Hmm, what’s happening to me…
Drowsy and groggy, Bai Jia’s consciousness awoke from a daze.
Moonlight like salt spilled outside the window, creating mottled white patches on the bedding.
In the dark hospital room, only the lonely sound of cicadas echoed.
Bai Jia was a bit confused.
He remembered just a moment ago he was doing math homework.
How did he end up lying in bed?
No, wait—
This looked like a hospital ward.
And his body ached…
Could he have suddenly fallen ill at school and passed out?
Or was he transported to another world?
It couldn’t be that a terrorist organization had launched a surprise attack on Lianshan High School and he got caught in the crossfire, right?
Just as Bai Jia tried to sort out his thoughts, a dark figure blocked the moonlight between him and the window.
He instinctively looked over.
It was a beautiful girl dressed entirely in red.
Her fiery hair cascaded to her neck, and her crimson eyes gleamed like glowing rubies in the dim ward.
She wore a gorgeous red outfit, with fair, flawless skin exposed.
The clearly visible, powerful muscle lines on her limbs hinted at the terrifying strength within this girl.
If she weren’t as short as an elementary schooler, Bai Jia might have blurted out, “Whoa, it’s a muscular big sister.”
But at this moment, Bai Jia stared at the crimson girl, and she looked back at him with a bright smile.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
The girl seemed surprised by Bai Jia’s revival.
“Um, little sister, what are you doing here? Are you lost?”
Out of normal human instinct, Bai Jia spoke gently to the girl who looked like she wasn’t even in sixth grade.
But the girl’s mouth twitched when she heard the term “little sister,” as if she were angry.
“The hell you call little sister? I’m thirty-seven years old this year!”
“Huh?”
Bai Jia was stunned by her words, then looked her up and down again.
Who the hell is a thirty-seven-year-old aunt who looks like this?
A legal loli, huh?
“Tch, I don’t have time to explain. Anyway, you’re coming with me.”
“What the—whoa!”
Ignoring Bai Jia’s reaction, the girl, strong as an ox, hoisted the high schooler onto her shoulder like a little piglet.
“Whoa, this young lady!”
Bai Jia yelped.
He instinctively tried to struggle, but the girl’s arm was like an industrial-grade hydraulic clamp, pressing down on his body so he couldn’t move an inch.
He tried to shout, but the girl stuffed a towel into his mouth.
He could only look desperately at the other patients in the room, hoping they’d wake up from the noise.
“Hehehe, useless. Those patients are all dead asleep because of the Church of Light. You waking up early like this is pretty rare.”
The girl patted Bai Jia’s butt, then opened the window as if to jump out.
Bai Jia was startled.
He clearly saw they were on the tenth floor! The cars below looked as small as ants.
Are you trying to commit suicide?
Don’t drag me along!
Am I going to die too?
Just as the girl set one foot on the windowsill and was about to leap, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Annie, put him down.”
Then, outside the window, the high air was suddenly filled with green mist.
Finally here.
Annie smiled faintly.
She turned around and looked at the center of the ward.
“You’re slow, Xiao Xia.”
On the floor of the ward, viscous sewage oozed out from the gaps, pooling into a murky green puddle.
That puddle, like a rising mountain, gradually bulged and finally took human form.
Xia Lan stepped out of the filth, his gaze cold.
“Hey, hey, no need to be so serious, Xiao Xia.”
Seeing Xia Lan’s expression, Annie felt something was off.
Why was he suddenly so stern?
‘He’s usually pretty easygoing, why does it feel like he’s about to attack me any second?’
“Did you find out already?”
Huh?
Find out what?
Annie was confused, but she knew she couldn’t show weakness now.
She kept her composure, maintaining her smile.
“Of course. Don’t underestimate Leonard’s intelligence network. You should have known that for years.”
Next moment, Annie felt Xia Lan’s aura suddenly intensify, as if he was about to explode, but then it subsided.
He stared at Annie calmly.
“Looks like I’ve been negligent.”
…So what exactly is this about?
“Annabelle, have we launched any new operations recently? Why is Xiao Xia so angry?”
[Lady Annie, according to checks, among Leonard Corporation’s recent projects are the following…]
Annie quickly listened to Annabelle’s report.
She was sure none of those projects would provoke such a strong reaction from Xia Lan.
Even more confidential projects Annie herself had no access to.
Whatever, she’d think about it later.
For now, follow the plan—
“Anyway, I’m taking this guy back today. I hope you can cut me some slack.”
Annie pointed at Bai Jia on her shoulder, revealing bright teeth.
“Then it depends on your skill.”
Xia Lan’s left half of his body scattered into countless spores, instantly filling the entire room.
At the same time, at the junction of his left and right halves, what emerged from deep inside his shell was not flesh and organs—
Instead, it was layer upon layer of rotted, maggot-infested fangs, like the maw of a giant maggot worm!
Annie felt the stench hit her.
Spores began to attach to her skin, absorbing, taking root, and sprouting.
Behind her, the window was also sealed by a layer of black mud.
Without the moonlight, the ward plunged into pitch darkness.
“You’re playing for real right off the bat!”
Annie’s mouth twitched.
“Annabelle, calculate for me!”
[Yes, Lady Annie]
Annie adjusted Bai Jia on her shoulder.
A crimson greatsword materialized in her right hand, and she charged straight at Xia Lan!
And Bai Jia, at this point, was already terrified by the scene.
What the hell is this?
Where did this superpower brawl come from?
Am I going to die?
I’m definitely going to die.
Under the threat of death, Bai Jia’s adrenaline surged like never before.
Crisis, survival instinct, fear, excitement—
Countless emotions assaulted his nerves at this moment.
In the pitch darkness, even he didn’t notice that deep in his abdomen, something twitched inexplicably.