Chapter 86: Dragged Away

Cheng Shuili notices that the muscles on his neck are tensed like rebar, and the knuckles gripping the dagger turn white.

This person is obviously extremely nervous.

Seeing that Qi Yue hasn't encountered any mishap, everyone follows him inside.

Originally Cheng Shuili and Wan Yi were standing at the back, but at this moment the woman in the red cotton coat cowardly hid behind the two of them.

Someone voluntarily took the rear, so Cheng Shuili naturally had no objection.

"We must cherish time and split into two groups."

Qi Yue lowered his voice as if afraid to disturb something, raised his hand and pointed to the convenience store on the left: "Alright, Yang Yunsheng, you take five people to the convenience store and check it out,"

He then pointed to the rust‑stained restroom sign on the right: "The rest of you follow me…"

Before the words finished, or rather Qi Yue's voice abruptly stopped!

A clump of viscous black liquid suddenly dripped from the ceiling above everyone, landing on Qi Yue's shoulder.

The substance instantly unfolded like a living thing, turning into countless fine threads that jammed into his open mouth!

"Huh!"

Qi Yue's scream was muffled by the slime into a dull thud.

He struggled, slashing the slime with his dagger, but it was like cutting into glue; the blade became enshrouded by the viscous material, slowly dissolving and emitting a sharp green smoke.

The others hadn't time to react when the slime suddenly stretched its body unusually long, extending far into the pitch‑black interior of the convenience store.

Then, it contracted and expanded like a spring, pulling Qi Yue into the store in an instant!

Cheng Shuili was the first to react.

But there was no time to save anyone; in the final moment, she used the Abyssal Ring's skill on the slime!

【Insight Activated】

【Name: Sound-Devouring Saliva】

【Origin: Born from unspeakable human fear, it is a malformed product condensed from countless suppressed screams and suffocating whispers. It craves sound, longs to choke the cries of all living things in their throats, then drag them into an eternal silent abyss!】

【Weakness/Advisory: It is deaf and blind, but indiscriminate; whether human or monster, as long as there is "sound," it will devour. This one is a colleague of mine, currently serving in an Instance, not a hunting target; don't think about killing it, you still can't defeat it.】

Cheng Shuili: "???"

Now her ring has sentience, right?

It can even call itself "I" now?

No wonder an advisory appears after the weakness; Cheng Shuili only saw three characters throughout: "Don't provoke it."

Cheng Shuili: "…"

Cheng Shuili understood, but the remaining few did not.

The terrifying scene before them almost froze everyone; in the panic, their minds went blank, and the first reaction upon regaining senses was to scream!

"Ah—!"

The woman in the red cotton coat's scream pierced the dead silence like a blade stabbing Cheng Shuili's eardrum.

She whirled around and saw the girl, who had just been smug, now with eyes wide open, mouth agape, fear contorting her entire face.

Cheng Shuili paused; at this moment she could only rely on instinct to think: what is the best way to save the person!?

Her body reached the answer before her mind did.

She kicked the woman in the red cotton coat in the stomach, and before the Sound-Devouring Saliva could bind the woman's neck, she first kicked her out of the Service Area.

Such monsters should have an attack range.

Earlier, when they were speaking outside, they used normal volume and were not attacked.

This indicates the Sound-Devouring Saliva only attacks those who enter this area, so… as long as we toss the woman out, we can save her life!

Cheng Shuili guessed correctly; the Sound-Devouring Saliva only attacked the woman in the red cotton coat, and it chased straight to the boundary line between the Service Area and the road. After confirming it could no longer reach the woman, it returned to the ceiling to lie in wait.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

When all eyes focused on Cheng Shuili, she raised a finger to her lips, pressing out a few strands of blood‑colored hue.

In that instant, her normally delicate and harmless face took on a hint of bewitching allure.

"Shh."

Whoever makes a sound, dies.

The twelve survivors tiptoed out of the Service Area, crossing the clear boundary line, and finally exhaled in unison.

Perhaps the horror of Qi Yue being taken still lingered; though the area was now safe, no one dared utter a word.

Only the woman in the red cotton coat clutched her stomach and wailed on the ground.

She had just felt as if a car had struck her; before the pain spread, she could only feel the force, and watching the Sound-Devouring Saliva reach the boundary, she realized that the kick had saved her life.

The pain surged, she rolled on the ground wailing, and even for a moment thought she'd rather be seized and devoured by the monster...

The moment that thought flashed, it made her shudder all over; still, this was better—painful, but at least she was alive.

Cheng Shuili harbored no desire for revenge; that kick was purely instinct to save a life.

She even sighed inwardly, recalling that in a past life she had seen countless heroic deeds of self‑sacrifice, and almost every child of Long Guo had that seed planted in their heart.

But this instinct isn't a good thing in places like this; it must be changed.

The first to speak was Yang Yunsheng, who was clearly still shaken; after a few deep breaths he steadied himself, looked at Cheng Shuili and asked, "How did you know that monster would attack her?"

He pointed at the woman still rolling on the ground, his brows knit tightly—perhaps out of urgency, perhaps fear—but regardless, his tone was interrogative.

Cheng Shuili sneered, retorting, "Do you have no ears or no brain?"

"What?"

Yang Yunsheng didn't expect such a harsh attitude; from that reply, she must have deduced something.

Realizing she wasn't a pushover, Yang Yunsheng's demeanor flipped 180 degrees; the previously cold face forced out a smile, even seeming somewhat obsequious.

"I'm not very smart; could you explain it properly?"

The contrast before and after is indeed significant.

Wan Yi, who had been silent beside them, couldn't help but show surprise.

Cheng Shuili was not surprised; even if they didn't ask, Cheng Shuili was planning to say it.

The Service Area is too big; if there are still such strange mechanisms existing...

If these people all died, there would be no one to scout the path for her.

"From when we entered the Service Area to when Qi Yue was dragged away by the monster, we have always been standing especially close to Qi Yue! But the monster only attacked Qi Yue alone, because among everyone, only Qi Yue spoke and made a sound."

"So you only kicked her out when you heard Wang Lu scream?"

Yang Yunsheng asked, following Cheng Shuili's words.

Wang Lu is the name of the woman in the red cotton coat.

This is obvious; Cheng Shuili doesn't need to answer at all.