept his gesture.
The door cracked open, and Coach Wang smiled sincerely, though with a hint of flattery. "Mr. Lin…"
Suddenly, the monster with sharp fangs lunged at his neck. Reflexively, Coach Wang swung the stainless steel soup bowl, hitting the creature.
With a swift motion, he threw the soup straight into the creature's face.
"Ahhhhhhh—"
The hot soup burned the monster's face like sausage being fried. It tilted its head back and let out an odd, pained scream.
[Northern Wolf]: Goose, goose, goose, singing towards the sky.
[Literature Master]: High-quality ingredients often only need simple preparation, and Coach Wang's hard work was appreciated by enthusiastic crowds…
[Flying Arrow]: The army hasn't moved yet, but food comes first.
After his hard work had been wasted on a monster, Coach Wang's frustration grew. He grabbed the creature by the collar and slammed it outside, throwing punches.
The fanged monster, surprised by the sudden attack, tried to defend itself but couldn't speak due to its toothy weapon.
They wrestled in the hallway, rolling and clawing at each other.
"Mr. Lin, what's going on?"
Zhou Yuan, dressed in just his shorts, rushed out thinking another monster had entered. But he stopped when he saw Lin Yebai calmly sitting on the sofa.
Looking outside, he saw Coach Wang and a stranger—another monster—rolling on the floor, locked in a struggle.
["Are they… fighting?"] Zhou Yuan's eyes widened, wondering if it was what he thought.
"They are fighting," Lin Yebai explained.
Zhou Yuan stayed silent, filled with questions.
The fanged monster, despite its large teeth, was losing strength. The scent of fresh blood made it salivate, and even the pain from the burns didn't deter it. Its eyes moved from Coach Wang to the room, calculating how to feast later.
It couldn't stand the calm spectators anymore. With a snarl, it prepared to make them regret their peaceful watching.
Just as the monster crawled near Lin Yebai, he stood, blade in hand, leaning casually against the doorframe. With a fluid motion, his sword moved, and in an instant, the monster's head fell.
The blade seemed like nothing more than a decoration, but in reality, it was as sharp as could be. A mere flick of the wrist was all it took to decapitate the creature.
The head rolled to the ground, and black-red blood gushed out. They only heard a faint, sharp sound before realizing the deed had been done.
A badge lay quietly on the floor, soaked in blood.
[Monster Slain: Level 1]
[Points +50]
Level 1 monsters weren't too hard to kill. The main task was to take down a high-level monster, which wouldn't be so simple.
[Super Rich Orange Seat]: 10,000 star coins!
[Super Rich Orange Seat]: Oops, I accidentally added a zero.
Other viewers followed, showering Lin Yebai with star coins, and the live stream upgraded.
Lin Yebai took the blood-red orb from the fanged monster's head, cleaned it, and placed it next to the other two orbs.
Zhou Yuan picked up the badge from the floor, reading the factory's name aloud: "The Best Leather Factory?"
Looking at the fanged creature's body, Coach Wang couldn't help but feel relieved. He hadn't lost his head. He turned to Lin Yebai, asking cautiously, "Mr. Lin, can I clean up outside and take the body away?"
"Mm."
After receiving Lin Yebai's approval, Coach Wang asked, "What about the one downstairs?"
"Take it."
If the bodies weren't dealt with, the blood would attract more monsters.
Zhou Yuan hurriedly shut the door, barricading it with chairs and sofas. He nailed the windows shut, knowing it wouldn't stop monsters from breaking in, but it would alert them to any incoming threats.
The balcony was tricky, with freshly washed clothes hanging outside. The large windows couldn't be covered with anything, so Zhou Yuan just prayed the monsters wouldn't return that night.
Meanwhile, Lin Yebai sat quietly, drying his hair. His demeanor was elegant and aloof, like a painting.
"Mr. Lin, you should rest a bit. I'll keep watch."
"I play games and practice cultivation every day. I'm not tired at all," Lin Yebai replied.
Zhou Yuan simply nodded, curling up on the sofa to sleep.
Lin Yebai closed his eyes, maintaining a state of constant alertness. He could faintly hear distant screams, but only because of his exceptional senses. Without them, the sounds would have been too faint to detect.
The next morning, voices came from downstairs:
"Is anyone there?"
"If you can hear us, please respond! We're the rescue team!"
But the area remained eerily silent, save for the sound of birds flapping their wings.
Zhou Yuan quickly woke up and peeked through the crack in the wood to see a tall figure holding a loudspeaker. The figure was so tall, at least two meters, with a thin frame, resembling a walking bamboo stalk.
Zhou Yuan didn't make a sound, and neither did Coach Wang.
The tall figure seemed to sense someone watching and glanced directly at Zhou Yuan.
A chill ran down Zhou Yuan's spine, and he instinctively stepped back.
The long-legged figure continued walking to another building, continuing to shout through the loudspeaker.
After he left the area, Coach Wang came to visit. "That tall monster has been here several times. Each time someone follows it, they never come back. I don't know what happened to them."
"That monster? It twists people like pretzels with its scissor-like legs," Coach Wang said, a nonchalant look on his face.
Lin Yebai asked, "When did these monsters start appearing?"
Coach Wang explained, "It's been ten days since I changed into this… About ten days ago, the moon turned blood-red and stayed that way all night. People started going outside to watch it."
"Then people started disappearing, and there were frequent murder reports. People were terrified."
"About 10 days ago, I saw a person walking down the street, and suddenly they just vanished. I was so scared that I rushed back and stocked up on food. Haven't left the neighborhood since."
Zhou Yuan suddenly became thoughtful. "Did that person fall into the sewer?" He asked, his gaze growing deeper and more calculating.