"Are we finished yet?" The boy, appearing about 15, asked anxiously. The air was thick with tension as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a chill over the once-warm day and adding to the boy's unease.
"Quiet down, or I'll silence you myself. Just keep watch behind us, and let me concentrate." A rough-looking girl of the same age retorted, her tone brooking no argument as she enforced silence.
'We never should've agreed to this, this bitch is crazy. But what choice do we have? She's at the middle stage and far more powerful than us. I shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess in the first place.' Ma Xiao thought bitterly. The girl in question hailed from the Lin tribe, known for her exceptional talent, and he found himself in her team by circumstance.
"Heh...finally. Alright, let's move before it returns." She clutched something in her hands as if it were her lifeline, her words carrying a sense of urgency. Turning to glance at the other girl on the team, she noticed a look on her face that sent a shiver down her spine. "What's wrong?" she inquired, her voice tinged with concern.
"It's... it's coming." the girl stammered, her face glistening with sweat as she struggled to speak.
"Damn it! How long?" she demanded, her frustration palpable.
"I-I don't know, maybe five minutes..." the girl named Shui Chun estimated, her voice trembling.
"How utterly useless! Can't you be more precise? Elder Lin Lou, why on earth did you assign me to this cursed team?" she muttered bitterly, hastening her pace in the opposite direction indicated by Shui Chun.
After a frantic minute or two of fleeing, Ma Xiao could bear it no longer. "Get rid of it, Chen Yan, for the love of god! If you keep holding onto it, it'll never leave us be." he shouted over the escalating sounds of pursuit, his anxiety mounting as Chen Yan remained silent.
"You're leaving me no choice, Chen Yan. Please, toss it aside in another direction, I beg of you." he pleaded desperately, but his appeals fell on deaf ears as Chen Yan refused to respond or relinquish whatever she clutched tightly.
"Fuck you, Chen Yan! Shui Chun?" Ma Xiao clenched his jaw, exchanging a nod with Shui Chun before the two of them bolted in a different direction, leaving Chen Yan and their relentless pursuer behind.
"Huff... huff... huff..." Ma Xiao and Shui Chun stopped running and looked in the direction Chen Yan had gone. "That crazy bitch." Ma Xiao panted. "She's going to get herself killed. That thing is a rank 2 beast. Even though it's not the strongest of its kind, it's far too dangerous for a rank 1 Gu Master."
"What should we do now? Shouldn't we ask for help?" Shui Chun asked.
"What help? She threatened us, remember? This isn't even a mission, she just wanted that Gu worm. If anyone asks about her whereabouts, just say you haven't seen her since yesterday. Do you understand?" Ma Xiao said, looking her straight in the eyes, the shadows of the trees casting across his face.
"I understand, but what about our team?" Shui Chun didn't want to be here either, but Chen Yan had forced them both to come.
"We should wait for a day or two, If she somehow makes it back, the three of us will have our story. If she doesn't, then we'll inform the elders that we didn't see her in a while. We didn't do anything wrong, right?" Shui Chun nodded in agreement. They had saved themselves, and that crazy Chen Yan could save herself too if she just abandoned the Gu worm she had taken.
Meanwhile, Chen Yan was racing through the forest. This region of the world was divided into three distinct territories. In the west was the Jin tribe's territory, consisting of mountains that stretched to the middle of the region, meeting the Shui tribe first, then the Lin tribe, and finally the Ma tribe. These three tribes formed the alliance in recent years, creating the second territory. Chen Yan was getting closer to the third territory with every step. She didn't have much choice, if she changed direction, the wild beast would catch up and rip her to pieces.
"Damn it, must I really set foot there?" Chen Yan's frustration echoed in the desolate desert. "That cursed wasteland teems with more ferocious beasts than this one, and even worse, it's infested with rockmen." Her voice carried the weight of fear and disdain for the looming danger. The desert she spoke of harbored countless tribes of rockmen, each harboring a deep-seated hatred for human gu masters like herself, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. If the rockmen didn't spot her, the thunderous footsteps of the monster chasing her would surely draw their attention.
"Damn it!" She clenched her jaw in frustration. "Why is luck never on my side?" Cursing both fate and fortune, she contemplated abandoning the gu worm in her grasp. It shimmered in the moonlight, a metallic green wasp with elegant wings, tempting yet fragile. "Hmph, if I can't control you, then I won't return you to your host." she muttered, considering crushing the delicate creature.
*SCREECH* *SCREECH*
As if sensing Chen Yan's intentions, the beast behind her let out a deafening screech. Racing at full speed, she knew it was only a matter of time before the monster caught up, threatening both her life and the gu worm's destruction.
"Shut up, you foolish creature." she snapped, frustration mounting. "You don't even comprehend your own peril..." Her tirade was cut short by distant footsteps. "Who's there? Please, I'm begging for help!" she cried out desperately, a glimmer of hope flickering within her eyes. But as a 15-year-old boy emerged from the shadows, her hope waned. "Ma Rue Bu, please, help me!" Despite her gritted teeth and plea for assistance, Chen Yan's expression remained grim.
"Oh? Lin Chen Yan?" Rue Bu's smile faltered, replaced by a mix of nostalgia and concern. "It's good to see you again. I heard a terrifying screech just now. What's happening?"
"It's a wingless bat—it's chasing me!" Chen Yan's words spilled out in a frantic rush as she tried to convey the urgency of the situation.
*SCREECH* *SCREECH*
The monster's deafening screeches pierced the air, sending shivers down their spines. "Damn it!" Chen Yan cursed, her eyes widening in terror as she beheld the towering creature before her.
The beast stood three meters tall, a grotesque fusion of human and bat, its massive frame cloaked in coarse, jet-black fur. Its face, a nightmare-inducing blend of flattened nose, elongated ears, and razor-sharp teeth, exuded a primal menace. Glowing red eyes locked onto them as it emitted bone-chilling screeches, filling the air with a palpable sense of dread.
They barely exchanged words before the beast lunged towards them. Rue Bu managed to activate the berserk gu in time, attempting to evade the incoming assault, but the creature proved swifter. Its claws tore into Rue Bu's flesh with savage precision, ripping through muscle and skin, revealing a horrifying glimpse of his internal organs. Ignoring Rue Bu, the beast turned its attention to Chen Yan, but inexplicably refrained from attacking her.
Caught in the monster's crimson gaze, Chen Yan saw her own reflection, sending a shiver down her spine and freezing her in place. 'Damn it! What now?' She thought frantically. 'Even he couldn't defend against a rank two beast. I don't know how long this damn monster will wait. Should I I just give it what it wants? But if I surrender my only hope now, why would the monster spare me?' She realized the beast wanted the gu worm in her possession, understanding that attacking would mean its demise, it chose not to. But surrendering her sole lifeline raised the grim question: would the monster let her live?