Two giant pincers slowly rose, like a mantis's forelimbs. Although still blurry, one could vaguely discern that these two large pincers were composed of three segments.
The muffled walking sound that Tang Sui and the others heard originated from its segmented legs, which were elongated and resembled a scorpion's.
The silhouette of the clearly non-human creature deepened in the white fog, inching towards the food outside the convenience store, as if it had spotted a street-side vending machine during a stroll and decided to grab a snack.
The young, snack-loving, constable felt even more despair.
Yet, even at this critical juncture, he did not scream and attract the terrifying predator, leading to the annihilation of everyone inside the convenience store.
As the predator drew nearer, the young constable's trembling, pale lips turned back. His gray-blue eyes, brimming with tears, were filled with pleading. He moved his lips towards those pairs of eyes, now etched with fear.
"Please."
None of the people immersed in the predator's arrival and terror were moved by the constable's plight.
"Whoosh—!"
A tearing sound echoed. The forelimb pincers, which had been silently extended, were knocked away by two heavy impacts. The second impact even struck the joint connecting the pincers to the predator's limb. The immense destructive force shattered the connecting tendons and bones. A large amount of purplish-red blood mixed with small blood clots spurted out, landing on the ground with a sticky sound, leaving behind a large, nauseatingly foul-smelling pool of blood.
"Roar—!"
The creature's entire upright body staggered. Due to the fracture of its forelimbs, the predator let out a pained roar, tinged with confusion.
It seemed to be wondering how a mere snack could injure it.
"Oh my god!"
The people inside the convenience store exclaimed, retreating two steps in fear.
The young constable, realizing something, turned around blankly. Blood continuously seeped from his abdomen, dyeing most of his light blue shirt red.
"Young constable, would you like to come with me?"
A slender figure gradually became clearer in the rapidly flowing white mist. A girl with a faint smile on her face, her delicate, fair complexion unstained by any blood, looked as clean and tidy as before the disaster.
However, no one would mistake the girl for being gentle and harmless.
Because behind the angelic figure approaching, the predator, having been attacked by something unknown, was letting out a shrill howl as it limped away.
"Bang!"
"Roar—!"
Another dull collision sound rang out.
The white fog flowed more turbulently. This time, the people clearly saw the tall, non-human figure stagger again, losing its balance and slumping somewhat to the right. It became uneven, yet it still frantically attempted to flee into the denser fog.
The young constable stared blankly at the girl who had stopped five meters away. He watched as she said with a hint of distress, "I've been looking for the way back to my inn for a long time. Sir, you are the constable of this town, so you should be familiar with every street, right? Could you guide me?"
She looked at the blood-splattered face of the constable before her, and saw his dim, despairing eyes gradually light up. After being abandoned and betrayed by his own kind, someone had extended a hand, pulling him back from the brink of the abyss.
Even knowing that his abdomen had been pierced by a large hole, and that survival in this strange, unknown environment was extremely low, she still moved towards him.
"Are you... an angel?"
This was the only adjective the materialistic young constable could think of from the scarce theology he had encountered.
Tang Sui: "..."
Her footsteps faltered. A hint of indifference flickered across her delicate eyebrows. "I am not."
"So, are you willing to come with me?"
She placed the choice in the hands of the constable before her. The greatest threat had been driven away by her; the constable could have chosen to return to the embrace of his own people.
Destiny was the result of one's own choices, and Tang Sui did not wish to pluck a bitter gourd that had been forced.
The constable turned back.
Through the battered glass partition and the stacked rice bags, he saw his compatriots, who had previously threatened to kill him and offer him as a blood sacrifice, now looking at him in silence, devoid of any murderous intent. Even the burly man who had used him as a plaything, kicking him around and stabbing him with a kitchen knife, watched him with a complex expression.
They all seemed to be waiting for his decision.
One was the embrace of his own people, who no longer wished to kill him, possessed sufficient resources to survive, and still had manpower.
The other was an Eastern girl, who possessed unknown weapons, capable of repelling the fog monsters, denied being an angel, and of unknown origin.
The constable swept his gaze over the complex expressions of his compatriots. He let out a trembling breath, his voice hoarse as he spoke, "Even if I might not live long, become your burden, become new prey for those monsters, you wouldn't mind?"
He knew the potential consequences, having felt the depth of the stab from the burly man.
"Then are you willing to believe me?"
Tang Sui countered with a question. Her dark blue eyes remained calm, as if she would be fine with any answer the constable gave.
The constable gazed deeply at Tang Sui. Finally, though he dared not raise his hand, sticky with blood, his clean-shaven head bowed in Tang Sui's direction, signifying his choice.
It was like a weary soul, constantly tossed about in a natural disaster, had finally found a stable harbor to anchor itself, transferring all its weight onto it. Yet, the harbor stood firm amidst the chaotic storm, unswayed by his arrival.
This weary soul, filled with new hope, sought refuge from the owner of the harbor.
"I am."
A golden ball of light rose from the young constable and flew towards Tang Sui. To her surprise, it entered her body.
Concurrently, the dormant demonic energy, which had been like still water without response, rippled slightly, becoming perceptible.
"Faith."
The masks spoke in unison. Tang Sui looked at the constable with a hint of a peculiar expression.
Faith only appeared from living beings.
This man was a living human.
Though she didn't know about the others, this man was definitely alive.
The others in the convenience store showed no reaction to the ball of light that rose from the constable. Even the fanatic who had initially spoken of "divine punishment" remained unresponsive.
This meant that, apart from her, ordinary people could not see it.
The dense fog that could block her mental perception, resembling a hybrid of various insects; the golden points of faith that could restore demonic energy...
All the clues were analyzed and categorized in Tang Sui's mind. The crucial missing piece in the vast interconnected thread remained elusive.
Tang Sui closed her eyes, organizing the chaotic thoughts in her mind. She turned around without hesitation, her slightly curled dark red hair swirling in the air, parting the dense white mist.
"Follow me."
She had no interest in performing here.
After all, he was a constable, having passed through a hellish soldier selection process.
Based on her observation, the stab, though deep, was not fatal, and he should be able to hold on for a while longer.
The constable pursed his lips and limped slowly behind Tang Sui, who was also walking at a moderate pace, as if strolling through the fog.
Their figures were soon obscured by the rolling fog, making them invisible.
— Author's Notes —
The newly (promoted) spiritual being (from a pyramid scheme) is about to get to work.
See you tomorrow~