Chapter 153: Twisted Toy

What just happened?

As countless Qin Rans awoke simultaneously on the narrow streets of the small town outside, a small, boyish figure with a noticeably large head stumbled back into a room in terror. He gasped for air, his face etched with utter confusion:

“Why didn’t it work?”

According to the information Lu Xin extracted from Chen Zhong, his codename was Big Head Ghost, with specific abilities unknown.

However, it was certain he was the source of multiple sudden Special Pollution Incidents in Qinggang Satellite City No. 2. His ability involved implanting strange emotions in recipients by gifting them a rose or another specific item.

…

…

At this moment, this seasoned Ability User mercenary was utterly baffled.

Just moments ago, when that seemingly bewildered Ability User from Qinggang City stumbled into Happy Town and spotted them, they naturally spotted him too.

He had immediately used his ability, using a little boy from the town who hadn’t fully mutated, to offer a handful of sour jujubes to the Qinggang City Ability User. He clearly saw the Ability User accept them.

Therefore, when that Ability User clashed with the Boss, he had played his part at the opportune moment…

At that point, the Ability User should have found it hard to refuse his request.

He knew his ability well and judged the timing perfectly.

During that window, the Ability User should have become more agitated just hearing his voice.

While it wasn’t long enough for the positive feelings to completely overwhelm the Ability User’s emotions and reason into total obedience, the influence on his will should have been enough.

That was the role he was supposed to play.

His ability wasn’t suited for direct confrontation with other Ability Users, but once someone fell under its influence, it was nearly impossible to break free…

He knew the Boss needed a little help at that moment and timed it perfectly.

As an assistant, even buying the Boss half a second would have been helpful.

But what he saw was that after he spoke, the Ability User only hesitated slightly before charging forward anyway.

And grabbed the Boss by the throat.

“Are we getting a new boss again?”

The sudden, swift, almost ghostly scene left Big Head Ghost baffled and increasingly panicked…

…Why didn’t his ability work?

…

…

Then, just at that moment, Big Head Ghost suddenly heard faint, indistinct laughter.

“Heehee, little brother…”

Big Head Ghost jolted awake, whipping his head around to look.

But inside the unique houses of this small town, he saw nothing, only feeling a faint, chilling breeze.

A little moonlight filtered through the house window, but most of the room remained shrouded in darkness.

He had an unsettling feeling that a pair of eyes were watching him from the darkness.

Those eyes were filled with excitement, cunning…

…and a disturbing cuteness and sweetness!

…

…

Big Head Ghost froze on the spot, not daring to move.

His nerves were stretched taut as he carefully watched a miniature device on his waist, momentarily holding his breath.

But the device remained completely silent.

After an unknown amount of time, another faint cool breeze drifted through the room, like a small puff of air.

That voice, the kind you could only catch if you weren’t actively listening, the kind that vanished if you tried too hard to discern it, sounded again:

“I like you so much…”

…

*Beep—*

In that instant, the alarm device on Big Head Ghost’s waist suddenly blared piercingly.

A bright red light flashed, illuminating parts of the dark room.

The sudden change drenched Big Head Ghost in cold sweat instantly; it felt like all the blood rushed to his head.

The miniature mental detector either showed no reaction at all or spiked to its absolute limit instantly…

What exactly had he encountered?

While his mind went blank, his ingrained vigilance kicked in.

His somewhat short, malformed body had never moved so fast. He instantly ripped the miniature device from his waist and threw it.

As the device soared through the air, it split apart. Thick, finger-like arcs of blue electricity erupted between the pieces, weaving together and rapidly expanding until they filled the entire room in an instant.

Meanwhile, he darted to the back window of the house, preparing to jump out.

He wasn’t known for his physical prowess, but perhaps due to extreme tension, his movements became much more agile.

He reached the window in a single step, placed his hand on the sill, and prepared to push off and jump.

But just as he started to exert force, he suddenly pitched forward, falling flat on the ground. It happened so abruptly he couldn’t react; his large head slammed hard against the window sill, sending a searing pain through him as warm liquid began to flow.

“What’s going on?”

He couldn’t understand. Why had he stumbled during such a simple action?

As he wondered, he looked up and, in the fading afterglow of the blue arcs, seemed to catch a glimpse of something on the ceiling.

It was the flash of a dirty white skirt hem.

Big Head Ghost’s scalp tingled with fright. Without thinking, he reached out with his left hand to grab the window edge.

He still desperately wanted to get out of this room.

But as he gripped the window edge and tried to pull himself up, he found his body twisted, unable to rise.

Only then did he realize he had reached out with his right hand.

He had intended to use his left hand, and it felt like he had, so why was it his right?

In his mind, he was still reaching with his left hand, turning his body left to stand up. But because his right hand had moved instead while his body still tried to turn left, the opposing forces tangled him… A panicked cry escaped his throat. He frantically tried to use his right hand’s momentum, turn right, and stand, but found he still couldn’t move.

His left hand numbly stretched out, gripping the window edge. His two arms were now working against each other.

He frantically scrambled his feet on the ground, trying to use his legs to push himself up, but immediately stumbled and fell.

When he tried to push with his left leg, his right leg actually exerted force, causing him to topple over…

…He finally understood what was happening to him.

He didn’t understand why, but he realized his body’s sense of left, right, up, and down had become distorted.

The perception of his left hand had swapped with his right, and vice versa. The same had happened with his legs.

If he had to describe it… it was like a doll that had been taken apart and sewn back together incorrectly.

Both his arms and legs were wrongly attached…

…Was it that Ability User from Qinggang City who had affected him?

…But he’s outside fighting the Boss right now!

…

…

“Heehee, you’re so cute…”

“Now you’re my toy…”

…

He couldn’t figure out what was happening, but the sense of distortion in Big Head Ghost’s body intensified.

As this distortion worsened, it seemed to enhance a certain perceptive ability.

The faint, mischievous voice by his ear finally became clear. In the empty room, mostly cloaked in darkness, he even saw a shadow—one crawling on the wall, smiling down at him.

It was a short girl in a dirty little white dress, dangling from the ceiling like a ghost.

Her eyes were large, but the whites vastly outnumbered the irises.

Her long black hair was messy, her expression like a smile revealing sharp teeth…

His vision twisted, like looking through a kaleidoscope.

Amidst this bizarrely refracted scenery, he saw that exceptionally… pretty little girl.

She landed lightly on the ground, tilting her head as she studied him.

Slowly, her smile grew wider. Excitedly, she reached her small hands towards him, as if wanting to pick him up…

…

…

“No…”

Big Head Ghost couldn’t put his terror into words, he could only scream with every fiber of his being.

But it was as if his tongue was also twisted; only intermittent croaking sounds came out.

Only God could understand what he was saying now…

…It seemed God really did hear him!

Just as the little girl dropped from the ceiling, about to embrace him, she suddenly looked warily out the window. Then, as if confirming something, expressions of disgust and fear flickered across her small face.

She merely landed softly beside Big Head Ghost, reaching out a small hand to stroke his head.

Her voice was soft, like a gentle song.

“Little doll, don’t be afraid…”

“Daddy’s about to come out.”

“He’s very fierce, don’t be scared…”

“I’ll protect the little doll.”

“So…”

She reached out her small hands almost tenderly, cupping Big Head Ghost’s head. “So… I’ll kill you first…”

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, once there are enough wounds, it won’t hurt anymore…”

…

“Ah…”

Just before dying, Big Head Ghost finally let out a complete scream…

…Or rather, what he thought was complete. In reality, it was still just an unintelligible croak.

…

…

At the same time as this scream, outside the house, Lu Xin stood enveloped by countless monsters, grotesque faces already sprouting from his body. His head hung low, motionless, as if surrendering to be consumed.

Above him, the Red Moon hung high, casting a thin shadow from his body.

Then, that thin shadow slowly began to darken, twist, and relentlessly expand.

The next moment, the shadow suddenly stood up.

It was at least three times larger than Lu Xin’s slight frame. From the depths of the dark silhouette, a pair of eyes snapped open.

Blood-red eyes.