Chapter 92: The Strange Figure
"Xiaoguang, compare the subtle changes in the environment within your field of view and make annotations."
"Xiaoguang, acknowledged."
Suhao looked back again.
"Comparison successful."
Xiaoguang had marked four locations in Suhao's field of view with red circles, varying in size, extending from a distant location to the nearest tree.
Suhao glanced at the tree out of the corner of his eye and immediately noticed a strange figure. It hung upside down on a small branch like a bat, with its hands crossed in front of its chest, partly obscured by leaves, swaying gently with the branch.
If it weren't for Xiaoguang's subtle comparison, Suhao would have never noticed the strange figure hidden in the tree.
Although it was just a brief glance, with Xiaoguang's assistance, Suhao was able to clearly see the appearance of the figure.
It appeared humanoid, but quite different from an ordinary person. Its elongated ears were covered in black hair, giving them a disproportionately large appearance. It had a small growth on the tip of its turned-up nose, and two sharp fangs protruded from its upper jaw, pressing against its lower lip. The creature's hands, crossed over its chest, had a thin layer of membrane extending all the way down to its knees, making it look like a humanoid bat.
"What is this thing?" Suhao muttered as he walked, deliberately avoiding the hiding spot and heading in another direction.
There were no people around, and the figure seemed to be in no hurry to take action, waiting for the night to fall completely.
Suhao concluded that there must be a connection between the eerie nights in Silin City and this strange figure. However, one thing puzzled Suhao: Why did this figure target him?
Shouldn't it go after someone more substantial to feed on? He was just a three-year-old child, hardly enough to satisfy its hunger!
Could it be that this figure was so weak that it had resorted to hunting defenseless children?
Suhao found a corner against the wall, leaned against it, and slowly sat down, curling up and pretending to be asleep.
But his slightly narrowed eyes observed the movements of the strange figure, and the short spear by his side was ready to deliver a lethal blow at any moment.
The figure liked to hang itself upside down high above, like a pendant, blending into the darkness of the night and making it difficult to spot.
Half an hour later, as the sky turned completely dark, the figure moved. It released its grip on the branch and started free-falling. Then, it opened thin membranous wings and glided silently toward Suhao. The entire process was utterly soundless.
When the figure approached within three meters, Suhao suddenly opened his eyes wide and launched himself forward.
In the darkness, their eyes met.
They passed each other.
"Chi!"
"Ding-ka!"
"Bang!"
The faint red glow on Suhao's body dimmed, and the short spear had vanished from his hand, appearing in the neck of the figure, piercing it and shattering the vertebrae.
At the moment the short spear penetrated the figure's neck, it lost consciousness, but its body continued to twitch uncontrollably. After a moment, the twitching ceased.
In that split second, it had used a "barrier" to block the opponent's claw strike and drove the spear into the figure's throat, delivering a fatal blow.
The elite bloodline within him was only enough to draw one rune.
But that single rune was more than enough!
Suhao approached the figure slowly, carefully observing its strange body structure. It looked like a humanoid bat but had surpassed the boundaries of humanity. He didn't know if there were more figures lurking in the darkness, so he needed to leave as soon as possible.
Suhao approached and pulled out his spear, wiping away the bloodstains on the figure's body before preparing to leave.
"Hmm?" Suhao stopped and reached out to take a package from the figure, shaking it casually.
"Ding-ling~"
To his surprise, it was the sound of coins clinking. Opening the package, he found a bag full of Zhu coins, at least two hundred.
Suhao was puzzled. Did even the figure use money?
Regardless, the money was now his.
"Hurry, leave!" Suhao turned towards the corner, packed his belongings, and quietly left along the wall.
However, before he had gone far, he heard the sound of faint footsteps behind him. In this silent night, the sound was exceptionally clear.
Suhao instinctively turned to look. In the dark, he widened his pupils, allowing him to see what was happening behind him.
People who appeared seemingly normal emerged quietly from various corners. They wore masks, concealing their features, with only their eyes and mouths exposed. Clearly, they were prepared.
They slowly approached the bat-like figure.
Then something horrifying happened.
One by one, these people started crouching down, opening their mouths to reveal sharp teeth, and viciously biting into the figure's body, tearing off bloody chunks of flesh without chewing, swallowing them whole.
And then they eagerly took another bite!
Seven or eight people surrounded the figure's corpse, each devouring a portion.
"...," Suhao watched in horror from a distance.
"This world is abnormal!!!"
Chills ran down Suhao's spine. He thought he had experienced everything during his existence of who knows how long. But he had never seen something like this. The elegant and delicate Zhu people turned so bloody and savage at night?
And the footsteps continued to approach from a distance, indicating that more people were coming.
In no time, the figure's body would be devoured to nothing but bones.
Then Suhao remembered the large barrel filled with skeletons, which he saw almost every morning as it was wheeled out of the city by a cart!
Suddenly, everything became clear to Suhao. That realization instantly brought clarity to many things.
But new questions emerged. Why did the Zhu people devour this figure? Was it merely a necessary survival activity, or was there something else going on?
Suhao's curiosity was almost exploding, but his rationality warned him of the danger present. He needed to leave as soon as possible.
Once he reached the Grandmaster level, he would uncover the secrets hidden in the darkness of Silin City!
Ignoring the gruesome scene behind him, Suhao swiftly departed and, once he confirmed there was no one around, slipped into his hiding place.
Block the entrance of the hole!
Safe!
Suhao, now completely calm, began contemplating everything he had seen and heard in Silin City over the past month.
During the day, everything seemed relatively normal, resembling the structure of an old-world city. The area was extensive, but there were no distinctive landmarks like the Lord's Manor or other buildings associated with governance.
There were only luxurious five-story buildings, said to be the residence of the "Shanghe Society."
The most significant difference in this city compared to the previous world was the absence of city walls!
An old-world city without walls?
This fact sparked many thoughts in Suhao's mind. The most plausible explanation was that there were no significant threats outside the city that could endanger this scattered urban area.
In summary, the city's biggest threat did not come from outside but from within.
If this hypothesis held true, the presence or absence of city walls would be inconsequential.
"No wars?" Suhao expressed his surprise. Although it was common to see cities without walls in modern society, it was rare in ancient times.
What was hidden in Silin City?
Once night fell, the atmosphere of the entire city changed. The scene Suhao witnessed tonight was likely to occur every night, as evidenced by the sight of the bone-filled barrels every morning.
Suhao had limited information inherited from his original self, only knowing that he had to hide well and not wander around at night.
"So many questions, but they're of no use now. Danger could strike at any moment. The priority is to replenish my elite bloodline and advance to the Grandmaster level." Suhao sat cross-legged in the small space, dismissing his scattered thoughts and quickly entering a state of deep meditation to refine and transform his bloodline.
(translated by begs)