Jiang Qian was dead.Lin Qiye had witnessed every moment of her death.
The monster had descended from above, slicing her neck as cleanly and effortlessly as cutting tofu with its claws, then began devouring her with manic delight.
Even in her final moments, Jiang Qian's eyes were filled with sheer terror and despair.
Lin Qiye's mental perception captured every gruesome detail, causing his stomach to churn—he nearly threw up.
Although he had suffered many hardships and matured far beyond his age, this was the first time he had seen something so bloody, so visceral.
But this wasn't the time to vomit.
Without a second's hesitation, Lin Qiye turned and ran toward the other end of the alley while the monster was still feasting on Jiang Qian's corpse.
The original escape route had been blocked by the monster. His only option now was to run toward where Wang Shao had died.
Luckily, the creature seemed more interested in its meal than in chasing him, giving Lin Qiye a small window to breathe.
He didn't know what exactly that thing was.But one thing was certain: it wasn't human.And it wasn't any animal known to man.
If someone told him it was a radiation-mutated ape, he might believe it.That size, that strength, that speed—no human could stand against it.
But that was just maybe.
In this fog-covered world, a world where Lin Qiye had once personally seen a seraph with his own eyes,he no longer believed that science was the only truth.
He believed in the mysterious.
And for some reason… the image of that monster felt strangely familiar.
As his thoughts spiraled, something else entered the edge of his spiritual awareness. Lin Qiye skidded to a sudden halt.
His breathing grew heavier.
Ten meters in front of him—the monster appeared again.Lin Qiye could tell with certainty: this wasn't the same one from before.
As ugly as the first, but not the same.
The most obvious proof?This one was cradling Wang Shao's corpse in its arms, still chewing greedily.
By now, Wang Shao's face was completely gone—just a blur of blood and flesh.If it weren't for his distinctive clothing, Lin Qiye wouldn't have recognized him.
This was the second monster.The one that had killed Wang Shao.
When he was with Jiang Qian and the others earlier, he hadn't seen beyond his ten-meter range.He had assumed there was only one monster.But now… he realized just how horribly wrong he'd been.
From the way the first monster devoured Jiang Qian, it was clear:these things preferred feeding on corpses over chasing the living.If it weren't for that, Lin Qiye wouldn't have gotten away.
Which meant, after Wang Shao died, another monster must have gone after them—because the first one had already started eating.
One alley. Two monsters.All of Lin Qiye's escape routes were cut off.
His face went pale.A long-forgotten emotion surged within him: despair.
In all his seventeen years, he had only truly felt despair twice:
Once, ten years ago,when he saw those eyes on the moon.
And now—this very moment.
The monster that had just finished devouring Wang Shao's face tossed the body aside like trash,turned its head toward Lin Qiye,and ran its bloodstained, crimson tongue along the corner of its mouth.
At that moment, Lin Qiye wanted to curse.
"D*mn it, why is it always me?!"
When he was a kid, all he did was climb a rooftop—and ended up seeing a seraph.
Blinded by that sight,he fell off the roof,was assumed insane,and spent a year locked in a mental hospital.
Now, he had finally clawed his way back.He was ready to study hard, take the college entrance exam, and start a new chapter in life—and this ugly freak shows up?!
Most people would never encounter something like this in their whole lives—and here he was, bumping into two of them in one night!
Absurd!
Under the weight of death, the rage and bitterness buried in Lin Qiye's heart for a decade erupted like a volcano.
That fury burned hot.Fear was crushed beneath it.From the depths of his being, a reckless, fearless energy surged forth.
He gripped his white cane tightly,his chest heaving as he faced the monster preparing to pounce.
In this moment, the creature before him wasn't just a monster that had devoured human flesh—it was every pain, every injustice,every scar of the past ten years given form.
Not even his aunt or Yang Jin knewjust how deep the fire burned in this long-suppressed boy's heart.
He was not willing to give up.
And perhaps not even Lin Qiye realized it—but in this emotional storm,his eyes—shut tight for ten years—were trembling.
On the verge of opening.
"Shieeek—!!"The monster let out a sharp shriek,leaping into the air like a perverted predator spotting fresh meat.
"Screw you! I'm not afraid!" Lin Qiye growled, charging straight toward the airborne monster, white cane in hand!
The distance between them closed in an instant.
Just as its claws were about to rip open Lin Qiye's throat,he twisted his body at the last second—barely dodging the blow.
Still, the claws grazed his temple, leaving a shallow cut.The black ribbon over his eyes was sliced open,fluttering away in the wind.
With his eyes still shut,Lin Qiye roared and thrust his cane forward—right into the monster's abdomen!
CRACK—!!A sharp snap echoed out.He felt the cane go light in his hand.A powerful force slammed into his back—the monster's tail had whipped him away.
Lin Qiye hit the ground and rolled.Wincing in pain, he got back up.His spiritual sense told him: the white cane had snapped in two.
It was, after all, just a guide cane—not a weapon.No match for a monster like that.
"Sh*t!"He cursed, slamming the broken half to the ground.
He'd finally gotten an opening—and it had gone to waste.
The snapping of the cane was like a fuse—it ignited something inside him.He stood there, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, leaving bloodied crescents.
"I refuse to give in!!" he roared.
In that explosive instant,a strange sensation surged in his chest.
Like spring rain melting winter snow—a cool clarity swept through him.A flow of warmth surged from his heart,touching a blocked spot in his mind—
And just like that,the barrier broke.
It felt like a sun had exploded within him.Blazing heat flooded his body.Beneath his eyelids, his eyes burned as if scorched by fire—
And then, naturally…
He opened the eyes that had been shut for ten years.
And the first thing they saw…was another pair of eyes.
The eyes of the Seraph.
In that moment—a beam of blazing divine light erupted from the alley at the edge of the old city,piercing straight into the heavens.
For an instant—night turned to day.