Chen Jing advanced cautiously toward the source of the sound. The deeper she ventured into the factory, the dim light was swallowed by shadows until her phone screen displayed only blurry, indistinct images. Clutching her talisman tightly, she remained focused, while the chatroom for her livestream buzzed with activity:
"Miss Chen, this time it really might be a ghost!"
"That sound was way too creepy!"
"Hey, King of Hell, stop hiding in the back! Protect Miss Chen already!"
Chen Jing glanced over her shoulder at Lucifer, who trailed close behind, his face tight with tension. She rolled her eyes. "Hey, the viewers are calling for you, 'King of Hell.' Don't you think you should say something?"
Lucifer shot back a disdainful glare. "You mortals and your foolish antics—don't expect me, the great Lucifer—" His words abruptly died in his throat as a sudden, bone-chilling cold crawled up his spine.
They arrived beside an old textile machine, its surface corroded with rust as though untouched for decades. Yet the low rumbling sound was emanating from within this machine. The air reeked of rot, a damp stench that clung to the lungs like decaying fabric.
"This machine isn't normal," Chen Jing whispered, holding her breath as she moved closer. In the livestream, only her vague silhouette could be seen.
Lucifer involuntarily took a step back, his eyes darting around the room. "I agree… something about this is off. It might actually be a formidable ghost."
"Aren't you the King of Hell?" Chen Jing smirked, her voice laced with mockery. "What's the matter? The King of Hell afraid of ghosts?"
"Nonsense! I'm not afraid of ghosts!" Lucifer stiffened his neck indignantly. "I just—just don't think it's worth my time dealing with such a lowly spirit."
Ignoring him, Chen Jing moved closer to the machine. She slapped a talisman onto its surface and began chanting an incantation in a low, steady voice. Her movements were precise and practiced, but halfway through her chant, the machine emitted a piercing metallic shriek, as though resisting her spell.
The chatroom exploded:
"WTF! There's really something there!"
"Miss Chen, get out of there now!"
"Stop chanting! The machine's going to explode!"
The shrieking intensified, and the machine's rusted surface began to ooze dark red liquid, staining the floor like coagulated blood. Chen Jing flinched as the talisman she had placed burned to ash, leaving a stinging heat in her palm.
"Well, that's just great," she muttered through gritted teeth, retreating a few steps. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a family heirloom—a slender spirit sword etched with glowing runes.
"You were saying something about a lowly spirit?" She shot Lucifer a sharp glance.
"Uh… perhaps I misjudged the situation," Lucifer stammered, swallowing hard. He straightened his posture, attempting to sound composed. "Still, I see no need to waste my divine energy on it."
"Fine. Let me waste my energy instead." Chen Jing snorted, gripping her sword tightly as she advanced. The faint glow of the runes illuminated the murky factory, casting long shadows.
Before she could strike, the textile machine groaned and split open with a metallic snap. Two skeletal, pale hands emerged, their gnarled fingers clawing at the air. A grotesque figure, drenched in putrid fluids, crawled out, its hair hanging in a matted curtain over its face.
Chen Jing took a deep breath, locking her gaze on the figure. "Finally showing yourself, huh?"
The chatroom erupted:
"Oh my god, that thing is terrifying!"
"Miss Chen, don't rush in! Use a talisman!"
"Where's the King of Hell? Protect her already!"
Lucifer stood behind her, his expression souring. In a low voice, he muttered, "This… this isn't an ordinary ghost."
"No kidding." Chen Jing's grip on her sword tightened, her eyes cold and unwavering.
The creature slowly dragged itself out of the broken machine. Its body was covered in a mixture of mud and dark, viscous blood. Loose skin sagged from its frame, clinging to its bones in grotesque folds. Its elongated, claw-like fingers were tipped with cracked, jagged nails, coated in dried blood and rust.
"What the hell is this thing…" Chen Jing whispered, raising her sword slightly.
Lucifer's face grew paler as he pressed himself against the wall, unable to tear his eyes away from the abomination. His body trembled ever so slightly as the creature lifted its head, revealing its ghastly visage.
Its skin was cracked and oozing black sludge, the fissures gaping like open wounds. Its mouth stretched unnaturally wide, the jagged teeth grinding together with a bone-chilling screech.
And its eyes—or lack thereof. The empty sockets were writhing with glistening, wriggling worms, which crawled to the edges before retreating into the darkness of its skull.
"That's disgusting," Chen Jing muttered, her voice tinged with revulsion.
The creature's head twisted toward Lucifer with a sharp, metallic crack, its eyeless gaze seemingly boring into his very soul.
"Don't look at me! Don't look at me!" Lucifer shrieked, attempting to run but slipping on the wet floor. He landed ungracefully on his backside, frantically scrambling backward.
The creature began to crawl toward him, each movement accompanied by a sickening squelch. One of its arms suddenly tore off at the shoulder, dangling uselessly by a thread of decayed flesh.
"Get over here and help me!" Lucifer's voice cracked with desperation as he pressed himself into the corner, his face a mask of pure terror. "This thing doesn't belong in the mortal world—it's something far worse!"
"Shut up and stay quiet," Chen Jing snapped, her focus never wavering from the advancing monster. She stepped forward with her sword, its runes flaring faintly as she swung at the creature's shoulder.
The blade connected, slicing clean through with a satisfying crack. The creature recoiled, dark tendrils writhing from the wound as it let out a piercing wail that echoed through the factory.
"Lucifer! Stop cowering and do something useful!" Chen Jing yelled, her voice dripping with frustration.
"I'm still recovering! Give me a moment!" Lucifer pleaded, his trembling hands beginning to trace unfamiliar symbols in the air. "I'll… I'll unleash Hellfire any second now!"
"Make it faster, or I'll toss you at it myself!" Chen Jing snapped, deflecting another of the creature's attacks with a deft swing.
The abomination's body swelled grotesquely, its ruptured flesh revealing coiled black tendrils that lashed out wildly. The air grew suffocatingly thick with the stench of decay.
Lucifer hunched in his corner, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he muttered incantations under his breath. "Once I regain my power, I'll show this thing what true fear is—"
A sudden, forceful slam from the creature sent a shockwave rippling through the floor, throwing Chen Jing off balance. Her sword nearly slipped from her grasp as she tumbled backward.
"Get moving, Lucifer!" she screamed, her breath ragged. "If you keep stalling, I'll kill you myself!"
"Almost there… almost there!" Lucifer croaked, his hands trembling as he carved a glowing sigil into the air.
The creature let out another unearthly roar, its eyeless gaze fixed unrelentingly on Lucifer. It slithered forward, dragging its broken body closer to him.
"Enough of this!" Chen Jing charged again, her sword flaring with runic light as she drove it into the creature's chest.
As the monster recoiled, its body convulsed violently, and a chilling premonition settled over the room. Lucifer's voice faltered as he muttered, "It's going to… explode."
Chen Jing clenched her jaw, her grip tightening on her sword. "Then we better finish this before it does."
In the depths of the factory, darkness gathered, heralding an even greater horror waiting to emerge.