“Screech!”
From the bedding on the tatami mat, a black shadow shot out like lightning.
A lightning-charged claw strike suddenly appeared in front of the black, human-faced cat.
“Shadowstep!”
At almost the same moment, Li Ran slipped into the shadow beneath the floorboards.
“Boom!”
The human-faced cat was knocked flying, slamming into the wall. Half its body was mangled by a bloody claw mark that cut to the bone, but it didn’t seem to feel pain. Its human face glared fiercely at the six-tailed fox that had appeared out of nowhere.
“Honey!”
The door was suddenly flung open. Su Bingyao rushed in, her eyes frantically searching for Li Ran.
Not finding her husband, she spotted the black, human-faced cat instead. At once, icy scales of rage surfaced on her face, and her gaze shot out with killing intent.
“Grrrah!”
In an instant, Su Bingyao transformed into a frost serpent and lunged at the cat.
The cat dodged nimbly onto the windowsill, a mocking expression on its face. “You two enjoy yourselves.”
It lightly leapt out through the shattered window and vanished into the darkness.
Su Bingyao was about to smash through the window to chase after it.
“Don’t chase it, honey. I’m okay.”
Li Ran’s voice came from under the bed.
Only then did Su Bingyao revert to human form and run to the bedside anxiously. “I… I thought… I thought…”
“Don’t cry, where’s our son?” Li Ran asked.
“In the study…” Su Bingyao hesitated, clearly not wanting to admit that the little troublemaker had snuck out again at night.
“Crash! Bang! Clang!”
Sounds of things toppling and shattering came from outside.
It didn’t take a genius to know that the little brat was wreaking havoc again.
“Our son is probably dealing with the little monster,” Li Ran said.
He didn’t dare emerge from the shadow. The ceiling was shrouded in a thick black mist—his system had already warned him that this was the desire virus that could turn people into monsters in this dungeon.
If he left the shadow state, the virus would immediately flood into his body and infect him.
When the human-faced cat woke him up just now, it had been dangerously close. The black mist had almost swarmed toward him—until Chitong suddenly struck, giving Li Ran the chance to escape into the shadows.
He had suspected that the night wouldn’t be peaceful, so he had hidden the transformed Chitong under the blanket.
Who would’ve thought the little monster wouldn’t wake him, and that a new black human-faced cat would appear instead?
The Shadowstep would only last five minutes. Once it ended, the black mist would devour him instantly.
There was nowhere to run.
After midnight, the entire dungeon was filled with the virus. No place was safe.
“You already know?” Su Bingyao’s face was filled with worry. She knew that once Li Ran left the shadows, he would be doomed.
“Yeah. You’ve worked so hard lately, honey.” Li Ran said gently.
“What now? You’re in danger…” Her beautiful face was etched with worry.
“Chirp!”
Chitong’s six tails whipped through the air, like flying ribbons trying to drive the mist away. But no matter how much she scattered it, more black mist gathered again, like slapping water—it never cleared.
The more they struggled, the more mist gathered.
“Eeyah!”
At that moment, a mischievous figure bounded into the room, waving tiny arms to control the terrifying black mist inside.
“Mom! It’s getting stronger. I can’t stop it anymore!”
Li Ziyang burst into the room, crying out in alarm.
He looked around for his father. Just as he was about to cry, Li Ran’s voice came from under the bed: “So that’s the little monster?”
The first day they entered this eerie world, Li Ziyang had brought that thing to test him. Li Ran had casually called it the “little brat.” Who could’ve guessed the baby in the jar would actually come to life?
Back then, the system gave no warning, so Li Ran didn’t pay it much mind. By the time he felt something was off and went to investigate, the little monster had disappeared.
“Dad, you’re okay?” Li Ziyang gasped.
Relieved to hear his father’s voice, he looked toward the smug little creature now flaunting its presence.
That brat had tried countless times to enter this room, but Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang had always stopped it. The more they kept it out, the more curious it got.
Now it had finally entered, and was floating midair like a tiny tyrant, waving its arms and commanding the black mist, basking in its victory like it was saying: “Haha! I passed the test!”
Little did it know, a burning gaze was watching it from beneath the bed.
(Dark Demon Infant [Juvenile])
(S-Rank Mental Infection Type)
(Eerie Power Value: 300)
(A being born from the resentment of thousands of abandoned infants. Curious about everything.)
(She loves playing with people but doesn’t understand good or evil. Often causes hilarious or terrible mishaps.)
(She can control all dark elements. When she plays, she’ll use all kinds of dark powers.)
(She holds grudges. If you upset her, never harm her—or next time, she’ll come back worse.)
(She escapes by opening a Dark Gate to flee her enemies.)
(Hint: The Dark Gate stays open only briefly—seize the moment. It could save you from the midnight crisis.)
Seeing all these descriptions appear on the little monster, Li Ran was stunned.
“An S-Rank juvenile Dark Demon Infant?”
His eyes burned with excitement—he’d been worrying about who to use his contract scroll on.
But that wasn’t the most important part.
The most important part was that her arrival gave him a glimmer of hope.
Where once there was only a cliff’s edge, now a bridge had appeared.
Li Ran saw the light.
“We’re saved. We’re really saved,” he said, full of emotion.
“Really? What should I do?” Su Bingyao’s tears stopped instantly. She knew her husband would never say something like that lightly.
If he said it, he had a way out.
Li Ran called Li Ziyang over to the bed and instructed them:
“Play with her. And remember—don’t hurt her.”
Both wife and son nodded seriously.
With his Shadowstep about to end, any hesitation could be fatal.
Li Ran withdrew Chitong into the summoning space. Her presence was too aggressive and made the demon infant wary.
Once Chitong disappeared, the demon infant became much more lively. She dropped to the floor, spread her arms, and laughed gleefully, zipping around the room like she was riding a miniature storm.
She saw a lamp, darted over, played with it a while, and then shattered it.
The bed became her trampoline, where she rolled and laughed with glee.
At that moment, Su Bingyao pulled out a pair of badminton rackets from the closet and handed one to Li Ziyang.
Under the curious gaze of the little monster, the two started a badminton game.
“Ee?”
The demon infant’s black eyes followed the shuttlecock as it flew.
“Ee-yah!” She jumped from the bed, arms open, eager to join in.
And so, amid laughter and joy, Su Bingyao served the shuttlecock—a.k.a. the demon infant—over to her son. The boy hit her back. Back and forth she went, delighted, giggling endlessly.
From beneath the bed, a sharp gaze locked on the little demon.
“Catch him, honey!”
Su Bingyao caught the demon baby her son had hit over and suddenly twisted the direction of her racket, smacking the little demon baby down toward the bed.
“Now!”
Li Ran's shadow-hiding effect vanished. He shot out from under the bed and threw out a rope.
"Ee!"
The little demon baby realized something was wrong and started frantically pedaling his legs in midair, trying to stop himself.
But this was the exact moment Li Ran had been waiting for—there was no way he'd miss.
The rope he threw looped perfectly around the little demon baby's body.
With a swift tug, Li Ran tightened the rope, cinching it snugly around the demon baby's round, pudgy belly.
"Ee-yaa!!!"
The little demon baby flew into a sudden rage, summoning all the black mist above his head while opening a faint, shadowy gate behind himself.
Under his control, the terrifying black mist surged like a massive beast, baring its bloody maw as it swooped down toward Li Ran.
The little demon baby flashed a mischievous grin, stuck out his tongue at Li Ran, and dove headfirst into the gate of darkness.
But—Li Ran gave a sharp yank and dragged the little demon baby right back out.
"Shadow Assault!"
Li Ran activated his skill, vanishing from sight and turning into a swiftly moving, invisible blur as he bolted toward the gate of darkness. At the same time, his passive skill [Sprint] kicked in.
In this moment, he was racing against death itself—he had to pass through the dark gate at the highest speed possible.
The black mist surged like a raging storm, rushing in to devour him within an instant.
If he so much as touched it, the virus would infect him immediately.
He had to risk it all!
Under the worried gazes of Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang, the black mist swallowed both Li Ran and the little demon baby in one gulp.
In an instant, the entire room was flooded with black mist!
"Honey!"
"Dad!"
(End of Chapter)