Parker has been very anxious lately; these past few nights, he’s found it hard to fall asleep, his heart weighed down as if by a heavy stone.
Tomorrow, he must once again “pay tribute” to that monster. The consecutive disappearance of two people close to him has already drawn others’ attention.
“I heard that both Lips and Keston vanished after going out alone with him…”
“Could that kid Parker have sold them to a wizard? But I heard Keston’s got some real skills.”
“Hey, as the saying goes, one cup of drugged wine can knock you out—no matter how skilled you are.”
Wherever Parker went, people around him were whispering. Even the folks near Shevar gave him odd looks, and no one bothered to strike up a conversation with him.
In a situation like this, where was he supposed to find someone to bring to the monster tomorrow?
What’s more, Parker still remembered how, after the monster finished devouring Keston, it fixed its crimson eyes on him and demanded he bring “more delicious food” next time.
In other words, it wanted to eat stronger people.
Even if he stooped so low as to trick a commoner or a child, that probably wouldn’t cut it!
If he couldn’t satisfy the monster, it might turn on him in a fit of rage, making him the next meal.
With time running out, Parker had no choice but to shamelessly approach some tough, capable people, asking if they’d like to go out with him tomorrow to “have some fun.”
All he got in return were scornful glares and harsh words. One hothead even kicked him outright.
As night deepened, going around looking for people late at night only made him seem more suspicious.
Letting out a long sigh, Parker lay down on a street bench. As usual, he treated it like a bed, ready to catch some sleep first.
But tomorrow, even if he had to trick someone, he had to bring a person along.
The Next Day
“Hey, damn it, I said I’m not going, I’m not going!” A man furiously slapped Parker’s outstretched hand away, staring at the greasy Parker with utter disgust.
Parker wore a set of old, ill-fitting clothes. His overly long, oily hair hung damply over his forehead, clumping together in strands that made its thinness more obvious. A faint whiff of hair oil lingered around him—he was so filthy it could make you gag.
Forcing a smile, Parker was about to say something more when he suddenly felt a large hand clamp down on his shoulder from above.
A muscular brute in a gray tank top, built like an ape, had appeared behind him unnoticed. His small eyes narrowed into slits. This was Black Mountain, the strongest fighter at Shevar’s side.
Parker had always suspected this guy carried a hefty dose of primal genes—not just in his physique, but in his savage personality too.
He recalled how, on many occasions during meals, Black Mountain would grab raw, bloody meat with his hands and shove it into his mouth, claiming it was the freshest and tastiest that way.
One memory stood out even more, leaving an indelible mark on Parker and making him wary of Black Mountain ever since.
It was during some unsavory act—overcome with rage, Black Mountain had bitten a huge chunk of flesh from a woman’s chest, strangled her to death, and then satisfied himself on her still-twitching corpse.
In short, the guy felt like an uncivilized barbarian.
And now, this barbarian was asking where Parker was headed—and insisting on tagging along.
Naturally, Parker wanted to brush him off with a few excuses, but the moment Black Mountain heard it, his face darkened. Parker knew that one more word out of line would earn him a slap across the face.
Leading the two toward the “usual spot,” Parker was a nervous wreck the whole way.
Black Mountain was incredibly strong. Someone like Keston? He’d be crushed by him in seconds.
Keston was just a rookie adventurer, always bragging to those around him about how he’d passed the test and was now a real adventurer, no longer some ordinary nobody. But Black Mountain and Shevar couldn’t care less about that so-called adventurer evaluation—plenty of adventurers had met their end at their hands, after all.
As for that monster…
It seemed the Monster Lady was far more mysterious, her methods otherworldly. Maybe she’d eat Black Mountain too.
Then what? If Black Mountain vanished, Ling Feng would absolutely lose it—probably digging up the earth itself to track him down.
They’d figure out Black Mountain had last been with him. Heck, this muscle-brained oaf suddenly showing up and insisting on following him might even be Ling Feng’s doing.
There was another possibility: Black Mountain could win.
No need to spell it out—if Black Mountain beat the Monster Lady, Parker would definitely be the next one ripped to shreds.
So really, he had only one way out: the Monster Lady had to kill Black Mountain, and then he’d use her to escape Shevar’s inevitable payback.
Pressing both hands to his forehead, he raked his greasy hair upward, fluffing out the strands stuck to his skin. It was a habit of Parker’s—something to keep his appearance decent for a few minutes.
Truth be told, he was pretty confident the monster could take Black Mountain. No matter how you sliced it, she was stronger.
Whether she’d help him, though? That was anyone’s guess.
Reaching that familiar, secluded alley, Parker finally let out a breath of relief.
He’d been terrified the whole time—that as they ventured deeper into isolated territory, Black Mountain might stop walking and just attack him. The last two victims had sensed something off midway and questioned him repeatedly, but he’d managed to dodge their suspicions.
If this muscle-bound beast got wary, Parker would probably be hoisted up like a helpless chick, dead before he even knew what hit him.
Yet Black Mountain stayed silent, acting like he’d stick it out to the end.
Before Parker could process it, a young girl appeared ahead of them. She eyed Black Mountain up and down like she was sizing up merchandise, then turned her gaze to Parker.
“Not bad, not bad. The quality’s a lot higher this time.”
Her sudden appearance clearly caught Black Mountain off guard too. He stepped back quietly and said to the eerie “girl,” “Hey, who are you? Did you kill those two from before?”
“…Heh heh heh…”
Without a word of reply, she attacked. Parker only saw her lunge forward in an instant, black magical auras swirling around her. Black Mountain’s massive frame crumpled like paper, torn apart in a flash.
Unlike last time, the “girl” didn’t use any strange magic. In her human form, she started devouring the flesh right then and there. After two experiences, Parker was braver now. He watched as she ripped open Black Mountain’s stomach, ate all the organs clean, then went for the meatier parts—arms and legs.
The leftovers—head, feet, and such—were swallowed up by flames that appeared out of thin air. In a blink, Black Mountain joined the others before him, gone without a trace.
Seeing her nearly done eating, Parker mustered his courage and stepped forward, speaking to the “girl” in as friendly and humble a tone as he could manage.
“My lady, I’ve been doing my best to meet your demands. But honestly, I might be finished. They’ve figured out I’m behind the disappearances. That guy just now was our boss’s brother—they’re definitely coming for me.”
The girl tilted her head to look at him, her blood-red eyes locked on his face, as if mulling something over.
“So please, think of a way to help me keep bringing you food. Otherwise, their people will nab me soon, and I’ve got no way to fight back…”
She ignored Parker’s plea entirely, but a faint smile crept onto her face.
“Hey, how long’s it been since you washed your hair?”
“I… uh, well, yesterday morning…” Parker choked on the totally unexpected question, his mind blanking out for a second before he stammered a reply.
—
