Lin Ye advanced steadily, holding a bottle of mineral water in one hand while unscrewing the cap with the other. He showed no sign of worry throughout the process.
"If you surrender and beg for mercy, I might consider letting you go," he said calmly.
The strange creature approaching him showed no reaction, no fear, no sign of understanding.
"No self-awareness?" Lin Ye muttered.
It wasn't like Taisuke, who had transformed into a bizarre hotel staff member. When threatened by a certain item, Taisuke had begged for mercy, showing a strong survival instinct. This creature, however, was different.
Aside from its humanoid shape, it bore no human characteristics. Its face was cracked and charred, with liquid oozing from the crevices. The features were unrecognizable—only the eyes remained somewhat discernible, while the mouth and nose seemed fused into an indistinct mass.
The acrid scent of burning flesh grew stronger as the temperature rose, clashing sharply with the desolate chill of the night.
The creature closed the distance.
Lin Ye noticed that, compared to earlier, the ambient heat felt more intense. The creature's burning presence grew fiercer with every step.
Sizzle...
The sound of melting fat echoed through the empty streets.
Tap… Tap...
Each footstep was sharp and clear.
Lin Ye's gaze remained fixed on the creature, his expression unwavering.
Suddenly, it roared—a guttural, feral cry. Its face contorted grotesquely, eyes bulging, flesh splitting as its charred body lunged forward with unprecedented speed.
In an instant, it was upon him, its hand raised high, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
Swish!
Yet the creature faltered, stunned.
"Here it comes!" Lin Ye whispered, activating Time Stop at the critical moment.
"So, you're conscious after all," he remarked.
Its calculated attack from a distance of seven or eight meters confirmed the creature had planned a trap. Against anyone else, it might have worked.
But Lin Ye was not just anyone.
"Let's give you a bath," he said, pouring the entire 500 milliliters of water over the creature's head. Not a single drop missed its target.
Lin Ye quickly retreated to a safe distance.
As time resumed, a loud boom echoed through the street, followed by a hiss of white steam erupting into the air.
The wave of hot vapor brushed against Lin Ye's skin.
"Is it done?" he wondered aloud.
From afar, Hina watched intently, her anxious eyes fixed on the scene.
The creature's body showed signs of change—it seemed to be working.
The mist dissipated quickly in the strengthening night wind, revealing the creature once more. Its glowing eyes while having a mocking smile.
It wasn't dead. Not even harmed.
"No damage?" Lin Ye muttered. "Isn't water the key?"
That couldn't be right. If water wasn't the solution, the setup with the coins and the vending machine made no sense.
"Not enough water?" he speculated.
Without hesitation, he unscrewed the cap on the second bottle of mineral water and activated Time Stop again, moving closer to the creature.
As he approached within a meter, he caught a glimpse of its mocking gray eyes, filled with derision.
Something felt off.
Lin Ye paused, capping the bottle once more.
He forced himself to calm down and reassess his surroundings. In the distance, Hina stood by the vending machine, her face tight with worry. The empty street remained eerily still, a few suspended leaves caught in the stagnant air. The streetlights emitted their sterile glow, banishing the darkness.
He thought carefully.
"The light of fire in the dark night…"
"Am I... seeing a fire?"
Suddenly, it clicked.
The key wasn't just water. The key was putting out the fire.
He scanned for the source of the flames.
Picking up stones from the roadside, Lin Ye hurled them at the streetlights.
Crash! Crash!
One by one, the lamps shattered, plunging the street into darkness.
The creature roared in anger, but as the light around it dimmed, its glow grew more pronounced—a faint but unmistakable brightness radiating from its charred form.
"I see it now," Lin Ye said, smiling. "You deliberately avoided well-lit streets. You didn't chase us too closely until we ventured far enough ahead."
The creature's composure cracked. It stepped back instinctively as Lin Ye advanced.
"It's conscious," Lin Ye observed. "Well then… please die now!"
He spun on his heel and dashed forward. Activating Time Stop once more, Lin Ye carefully poured the remaining bottle of water onto the creature's burning core.
"Aaaaagh!"
The creature shrieked, writhing on the ground in agony. Steam rose as its body burned itself out.
Lin Ye exhaled slowly, his eyes fixed on the now-lifeless figure.
"It's done," he said quietly.
The possessed monster was finally eliminated.
"Sizzle…"
Waves of heat swept through the air, carried by the wind, pushing toward Lin Ye. He quickly stepped back, distancing himself from the strange creature's fiery demise.
"Teacher, it's resolved," Lin Ye said with a reassuring smile, gesturing to indicate the monster was defeated.
Hina let out a sigh of relief, her expression softening.
Finally, it was over.
"Safe at last…" she murmured to herself.
She knew all too well that without Lin Ye's help, escaping from the creature would have been impossible. Just imagining herself burned to charcoal sent shivers down her spine. The thought of becoming so grotesque, so unrecognizable—it filled her with a strong sense of dread and rejection.
"Thank you, Lin. Really, thank you," she said earnestly.
Lin Ye waved off her gratitude. "Don't mention it. Consider it my thanks for the eel rice."
Hina frowned slightly, shaking her head. "No, this is different. Treating you to dinner and saving me are two entirely separate matters."
She began contemplating how to properly thank him.
At that moment, Lin Ye heard a familiar mechanical chime from the "Strange Game."
[The strange possessed monster has been confirmed defeated]
[Routine mission tasks completed]
[Reward 1: 750 game points. (Includes 50% bonus from the 'Point Split' blessing)]
[Reward 2: 100 experience points. You can now use experience to level up your character, gain higher permissions, and unlock new game features]
[Reward 3: White-quality item x1]
The notification ended. Lin Ye brushed it aside and turned his attention back to Hina.
"Teacher, why don't we head to my apartment so you can rest and treat your injuries?" he offered.
Even through her socks, Lin Ye could tell her feet were raw and bleeding from being rubbed raw during the ordeal.
"This..."
"Or I could take you to the nearest hospital to treat your wounds and buy you a pair of shoes," he added quickly.
Hina hesitated but eventually made her decision. "Let's go to your place."
She didn't want the embarrassment of being carried into a public hospital and seen by strangers.
"Alright," Lin Ye agreed.
"But… are we really out of that strange loop space now?" she asked, glancing nervously at her surroundings.
"You'll see after we walk a little further," Lin Ye said.
He crouched down, motioning for her to climb onto his back again. Hina complied, and Lin Ye carried her, step by step, her soft warmth pressing against his back.
Before long, familiar street sounds filled the air—a car horn in the distance, the occasional meow of a stray cat.
Hina felt her tension goes away.
They were safe.
She exhaled deeply, relief washing over her.
A few minutes later, Lin Ye carried her into his apartment.
"Click…"
As the door shut behind them, Lin Ye gently placed Hina on the edge of the bed before rummaging through the apartment.
"Teacher, I don't seem to have iodine or cotton swabs here," he said apologetically. "I'll run to the convenience store and pick up some medicine and a pair of slippers for you. What's your size?"
"Thirty-six," she replied.
"Got it."
Noticing the soot and ash staining his clothes, Lin Ye added, "Let me change my clothes first."
He stripped off his blackened shirt and tossed it onto the floor. Then, pulling a windbreaker from his closet, he stepped out of the apartment.
With a soft click, the apartment fell silent.
Left alone, Hina glanced around curiously.
"A high school boy's apartment…" she muttered.
Surprisingly, it wasn't as messy or smelly as she had expected. The neatness suggested that Lin Ye had good habits.
But one thing caught her attention.
Her eyes landed on the discarded clothes on the floor. She hesitated before standing on her tiptoes, carefully picking them up and hanging them on a nearby rack.
As she did, something fell out of the pocket and landed softly on the floor.
Her gaze froze on the object.
A condom.
Hina's face flushed a deep crimson, and she quickly averted her eyes.
"Well… it's normal for boys his age," she reasoned to herself. "At least it shows he's being responsible and prepared. That's… a good thing."
Still blushing, she crouched down, picked up the condom, and discreetly slipped it into her pocket.
"But no matter what, academics come first," she murmured. "I need to guide Lin properly and remind him to focus on his studies for the sake of his future."
Feeling cautious, she decided not to touch anything else in the apartment. The last thing she wanted was to stumble upon something even more embarrassing—like a secret magazine or something equally incriminating.
"When is he coming back?!" she wondered aloud, growing impatient.
Ten minutes later, Lin Ye returned.
He knelt in front of Hina, gently removing her blackened socks.
"Ah..." she winced, a soft sound escaping her lips as the movement irritated her wounds. Her hands instinctively gripped the quilt, her cheeks reddening slightly.
Lin Ye's eyes fell on her delicate feet. Smooth and tender, they glowed faintly under the apartment's white light, their porcelain-like beauty captivating in its fragility.
Hina shivered at his touch, her blush deepening as she averted her gaze.