Chapter 153: Little Doll, Don’t Be Afraid

“What just happened?”

In the narrow streets of the small town outside, at the moment when countless Qin Ran awakened simultaneously, a person who resembled a little boy with an obviously large head was retreating in terror back into the room. He gasped for breath, his face filled with an incomprehensible expression:

“Why didn’t it work?”

According to the intelligence obtained by Lu Xin through interrogating Chen Zhong, his code name was Big Head Ghost, but his specific abilities were unknown.

But one thing was certain: he was the source of multiple sudden Special Contamination Incidents in Qing Harbor Satellite City No.2. His ability involved implanting an abnormal emotion into a recipient’s body by gifting something like a rose or another specific item.

At this moment, this somewhat battle-hardened Ability User mercenary was bewildered.

Just now, when that cluelessly intrusive Ability User from Qinggang City discovered them in Happy Town, they certainly discovered him too.

Immediately, he used his ability, leveraging a not yet fully corrupted little boy from this small town, to give that Qinggang City Ability User a handful of sour dates. He also saw accurately and unmistakably that the Ability User accepted that handful of sour dates.

Therefore, when that Ability User fought the boss, he timely exerted his role…

At this point, that Ability User should have found it very hard to refuse his request.

He understood his ability well and judged the scale perfectly.

At this time, that Ability User should have grown more agitated as soon as he heard his voice.

Although, within such a short period, it was not enough for the Ability User’s liking toward him to ferment to a strength sufficient to overwhelm all his other emotions and rationality, making him obedient, the impact on his will was already sufficient.

This was the effect he could achieve.

His ability was not suited for direct confrontation with Ability Users, but once it hit, it was nearly irresolvable…

He knew the boss needed a little help at this moment, so he grasped it precisely.

As an assistant, his ability to gain even half a second for the boss was good.

But what he saw was that, after he spoke, that Ability User still rushed straight out.

And seized the boss’s throat with one hand.

“Was this going to mean changing bosses again?”

That ghostly abrupt and swift scene left Big Head Ghost somewhat confused and even more panicked…

…Why didn’t his ability work?

Then, at this very moment, Big Head Ghost suddenly heard a faint, elusive laugh.

“Hehe, Big Brother…”

Big Head Ghost jolted awake, turning to look around.

But inside the characteristic house of this small town, he saw nothing at all, only sensing a faint, eerie breeze brush past.

From the windows of the house, some moonlight could filter through, yet the majority of the room remained hidden in darkness.

For some reason, he felt that in this darkness, a pair of eyes seemed to be watching him.

Those eyes were filled with excitement, cunning…

…as well as cuteness and sweetness!

Big Head Ghost stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move at all.

His nerves were stretched to the limit as he carefully observed a tiny device at his waist, his breathing having temporarily stopped.

But that device strangely showed no sign of movement.

After an unknown amount of time, another faint, cool breeze blew through the room, like a small whirl of air.

That sound, which seemed only audible if listened to unintentionally, yet disappeared when closely paid attention to, rang out again:

“I really like you…”

“…”

“Beep—”

At that very instant, the alarm device at Big Head Ghost’s waist suddenly blared out a piercing siren.

Red light burst forth, illuminating some of the darkness in the room.

This abrupt change instantly sent cold sweat pouring all over this Big Head Ghost’s body, giving him a sensation of all his blood rushing to his head.

The tiny psychometric device either showed no reaction at all or reacted at full intensity instantly…

What in the world had he encountered?

When his mind went blank, his usual vigilance still kicked in.

His somewhat short and deformed body had never moved this fast before. Instantly, he detached the miniature device from his waist and threw it out.

As the device left his hand and soared through the air, it split into several segments. Thick, finger-like Blue Electric Arcs flashed between them, crisscrossing and expanding. In an instant, the arcs filled the entire room.

He lunged towards the rear window of the house, poised to dash out.

He wasn’t strong physically, but now, probably due to extreme tension, he moved with much greater agility.

In one step, he reached the window, planted a hand on the sill, and prepared to leap out.

But the very moment he exerted force, he abruptly slammed face-first onto the ground. So sudden was the fall, he didn’t react in time. His large head struck the window sill with a heavy thud. The pain was searing, and warm liquid started flowing out.

“What just happened?”

He didn’t understand. Why had he fallen doing such a simple motion?

As he pondered, he raised his head, and saw in the fading afterglow of the vanishing Blue Electric Arc something illuminated on the ceiling.

It was a grubby swatch of white skirt corner, flickering out of sight.

Big Head Ghost felt a jolt of terror chilling his scalp. He had no time to think. He thrust out his left hand to grab the window ledge.

He still desperately wanted to escape the room.

But once he grasped the ledge and tried to pull himself up, his body twisted, trapping him. He couldn’t rise.

Only then did he realize: the hand that had reached out wasn’t his left hand, but his right.

He’d intended to use his left, felt sure he was using his left… so why was it his right out there?

In his mind, he commanded his left hand to grip the ledge, turn his body left, and stand. But the reaching hand became his right, while his body twisted left. This created opposing, twisting forces, entangling him… A panicked gurgle escaped his throat. He hurriedly tried to use the grip of his right hand, twisting his body right this time to stand up. Yet again, he failed.

His left hand moved numbly forward, gripping the ledge as well. His two arms now moved in conflict.

Panicked, he scrabbled his feet against the floor, trying to push his body up using his legs. Instead, he toppled over sideways.

When he tried to push with his left leg, his right leg pushed instead, flipping him over…

…Finally, he understood what was happening to him.

He didn’t know why, but he realized his body’s sense of left and right, up and down, had become distorted.

The perception of his left hand had switched with his right. His right hand’s perception had switched with his left. The same inversion applied to his legs.

If he had to describe it… it was like a stuffed doll ripped apart and sewn back together.

But both arms and legs had been reattached incorrectly…

…Was this the influence of that Ability User of Qinggang City?

…But he was supposed to be outside fighting the boss at this moment!

…

“Hehe, you’re so cute…”

“Now you’re my Toy…”

“…”

Though unable to comprehend why, the sense of distortion wracking Big Head Ghost intensified.

As the distortion grew worse, it also seemed to heighten a particular Perception.

The faint, playful voice whispering at the edge of his hearing finally sharpened. In this seemingly empty, shadow-drenched room, he saw an impression, a silhouette: something crawling on the wall, laughing at him.

It was a small, dim figure clad in a dirty little white dress, clinging upside-down high on the ceiling like a wraith.

Her eyes were large, with too much white showing around pinprick pupils.

Jet black hair hung in tangled strands. Her expression resembled a wide grin, exposing small, sharp teeth…

His own vision was twisting now, like he viewed the world through a kaleidoscope.

Within this panorama of warped and bizarre refractions, he glimpsed that exceptionally… pretty little girl.

She drifted soundlessly down, landing lightly on the floor. Cocking her head, she studied him intently.

Slowly, her smile widened, growing more intense. Excited, she extended a tiny hand towards him, as if longing to pick him up…

…

“No…”

The Fear choking Big Head Ghost was beyond description. He could only use all his strength to scream.

But it seemed even his tongue had been twisted into knots. His voice emerged as fragmented, choking gurgles.

Only God could understand his pleading words now…

…And it seemed God truly heard!

Just as the little girl dropped from the ceiling and was about to embrace him, she suddenly glanced sharply out the window. Whatever she confirmed out there made a flicker of disgust and dread cross her small face.

She merely drifted down beside Big Head Ghost and stretched out a small hand to gently stroke his large head.

Her voice was soft, lilting like a lullaby.

“Little Doll, don’t be scared…”

“Father is about to break free.”

“He’s very fierce, don’t be scared…”

“I’ll protect my Little Doll,”

“Therefore…”

She tenderly wrapped her small arms around Big Head Ghost’s head: “Therefore, I’ll kill you first…”

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared… once there are many wounds, it won’t hurt anymore…”

“…”

“Aagh…”

In his final moments, Big Head Ghost finally managed a proper, agonized scream…

…Well, he thought it was a proper scream. To any listener, it remained merely an inarticulate, dying gurgle.

…

Simultaneously, outside the house, amid a writhing mass of Monsters, Lu Xin’s head drooped slightly. Strange faces multiplied on his body, seeming poised to consume him entirely as he stood still, unmoving.

High above, the Crimson Moon hung suspended, casting his figure into a slender Shadow.

Then, that slender Shadow began to deepen, twist, and its darkness spread endlessly wider.

The next moment, the Shadow abruptly rose to its feet.

It loomed at least twice as large as Lu Xin’s frail frame. From its profound, inky depths, two eyes abruptly opened wide.

Blood-red eyes.