Chapter 5:

Am I going to die?

As it was torn apart by the corpse beetle, the most desperate thought flashed through the pipink flesh ball ‘s mind.

However, the newly born entity soon realized that there were things in the world that were even more terrifying than death.

As its body disintegrated into pieces, intense pain clung to those fragments, dividing into countless portions. Each fragment possessed its own consciousness, each one struggling in desperation. They were split from one another yet interconnected, sharing all sensations.

Thus, the pain turned into an endless abyss.

Even the eyeballs were torn apart, regrowing on each piece of flesh.

The field of vision became extremely chaotic. Some eyes saw a pile of fallen leaves, some saw rotting soil, some saw the approaching heads of the Corpse beetle, and some saw the grey sky.

The whole world seemed to be shattering as well.

Consciousness became immensely chaotic, with pain, despair, anger, madness… all thoughts infinitely expanding outward. Each fragment was severely damaged, bearing immense suffering. The rapid loss of energy caused an indescribable itching sensation to erupt in each piece.

The pipink flesh ball  always thought the abyss was the most terrifying place. Only at this moment did it dazedly realize that it was, in fact, an abyss itself.

If it allowed every fragment to split and separate in this way, they would turn into a viscous black liquid amidst the madness of the itching. They would gradually lose their clear consciousness. They would dry up, becoming pieces of dead skin.

By that time, I would cease to exist. I have been so desperately grasping at my own sanity, so fiercely resisting the invasion of evil thoughts, so longing for the light above the abyss…

The perception and cherishing of “myself” became so intense at the moment of death’s approach! Every eye of the shattered pipink flesh ball  was tearing.

Even now, it did not understand what emotion crying was.

I cannot lose “me”! I want “me” to exist!

This thought, like thunder roaring in the sky, so distant yet so close, came with the force to shake the abyss and the earth.

In the next instant, those shattered consciousnesses began to re-adhere amidst unimaginable pain. An invisible mighty force pushed them apart and then a strong desire to survive at all costs brought them back together.

Only by overcoming each “me” can I become the true “me”.

This small life, newly born and still ignorant, had already grasped the profound essence of living.

—

The girl decisively fired a shot, and the bullet accurately pierced through the body of the corpse beetle.

The corpse beetle charging towards the girl toppled to the ground, flailing its hook claws, emitting shrill screams. Dark red liquid and some yellowish-white innards gushed out from the gaping wound, carrying a pungent stench of blood.

The girl was filled with uncertainty: “Why is its blood the same as human blood?”

“Don’t get distracted!” the elder warned sternly.

But it was already too late.

The corpse beetle swiftly rolled over and charged at the girl. Its carapace suddenly split open, revealing a pair of wings. This Corpse beetle had evolved to the point of being able to fly!

Its wings sliced through the air, emitting a piercing buzz. The girl couldn’t dodge in time and was struck in the face by the Corpse beetle. Its sharp hook claws, harder than steel, miraculously did not tear her skin.

The girl quickly grabbed the Corpse beetle’s wings and with force, tore them off, throwing it to the ground.

The elder threw a demon-subduing staff, intending to pin the Corpse beetle down.

However, the Corpse beetle was faster than they had anticipated, dodging the staff with a roll and screeching sharply as it burrowed into the underbrush.

“F*ck you!” the girl cursed loudly, pulling out a short knife from behind her waist, her face contorted with ferocity as she gave chase.

“Don’t chase!” the elder immediately pulled her back, “Corpse beetle are social creatures, be careful or you might fall into a nest of them! We can’t stay here, that Corpse beetle might call its companions to attack us!”

The girl’s face went through a rapid change of expressions, but she finally suppressed her anger and obediently agreed.

“Damn it, that was close to ruining my beautiful face!” She touched the scratch marks on her face, still visibly upset.

The elder looked at her face, adorned with ferocious tattoos, and fell silent for a moment.

The two of them quickly packed up their belongings, preparing to leave.

“Huh?”

As they passed by the torn remains of the pink poisonous creature, the girl let out a sound of uncertain surprise: “Master, look quickly, isn’t this insect reviving itself?”

“Reviving itself?” The elder’s eyes flashed, and he immediately went over.

Both bent down to inspect it, eyes revealing an unusual light.

They saw that the scattered pink flesh pieces on the leaves were actually growing thin filaments, spreading out around them, gently wriggling and probing as if searching for something.

The pieces of flesh were not too far from each other, so those filaments quickly found each other and then entwined, pulling at one another with force.

Torn lotus leaves do not immediately break apart. The white fibers inside the leaf pockets hold the torn parts together.

The situation of the pink poisonous creature was very similar to that of the lotus leaves, yet there was a fundamental difference. Every fragment of the pink poisonous creature was alive. What they were doing was not merely connecting the torn parts but pulling all the fragments together to re-adhere.

This eerie sight captivated both the girl and the elder.

“Master, what kind of insect is this? Have you seen it before?” The girl lowered her voice.

She too was afraid of disturbing the revival of the poisonous creature.

“I’ve never seen it before. We’ll wait for it to come alive before we leave. Get the jar for collecting poisonous creatures,” the elder commanded in a deep tone, a sharp gleam in his eyes.

The girl quickly took out a transparent glass jar, somewhat excitedly waiting. A poisonous creature with the ability to revive itself was enough for her to play with for a long time.

Every fragment was found by the filaments, and then slowly pulled to draw nearer each other. The strength of the filaments was very limited, so the process was lengthy and arduous.

Two minutes later, the elder lost his patience and ordered, “Put it in the jar, we’re leaving!”

The girl hastily took out a small spade, scooped up about a dozen fragments, and placed them in the glass jar. Her movements were rushed, and as the adhering pieces fell into the jar, they collided with each other, the filaments broke, and they scattered again.

The girl didn’t have time to observe properly; she shoved the jar into her backpack and hurriedly left the place.

The consciousness that had just gathered together split once more. Darkness descended as if returning to the abyss. Such a turn of events did not bring a surge of despair but instead sparked an intense determination to reclaim “self.”

Each fragment called out weakly, calling to each other. Every piece stretched out as much as possible, seeking its original self.

In an unnoticed corner, in the utter darkness, a life nearly extinguished once again found rebirth.

—

After a long trek, the elder and the girl finally reached the heart of the forest. They found a flat rock and sat down to rest.

“Master, will I die?” the girl asked, her voice filled with worry.

“With your master here, you’ll be fine. If you get through this, you’ll be the strongest task-taker,” the elder said with conviction.

A bright light shone in the girl’s dim eyes, and her pale lips curved involuntarily into a smile brimming with hope.

The elder watched her quietly, his expression affectionate, yet a faint shadow of darkness flickered in the depths of his eyes.

Hope? This world has everything but hope.

“Right, let’s check on that insect!” The girl patted her knees, quickly opened her backpack, and pulled out the glass jar.

The elder looked on curiously.

Inside the glass jar lay a fully intact insect, plump and round, with a semi-transparent texture and a tender pink color. Its body was devoid of organs, very pure, with a big head topped by a shiny black eye, watery as if it could speak.

After seeing the light again, it quickly pressed its big head against the glass jar, eyes wide open, staring straight at the girl.

Meeting its angry gaze, the girl was so taken aback that she found herself at a loss for words for a moment.

“Master, it—it—it revived!” the girl stammered. “It seems intelligent, like it’s angry with me!”

“Let me see.” The elder’s tone was calm, but there was a flicker in his eyes.

The girl clutched the glass jar, somewhat reluctant, but still hesitantly handed it over.

The elder said with a light smile, “Don’t worry, your master won’t steal your toy. If this insect has a strong revival ability and its toxicity is decent, I’ll help you refine it into a Gu insect and keep it in your body. That way, you’ll have one more method to save your life in the future.”

“Thank you, Master!” the girl raised her voice, her face alight with joy.

The elder shook the jar slightly.

The pipink flesh ball  inside the jar tumbled about, disoriented.

The elder steadied the jar.

The pipink flesh ball  immediately clung to the glass walls, stabilizing itself, its shiny black eyes staring straight at the elder, filled with fierce rage.

Chirp, chirp, chirp… it called out frantically and loudly.

The elder’s eyes flickered rapidly, his thoughts stirring slightly.

The girl covered her mouth to hide a smile, teasingly saying, “Master, stop shaking it. Although I can’t understand a word it’s saying, I feel like it’s cursing quite filthily.”

The elder: …

The pipink flesh ball : Chirp chirp chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!

I’m going to eat you! I’m going to eat you!

“Take good care of it. It indeed has gained sentience,” the elder said as he handed the glass jar back to the girl.