Chapter 23: What on Earth is Zhang Min Pretending For?

Zhang Min couldn't help but think how truly vicious and cold-blooded Pei Siying was—though, to be fair, she had always been that way in their past life.

She chuckled inwardly, mocking herself: what was the point of this facade of false kindness? She felt exactly the same way, yet she insisted on letting others speak first. She refused to let anyone catch a glimpse of her malice, even in front of these ants who were about to die. She had to play the role of the gentle, generous senior student who rescues everyone from the fire, perfectly.

As for these ordinary people?

Ha.

They stumbled after only a few steps and couldn't even control their own drowsiness; such things were useless, mere dead weight. No, that wasn't entirely true—they were still useful for something. At this very moment, these pieces of trash could serve as nourishment for "It." That was the optimal solution. What else could she do? Die alongside them? Useless waste ought to have the self-awareness of being waste.

She scanned the crowd quickly. Indeed.

Her gaze lingered on Lin Youwei for a brief moment, but only for a moment. This girl was ruthless enough—stabbing her own thigh with a fruit knife just to stay awake. She was certainly different from the other trash. However, this ruthlessness reminded her of Pei Siying in their previous life; the Pei Siying of that time had been just as green as this girl.

But what good was being ruthless if you were still just an ordinary human? It was a pity, she thought; if this girl were an ability user, such grit would be worth cultivating. Still, until it became absolutely necessary, she was willing to protect this girl—at the very least, ensure she was the last of the ordinary people to die.

The mist began to thicken, pressing against their shoulders like layers of foam. It stuck to their eyes like a film, so dense and pungent that it made it impossible to keep them open. The greenery along the highway rustled in the wind.

Li Luyan unconsciously rubbed her small knife; a wave of exhaustion washed over her, and she tightened her grip on the blade. Behind her, Yu Yue yawned repeatedly. "Why am I suddenly so sleepy... hah..."

So that was it... was the mist intensifying? This thing intended to wipe them all out at once.

Lin Youwei stumbled behind her, nearly falling. Yu Yue caught her, propping Lin's arm over her own shoulder, and continued to yawn. "Hah... Senior, you mustn't fall asleep. I... hah... I'll help you walk."

As ordinary people collapsed one after another, someone finally realized something was wrong.

Yu Niaoniao rushed forward, grabbing Zhang Min’s forearm. The grip was so aggressive that Zhang Min instinctively frowned. She heard Yu Niaoniao say, her face full of anxiety, "Minmin! This mist is truly wrong. These ordinary people can't hold on anymore."

Can't hold on? These powerless pieces of trash were meant to be culled anyway; it would happen sooner or later. They wouldn't even survive this mist. Was she expected to save them? If that "thing" were provoked, no one would fare well. Did these idiots not realize how high-level this monster was? It was effortlessly making so many ability users feel drowsy.

Even she felt a tinge of sleepiness, but... these were things one could endure.

She suppressed the fatigue and looked at Yu Niaoniao with a face full of sorrow. If one looked closely, one could see the calm in her dark eyes—there was absolutely no sign of genuine grief.

"Niaoniao..." She covered her face as if heartbroken. "I have no way to save so many people..."

"Just staying alive is hard enough... I'm sorry to you all..."

"I couldn't save everyone... but the monster's level is just too high..."

Yu Niaoniao pressed her hands onto Zhang Min’s shoulders, her voice hoarse. "...I understand, Minmin. Don't blame yourself too much."

Behind them, Pei Siying arched her brows in amusement. Zhang Min was getting better at acting; at least these naive students couldn't tell the difference. Li Luyan stood in the back, lost in thought.

"How interesting..."

She watched as the students exploded into sprays of red mist within the gray fog. Even the gray mist became stained with crimson, resembling the rising morning sun—full of hope and warmth. But this mist only carried the metallic, rusty smell of blood. Li Luyan frowned unconsciously. "Disgusting..."

However... this sacrifice was missing one last person.

Her eyes drifted toward Lin Youwei, who was only standing because Yu Yue was supporting her. Then, she quietly withdrew her gaze.

How would the reincarnators treat this ordinary girl? Would they rip off their masks immediately?

Or—

Before Li Luyan could ponder further, the asphalt ground began to wriggle, as if the walls of an intestine were undergoing digestion—and they were the food.

Pei Siying’s expression shifted. Her sharp gaze swept toward the back, finally resting on Lin Youwei, who was leaning against Yu Yue. The girl’s eyes were closed; she had clearly fallen asleep. Even the pain from the knife wound on her thigh couldn't compete with the drowsiness caused by this bizarre influence.

Pei Siying stared at Lin Youwei’s pale face, a cruel arc forming on her lips. She said, "So this is the final 'food'? The game should end now."

The ground writhed more violently until it cracked open, turning into a thick, foul-smelling black substance. They began to sink slowly.

It was "digesting" the remaining survivors.

A flash of gloom crossed Zhang Min’s eyes before she resumed her sorrowful expression. "Is there really no other way...?"

Pei Siying shook her hands impatiently. "Stop acting, Zhang Min. Most of the people are dead anyway. Feed this last one to it, and we can be done."

She locked her eyes onto Lin Youwei, as if targeting prey.

Yu Yue shielded Lin Youwei behind her. She tried to retreat, but the slime, like a swamp, swallowed her feet.

"What... are you trying to do?" Her voice trembled with fear.

"What am I trying to do? Ha?" Pei Siying looked like a bully cornering a defenseless girl. "What do you think?"

She flicked her wrist, and a blade of ice grazed Yu Yue’s cheek. A lock of hair slid down from her shoulder, falling into the viscous black sludge and being swallowed whole.

"Put her on the ground. If you want to die, go die on your own."

"We don't have time to play house with you."

She offered a cruel smile.

The black slime continued to rise, submerging them past their knees. Yu Yue held Lin Youwei tightly.

"Last warning. Put her down," Pei Siying’s voice turned icy.

The black mist grew thicker, taking on a viscous texture. Yu Yue freed one hand, extending her fingers. A vine, neither thin nor thick, sprouted from her fingertips. She lashed out at Pei Siying, her voice cold and hard: "If someone has to die, why must it be the senior?"

"It’s not you."

Pei Siying sneered, flicking her wrist to send another ice blade from her palm, severing the incoming vine. She arched her brows mockingly.

"Plant-based attributes aren't as strong as the ice element."

"Since you’ve refused your last chance..."

"Then..."

She extended her palm, and an ice blade flashed directly toward Yu Yue’s throat.

Just as it was about to strike—

A black shadow flashed by.