Collection Hiromi

Chapitre 27

What exactly happened?

I stared in astonishment at the strange phenomenon before me. The fallen white spider had vanished without a trace, completely obliterated by the explosion. There wasn't a single fragment of its body to be found. This was incredible! When I came to my senses, I realized that the white spiders that had been crawling on my chest, neck, and face had all retreated to the top of my head. They stood there motionless, frozen in shock.

Not only were they stunned, but even the web spiders that were about to continue climbing down were frozen in place. The spider webs held a series of white spiders hanging upside down, and from a distance, an uninformed person might mistake them for a snow-white icicle hanging vertically in mid-air.

I had no time to marvel at its wonder. Influenced by what I had just witnessed, the strange red-threaded worm stopped moving, as if it had entered a state of suspended animation. The large black snail-shaped stones in the water remained motionless, as if they were naturally living there. Strangely, they had somehow retracted into their black shells, looking like stones clinging to the ice.

Time stood still, everything was silent as if nothing had happened. The black, snail-shaped stone, the strange insect with red thread, and the white spider—none of them moved, like wild beasts lurking in mystery, preparing to launch a swift attack. I knew the storm was about to break.

Because I could see that the three-inch ice layer on my right fingertip had been eaten down to two and a half inches by the red thread-headed worm, and the passage behind it was blocked by the second red thread-headed worm, which was only one inch long. Behind the gap between the two worms, a third red dot was faintly visible. I believed that it was not caused by my blood congealing. Obviously, I knew without guessing that it was the third red thread-headed worm.

The hollow at the fingertip didn't bleed at all, suggesting that the blood in the body had been completely drained. With the blood gone, the internal organs were even worse; they must have been emptied completely. The speed of their growth and development was astonishing. One wonders how many strange red thread-like worms were inside—thousands? Tens of thousands? Or even hundreds of millions?

I was aware that my body was just a shell, and the reason I hadn't died was entirely due to the masterpiece of being frozen in the water. It froze all the nerves in my body, preventing the body's signals from reaching my brain, thus only temporarily preserving the residual consciousness in my brain.

If the ice breaks or melts, I will die immediately.

Looking at the current situation, I am doomed. I originally thought that as long as the boss and Princess Jenny arrived in time, they would be able to save me and escape. Now that I think about it, what a naive and foolish idea that was. In this short period of time, I have experienced life and death many times. This time I can't be a burden to everyone. If you want my life, you can take it!

I knew I was terminally ill, beyond the help of even the most skilled healer. Even if everyone rushed here, they would likely all perish. Who knew what other monstrous and terrifying creatures might lurk nearby? I kept praying, hoping that everyone could get out safely.

When my gaze returned to the water, I had to urge the red-threaded monster to dig faster. Two and a half inches of the three-inch-thick ice had already been removed, leaving only 0.2 inches. Once that fingertip of ice broke, everything would be over.

I have never longed to die so much; facing death, I am filled with a smile at this moment.

Just as I was urging it on, the strange red-threaded worm remained motionless. I wanted to curse: Damn it, even if you're going to play dead, now's not the time.

Time passed second by second, and they remained completely still. I became increasingly anxious; I never imagined that even wanting to die could be so difficult.

Helpless, I could only open my eyes and hope that the strange red-threaded worm would make its move soon.

All I could hear was the rushing sound of flowing water, its gentle echoes reverberating among the vines. Surrounded by dense vines, it was like looking at the sky from within a well, with the bright sky shining down. This would be the last moment I lingered in this world to see such beauty.

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang (Side Story): The Dragon's Treasure - Chapter 46: The War of Creatures

Chapter word count: 4370 Update time: 08-04-03 12:35

A silence fell, neither of them made a move, and the stalemate continued.

No matter how I think about it, I can only leave everything to fate.

The clear stream flowed gently, and it did not freeze over despite the ice sculptures in it. I was completely baffled. It was true that the water in the underground river was bone-chillingly cold, but to be able to freeze a person completely in a matter of seconds was unheard of.

I remember it took a while for the skeleton armor to be frozen. Since the stream is so cold, why didn't it freeze into ice? Is it simply because it's flowing water that it generates heat, preventing it from reaching zero degrees Celsius? If it didn't reach zero degrees Celsius, how could it quickly freeze foreign objects into ice sculptures?

I estimate that the underground stream is at least 100 degrees below zero. To be able to survive in such cold water, the ancestors of these cows must have been quite freakish. During the Triassic period, the daytime heat was like the dog days of summer, yet there was no chill emanating from the combination of cold and heat. It really defies the laws of nature.

I gave a cold laugh. Since I've encountered something so unbelievable, I can't use common sense to understand it. I couldn't figure it out, so I thought of the scene earlier where the white spider fell into the water and caused an explosion. Could this white spider be a heat element? Judging from its snow-white color, it should be the same element as cold, so why is it so afraid of the stream?

Could this stream be the natural enemy of the white spider? Just thinking about that thick white saliva, making a "hissing" sound when it touches the ice, is a natural reaction caused by cold and heat, or decay. A huge temperature difference can cause a powerful explosion in an instant. It seems that this is why the white spider was blown up. I've found a clue. To deal with this white spider, I just need to dive into the water to avoid being attacked.

I've figured it out, but I still don't know what the big black snail-shaped stone and the strange red thread-like insect in the water are all about.

Suddenly, I saw a flying object reflected in the water. What was it? I wanted to turn back and look, but after carefully examining the reflection, I finally realized it was a butterfly among the flowers, colorful and beautiful.

Reflections in the water? Could they be coming for me? Before I could see clearly, a large swarm of butterflies had already swooped down from the sky. The stream was surrounded by vines that had climbed up over the years, completely enclosing the water like a well. And I was in the center of the well, with a net-like structure covering the opening. The swarm of butterflies rushed down without regard for anything else.

There were countless butterflies. When they swarmed together, their force was as unstoppable as a cannonball. The net was sticky and slippery, and extremely tough, but it could not withstand the repeated and valiant attacks of the colorful butterflies. At the cost of many dead and injured, the net was finally breached. The battle between the colorful butterflies and the white spider was a sight to behold.

What are they fighting for? I was completely baffled. Could it be for the water? No, that shouldn't be the reason the white spiders are so afraid of the stream. A terrible thought flashed through my mind: Could these colorful butterflies be here to eat me too?

How did they know I was here? The area was sealed off by vines, and there was a considerable distance between the flowerbeds and the stream. Before I could finish thinking, a large swarm of colorful butterflies flew in. One of them accidentally bumped into a white spider and got bitten. In a few bites, a butterfly the size of a finger was completely devoured.

Amazing! A white spider only the size of two fingers can actually eat a rainbow butterfly the size of a finger? And it keeps catching them, one, two, three... It's terrifying, just how many rainbow butterflies can its belly hold?

I silently did the math, and judging by the way it eats, even I wouldn't be enough to satisfy the appetite of a single white spider. Could it be that it digests everything instantly, no matter how much it eats? If that's the case, it's simply a monster.

Countless rainbow butterflies were devoured, and the spiderweb was constantly being patched with more webs, becoming densely covered with spiders. The sound of them being eaten was accompanied by a series of crunching and grinding sounds. No matter how fast the web patched, it couldn't keep up with the speed of the rainbow butterflies' attack. In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered with countless white spiders, while a large swarm of rainbow butterflies flew above my head, darkening the reflection in the water. At this moment, everything was dark and gloomy. It seemed that the rainbow butterflies had won the victory by sacrificing themselves.

In my mind, I shouted: "Amazing! I hope you all eat these damned white spiders too!" Just as I was about to rejoice at their victory, suddenly, tiny, bright beams of light shot out. In the blink of an eye, the fluttering wings stopped, and only a motionless black shadow remained in the water.

What's going on? Upon closer inspection, countless tiny, shimmering white threads were shooting out from all around the wisteria. They were spider webs! Now it was clear. The white spider had deliberately let the rainbow butterflies fly into this well-like terrain, then ambushed them by spraying spider webs from its mouth, annihilating any enemies that entered the ambush. The spider webs completely sealed off the space below the net, and the rainbow butterflies were pierced through by the webs, frozen in mid-air, with countless corpses lying haphazardly in the air.

White spiders suddenly surged out from all around the wisteria, devouring the colorful butterflies hanging in the air along their spiderwebs. Their tidal wave was unstoppable, leaving me utterly dumbfounded. How could this be? Ambush, attack, and annihilation—all executed flawlessly, without the slightest hesitation. This modern-day tactic of "luring the enemy into a trap" was actually being used by these white spiders. Could they be beings with sentience? Wouldn't that be considered supernatural? The thought of spider spirits rising up on the ground made me wonder: what kind of world is that?

The Triassic period was terrifying.

I was secretly lamenting the fate of the colorful butterflies when something even more dramatic happened. Just as the swarms of white spiders surged forth, densely covering the spiderwebs, a sudden downpour began—no, not a downpour, but rather a shower of red rain. Before the white spiders could even retreat, they were struck by the red rain and fell dead one after another. The white spiders that fell into the stream created wave after wave of splashes and crisp popping sounds. It seemed that this time, the white spiders suffered heavy casualties.

Before my eyes, I had to admire their cunning. It was as if everyone had their own agenda. I had thought the rainbow butterflies were non-aggressive creatures, but I never expected their attacks to be so terrifying. First, the white spider used the "luring the enemy into the trap" tactic, but who knew the rainbow butterflies had a backup plan? They sacrificed some of their companions first, and then used an even more insidious "mantis stalks the silkworm, unaware of the oriole behind" tactic.

Damn, that's ruthless enough. They'll stop at nothing to achieve their goals. This time, I have to say: Boss, I've really seen something new.

The battle was extremely fierce. As time passed, the white spiders were routed, with corpses piled up on the ground. The battle ended in a crushing defeat for the white spiders.

What exactly did the colorful butterflies want? I pondered deeply, and I realized they couldn't have simply wanted to eat me. There must be some conspiracy behind it all. Although they defeated the white spider, I didn't thank them. I couldn't condone their actions of putting their companions to death in the name of victory. Even tigers don't eat their cubs, let alone butterflies, which are generally gentle and docile.

After the battlefield was cleaned up, the colorful butterflies swarmed in. Such a large number gathered together must have been quite a sight. The flower bushes were nearby, as were Princess Jenny, Lucy, and the other three. They would definitely follow if they saw this. Having witnessed the cunning and ruthless aggression of the colorful butterflies, I was really worried for them. I kept praying: Please don't find this place. I hoped they had already finished bathing and gone back, or had gone to play somewhere else.

Upon closer reflection, I realized that quite some time had passed. If they were going to come, they would have already appeared. With that thought, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the event would be over soon.

The colorful butterflies, reflecting the light, landed on the corpses scattered on the ground. More than a dozen of them landed on me as well. I could see them clearly before my eyes—freaks! I was horrified. These colorful butterflies actually had human heads, and their appearances were exactly the same as humans. The face, eyes, nostrils, mouth, and ears were so similar that they were practically real.

I thought I was dreaming and hallucinating, but upon closer inspection, it was real! She was staring at me right in front of me. The face was that of a woman, with a fair and rosy complexion, single eyelids, an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, a straight nose, and a small mouth—all beautifully proportioned and perfectly in line with ideal proportions. She was actually a beautiful young girl.

If it weren't for the fact that it was a butterfly, I would have mistaken it for a person! Damn it! I never imagined butterflies could be so beautiful. How come I never noticed before? Looking at its pair of white, iridescent wings, if I hadn't witnessed their killing and cruelty, I would have mistaken it for an angel. In the minds of humans in this world, angels are also anthropomorphized, wearing a pair of wings, and can guide the holy path to heaven. But if I let these creatures guide me, it would probably lead me to the gates of hell.

Looking further down, its body was that of a bee, with rings of shimmering yellow markings and a slightly pointed, inward-curving abdomen, just like a bee. It even had a golden stinger on its head, which was blood red. Could the red rain that had just fallen from the sky have been those stingers? Seeing this strange, multicolored butterfly, a fusion of butterfly and bee, was truly astonishing. No wonder I felt something was missing in the flowerbed this morning; it seemed the bees weren't there. Could it be that bees and butterflies share a common ancestor? It seemed I could only ask the eldest brother and Princess Jenny in Hell.

Just as I was surprised, it actually barked and roared at me a few times. "Damn it!" I cursed. It actually dared to show off to me, revealing a ferocious face. I just praised you as a beautiful girl. If I could move, I would have taken you back to the real world and opened an exhibition hall to make a fortune off it.

That's what they say, but the current situation is not optimistic. Now I can finally be free, because I saw the strange red thread-like worm in the ice layer at my fingertip start to move. It was only 0.2 meters away, just a moment later. Then I can see how I die, and when the judge of hell asks, I will have an explanation.

With a crisp, piercing "bang," followed by a series of cracking sounds—the drill hole had cracked. In the blink of an eye, that crisp sound shattered my right hand, sending it sinking into the water.

I didn't feel any pain. At this moment, I want to thank God that even if I die, I will be spared the pain. To receive such treatment before death is a privilege that only VIP members of the death VIP group enjoy.

The moment his right hand shattered, the large, snail-shaped stone, which had been motionless, suddenly shed its black shell, revealing its dark body. With a whoosh, it bit down on the red thread-like monster that hadn't yet flowed out of the broken ice layer, then coiled up and swallowed it whole. An inch-long red thread-like monster was then eaten.

As I expected, the broken right hand sank into the water. Sure enough, there was no bone or flesh inside the sac, only a clump of strange red thread-like worms, about the size of an arm, intertwined and wriggling together. The disgusting scene was indescribable. If seeing a single red thread-like worm would make one lose their appetite for three years, then this clump of intertwined red thread-like worms would be so disgusting that one would starve to death.

It's terrifying. Just as I suspected, I can't even imagine how horrible it would be if my body were crammed with hundreds of millions of strange red thread-like worms.

The once crystal-clear stream was now shrouded in darkness, its turbulent waves eerily unpredictable. The red water was instantly swallowed by the black, and suddenly so many black dots appeared. Previously, there were only large, snail-shaped stones crawling all over the surface. Could they have emerged from the underground veins of water? I remember this was a section of water vein that had surfaced, two meters wide and three meters long, running from left to right, its ends buried deep underground. These large, snail-shaped stones, emerging from their black shells as black dots, must have crawled out from the underground veins at both ends. Because the underground never sees sunlight, they are so black.

Their movements were incredibly fast and swift, a stark contrast to the wriggling motions I'd seen before. Was it because they were shedding their black shells? I didn't have time to ponder these questions. Although it had only taken a few seconds, countless strange, red-threaded insects began spraying from my arm. There were so many that I couldn't turn my head; I could only look at their reflection in the water. Clumps and clusters of them were shooting across the two-meter-wide stream, as if they were trying to run to the opposite bank.

At the same time, countless black dots, like fish leaping over the dragon gate, formed a high wall, blocking the outburst of red thread-like monsters. Then, they were pulled into the water. Once in the water, the red thread-like monsters were like lambs to the slaughter, powerless to fight back.

For some reason, the seven-colored butterflies let out a low cry, followed by a mournful sound, and fluttered up towards the black spot. Golden needles shot horizontally, attacking like meteors. The ice layer could not be avoided, ice flowers scattering, penetrating an inch. The ice layer on my body was actually full of blood-red golden needles. I never imagined that the penetrating power was so strong. I was horrified. The vines were already covered with black spots from the blood-red golden needles. This strange behavior, could it be that the seven-colored butterflies and the red thread-headed monster were in cahoots?

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang (Side Story): The Dragon's Treasure - Chapter 47: The Soul

Chapter word count: 2181 Update time: 08-04-03 12:36

Before I could even get a good look at the battle, something strange happened again. In the blink of an eye, the white spiders and black dots that had been pierced by the blood-red needles started moving, striding like zombies, completely unconscious. With a dull bang, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and their bodies exploded with huge holes, from which strange red thread-like worms crawled out.

"An anomaly?" I was taken aback, the situation was exactly the same as mine.

Now I finally understood why so many strange red thread-like worms were parasitizing my body. The blood-red golden needle must have been stuck in my right finger, spreading the virus through the bloodstream, burying it deep inside my body, and then mutating into worms that burst out of my body.

Damn it, what a wicked scheme! This "borrowing a body to return an insect" trick is indeed insidious and vicious. No wonder the seven-colored butterfly came here to protect these strange red-threaded insects; it turns out they are actually the larvae of the seven-colored butterfly.

The worm grew and developed inside my body, and my body didn't react at all. Luckily, the mutation happened here. If I had gone back then, I don't know how many people would have been implicated. Strange? Why doesn't it hurt when these golden needles prick me? I didn't feel anything at all. When I thought of Princess Jenny and Lucy's almost perfect figures, I felt a surge of desire and fell into an extreme state of lust. I had long forgotten about the pain in my fingers.

Looking back now, it was truly a bizarre situation. Those damned rainbow butterflies took advantage of my inattention to plant such a ruthless and vicious seed. Last night, the boss confidently assured me that this place was safe and there would be no wild animals around. He miscalculated. There are no wild animals around, but there are insects here that kill without shedding blood. Wouldn't Princess Jenny, Lucy, Xin, and Sally be in great danger? Being naked, they would definitely be chosen as targets.

I'm barely able to take care of myself right now, how could I possibly have the strength to remind them of the current situation? I truly hope they're safe and sound.

My end has come. Countless red thread-like worms spewed out from my right arm. The small hole was completely insufficient to meet their needs. Under the attack of the black dots, the ice layer began to crack. One inch of the three-inch ice layer was destroyed by the blood-red gold needles, and the remaining two inches were no longer strong enough. Suddenly, with a muffled "bang", a force shot out from underwater. My vision blurred, and my entire head was thrown into the air. In a flash, I landed on the ground.

For a moment I was terrified. When I came to my senses, I was shocked to find that I was not dead! I was so scared that my soul almost left my body. I saw two light white shadows. Wasn't that me?

The two white figures glanced back at me without speaking or showing any expression. Suddenly, a black hole appeared above the stream, and a black chain shot out from it with a "snap," piercing one of the white figures and dragging it into the hole. The white figure didn't look at the hole; he held the black chain to his chest with one hand and said goodbye to me with the other. His eyes never left me. What... what is going on?

I stared in astonishment at everything that was happening before my eyes. It was unbelievable; I could hardly believe my eyes. Was I going crazy? The darkness only ended the moment the white figure was dragged into the black hole.

I turned to look at another white figure. He was a little different from the previous one. The white figure that was dragged into the black hole was wearing a white robe, while he was completely naked, crystal clear, and stood aside staring at me in a daze. He looked no different from an idiot.

Who is he? I really don't know what their relationship is to me. They look exactly like me. The first white figure beckoned to me. Could they be my soul? Then am I already dead?

I am dead, as can be seen from the fact that I no longer have a body, but how can there be three of me? And I am still conscious. Is it because people die too quickly that they can maintain consciousness for a moment, until the body's nerves stop reflexing and the brain's consciousness completely ceases?

Just as I was wondering, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck from the sky, illuminating the entire wisteria space with purple smoke and light. Before I could even see what was happening, a monster with a snake's body and a human head appeared above the stream. It had two huge wings behind it, and held a spear in its right hand. It had no legs, but a snake-like tail. It stood upright like a human, its entire body covered in green, ghostly scales, and it looked remarkably like the demonic serpent Black Vein. What kind of monster was it? How could it have a human head?

With a solemn and awe-inspiring expression, as if performing some sacred duty, this time it was clear that the snake-bodied, human-headed monster stretched out its left hand and shot out a beam of purple lightning that enveloped the naked white figure. The purple lightning beam instantly transformed into a prison cell forged from light. What... what exactly is going on?

The scene before me was too bizarre. Just then, the snake-bodied, human-headed monster suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" as if it had noticed something amiss. Its furrowed brows were only softened by a cold laugh before it regained its composure. With a wave of its left hand, the cell shrank to the size of a cube and flew into its hand. It seemed to be muttering something, then with a flick of its right hand, a long spear appeared, and a bolt of purple lightning as thick as a giant arm flashed down from the sky once more, and they vanished from sight. I stared dumbfounded at what had happened in an instant, only to hear the deafening roar of thunder beside me.

They were all monsters. I couldn't understand what had just happened. When I came to my senses, I found that space and time seemed to have been frozen. The colorful butterflies in the air didn't flap their wings, and the black dots that had leaped up didn't fall. The water splashes and the sprayed blood-red golden needles were all suspended in mid-air, and the stream had stopped flowing. Could this be the result of what happened earlier?

After a moment of stunned silence, everything returned to normal, and they were once again engrossed in their battle, as if the scene from just moments ago had never occurred. What on earth was going on? Was I the only one who could see this?

I dared not think any further, because I saw dozens of strange red-threaded insects crawling towards me on the ground. My entire head was covered in ice, and I had no body. I was like a decoration laid flat on the ground. I was still conscious. I wanted to run, to pick up a gun and kill them, but I had no hands or feet.

"It's over!" They must be trying to crawl into my head and eat my brain. Damn it, they're getting closer and closer. I can only watch them crawl over with my eyes open.

My eyes were level with the ground, and just an inch away from them, I suddenly stopped. I saw a strange red thread-like worm emerge from my jaw and crawl outwards, followed by countless other wriggling, red thread-like worms...

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang (Side Story): The Dragon's Treasure, Chapter 48: The Naked Courtesan

Chapter word count: 2274 Update time: 08-04-03 12:36

There were also strange red thread-like worms inside my skull. My consciousness was completely clouded, and this time it was all over.

The strange, red-threaded insects crawled slowly across the ground, scattering in all directions. Just then, the petals on the wisteria fell off, like autumn leaves falling in the wind. The air was filled with beautiful, fragrant flowers, and waves of fragrance drifted on the breeze, clearing my clouded mind.

My vision cleared up again. What happened? Wasn't I just in a daze, about to cross the Bridge of Helplessness and be trapped in hell? How did I get back here?

Suddenly, a whirlwind swept through the wisteria, and petals swirled everywhere. How could there be wind in here? The wisteria was clearly a sealed enclosure, and I couldn't see anything outside. I had to crawl and pull myself out of that pitifully small pit in the ground. A sealed space shouldn't be able to let in any wind. Could this wind be coming from the sky?

I wanted to look up at the sky, but my head was flat on the ground, so I could only look at the ground. Even if I raised my eyes sharply, I couldn't see the sky above the courtyard without looking up. The wind blew for a full three minutes before it finally stopped. The brightly colored petals were as beautiful as stars. It was peaceful and quiet. I thought the battle should be over.

The ground was covered with colorful petals. Upon closer inspection, the strange red-threaded insects had stopped moving. Strange? Were they frozen in place? As the petals continued to fall, a seven-colored butterfly was found stuck at the tip of one of them. These petals were completely different from the petals we usually see. Petals are usually oval or semi-circular, but the petals in front of us were sharp, like willow leaf blades, with sharp ends and a slightly rounded middle. They were about two inches long and half an inch wide, just like leaves. They were called petals because they were colorful, smooth and delicate, with a soft sheen, like a flower about to bloom. I think I was absolutely right.

The tip is inverted with the half-bodies of two colorful butterflies, and thick white sap remains on the curved surface. If you think about it, that must be the blood of a Triassic creature. This is the biggest difference from the present world.

A fierce wind swept across the sky, petals swirling, their sharp edges like deadly flying knives dancing wildly in the air and on the ground. In no time, the scene had become what it is today; silence was the only sign of death.

The moment the petals fell, I saw a woman emerge from the wisteria opposite me. She was walking towards me, and I was stunned. I almost spat blood. She wasn't wearing any clothes. She was a completely naked woman without any sense of shame. Was I dreaming? Or was it just a fantasy from being too frightened? If I still had a body, my enormous penis would definitely be standing at attention.

She was so beautiful, smooth and lustrous, without the slightest flaw. Compared to Lucy, she was simply beautiful in her own way. Although I only had this head that could not be called a complete man, my consciousness was already stirring. What was even more deadly was that she actually stopped not far from me and looked at me in surprise.

"Holy shit!" An absolutely perfect woman was standing in front of me. A mix of feelings—admiration, desecration, sin, and pity—rushed into my mind.

I realized I was panting. Was she deliberately seducing me? Just as I held my ground, she actually took a few steps forward and squatted down in front of me, looking at me strangely. This time, I lost all reason, my blood was boiling, blood gushed from my nose, and I felt dizzy and unable to control myself.

This woman is absolutely insane! I've lived for over ten years and, although I've never experienced sexual intercourse, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like it. Even the scene I saw in the flowerbed and pond this morning wasn't as explicit or violent as what I'm witnessing now. She... she's just too outrageous!