(This section is distressing! Viewer discretion is advised!)
"Where am I?"
Xu Shang-Chi stood up, clutching his dizzying head. As soon as his senses returned, he smelled a foul odor. A shadow darted past the window from which the light entered. Xu Shang-Chi instinctively jolted and stared at the window.
The window nearest to him was large, likely belonging to a corner shop. Its tastefully painted frame provided no sense of sturdy protection. The moment Xu Shang-Chi turned his head towards it, there was a crash, and glass shards littered the floor. Several thick tentacles lunged in from above.
Barely having composed himself, Xu Shang-Chi pushed off with his left foot, clumsily avoiding the attack, but was still hit by the last-intruding tentacle on his shoulder.
"Ahh!!!"
Xu Shang-Chi let out a scream, but he had no time to think. Using the faint light from the window, he staggered and crawled towards the broken counter, picked up a chair that had fallen on the floor, and threw it at the tentacle.
The chair hit the tip of the tentacle with no apparent damage. As the sound of oozing slime grew louder, a gigantic, circular mouth appeared outside the window. Attached to the tentacles wrapped around the window frame, it began crawling into the shop.
What terrified Xu Shang-Chi the most was that the back half of the creature was not a bloated, legged insect, but a human's upper body.
The tentacles were emerging from the torso of a middle-aged female. Around the gaping mouth, one could clearly see the completely dehydrated and decomposing intestines, from which the terrible stench emanated.
As the monster moved forward, the remaining corpse was dragged across the floor. The skin on its chest, neck, and face had completely worn off due to decay and friction, leaving behind a yellowed skeleton stained with blood, plowing the slime and dust-covered floor into furrows like a plow.
Xu Shang-Chi stared in shock at the creature. In less than a second of hesitation, he let out a scream that sounded less than human and scrambled towards the side-door escape.
His mind was a blank, leaving no room for rational thought or feelings. Only one thought prevailed – run!
In his previous life, Xu Shang-Chi was a film enthusiast. Both Hollywood blockbusters and artistic films caught his interest. Like many film aficionados, there was a time when he was particularly obsessed with horror and gory films.
Whether it was blood-splattered zombie films or psychological horror films with suspenseful cinematography, Xu Shang-Chi could always find excitement in different forms of fear and disgust.
This thrill was the reason why he became insanely addicted to these types of films, voraciously searching the internet for uncut versions.
Xu Shang-Chi could not recall where he read a theory which suggested that interest in horror films is due to the instinct of self-preservation triggered by fear.
The sight of a bloody and terrifying scene leads the human brain to believe that it is in danger, causing a surge of adrenaline, which quickens the heartbeat and stimulates the nerves.
On the other hand, human rationale tells them that they are safe, so these excitatory agents meant for self-preservation enhance sensory experiences, leading to a certain pleasurable sensation.
Therefore, many horror film enthusiasts are not necessarily brave. In fact, if they were too courageous, they probably wouldn't feel this excitement.
Xu Shang-Chi was one of them. He was not a particularly brave person, even timid in some aspects. However, when it came to horror films, he was eager but petrified, a thrill-seeker despite the fear.
However, watching a horror film and being in a terrifying scenario are two totally different things. Without medicinal assistance, unfamiliar horrifying visuals and stimulating smells could temporarily halt brain function due to a lack of understanding.
So in real life, many people freeze during sudden calamities, not because they enjoy the spectacle, but because their brains need time to process and digest the unknown.
Xu Shang-Chi was no exception. Even after fleeing the shop, he had not comprehended what happened, nor could he recall how he ended up there.
He stood at the doorway, catching his breath dazedly, even turned his head to look back at the creature in the shop. He stumbled a couple of steps forward, at a loss on the deserted street.
Standing by the light post, he stared through the shattered window at the tentacular creature climbing over the counter. When his brain finally processed this information, Xu Shang-Chi's first reaction was to drop to his knees, clutching his throat, and vomit violently.
But he hadn't eaten much, and most of it had been digested. The dry heaving only resulted in stomach acid coming up, causing a burning sensation in his throat.
After heaving convulsively for a while, Xu Shang-Chi, aided by the lamppost, managed to stand up erect. As he regained some rationality, he knew he had to leave immediately, or he might be the next one dragged across the floor.
Xu Shang-Chi looked around, but couldn't see anything. He finally remembered the technique he learned at SWORD. He channeled his energy to his eyes, and could just about make out his surroundings.