[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-53":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298022,4496,"Chapter 53: Mark","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>“Tentacles?” Lu Mi blinked, then remembered how to define the things binding that mass of flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had read all of Aurora’s novels, studied every illustration, memorized every clichéd plot, and understood many things he’d never encountered in daily life—like a monster’s tentacles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven or eight deep-black, fleshy tentacles coiled around the mass of flesh, dragging it toward the ruined building on the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From behind the scattered rubble, a figure stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He” resembled a human, bare-chested and barefoot, wearing only a pair of black trousers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike a human, he had no head—his neck ended in a stub, its cross-section covered in sharp teeth arranged in a spiral, through which vivid red muscle tissue was clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if some human had replaced his head and half his neck with a grotesque mouthpart, making “Head-Cutter” Lu Mi shake his head in disbelief, unable to find a place to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seven or eight deep-black, fleshy tentacles extended from the edges of the monster’s “mouthpart,” swiftly dragging the flesh mass to its front and lifting it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster’s neck “mouthpart” opened wide, like a blooming trumpet flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its rows of sharp white teeth gripped the flesh mass and swallowed it whole, in the manner of a snake devouring prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this, Lu Mi let out a silent scoff:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought you all survived without eating—turns out you still need to feed…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell into thought:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The most common things in this ruin should be monsters—edible food must be extremely scarce…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which means some monsters eat other monsters, like just now—or perhaps everyone is both hunter and prey…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I encounter a monster I can’t beat, could I lure it toward another monster, make them hunt each other, hurt each other, and then I step in to pick up the scraps?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Theoretically possible—but seems dangerously unpredictable. Who knows if the monsters might team up and kill me first…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, Lu Mi noticed the monster’s chest cavity swelling and contracting, as if undergoing violent digestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This drew his attention—and revealed something unusual on the monster’s bare upper body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On its left chest, right chest, and just below its neck were three black marks resembling seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…” Lu Mi’s pupils dilated unconsciously, trying to see more clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen similar marks on the parish priest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was at the end of Lent, when the priest’s body swelled and burst his clothes, revealing those black marks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After careful comparison, Lu Mi confirmed the three seal-like black marks on the monster were the same kind as the priest’s:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were composed of unique script and strange symbols, as if connected to another world beyond description.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference was, the priest had at least eleven or twelve, while this monster had only three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What purpose do these black marks serve? A brand from some hidden entity? More marks mean greater blessings?” Lu Mi observed, confused and uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried hard to memorize the script and symbols forming one of the marks, but since they were entirely unfamiliar, he couldn’t retain them—and he had no paper or pen to sketch them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster finished digesting the flesh mass. It moved its arms, flicking the seven or eight fleshy, deep-black tentacles beside its “mouthpart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mark beneath its neck glowed faintly, and its chest cavity emitted a low, resonant hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound grew louder, like air surging through a beehive, rushing in and out of countless hollows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trumpet-flower “mouthpart” opened wider, the hum intensifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi found the noise unbearable, wanting to beat the monster senseless:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t you know how awful this sound is?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blood surged, and a wave of rage shot straight from his heart to his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He became impulsive, raised his rifle, circled the rubble blocking his view, and leapt down from the half-collapsed roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi landed on the ground, facing the monster’s spiral, tooth-filled, blood-red “mouthpart”—they stared at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi, who had been ready to curse the monster as a “pig-father,” instantly calmed, feeling the disoriented panic of an audience suddenly forced onto the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster’s blood-red mouthpart fixed on him, falling silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I say… sorry, it’s a misunderstanding?” Lu Mi muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suspected the noise had been manipulative—somehow making him lose his reason, leap from cover, and attempt an attack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was done. Apologizing would do no good. He had only two choices: fight or flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on his experience, fleeing outright at this point was almost certainly futile—the monster was unharmed and already prepared, its seven or eight tentacles raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if he wanted to escape, he’d have to fight first, then find his opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Lu Mi raised his rifle—already loaded with lead shot—as soon as he regained his composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster clearly hadn’t anticipated such swift, decisive action, nor understood what a rifle was—it had no time to dodge, and was struck directly by multiple bursting lead pellets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its spiral, tooth-filled mouthpart opened instinctively in a pained cry; multiple spots on its chest turned instantly bloody and pulpy—including the area where the right black mark lay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the black mark, as if carved into the blood and flesh itself, remained clearly visible, barely affected by the wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi didn’t pause to admire the monster’s shriek—he moved immediately after firing, shifting position and pulling fresh lead shot from the pouch at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he re-aimed, the black mark on the monster’s left chest glowed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The humanoid creature, whose head and neck had become a giant “mouthpart,” vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It simply disappeared before Lu Mi’s eyes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gone? Invisible? Lu Mi searched his memory of Aurora’s novels and her teachings on the occult for answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly glanced left and right—but the monster truly seemed to have vanished into thin air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This unprecedented scenario left Lu Mi momentarily panicked; he instinctively stepped backward, trying to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his ankles tightened—he lost balance completely and was flipped upside down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fleshy, deep-black tentacles materialized in midair, coiling around his legs and hoisting him into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster reappeared, just a short distance to his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, its right-chest mark glowed, and its spiral, tooth-filled “mouthpart” opened to its fullest extent, revealing its blood-red interior—as if ready to swallow Lu Mi whole using its tentacles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An indescribable stench burst from the “mouthpart,” making Lu Mi, dangling upside down, feel dizzy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his eyes: blood-red oral tissue and countless white, razor-sharp teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seized the moment—before a tentacle could coil around his arm—and, still upside down, aimed his rifle straight at the monster’s “mouthpart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster screamed again, its mouthpart spraying blood and flesh, speckled with lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hurled Lu Mi away, its body rapidly turning translucent, vanishing once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi crashed to the ground, rolled several times, then scrambled to his feet, focusing intently on locating the monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second, he sniffed—the scent of blood was rapidly approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without pausing to analyze what it meant, he lunged sideways, away from his original position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where he had stood, the fleshy, deep-black tentacles pierced the air—but found nothing to wrap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few meters away, the monster reappeared, its spiral “mouthpart” wide open, as if waiting for food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi quickly reloaded his rifle—but the monster’s left-chest mark glowed, and it vanished from his sight again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Invisibility—definitely invisibility! Lu Mi instantly concluded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with his earlier experience, he believed this invisibility couldn’t mask scent, and that it failed the moment the monster attacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, Lu Mi calmed, silently mocking himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can’t hide your smell, what kind of invisibility is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And tracking traces was a “Hunter’s” specialty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer panicked by the ambush, Lu Mi steadied himself, moving cautiously while scanning his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he spotted the monster’s footprints, smelled its blood and original stench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using these traces, he repeatedly avoided the monster’s attacks and fired his rifle to strike it each time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the monster seemed to have no vital points—after multiple shots, it was merely weakened, not destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With lead shot nearly exhausted, Lu Mi’s mind raced, thinking frantically about what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a few seconds, he had his answer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his way here, he hadn’t forgotten to observe the environment—he’d noticed several natural traps he could use, and one was perfect for this monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing two faint footprints suddenly appear nearby, Lu Mi turned and sprinted away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fleshy, deep-black tentacles struck empty air again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi ran, then stopped, turned back to observe—ensuring the monster kept chasing him, and using its movements to anticipate and dodge its attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hummmmm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster’s chest-generated “noise” once again reached Lu Mi’s ears, filling him with fury—so intense he wanted to stop running and turn around and chop the thing to pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he remembered his goal: to kill the monster. This wasn’t true flight—it was strategy. Anger and irritation didn’t derail his plan; they only made him more decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-thud-thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi finally saw the half-collapsed building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dashed inside, reached the opposite edge, then stopped, pretending to lie in wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, faint footprints appeared inside the half-collapsed structure; the stench and blood smell drew closer to Lu Mi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi estimated the tentacles’ reach, stepped back two paces, raised the axe he’d already drawn, and swung it at a nearly shattered stone pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he kicked the pillar hard and rolled backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The half-collapsed building, already teetering on unstable balance, collapsed with a thunderous crash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash! Heavy stones rained down, completely filling the interior space that had once been passable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster hiding and gathering power there let out a sharp, agonized scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its scream lasted less than a second before cutting off abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thank you to Xing Zhou Lan and Book Friend 20230108160739852 for donating the Bai Yin Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1641,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1179918fd1e6fb36b01a0302f35dc7f1eb5290acf39881f542fc2e62cbb28b63","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-54","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-52",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]