Chapter 94: Killing Intent
WARNING!
This Chapter contains explicit gore and blood, please read at your own risk!
Ling Yu helped him to his feet. Fluffy immediately climbed onto his lap, chirping as though to comfort him. The boy’s amber eyes widened again, this time with a faint, fragile smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He reached a trembling hand toward Fluffy, who allowed itself to be petted proudly.
[Survivor has formed a temporary trust with you.]
[Survivor possesses world-class abilities. Expect sponsor interference.]
Ling Yu’s gaze flicked once more to the golden book still hovering faintly above his head. Yes. This was not someone she could abandon.
Behind her, Shen Ming’s voice cut in, smooth as ever yet edged with calculation.
"Interesting find, Lady Ling. If I didn’t know better, I’d say fate itself delivered him into your hands." He smiled faintly, though his eyes glittered with hidden greed. "Perhaps we should... share custody. He would make a fine addition to my camp."
Fluffy immediately hissed again, wings flaring at Shen Ming this time.
[Fluffy absolutely refuses Shen Ming’s proposal.]
[Fluffy votes to peck his eyes out.]
Ling Yu stood, her expression cold as she positioned herself slightly in front of the boy.
"No," she said simply. Her tone left no room for negotiation.
For the first time, Shen Ming’s smile faltered.
"Since I’m the one who helped him, then he belongs to me, solely." Ling Yu held her chin up with arrogance and pride of a shere noble, from head to toe, once again confirming that Shen Ming didn’t choose the wrong person.
The moment she helped the boy up and confirmed that he could stand, something in Ling Yu shifted.
The thugs groaning on the ground thought it was over. That she would just stop at breaking bones and bruising flesh. That she was simply making a statement.
They were wrong.
Her eyes, once calm, grew colder than ice. The air itself seemed to thicken, as though the space inside the shed had been sealed off from the world. Fluffy froze, feathers puffing in alarm as its sharp instincts caught the shift in her aura.
[Warning!]
[Host’s killing intent has spiked.]
[Host has entered "Cruel Rampage" state.]
[Temporary Buff: All stats increased by 35%.]
Ling Yu turned back toward the men on the ground, her motion slow and deliberate.
One tried to crawl away. His hand reached out, bloody fingers scraping against the concrete, his voice trembling, "W-we were just—just playing around, miss—"
Her boot came down on his wrist before he could finish. The crack was louder this time. He screamed, high-pitched, blood-curdling.
Ling Yu didn’t flinch. She ground her heel in deeper, twisting until bone and sinew snapped like dry twigs. The man convulsed, his eyes rolling.
"You think it’s a game?" Her voice was low, almost calm. That calmness was worse than a shout, something that chilled everyone who heard it. "To strip, to beat, to force yourselves on someone weaker? That’s a game to you?"
Another man, the one with the broken jaw, tried to rise to his knees, babbling nonsense through bloody teeth. She was already on him. Her hand gripped his hair, yanking his head back so his throat stretched bare. Her knee slammed into his face once, twice, thrice, each impact cracking cartilage until his nose was nothing but pulp.
By the time she let go, he collapsed face-first, twitching, his mouth bubbling with blood. He wouldn’t be getting up again.
The last thug was shaking uncontrollably, pinned against a crate, eyes darting between her and Shen Ming, who still stood at the entrance. "Boss! Help— help me!"
But Shen Ming didn’t move. His smile remained, though his eyes were narrow slits of calculation. He was watching and measuring.
Ling Yu crouched before the last thug, her face expressionless. "Do you know what happens when corpses aren’t burned?"
He blinked, confused, panicked. "Wh-what—"
"They rise."
Her hand shot out, fingers like a vice around his throat. She slammed him into the ground with such force that the boards cracked beneath him. He gagged, clawing at her hand, feet kicking desperately.
She leaned closer, her eyes like bottomless pits. "Don’t worry. You won’t have the chance to rise again."
Her other hand plunged into his mouth before he could scream. Fingers hooked into his jaw, she yanked.
Snap.
His jaw dislocated, hanging grotesquely as blood streamed down.
The boy behind her let out a strangled gasp, covering his mouth with trembling hands.
Even Fluffy flinched, feathers ruffling nervously.
[System: Host has inflicted Permanent Disability.]
[System Note: Cruelty levels recorded. Nearby survivors will gain Fear state when perceiving Host.]
She released the thug, letting him choke and writhe, unable to even beg for mercy. Then, without hesitation, her boot came down on his chest. Stomping on it mercilessly once, twice.
Until the ribs caved in, his body convulsed weakly before going limp.
The shed stank of blood, sharp and metallic. The three men lay broken, unrecognizable, their futures ended with no possibility of return.
Ling Yu rose slowly, her hands and boots stained crimson. Her breath was calm and steady, like she had merely finished a chore.
The boy stared at her, wide-eyed, trembling not just from fear but from disbelief. This was no fragile savior. This was a predator, a queen of death. Yet she had chosen to protect him. His lips parted, but no words came.
Fluffy, after a long silence, hopped up onto her shoulder again. It tilted its head, looking at the carnage, then at her, and let out a soft chirp. As though saying: You went too far, but... I understand.
[Fluffy sympathizes with the Host.]
[Fluffy has imprinted further, despite trauma.]
At the entrance, Shen Ming finally clapped. Slowly.
"Well," he said softly. His tone was smooth, but there was an edge now, something sharp hidden behind the silk. "That was... breathtaking." His eyes gleamed. "Truly, Lady Ling, you are not someone ordinary. No wonder someone like Song calls you master."