Giant Maw

It was hard to see stars in the night sky over Xijiang City, and under the dim yellow streetlights by the roadside, the vault of heaven above seemed even more black and oppressive.

With her white Bluetooth earbuds set to maximum volume, the stern and majestic strings and clarinet resounded together. On the deserted road, the girl skipped along with tiny jumps, softly humming a familiar melody.

Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 in C Minor, commonly known as the “Fate Symphony.”

From a distance, she should have looked like an exuberant, energetic girl.

Yet aside from her closest acquaintances, few people knew that the happier she appeared—jumping and singing—the gloomier and more irritable she truly felt inside.

All things considered, Yu Qinxian was in a very bad mood at this moment.

Not only that, but she even felt a trace of panic and a deeper sense of fear.

When she hid behind that street tree, quietly observing her prey, she never expected that she would be discovered the very next second.

What kind of eyes did that boy standing next to Gu Yanxi have?

They looked ordinary and calm, like a still lake, but inside hid some terrifying threat.

Like a lion?

Like a wolf?

No, social animals wouldn’t have eyes like that. To be more precise, it should be a solitary predator like a tiger.

The instant those deep eyes met hers, Yu Qinxian suddenly experienced an absurd illusion.

It was as if she had become a weak, helpless lamb, watched by a giant carnivore lurking in the depths of the Mutant Jungle. She shut her eyes and was swallowed by endless darkness within—desolate, terrifying, and with no way out.

Undoubtedly, he was a predator.

And not just any predator, but a top-tier one.

This person was dangerous!

So, she ran away.

Her mind was in chaos; the way she had lost her composure in front of her rival made her feel utter despair, until several minutes later, she shakily groped for her earbuds as that familiar melody finally brought her ragged breathing back under control.

Failure…such utter failure…

Just then, with the music almost at its climax, it was abruptly cut off, replaced by the blaring ringtone of her phone.

She picked it up. Staring at the unfamiliar number on the screen, Yu Qinxian’s face turned ice-cold and frightening as she slowly pressed the answer key.

“Pretty lady, just doing a follow-up survey. How did that medicine work for you? What do you think, did you succeed?”

A low laugh from a man came through the earbuds.

“It was completely useless. I want a refund.”

She said coldly, about to hang up, but hesitated halfway and paused.

“How is that possible?!”

The man’s voice instantly rose. “The medicine I sell is guaranteed! If it’s fake I’ll pay you ten times back! You probably just didn’t use enough. How is that my fault?”

Yu Qinxian took out the packet of powder, most of which still remained. Without replying, she flung it in a graceful arc straight into a roadside trash bin.

“Can you look up two people for me? A man and a woman. I want their detailed home addresses,”

Yu Qinxian said again.

“As long as you pay, anything’s possible.”

The man answered quickly.

…………

“Next stop: Xueyuan Road Community. Passengers getting off, please move to the rear door…”

The bus’s announcement rang out. It was now 8:39 pm; Chen Zixuan and Gu Yanxi got off together at the neighborhood entrance.

“In any case, I don’t like that tutorial class. How about I tell my mom when I get home that I’m quitting from tomorrow?”

After walking a few steps side by side, Gu Yanxi turned to Chen Zixuan.

“Yeah, I’ll go with you to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow.”

Chen Zixuan nodded calmly, a cold light flickering deep in his eyes.

If he’d known in advance that that ** would drug Gu Yanxi, he really should have chased after her and chopped her up for peace of mind.

But then he reminded himself this was reality, not the game world, and couldn’t help a headache.

Gu Yanxi had already washed the cup; even if they went to the police now, there was no evidence.

Besides, he didn’t even dare ask the cops for help.

In twenty days, Chen Zixuan would vanish from this world, turning inexplicably into a girl who didn’t exist in reality. With how common surveillance cameras were nowadays, this anomaly would be quickly noticed, and the relevant authorities would certainly take an interest.

There was already enough to deal with in the game, and now Gu Yanxi had run into such a pervert. Ever since he’d received that VR headset, it seemed nothing good had happened.

“I actually feel fine now, so there’s no need for a physical exam…”

Maybe Chen Zixuan’s reaction had scared her too, as Gu Yanxi thought for a long moment, frowning, before speaking up timidly.

“Then rest at home these couple of days. If anything feels off, you must tell me immediately.”

“Okay.”

After sending Gu Yanxi home, Chen Zixuan returned to his own room, didn’t turn on the light, and sat quietly on the bedside for a long while before finally putting on the VR headset and entering the world of Legend of Kaloran.

It was almost nine o’clock. He’d decided to visit that empty, abandoned building from last night again, to properly confront Aesther about the strange changes in his body.

Light swirled before his eyes, making him nauseous.

When Chen Zixuan opened his eyes again, he had returned to the game world, once more inhabiting the identity of Cecilia, the Vampire girl.

Slowly clenching his fair right fist, feeling the surge of new strength inside, Chen Zixuan rolled off the bed, equipped the Nightcloak, left the inn, and walked toward the dangerous building a few streets away.

Last time he was there, the woman’s presence had almost suffocated him. His brain had ground to a halt; he’d only passively received information without making any independent judgments, and missed the biggest clue.

This time, Chen Zixuan was determined never to let that happen again.

Ten minutes later, Chen Zixuan arrived at the dangerous building from the night before. Inside, it was as dark as ever, and the same window facing out on the third floor still glowed faintly with candlelight.

That woman was in that room.

He lingered downstairs for a while, like trying to summon his courage, then bit his lip hard and strode into the pitch-black stairs.

Through the vague night, the entire building seemed like a giant maw ready to devour anyone who stepped inside.

And the faintly lit window on the third floor was its eye.

In a blink, the girl’s tiny silhouette was swallowed by thick darkness, vanishing without a trace.

***

Chapter 122: The Letter

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep