"So, we're just like... like two toy dolls, being manipulated by your plans?" Lin Sanjiu's voice trembled as she spoke.
She had never felt so vulnerable. For someone who could only hop to move, escaping from the flattened duoluozhong was practically impossible. It was so close that each breath it exhaled covered her in waves of hot, foul air, clinging to her skin in layers.
"As for being a complex, flawless plan, it really isn't," the flattened duoluozhong said, its white, arched eye still filled with countless black dots fixated on her. It even added, almost modestly, "We just put a bit of thought into our hunt. I simply pulled back a bit of the red cloth and lured you right to me. And you're really foolish, aren't you? Just because I came out of that display platform, you thought the man underneath was me? Isn't that laughable?"
From above, the flesh-strip duoluozhong let out a sharp, childlike giggle. Even the "Bee Sting Venom" standing in front of her was shaking silently with laughter, her shoulders jerking up and down.
With each shudder of its shoulders, its body began to change shape. In just a few seconds, rings of iron chains appeared, wrapping around its body. Soon, its face twisted into one Lin Sanjiu knew well but now looked strange and grotesque: her own face, with eyes too large and black, and a jaw slightly skewed to the side. Yet it was unmistakably Lin Sanjiu's face.
"Call Bee Sting Venom out," the flattened duoluozhong urged with a smug tone, as if it were the cleverest creature alive. "When she sees you at the door, she'll feel safe."
Lin Sanjiu pressed her lips tightly together and didn't say a word.
For these duoluozhong, this drawn-out moment of taunting was essential. They didn't aim for a swift, clean kill. They wanted to savor their prey's suffering and regret as the trap closed around them. Without this, the pleasure would be incomplete. And of course, after the psychological torment was over, Lin Sanjiu had no doubt physical torture would follow.
If there was any chance for them, it was during this brief window of time.
But what could she do?
"Look at her, she's trembling with fear," the flattened duoluozhong said, its tone like an elder teasing a frightened child. It turned to the other two duoluozhong: "See that? If she wet herself, it would be even better."
The words stabbed into Lin Sanjiu like needles. A loud "buzz" filled her ears, nearly drowning out everything else. Ah Quan might have turned her into a coward, but he didn't touch this part.
Suddenly, she remembered what it felt like to have courage.
The fog of fear that had clouded her mind lifted, burned away by a sudden clarity. No wonder people panicked like headless flies when afraid; fear blinded both eyes and mind. Her muscles were still trembling, but now it was for a different reason.
"You went to all this trouble—luring us, acting out your little play," she said, her voice cold, the heat of her anger making it even icier. "But what's the point? In the end, the result is the same, isn't it?"
The flattened duoluozhong faltered, its earlier excitement punctured. It was clearly displeased. "What do you mean? What result?"
"The result where I kill all of you," Lin Sanjiu said calmly. Her words must have carried into the platform below because Bee Sting Venom suddenly fell silent. "Three duoluozhong, two of us—it's not that much of a difference. What makes you so confident you can laugh now?"
The flattened duoluozhong tried to laugh again, but this time it sounded strained. "One of you is bound in chains, and the other is just an ordinary posthuman from Twelve Worlds Centrum. You really think—"
It didn't get the chance to finish.
'You like being close, don't you?' Lin Sanjiu thought. 'Then let's get a little closer.'
1
The flattened duoluozhong never finished its sentence; its words turned into a half-formed shriek, like stone splitting apart. It reacted swiftly. Instead of trying to block Lin Sanjiu as she fell toward it, it twisted its body and scurried away. The human limbs protruding from its flattened, sack-like form moved as quickly as insect legs. Clearly, the memory of its colleague who had been blown to bits upon contact with Lin Sanjiu's hands had left a deep impression. ŔＡNȎβËṤ
Lin Sanjiu hadn't expected this move to land anyway. As she stumbled and steadied herself, her Higher Consciousness withdrew from the platform and surged forward like a tidal wave toward the fake "Lin Sanjiu."
Creatures that relied on camouflage, whether duoluozhong or posthumans, were usually weaker in direct combat. Neither of the other duoluozhong anticipated that she could launch simultaneous attacks. The fake Lin Sanjiu couldn't dodge in time; her Higher Consciousness slammed it against the display with a resounding crash, making the glass enclosure hum and shake.
It wasn't a fatal blow, but Lin Sanjiu didn't let go. Her Higher Consciousness pinned the fake Lin Sanjiu against the glass like a fly trapped beneath a swatter. As it struggled, the illusion it had worked so hard to maintain began to fall apart, gray smoke and dust spewing from the cracks in its skin. Knowing her window of opportunity was short, Lin Sanjiu shouted, "Get out now!"
Whether Bee Sting Venom dared to come out or not was beyond her control. All she could offer was these few precious seconds. She didn't even see if Bee Sting Venom pushed the door open because she was gritting her teeth, holding the duoluozhong down with her Higher Consciousness, and letting herself fall to the ground. She pushed off with her feet and rolled away.
A dull 'thud' sounded behind her. The flattened duoluozhong's two human arms smashed into the spot where she had just been, leaving a shallow dent in the floor. Its fur looked ready to peel away from its arms at any moment. The white, arched eye now displayed dozens of large black dots scattered in every direction. It shouted, "Stop her! Kill her!"
Its order was directed at the flesh-strip duoluozhong. Lin Sanjiu, fearing she might roll into an illusion, skidded to a halt on the floor. She struggled to stand up, but with her arms and legs bound, it was difficult even with Higher Consciousness helping her.
As she lay there, she scanned the area with narrowed eyes, worried that the flattened duoluozhong or the shapeshifting one might attack. Using Higher Consciousness to push herself from behind, she struggled up and finally found her balance, standing on her feet.
Despite the difficulty, Lin Sanjiu's movements were relatively quick, taking less than ten seconds. As she bent and rose to her feet, Bee Sting Venom burst through the dust cloud, her face streaked with tears and grime. Her eyes lit up when she saw Lin Sanjiu, and she yelled, "Let's run!"
Lin Sanjiu straightened completely.
Her upper body vanished into a black fissure that split open in mid-air.
2