Mission "Kill"

The dungeon remained as gloomy as ever; even the brightest light cast here carried a chilling, sinister aura.

The black-clad man opened the cage.

Zhou Jun obediently stepped out, his gaze icy and lifeless, exuding an air of death.

"Heh, who would’ve thought—two years, and you’re still alive. Thanks to you, so many have been spared suffering."

The Gourd Immortal licked his lips as he stared at Zhou Jun, letting out a grating, spine-chilling laugh.

This kid had an unusually strong life force—his vitality alone was worth a hundred ordinary men.

It was precisely because of him that the Gourd Immortal’s thirst for essence and blood had been somewhat sated.

Zhou Jun moved like a walking corpse, his face numb, silent.

The Gourd Immortal grinned and strode toward him.

Suddenly, his robes split open at the back, revealing a bloated, mountain-like body covered in vine-like tentacles that lashed out like striking serpents, piercing toward Zhou Jun.

Nie Qinglan, hiding in a nearby cage, was petrified at the sight, her beautiful eyes filled with terror.

"Ah!"

The tips of the tentacles were razor-sharp, instantly puncturing Zhou Jun’s veins, sinking deep into his flesh and bones—one even drilled straight through his skull.

Zhou Jun let out a tortured, agonized scream, the veins in his neck bulging violently.

The Gourd Immortal cackled with glee.

Under his relentless draining, Zhou Jun’s body visibly withered, his moisture sucked dry until he was nothing but skin and bones, a living skeleton.

Still, the Gourd Immortal refused to stop. His blood-red eyes burned with greed, as if he wouldn’t be satisfied until he had sucked out the very marrow.

"Immortal, stop! If he dies, you’ll have no one left to feed on!"

The burly man, Lie Tao, broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly intervened.

Only then did the Gourd Immortal snap out of it, reluctantly retracting his tentacles. "Such a fine blood thrall… what a shame he can’t last longer!"

Deprived of support, Zhou Jun collapsed to the ground, writhing in unbearable torment.

His eyes were hollow, filled with despair.

Two years. He had truly had enough. What was the point of living in a world like this?

"Zhou Jun… your mother’s coming to visit in a few days, isn’t she?"

Lie Tao remarked casually.

At those words, Zhou Jun’s gaze sharpened.

"A single mother like her… her child is her entire reason for living. As long as you’re alive, she has a purpose."

Lie Tao spoke with deliberate calm.

Surviving two years in a place like this—even a ghost would break.

Zhou Jun had long wanted to die, but he had a weakness.

Back then, to keep him compliant, they had gone to great lengths to track down his mother.

To give him a sliver of hope, they allowed Zhou Jun and his mother to meet once a month.

And they used her as leverage.

If he dared to die, his mother wouldn’t live either.

Unfortunately, Zhou Jun’s mother wasn’t obedient. Every visit, she screamed and fought to free her son. Tired of her defiance, they beat her without hesitation.

A month ago, they had gone too far—beating her unconscious and dumping her on the streets, assuming she’d die.

Yet, against all odds, she survived. And yesterday, she had come back!

Not that they feared her reporting them.

She could try, but with Zhou Jun in their grasp, they could always counter-threaten.

If even a whisper of this got out, they’d make sure Zhou Jun died in this sunless dungeon.

"Kid, eat well, sleep well—don’t you dare die! If you kill yourself, we’ll make sure your mother suffers before she joins you!" Lie Tao sneered coldly.

Zhou Jun said nothing. Emaciated like a skeleton, he was too weak to even speak.

The Gourd Immortal, now satiated, was in high spirits. "This boy is fantastic! What do you humans call it… a ‘treasure boy,’ right?"

Lie Tao’s lip twitched in disgust.

Even after two years, this fat old monster still made his stomach churn.

"Now for the main event!"

Shifting his mountainous bulk, the Gourd Immortal lumbered barefoot toward Nie Qinglan.

Her face drained of color, Nie Qinglan huddled in a corner of the cage, trembling. Tears streaked her cheeks as she whimpered, "Stay away… stay away… please…"

"Tsk tsk, such a stunning beauty—truly a peerless flower!"

The Gourd Immortal grinned, his kindly face twisting with ravenous hunger.

After draining Zhou Jun, he was practically buzzing with excitement, his face flushed red.

The black-clad men around them were equally worked up.

Usually, unruly girls from the Night Blossom Bathhouse were thrown in here for the Gourd Immortal to "handle"—tortured to death.

But a girl this beautiful? This was a first.

Lie Tao frowned.

This girl was Boss Nie’s daughter. If the Gourd Immortal defiled her, the retaliation would be a bloodbath.

But if he tried to stop him…

No need to guess—he’d be the one beaten to death by the Gourd Immortal.

After two years, he knew the monster’s nature.

Killing was as effortless as plucking weeds. He doubted their "bond" would spare him if he interfered.

"Boss Nie… what a headache."

Lie Tao sighed.

This mess would have to be escalated to the higher-ups.

The Gourd Immortal slammed a fist into the iron bars.

The steel cage might as well have been made of wire—under his massive hands, it crumpled like a child’s toy.

Nie Qinglan shuddered, her pupils dilating in terror.

"Let the boss’s daughter go!"

Chengzi gripped the bars of his cage, veins bulging as he slammed against them. "Her father is Boss Nie! Are you insane? He’ll slaughter every last one of you! You’re digging your own graves—"

"Shut him up!"

Lie Tao barked at the black-clad men by the entrance without turning.

But no one moved.

Sensing something wrong, Lie Tao glanced back—and his expression darkened.

A masked figure in black stood at the entrance, holding a combat knife to a guard’s throat.

"Nobody move! Or this one dies!"

A clear, icy voice rang out.

In an instant, every eye in the dungeon snapped toward the elevator—where a young man had appeared.

None other than An Yi, who had slipped in unnoticed.

"Damn it! How’d he get in here?!"

Lie Tao’s face turned grim.

This dungeon was supposed to be an absolute secret.

Yet this kid had waltzed right in!

"I’ve got your man at knifepoint. Want him alive? Then freeze!"

An Yi tightened his grip on the blade.

The Gourd Immortal, his fun interrupted, glared at Lie Tao with bloodshot eyes. "Lie Tao! Kill this brat! Ruining my moment!"

Lie Tao glanced at the hostage, then smirked. "Do what you want with him."

Using a lowly grunt as leverage? Pathetic.

An Yi met Lie Tao’s gaze coolly—then slashed the blade across the guard’s throat.

A crimson line bloomed. Blood sprayed.

The guard’s eyes widened before he crumpled to the ground in a pool of red.

Ding! Quest [Kill Count: 1/10]!

Evil Points: +100!

Mission Reward: [Rampage]!