Artes antiguas y maravillosas

Capítulo 15

I was unable to wake the two half-asleep girls and suddenly felt helpless.

Suddenly, a girl rolled over in her sleep and fell off the sofa, along with a long, thin straw. I went over in surprise, picked up the straw, and examined it closely.

It was just an ordinary straw, the kind we use to drink cold drinks, but this straw had a creamy liquid on it, as if someone had just drunk something from it. I looked around the room carefully but didn't see any beverage bottles, and the liquid on the straw was still steaming. That was strange, since I didn't see any hot, creamy drinks in the room.

My questioning gaze fell on Snow White's face, and I was surprised to see a few drops of this liquid substance splattered on her sallow cheeks. I knelt before her, picked it up with my fingertips, and examined it. A strong, fishy smell wafted up, and I jumped up in shock.

Just now, the thing that splashed onto my face in the hallway was this substance.

I stared in astonishment at Snow White's face and noticed that some of this substance had appeared on her forehead again, flowing from the top of her head. With trembling hands, I brushed aside her long hair and immediately saw the horrible hole on the top of her head.

Good heavens! That straw was stuck right on top of her head!!!

No wonder they were sallow-faced and looked sickly; no wonder they were unconscious and convulsing; no wonder they fell silent after their scream; no wonder I couldn't wake them no matter how I called them. My whole body trembled; terror gripped my heart. My God, what kind of monster has appeared in this building, so evil and cruel!

At the end of the corridor outside, that thing was still rampaging. Whatever it was, it had no reason to exist in this world. I gripped the dumbbells in my hands and stood in the room, trying to calm myself down. I was about to face an unprecedented and terrifying danger. Anger and fear would only affect my thinking and judgment. I had to keep a clear head in order to avenge those two poor girls!

I slowly took deep breaths, trying to cool down my boiling mind, but I couldn't. The image of that employee with an empty head kept appearing before my eyes during the day. I understood. Those poor wretches who were kicked out of the company, those victims who were called trash employees, they became food for that evil and brutal monster while spending the night in this company building.

I walked into the corridor, still hiding myself in the darkness, and silently walked forward. Suddenly, I stopped.

I heard the thing breathing; it was right in front of me.

In the silence, a series of rapid, inhuman panting breaths approached me. The breaths grew increasingly rapid and intense, and my eardrums were stimulated by a powerful low-frequency wave. A sharp, piercing pain shot straight into my heart. The pain caused by the disruption of my nervous system almost pushed me to my limit, making me want to scream several times.

I couldn't scream. The power this thing possessed far exceeded my imagination. The rhythm of its breathing alone evoked a feeling of despair within me. This was too bizarre, filling me with a sudden, overwhelming sense of helpless sorrow. Terrified, I had only one thought: I couldn't let this thing discover me. If it did, the consequences would be horrific. So I raised a hand, put it in my mouth, and bit down hard. My teeth dug deep into my skin, blood gushing out, the pain excruciating. The salty, metallic blood gave me strength, and I finally managed to suppress a groan.

The thing was slowly moving its body. How big was it? I felt strange. It seemed like a huge creature, but it didn't seem like one. As I was calmly thinking in the dark, I suddenly heard footsteps from the stairwell in the distance.

I was taken aback and quickly turned around to see that it was Xiaoping who had come up. She still refused to listen to my instructions to hide and ran out again because she was worried about me. She wasn't alone; two other girls were following behind her. There were lights at the top of the stairs, but the corridor was pitch black, so the three of them didn't dare to go any further than the top of the stairs. They peeked out and called out in this direction: "Zhao Zhuo, Zhao Zhuo, are you okay? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Hearing their shouts, I was both anxious and angry. My silence already indicated that something was really wrong. Would I have left them downstairs for so long if nothing was wrong? But the thing was right in front of me, and I dared not make a sound. Just as I was burning with anxiety and feeling helpless, the thing suddenly became agitated. I clearly felt it violently shake its body again, exhaling a greasy, fishy smell, and rushing towards the three girls.

Even now, I still can't figure out what it is. I only hear countless feet silently and rapidly running. Whatever it is, I don't care anymore. A long-suppressed urge suddenly burst out of my chest, vibrating my vocal cords and letting out a deep, violent roar. With that roar, I slammed the dumbbell down with all my might. When the dumbbell hit something sticky, it splashed onto my face with a splattering sound. Before I could even wipe it off, I screamed: "Xiaoping, run! Run! Run!!!"

The thing clearly hadn't expected me to be hiding right next to it. The dumbbell slammed down, causing it to violently convulse. The sound was loud, and the intense trembling revealed the monster's anger and resentment. As I desperately turned and ran in another direction, countless feet chased after me. Suddenly, a tentacle covered in barbs silently shot up from the ground and wrapped around my ankle. I was running too fast and fell to the ground.

The situation was dire. Without a second thought, I grabbed a lighter and lit it, trying to heat the thing wrapped around my ankle. The flame was too weak, so I grabbed a waste paper basket, lit some scraps of paper, and shoved the flame heavily onto the thing. Before the flame even reached it, the tentacle swiftly retracted. Recovering from my shock, I rolled to the stairwell on the other side of the corridor and tumbled down the stairs.

The fifth floor was brightly lit, and the light gave me warmth and courage. I struggled to my feet and saw several girls screaming in panic down the corridor. Seeing me, they shrieked and ran towards me desperately. I glanced back upstairs anxiously; thankfully, the thing seemed afraid of the light and didn't chase after me. I breathed a sigh of relief and limped towards them. I had only taken two steps when the corridor lights suddenly went out.

My hands and feet went cold instantly. I hurriedly shouted in the direction of Xiaoping and the others: "Stick to the wall to your right and don't make a sound, or it will come downstairs soon."

But the three girls were terrified. I heard their disoriented sobs in the darkness. I called out to them several times, telling them to be quiet, but they ignored me. I had no choice but to feel my way forward along the wall, calling Xiaoping's name as I went, hoping she could find me in the dark. Xiaoping responded to me; her voice grew closer. My hand reached out in the darkness and suddenly touched a cold fingertip. Xiaoping screamed in terror in my ear, and I immediately hugged her tightly: "Don't be afraid, Xiaoping, it's me."

Xiaoping hugged me tightly, and the other two girls grabbed my arms desperately. I hurriedly said, "Don't cry, please don't, that thing..." Before I could finish speaking, the two girls tightened their grip on my arms, and at the same time, their terrifying screams overwhelmed my senses. I tried in vain to grab them, but it was too late. Their fingernails left several bloody scratches on my arms, and amidst their desperate screams, the monster lurking in the darkness dragged them away.

I was no longer strong enough to protect them, and I could barely save myself. Suppressing my fear and anger, I covered Xiaoping's mouth with one hand and dragged her to the end of the corridor. That monster would not let us go. In this closed building, where could we escape to?

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I stopped and listened to the sounds behind me. The two girls who were being dragged away let out a short scream, followed by a terrifying silence.

Xiaoping was so frightened that she lost her mind. As soon as I let go, she fell down. I had no choice but to carry her on my shoulder and walk up to the sixth floor in the dark.

If I run downstairs, there are still four flights of stairs below. Before I can reach the bottom, the monster will catch up with me. On the other hand, if I go upstairs, to the sixth floor and then to the top floor, then if the monster catches up, at least I can see its shape clearly in the moonlight. As long as I know what it is, I can find a way to subdue it.

To reach the rooftop, I must first go through a door in the chairman's office suite to the balcony, which means taking a risk. I might encounter that terrible evil creature again in the dark corridor, but I have no choice. To survive, I can only hope to win through danger.

I went up to the sixth floor, carrying Xiaoping on my back, walking carefully, not even daring to breathe. Step by step, I stopped, staring in surprise at the ground in front of me.

Ahead was a large floor-to-ceiling window, tightly closed, but the bright lights from the building opposite refracted and scattered at various angles, illuminating a patch of ground in front of the window. Two shapely legs stretched out from the darkness, twisting restlessly.

Those were the two girls who had just been dragged away by the evil entity on the fifth floor. The evil entity was right next to them, because I could hear the gurgling sound of it sipping its drink with pleasure.

I finally ran into it.

Chapter Six: Monster

1)

No matter how much time has passed, I will never forget that terrifying scene in the darkness. Even in my dreams, I can clearly hear that chilling slurping sound.

Under the brutal onslaught, the girl's limbs convulsed in agony, the gurgling sounds pervasive and filling the air. With this horrifying sucking sound, a pungent, fishy odor quickly filled the air, triggering a strong physiological aversion in me. The human sensory system harbors a natural terror towards this smell; it's a primal taboo of life itself, a fear stemming from the very essence of being, far beyond the power of willpower to resist. No one can remain unmoved in the face of such a stench.

The girl's body twisted and struggled in the pleasurable sips, her despair and pain were heart-wrenching. In fact, she was conscious throughout the process, but as her energy and mind were plundered and satiated, she would become a walking corpse, no longer having her own independent will, and would regard tonight's plunder as a terrifying dream.

Witnessing this unprecedentedly brutal and evil scene, all I could do was tightly cover Xiaoping's mouth, trembling with fear alongside her, letting the greedy sucking sounds ravage our minds. Soon after, the girl suddenly collapsed, unable to struggle any longer. The evil creature seemed quite satisfied, snorting and splattering a few drops of slime onto my face. The multi-legged monster moved its hydraulically operated limbs, and I saw another unconscious girl being dragged over; the demon's feast had begun again.

The gurgling slurping sound rang out again, filling the entire office building with a sinister atmosphere. The tormented girl struggled and sobbed in this vivid nightmare, while my body remained immobile. I could only close my eyes in despair and listen to the piercing slurping sound that filled the entire world.

The sipping suddenly stopped, and in an instant, my heart pounded with terror. The monster had sensed my proximity; it must be. Two strange eyes, glowing with a bright green light in the darkness, stared intently at me. In a panic, I leaped up and, carrying Xiaoping on my back, ran frantically towards the chairman's office. But this escape was merely instinct; Du Hongyuan's office door was already locked. Before I could even open it, the monster would catch up. Its numerous toes were leisurely strolling towards us. I was doomed, but I continued running frantically forward.

To my utter disbelief, the chairman's office door was wide open, and even more incredibly, dim light was streaming in from inside. Overjoyed, I took a leap, running faster than my physical limits, and stumbled headfirst into the room. As soon as I entered, I tripped over a pile of rags on the floor, causing Xiaoping to fall with a cry of pain and tumble out. But I didn't care about anything else; with lightning speed, I quickly locked the door.

I slowly took a few steps back, catching my breath, before finally noticing the tattered cloth that had tripped me. It wasn't a tattered cloth at all; it was two guards lying on the carpet, their limbs outstretched like corpses, their ashen faces radiating a black, deathly aura. No wonder we couldn't find them on the first floor; they, like the girls, had already become food for the monster. I carefully examined the tops of the guards' heads, and sure enough, there was a tiny hole in each one, easily missed unless you looked very closely.

Tomorrow morning, they will wake up from the nightmare, and for them, everything they experienced tonight was nothing but a nightmare, a nightmare filled with evil images and sounds.

I hurried to Mr. Du's desk, hoping to find the key to the balcony. I was startled to see his ever-present black leather bag on the desk. Then, a cup of tea on the desk made my eyes widen suddenly.

It was a cup of tea, still steaming, with a refreshing tea aroma filling the air. The tea was brewed to a strong brew, its fragrance wafting through the air, and the steam was just right. It was Da Hong Pao, Mr. Du's favorite tea.

My heart jumped again—there was someone in Chairman Du's office!

I quickly searched the area, but apart from the two unconscious security guards, there were only Xiaoping and me. Confused, I walked to the counter and looked at the cup of tea; instantly, I felt a chill run down my spine.

The rim of the teacup bore a ring of lip prints formed by the remaining milky white ointment.

Good heavens, the one drinking tea here is that terrifying monster!

What exactly was that evil monster? Staring blankly at the teacup, my fear had reached its peak.

I really can't imagine a multi-legged reptile covered in venomous spines sitting behind this impressive desk, leisurely sipping fragrant tea. It's just too bizarre.

Just as I was filled with dread, something on the boss's desk suddenly made a sound, which startled me so much that I involuntarily let out a strange scream and hugged Xiaoping tightly.

Suddenly, a cell phone rang, its light flashing. It was Mr. Du's phone, which he never turned off and never let go of. Besides, all of Mr. Du's belongings were there: his car keys, sunglasses, and even a credit card. I was still in shock, trying to take a closer look around to assess what this meant for me. But it was too late; the monster could break down the door at any moment.

The monster roared angrily outside the door, making the door creak and groan as it was being gripped. I quickly turned my gaze to the window.

Outside the window is a balcony; breaking this window would break this closed world.

I grabbed a chair and smashed it against the windowpane. The sound of shattering glass had a terrifying effect in the quiet night, and that was exactly the effect I needed.

The door was kicked open with a bang, and the monster had broken in.

Before I could even see what the monster looked like, I slammed the chair down on it. Then I grabbed Xiaoping and yelled, "Let's go to the balcony!"

The balcony was spacious, filled with countless building pipes and advertising signs. A cool night breeze swept through our hair. I pulled Xiaoping along, stumbling and running through the pipes. After running quite a distance, I looked back and what I saw stunned me.

In Chairman Du's office, a figure stood there, watching us with a slight hesitation. I shook my head, trying to shake off the illusion, because it was impossible. I continued pulling Xiaoping forward, running faster and faster until we reached a door. We slipped through that door into the building and rushed down the stairs to another company. We slipped out through their door.

We can't call the police because the situation is too bizarre. Calling the police would severely damage the company's reputation, and Chairman Du never hesitates to deal with anything that affects the company's reputation. So the wisest choice is to go home. We have no choice but to go home.

When we got home, Xiaoping collapsed onto the bed as soon as we entered. I was equally exhausted. Without even changing our clothes, we both collapsed onto the bed and drifted off to sleep. I usually sleep very well, falling asleep quickly and deeply, but I wake up instantly at the slightest noise. That night, I was suddenly awakened by a strange feeling in my mind. I opened my eyes, my heart pounding wildly. Listening to Xiaoping's sweet, peaceful sleep beside me, my muscles stiffened, and my hair stood on end. Some danger was approaching!

Could it be that we didn't lock the door properly before going to bed, and someone sneaked in?

Things were far more terrifying than I had imagined. Countless feet were restless in the living room, and the bedroom door was silently pushed open, quickly filling the small bedroom with a chilling, pungent smell.

This is the monster that appeared in the office building; it's now in my home!!!

2)

This is my home, a happy paradise that Xiaoping and I have carefully created. Here, warmth, happiness, and safety are ours. But now, our carefully built nest has been invaded by an evil creature. The safety and happiness we once had have become a poison that has numbed our senses. We were sleeping so soundly that we were completely unaware that this thing had come so close to our bedroom door.

How on earth did it keep up with us? As we drove through the long streets, speeding towards our homes, was the monster also staggering along its countless hydraulically propelled limbs, running wildly down the city highways? If so, that's simply unbelievable!

The situation was critical, and without thinking, the thing had already forced its way through the bedroom door. I rolled over, instinctively grabbing the still-sleeping Xiaoping, and tumbled off the bed. Simultaneously, I leaned against the wall and slammed my legs against the large double bed. The bed crashed against the door with a loud bang, blocking it. As the door slammed shut, it trapped the part of the thing that had already entered. The thing clearly felt rage and pain; several earth-shattering thuds echoed through the living room—the vibrations from the monster's desperate, agonizing contractions.

After pushing the bed over, I didn't hesitate any longer. I jumped up, knocked over the cabinet against the wall, and used it to block the door. Then, trembling, I groped along the wall with my hands, trying to turn on the light.

The switch was pressed, but the room remained pitch black. Darkness—wherever that evil thing went, all we faced was darkness.

Xiaoping woke up. After a terrifying night of running, she was terrified. Suddenly awakened from her sleep, she was too frightened to even scream, clinging tightly to my leg, refusing to let go. I quickly bent down and patted her head to calm her down. My hand touched her hair… God, what was I touching? Coarse, stiff hair, skin reeking of a foul-smelling slime, tentacles with a repulsive feel… It was that horrible monster; it had ensnared me. Meanwhile, Xiaoping's terrified screams and weak, feeble cries drifted in from the living room.

When did this monster kidnap Xiaoping? Could it have entered the bedroom and abducted Xiaoping from beside me while I was fast asleep?

Without a second thought, I hastily tumbled towards the bedside table. I could only tumble; the monster's immense power was beyond my ability to resist. I fell to the ground, my trembling hands quickly pulling open the bedside table drawer. Inside was an old-fashioned military dagger… a military dagger. I grabbed it, gripping its cold, sharp blade. My hand was cut, and blood flowed. The blood stirred the wildness within me, and I slashed at the monster in the darkness.

The monster was in pain, and the tentacles wrapped around me twitched violently. The immense force almost snapped me in half. I gritted my teeth and cursed loudly, using this mechanical cursing to motivate myself. Slash after slash, slash after slash, the slimy liquid splattering with each rise and fall of my blade. The liquid was highly corrosive, and the parts that were splashed throbbed with pain.

The monster was enraged. It clung to me tightly, while a cold, burning tentacle snaked up my back to the top of my head. Wherever the tentacle passed, it left a trail of saliva, like a snail's saliva, secreting a highly toxic acid that corroded my back, leaving a deep, bloody gash. The excruciating pain felt like a red-hot iron hammer, roaming freely over my body.

The scorching tentacles wriggled and reached up to my head. In an instant, I howled like a wolf. The toxic mucus secreted by these tentacles would corrode my hard skull like strong acid corroding fibers, making it soft and brittle. At that time, before the monster could even suck it up, my brain fluid would gush out of my skull like a fountain under the pressure of my body.

I screamed wildly, cursing irrationally, struggling futilely in my final despair. I was utterly hopeless, had lost all faith in myself, and was sustained only by the instinct for survival. Suddenly, a passing car shone its headlights through the window, and the force binding me instantly weakened. A surge of joy filled me. This thing, whatever it was, feared the light. Its evil power, under the illumination of light, would melt away like a glacier under the blazing sun.

I hurriedly pulled out a lighter, lit it, and then casually set the bed sheet on fire. Thick black smoke rose rapidly. The monster fled with lightning speed. Before I could even realize its retreat, it had already rushed to the door, smashed open the wardrobe and the double bed, and escaped quickly through the crack in the door.

When that thing came out of the door, I finally saw its shape clearly, and I was stunned for a moment.

What exactly does this thing look like? Before this, I had made all sorts of terrifying guesses. I suspected it was a giant caterpillar covered in terrifying venomous spines; I suspected it was a huge centipede with horrifying organs that sucked out human brain fluid; I felt it was a giant octopus that had escaped from an aquarium, whose tentacles with evil suckers had twice ensnared me; I judged it to be a venomous spider living in the shadows, spraying a sticky liquid to strangle its prey. I even suspected that this thing was a combination of all four, because the terror it evoked far exceeded any one of those possibilities.

But whatever it is, it must be covered in poisonous spikes, secrete strong acidic corrosives, have grotesque tentacles and powerful suckers, and countless hydraulic limbs. All these terrifying structures have given me utter shock and terror, and almost dragged me into a desperate situation.

However, what I saw was even more bizarre than I had imagined.

That thing... it was actually a person.

As the fire blazed, I saw a mass of white flesh wriggling and escaping through the door. It was definitely a person, a person covered in fat.

But how could a human possibly grow venomous stingers and suckers? How could a human possibly grow countless hydraulically proximal limbs?

I was stunned for a moment. When the cabinet tipped over, I didn't even know to dodge. The heavy cabinet fell on me. I was caught off guard and was hit on the ground. When I pushed the cabinet aside and chased into the living room, I saw that the bedroom door was wide open and the living room was a mess. All the fragile utensils were broken into pieces, and there were clumps of slimy liquid that smelled strongly of fish on the floor.

I looked around blankly, my mind a jumble of thoughts. My ankles, calves, and back were wracked with excruciating pain wherever the monster's tentacles had crawled. I reached out and touched them, and the venom seeped into my fingertips. The intense corrosive pain made me scream. Suddenly, I realized, where is Xiaoping?

As for Xiaoping, she has disappeared; the monster abducted her before escaping.

Overwhelmed with grief and anger, I roared and chased after her, all the way to the stairwell of the fire escape. I heard the sound of footsteps rushing down below and Xiaoping's dazed sobs. I ran like a madman down more than ten floors in one go, but Xiaoping's sobs grew weaker and weaker. When I reached the bottom of the building, I could see clearly under the streetlights that, in the distance, someone was carrying the unconscious Xiaoping and running at high speed.

I roared and immediately gave chase. The figure ran into the underground parking garage, and I followed.

In the garage, all the parking spaces were filled with private cars. It was quiet and empty all around; not a single person could be seen, and not a sound could be heard. Only my long shadow was cast on the ground, appearing so lonely, helpless, desolate, and forlorn.

Where is that person—or that monster—hiding? I walked forward cautiously, not missing a single unusual movement. Suddenly, a bright beam of light shone, blinding me and injuring my pupils. All I could hear was the roar of a car engine as a car hurtled towards me.

I rolled on the spot and into the gap between the two cars. Then I looked up sharply and just then saw a black Mercedes-Benz rushing out of the garage. It was only for a moment, but that was enough.

I slumped onto the cold ground, dazed and filled with hopeless sorrow and terror. That car belonged to Du Hongyuan, the company's chairman.

3)

That night, the sky was so dark it seemed about to fall, with only a few faint, dim stars.

I sat blankly in the garage for a long time before struggling to my feet and slowly walking back to my house. The empty house was filled with thick smoke; the bed sheet had burned to ashes, and the flames that had spread to the carpet were extinguished by the highly corrosive slime. I closed the door and opened the window to let the smoke and the stench of the monster's slime dissipate. Then I lay alone on the sofa, trying to process the bizarre and terrifying events of the night, but my mind was too chaotic. The excessive stimulation and horror had robbed me of the ability to think; I could only wait silently like a corpse.

The phone rang, and I immediately picked it up, put the receiver to my ear, and waited without saying a word.