Chapter 155: The Shadow’s Rampage

From a corner of the small town, dull, immense sounds echoed intermittently as if the entire town trembled along with them.

Around this quiet, peaceful town many people toiled diligently in the fields under the red moon. Suddenly as if influenced by something unseen they forgot their tasks. With stiff yet strangely eerie movements they slowly turned their heads toward that corner of town. Under the red moonlight’s glow they could see a shadow continuously expanding.

It was like tangible fear spreading outwards.

…

…

“Monster!”

Not far away Mom watched Lu Xin frantically smash all the Human-shaped Fruit Trees her face devoid of any smile.

Beneath the moonlight her features appeared delicate yet unnaturally cold.

The black shadow behind Lu Xin seemed to grow ever larger.

When this shadow first appeared it was only slightly larger than Lu Xin’s body. But now as more and more small Human-shaped Fruit Trees were destroyed by him—or rather twisted and obliterated by his power—the shadow behind him swelled. It was now almost double Lu Xin’s size. Besides its red eyes faint facial features were beginning to emerge.

Lu Xin meticulously hunted down those Human-shaped Fruit Trees, uprooting them, tearing them apart ensuring their destruction and…

…ensuring their screams were sufficiently pleasing to the ear!

Mom quietly watched Lu Xin exterminate the Human-shaped Fruit Trees then spoke again in a low voice:

“A true monster!”

…

As she spoke she slowly turned. Her steps slightly hurried she walked to the corner wall of a row of houses in town. Sister was hiding there clutching a round patched-together object in her arms nervously looking up at Mom.

“What are you holding?”

Mom frowned slightly looking at what Sister held.

Sister looked up and said earnestly, “I like him. I don’t want Dad to hurt him.”

“Oh dear you can’t fall in love so young. That’s something bad kids do…”

Mom chuckled softly covering her mouth then took out her scissors and snipped the air above Sister’s body.

Sister dropped the object looked up at Mom and asked, “Will Brother change?”

“Brother will always be Brother.”

Mom looked down at her took her small hand and whispered, “But we need to stay far away from him right now…”

…

Saying this she led Sister by the hand walking slowly deeper into the town.

…

…

“What exactly is this ability?”

At the same time witnessing Lu Xin shatter the thirty-odd Human-shaped Fruit Trees as if they were fragile toys Qin Ran—or rather the Qin Rans—let out terrified cries their facial expressions now uniformly.

Pure fear.

Then they clamored chaotically, “We should unite and kill him first…”

“Is he from that destruction group?”

“No we should run…”

“Hahaha I hate you all! I hope I get to see you die…”

“I… I’m just a cargo hauler from the Wasteland…”

…

Amidst the cacophony of shouts their opinions eventually unified. One ‘Qin Ran’ slightly stronger than its kin suppressed the others’ views. Then this particular Human-shaped Fruit Tree standing over ten meters tall began to tremble violently. Its tentacles each seven or eight meters long swayed in the air along with the catchers at their tips…

The swaying began to synchronize then all the Qin Rans turned to face Lu Xin.

They began to curse.

All sorts of indescribable words poured from their mouths yet were unintelligible.

One could perceive these words rushing out merging together like an invisible intricate power influencing the air itself causing it to shimmer with countless minute distortions like reflections in shattered mirrors.

Seemingly imbued with immense power it surged towards Lu Xin.

“Whoosh…”

Lu Xin who was carefully finishing off the last small Human-shaped Fruit Tree was hit head-on by the force of the curse.

His feet slid back slightly carving a jagged scratch into the hard cement road of Happy Town.

Then he looked up at the main body of the Human-shaped Fruit Tree a chilling smile spreading across his face.

He walked forward step by step.

He advanced directly against the power of the curse like pushing against an oncoming tide. His steps seemed heavy hesitant but they never stopped. Under this assault his shadow instead of weakening boiled with increasing intensity growing stronger compressing the curse’s power step by step until he stood three meters before the Human-shaped Fruit Tree.

He looked up at this Human-shaped Fruit Tree an excited smile on his face. “Your ability is immortality?”

“I like things that can’t die…”

“Because that way you can feel fear forever…”

…

“Ah…”

Seeing Lu Xin so close one of the Qin Rans on the Human-shaped Fruit Tree finally couldn’t bear it. Fear and rage contorted its face. It abruptly stopped cursing instead whipping its long tentacle down from above.

It wore a ferocious expression as if ready for a desperate fight with Lu Xin.

“Crack…”

Lu Xin raised his hand and caught this Qin Ran.

Compared to the smaller Human-shaped Fruit Trees this Qin Ran from the main body seemed much more real. It wasn’t instantly and completely distorted by the influence of the shadow behind Lu Xin upon being caught but it still screamed in agony. Even its cries were more miserable than those of the smaller ones and consequently somewhat more pleasing to the ear.

This scream startled the other Qin Rans causing them to simultaneously stop cursing. Terrified they launched themselves from the tree whipping downwards.

“Smack!” “Smack!” “Smack!”

One vine after another lashed down frantically striking Lu Xin or rather the black shadow behind him.

After all the shadow behind Lu Xin was becoming clearer now seemingly coming alive.

“Hehehehe…”

Bombarded relentlessly by this powerful force Lu Xin let out strange laughter his mouth split into a wide grin.

He held the captured Qin Ran along with the vine attached to it yanking it down forcefully. The black shadow spread from his arm extending along the vine engulfing it completely along with the screaming Qin Ran. The vine transformed becoming like a black whip held in his hand.

Then Lu Xin swung his arm forcefully whipping it forward.

“Crack!”

The long whip struck the Human-shaped Fruit Tree. All the Qin Rans shrieked in pain. A distinct scar appeared on the tree trunk. An unknown amount of flesh and blood was torn off by the lash oozing bright crimson blood…

“Sss!”

“Sss” “Sss” “Sss” “Sss” “Sss”

…

The Human-shaped Fruit Tree waved its dozen or so tentacles wildly striking at Lu Xin.

And Lu Xin too swung the whip in his hand a furious crazed laugh on his face striking back at the Human-shaped Fruit Tree.

Every time he was hit the shadow behind him trembled slightly making the expression on his face even more excited. And every time he struck the Human-shaped Fruit Tree he ripped off a large chunk of skin and flesh causing all the Qin Rans to scream desperately…

Lu Xin had chosen an inefficient method to eliminate this Human-shaped Fruit Tree.

It seemed he chose this method simply because he enjoyed the sensation.

…

…

“I don’t care about you anymore! I’m leaving first…”

Amidst this battle enveloped by what felt like fear itself one Qin Ran had already deserted the fight.

It was the first ‘fruit’ to awaken after Lu Xin killed the Qin Ran in the trunk. Perhaps for this reason it was slightly smarter than the others. Back when it used its will to suppress the other ‘Qin Rans’ and direct the curses at Lu Xin it had already quietly severed its connection to the Human-shaped Fruit Tree and fled into a room.

The Human-shaped Fruit Tree couldn’t move but mature fruit could.

A short while later from the other side of the room a figure wearing overalls indistinguishable from any other Happy Town resident emerged. A fake smile plastered on its face clutching a silver briefcase it hurried towards the outskirts of the town.

Behind it the occasional screams of countless ‘selves’ made it tremble all over.

Damn it that thing is the real monster…

It secretly vowed never ever to return…

“Hee hee…”

Just as it reached the edge of town it suddenly heard laughter ahead.

Looking up it saw an elegantly dressed woman in a small white suit and a sun hat standing outside the town in a field full of small pink flowers. She held the hand of a peculiar-looking little girl whose black hair obscured her face.

They looked at it smiling happily.