A real gun!?
Li Chengyi and Meng Dongdong both froze. In their day-to-day lives, neither had expected to encounter someone carrying a firearm. In Yi Country, firearms were tightly regulated. Only certified professionals—police, military, elite bodyguards—were allowed to carry them.
For this man to have brought one in... his background was likely far from ordinary.
"Monster?" the man asked, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Li Chengyi. "You're the one who mentioned a monster earlier, right?"
Li remained silent. He could already sense the hostility behind the man's gaze. This guy wasn't asking out of curiosity—he was testing him.
"Answer me. Where's this 'monster' of yours? Got any proof?"
But what proof could he offer?
All the traces had mysteriously disappeared.
Bang!
The man abruptly lowered the gun and fired a shot—right at Li's feet.
A shallow crater appeared in the concrete. Li's heart thumped madly.
"Time for you to leave," the man said coldly, eyes like steel.
"I don't know what your problem is," Li replied, struggling to keep his voice steady, "but I already warned you. These maintenance doors are dangerous—"
"Leave!" the man barked, cutting him off.
He turned to Meng Dongdong. "You should stay away from him. I suspect this guy's mentally unstable."
Without a word, Meng stepped behind the gunman. Compared to Li Chengyi, this cold, armed stranger seemed far more trustworthy—at least on the surface.
Li's eyes never left the gun.
He didn't know why the man was being so aggressive, but there was no question—backing off was the only safe move.
He reached for his supply bag.
"Drop it!" the gunman barked again.
"This is mine—"
"I said drop it!"
The man's finger tensed on the trigger. Li Chengyi froze, then slowly let go of the bag, raising his hands as he retreated—step by step—until he was twenty meters away.
His whole body trembled with tension. His breath was shallow, heart pounding.
That man could've killed him just now.
And what made it worse was how helpless it all felt. He'd been disarmed, humiliated, and robbed.
His bag wasn't just food—it had a basic first-aid kit. Essentials. Lifelines.
If only he still had the Flower Scale Armor...
But even with it, he couldn't be sure it could stop a bullet.
Still, there was one thing he was sure of now:
Never again.
Never again would he be powerless like this.
When I get out of here... I'll master everything about the Evil Flower's powers. I'll never let this happen again.
He turned and headed upward toward the next level. He had no food, no medical supplies—but he still had one ace left: the cassette player in his coat pocket.
That old music tape had played during his first dead zone premonition.
Maybe... it held a clue.
But just as he took a step—
Click.
A sound behind him. Subtle. But unmistakable.
A door handle turning.
The maintenance room.
Li's instincts screamed at him to run.
No armor. No energy. He wouldn't survive another encounter.
But then a thought flickered through his mind.
What if the gunman and Meng are attacked?
What if the monster chases them—and I use the chaos to take back my supplies?
He stopped moving. Carefully, he crept back to the corner and peered around the bend.
A hundred meters away, the man and Meng Dongdong stood facing the maintenance room.
Li pulled out his phone, zooming in with the camera to get a better look.
The gunman was aiming at the door, face tight with focus.
Meng looked uncertain—confused, even.
Li zoomed in on the handle.
It was turning.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Then, the door creaked open.
And from within, it emerged—a massive, two-meter-wide black-and-white face.
A piercing scream rang out—Meng Dongdong.
The gunman shouted curses. His pistol cracked again and again.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Every shot hit. But the holes in the face sealed up immediately.
The monster didn't flinch.
It floated toward them—faster than before.
Li Chengyi didn't wait to see what happened next.
He ran.
Up the slope, lungs burning, mind screaming.
No time to look back.
[🔥 Interactive Ending – Suspense + Encouragement]A gun. A monster. A trap.Would you take the chance to escape—or try to save what's yours?💬 Comment below with your choice!📌 Don't forget to add this book to your library so you won't miss what's next!