After several more attacks, both Li Qingzhou and Ping An narrowly avoided danger. However, during these encounters, Li Qingzhou began noticing some patterns.
The ghost cat would stop attacking once it moved a certain distance from the wall. After a few attacks, it would always retreat back to the wall.
A thought crossed Li Qingzhou's mind: "Marionette." He remembered the puppet shows from his previous life, where the puppets performed on stage, but the puppeteer remained hidden behind the scenes, controlling them with strings.
The ghost cat in front of him seemed like a puppet, controlled by something unseen.
He looked at the dark cracks on the wall, and just a single glance made his head spin. It was when the ghost cat encountered those cracks that it became so strange. The cracks were controlling the ghost cat.
Li Qingzhou had an idea.
"Ping An, use Sand Escape."
The extraordinary creature, linked to him through their contract, immediately understood what he meant. Gravel gathered and formed into a large hand, which slammed toward the dark cracks in the wall, not at the ghost cat.
"Boom!"
The hand of sand hit the wall with a dull sound, completely covering the cracks and the strange black mist seeping from them.
"Meow!"
The ghost cat let out a sharp cry. The black energy surrounding its body began to fade and disperse. It struggled violently.
"Now! Do it!" Li Qingzhou shouted.
Ping An, understanding perfectly, summoned wind and sand, forming ropes that tightly bound the ghost cat. The black energy continued to dissipate, and the cat's head drooped. Its whole body went limp, like a deflated balloon.
Suddenly, a chilling noise broke the silence.
A black insect crawled out of the ghost cat's body. The creature was completely black with countless legs and dark eyes embedded under its antennae. It had two transparent brown wings and two stiff tails that resembled steel needles.
"What is that?" Li Qingzhou had never seen such a bizarre insect before.
"Zhizhi!" Ping An also seemed puzzled.
At that moment, information about the insect appeared in front of Li Qingzhou.
[Name: Dream Eating Insect]
Attributes: Dark, Spiritual
Level: Black Iron Level 6
Qualification: Silver
Skills: Dream Control
Weakness: Light
Evolution routes: 4
Introduction: Pitch black and shrouded in black energy, this insect specializes in camouflage and manipulating dreams, influencing the minds of any creatures it comes into contact with.
The aura of the Dream Eating Insect was just as strange as the dark cracks in the wall. Before Li Qingzhou could ponder it further, another wave of dizziness hit him.
Suddenly, there was a loud beeping sound. A man in a black uniform stood nearby, holding a cylindrical device that was flashing and making noise.
"The breath of the Abyss... it's appeared again, and it's very close," the man murmured. He pressed a button, and mechanical birds flew out, gathering in front of him and assembling into a large mechanical bird.
The man jumped lightly onto the bird's back, and it swooped down toward the block below.
Li Qingzhou's body felt light, and his consciousness began to blur. Everything in front of him faded away, like a dream.
"Zhizhi!"
Li Qingzhou first heard Ping An's cry, then felt a stinging pain on his face, as if someone had slapped him.
"Did someone just slap me?"
Annoyed, he opened his eyes and froze in place. He had tied a belt around his neck, his hands pulling hard on the ends.
"Am I trying to strangle myself?"
Startled, Li Qingzhou quickly let go of the belt.
"Zhizhi," Ping An cried again, reminding him of what had just happened.
Li Qingzhou touched his burning cheek. It seemed Ping An had jumped up and slapped him to wake him up. Far from being angry, he was filled with gratitude. Their contract had saved him from harm.
"Thank you," he said sincerely to Ping An.
He remembered the sleepwalking incidents reported on TV. They weren't natural but manipulated through hypnosis. The real culprit was the Dream Eating Insect in front of him.
Fortunately, Ping An had the False Sleep skill, which was similar to the Dream Control ability of the Dream Eating Insect. That must be why Ping An had resisted its effects.
Li Qingzhou let out a deep breath as the gravel covering the wall began to dissolve. The black cracks slowly corroded the sand.
The cracks were clearly the source of the ghost cat and the Dream Eating Insect's power. The Dream Eating Insect needed to be dealt with quickly, or there would be more casualties.
"Ping An, use Sand Escape! Attack with full force!"
With Li Qingzhou's command, Ping An roared, and wind and sand surged toward the Dream Eating Insect. The black insect tried to crawl back into the cracks, but the sandstorm trapped it.
After controlling the ghost cat and using its Dream Control ability, the Dream Eating Insect had grown weak. It had no strength to resist.
The sand wrapped around the insect and began squeezing.
"Snap!"
The sand-enclosed insect fell to the ground as the gravel scattered. The Dream Eating Insect twitched for a moment, then went completely still.
Exhausted, Ping An collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Li Qingzhou, just as drained, leaned against the wall, staring at the lifeless insect.
Though the Dream Eating Insect was dead, its body still emitted an eerie aura. The black cracks in the wall loomed like a bottomless abyss, ominous and untouchable.
The insect had clearly emerged from the crack. Whether more creatures lurked within made Li Qingzhou uneasy.
Just then, a gust of wind blew through the alley, and a large metallic bird landed at the entrance. On its back stood a rough-looking man with an unshaven face and a fierce expression.
[Name: Mechanical Giant Bird]
Attributes: Gold
Level: Gold Level 7
Qualification: Platinum
Skills: Super Vision, Metal Fission, Laser Ray, Feather Blade
Weakness: Electricity
Evolution routes: 2
Introduction: A mechanical bird assembled from metal parts. Highly durable, it can freely disassemble and reassemble. Its parts require regular maintenance.
Li Qingzhou scanned the bird, and its information appeared in front of him. A Gold-level mechanical beast! Even among the school's teachers, few had pets with Gold-level strength. The man before him must be incredibly powerful.
"So the Abyss is really here. Hey, the Dream Eating Insect is dead!" the man remarked in surprise as he jumped down from the bird and landed near Li Qingzhou.
"What did you do?" the man asked with a sharp tone.
Li Qingzhou, still on guard, studied the fierce-looking stranger. He could barely stand and worried this man might be behind the strange events.
Was he the owner of the Dream Eating Insect? Fear crept into his heart, but in his weakened state, there was little he could do.