The Girl’s Gratitude

What is going on? Isn’t this supposed to be a dream?

Xu Feng’s hands shook with panic. Everything before him was happening with terrifying clarity. His nose reacted a beat late; the thick, acrid stench of burning flesh instantly chased away the last of his drowsiness.

Xu Feng was wide awake now, and only one thought remained in his mind: Save her!

“My phone…” Xu Feng hurriedly fumbled through his pockets, wanting to record the evidence of these people’s crimes and call the police. To his dismay, his phone was likely still lying on his nightstand.

Damn it. What now?

Xu Feng looked around. The village was made entirely of thatched wood; there wasn’t a trace of modernity on the muddy dirt roads. Furthermore, the density of the distant vegetation was no different from a desolate wilderness. There was no way any law enforcement was nearby.

“Cough! Ah!”

A sharp, thin voice drifted from the altar into Xu Feng’s ears. The suffocating sensation of the girl being choked by smoke seemed to crawl up Xu Feng’s own throat.

The villagers, however, cheered even more fervently. They brandished their farm tools in a trance, heedless of whether they might strike those around them. Their eyes seemed entirely consumed by madness.

If no one else will save her, I’ll do it myself!

Xu Feng strode into the crowd. Under the bizarre stares of the villagers, he squeezed his way toward the front of the altar, not daring to hesitate for a second.

“Move!” Xu Feng pushed a villager aside and successfully broke through to the front.

The heat from the flames made his eyes sting. The fire surrounding the cross was growing more intense; if he didn’t do something soon, the girl would be burned alive!

“Borrowing this!” Xu Feng snatched a steel pitchfork from someone and rushed forward to pry the bonfire apart. Shattered embers and burning wood rolled everywhere, making his skin smoke from the heat.

The villagers were stunned by Xu Feng’s actions, and the sound of their whispering rose and fell like a tide.

Xu Feng ignored them. He finally cleared a path through the fire and, without hesitation, he ran in!

The girl was tied to the cross, the ropes already charred black by the smoke. Xu Feng stepped forward and gave a powerful tug; the girl fell forward, and Xu Feng caught her in his arms. Using his own body as a heat shield, he turned and charged back the way he came!

Whoosh!

The flames surged, blocking his path. Xu Feng grit his teeth, raised his arm, and crashed through!

The villagers watched as a figure rolled out of the flames, body trailing white smoke. He scrambled up unsteadily, carefully opening his arms to check that the girl was unharmed. Only then did he lift his head. His face was flushed red from the heat and covered in ash, his eyes glaring sharply at everyone.

The sky seemed to turn a murky gray from the thick smoke. A sudden gale howled past, fueling the arrogance of the fire!

Crack!

The cross collapsed into the flames, and the sacrificial altar was completely engulfed by the rogue fire.

“How could you do such a thing!” Xu Feng roared. The sky grew even darker.

The villagers chattered incessantly. Xu Feng had seemingly ruined their good mood; they surged forward, looking ready to turn on him.

Suddenly!

A bolt of pale white lightning tore through the sky, casting Xu Feng’s shadow long across the ground.

The restless villagers froze in unison. Pairs of eyes of all ages trembled, as if a new emotion had been injected into their madness—terror.

Rumble! Rumble—

The thunder struck the hearts of both the villagers and Xu Feng, sounding like the lingering echoes of an omen’s horn.

After a deafening silence…

Drip, drop…

Raindrops began to fall slowly, extinguishing the scorching flames and tapping lightly against Xu Feng’s face.

The rainwater was very cold.

That’s how it felt to Xu Feng, but to the villagers, the sight of the rain was like seeing a ghost. They fell into a state of agitation and chaos, scrambling for their lives!

The rain intensified. The villagers trampled over one another, desperately trying to flee the vicinity of the altar as if it had become a forbidden zone harboring a monster that could devour human blood.

Xu Feng slowly stood up, holding the girl in his arms. On the ground remained only scattered farm tools and a few soaked shoes.

“Wh… ugh…”

The girl in his arms seemed to be woken by the thunder. Her small mouth parted as if she were craving something.

“Hungry…”

Xu Feng heard the faint voice and looked down just as the girl’s eyes fluttered open.

“You’re awake? Are you okay?” Xu Feng asked softly.

The girl’s red-amber eyes shifted, taking in Xu Feng from her perspective.

“I wasn’t… burned to death?” Her voice was light, like a feather drifting in the air.

“No. I saved you.”

“Thank you…” The girl closed her eyes, still too weak.

“I’ll take you to find shelter from the rain. Hang in there.”

The girl remained silent, which Xu Feng took as her silent consent.

Xu Feng ran through the rain with the girl in his arms. The downpour was so heavy he could barely keep his eyes open.

Rumble!

Another bolt of thunder struck, but this time it produced a sound like the world was splitting apart.

Thud!

Xu Feng slammed into something rock-hard, stumbling back several steps before finding his balance.

“What is that?” Xu Feng looked up.

Under the torrential rain, a veil of mist had actually begun to spread. Hidden within that mist was a black silhouette as massive as a skyscraper. At the peak of that silhouette, two glowing red spots peered down.

Wasn’t this just a village a moment ago? What was this thing that had suddenly appeared!

Xu Feng turned to run with the girl, but his back was suddenly invaded by a wave of cold.

Swish! Swish!

The whistling sound of arrow-like projectiles tore past Xu Feng’s ears—and there were many of them.

Xu Feng felt a searing heat in his back, followed immediately by a piercing, agonizing pain.

“Ah!” Xu Feng pitched forward onto the ground, the girl tumbling several meters away.

That thing must have fired something that hit him.

Xu Feng grit his teeth and felt his back. There were roughly a dozen sharp, needle-like objects embedded there. His hands came away, as expected, covered in bright red blood.

Thump—thump—thump.

The earth shook. That massive entity didn’t even have the interest to spare Xu Feng a second glance before it departed.

Xu Feng was unwilling to give up on survival, but he no longer had the strength even to crawl.

You’ve got to be kidding me. Dying in a dream like this… this is terrible.

Unwilling to accept this, Xu Feng clenched his hands, his fingernails digging into the mud.

The girl who had been thrown aside stood up. She was too weak to walk steadily, but she still stumbled over to Xu Feng.

She knelt before his eyes and whispered into his ear.

“Big brother, thank you for saving me. I… will definitely save you too.”

Xu Feng lifted his head to look at her. Her eyes began to glow with a strange, crimson brilliance.

“What…” Xu Feng’s ears were ringing, and the lethargy brought on by blood loss was intensifying.

“I will definitely save you, big brother.”

The girl brushed aside her silver hair. Her cherry-colored lips slowly parted, revealing a pair of porcelain-white fangs.

Xu Feng watched as the girl leaned down, her mouth stopping at his neck.

What is she?

Bite—

The skin of his neck was easily pierced. What followed was the bizarre sensation of blood being rapidly drained away.

She’s drinking my blood!

Xu Feng wanted to pull away, but he couldn’t.

In his field of vision, it seemed as if something silken had covered his eyes. It was silver-white. The sensations of his body were receding; his consciousness was fading into a blur.

“Big brother, this is… my repayment.”