Chapter Ten: The Little Boy

Yang Ming’s figure flickered ceaselessly around the long-haired monster, the gleam of his spear flashing again and again!
There seemed to be no effect!
Yet Yang Ming did not pause, his assault continuing without respite.
Twenty-one… forty-nine…
His attacks grew ever swifter, until to Xia Mengsi, his form was now just a blur.
Seventy… one hundred nineteen… two hundred ten… three hundred fifty!
“Xia Mengsi! Find a chance to make it drop its guard!”
“Oh! Got it!”
A stroke of luck! Backstab!
In an instant, Xia Mengsi appeared above the monster’s head—this was nothing like her previous strike.
“Lucky Strike” was Xia Mengsi’s innate talent, capable of conjuring a fortuitous opportunity.
It worked on everything, but could only be used once per day.
This was also the reason Xia Mengsi had become the luckiest of all players.
Her dagger plunged into the monster’s head, making it howl in agony and fling her away.
A perfect chance!
Yang Ming hovered in midair—Dragon Coils to the Heavens!
He raised his spear, exerted all his strength, and hurled it!
The spear soared forth, wrapped in the shape of an icy-blue flood dragon, driving straight into the monster’s mouth!
At the instant the spear struck, white points of light glimmered all over the beast’s body.
It was the “Dragon’s Finishing Touch” from before!
Countless lights burst into dazzling brilliance; the monster didn’t even get to scream before it vanished into thin air.
…
The moment Wang Xiao entered the restroom, he sensed something was off.
A chill pervaded the air around him, but otherwise, it looked like any ordinary public bathroom, each stall with its own door.
“Ji Weijie!”
“Ji Weijie!”
He called out loudly.
“Damn! Is that bald guy not here?”
Muttering to himself, Wang Xiao walked on, the dim light reflecting off the floor.
“Holy crap!!”
“Great Mighty Dragon!”
He heard the exclamation—it was Ji Weijie’s voice.
But it was coming from outside the restroom!
Wang Xiao was puzzled. A cold wind blew in.
He shivered, desperate to pee.
Pssst—
Thud, thud, thud!
“Hm?”
It sounded like someone bouncing a ball, and because of the puddles on the floor, there was a splashing noise too.
The sound was near, then far, now distant, now right by his ear.
Very strange.
Thud, thud, thud!
Behind him???
Wang Xiao didn’t turn around—he wasn’t done peeing yet.

“Big brother, will you play ball with me?”
A childish voice rang out, pure fantasy conjured in an instant.
Wang Xiao asked calmly, “Do you have a mom?”
His gentle tone was just like a caring neighbor.
“Yes~”
Wang Xiao grinned, “Good, as long as you have one.”
“Big brother, will you play ball with me?”
The little boy invited him again.
“I want to play with your horse!”
Wang Xiao swung his hammer backward with a crash, breaking the silence.
“Damn! Swinging at nothing.”
He spun around—there was nothing behind him.
Splash, splash, splash!
Bouncing a ball in the urinal?
What a taste.
He hurried away from the urinal. He didn’t want any of that splashing on him.
This time, Wang Xiao caught sight of his target.
A boy who looked just like the one from a certain ghost story, except this one was holding a human head!
Peering closer, Wang Xiao realized—the head was rather handsome, looked quite familiar… Wait! Wasn’t that his own head?!
Huh? Why is there a headless corpse over there? Is that me?
Why did it suddenly get dark?
Wang Xiao revived at full health, annoyed that he’d been killed without even noticing.
“You little brat!!”
“Come out here!”
But there was no reply at all.
Had he frightened the child?
“Big brother, I love playing ball the most, come play with me.”
“Hee hee~”
So it worked—the boy giggled.
So innocent, yet so infuriating!
“Where are you~?”
“Hee hee~”
Now the laughter came from the second stall.
Wang Xiao didn’t head for that stall, but instead walked to the first one.
“Little buddy~ are you in here?”
He pushed open the door and stepped inside, then climbed up onto the partition.
The head the boy had been holding was gone—perhaps because Wang Xiao had revived.
The boy’s ghastly white hands covered his mouth, his pitch-black eyes narrowed as if trying not to laugh, staring intently at the door.
Ah, what a playful child.
He deserved a surprise—heh heh.
Wang Xiao, too, was holding back a mischievous grin.
“Little buddy~ are you hiding? I’m coming to find you~”
Clutching his hammer, Wang Xiao flipped off the partition in a neat somersault.
Thud!!!

The little boy took the full brunt of the blow.
It was a double whammy—physical and spiritual damage.
Wang Xiao pinned the boy underfoot; the boy cried out in pain, his skull caved in, the sight alone was agony.
But Wang Xiao felt not a shred of pity.
It was just too disgusting—this pitch-black body and those eyes burning with resentment. Ugh.
As the boy struggled, Wang Xiao’s playful spirit only grew.
With one hand, he lifted the boy up. “Heh heh, big brother loves playing games.”
The boy looked at him in terror, not understanding his intent.
“Let’s play hide-and-seek, shall we?”
A tattoo appeared on Wang Xiao’s hand, a ball of black flame blooming in his palm.
With a snap, he slapped it into the boy’s body.
He set the boy down nonchalantly.
“Hurry and hide, but you can only stay in this bathroom~”
“If I find you… heh heh!”
The boy scrambled out of the stall in a panic.
“When I count to a hundred, I’ll come find you~”
“One, two, thirteen…”
The boy was stunned—was he being mocked for not going to school? Isn’t three supposed to come after two???
“Twenty-four, thirty-seven, fifty-nine, seventy-seven…”
Fine, you’re impressive!
“Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-nine, one hundred!”
“Are you hidden? If you are, just say so, I’m coming to find you~”
Does this guy really think I’m an idiot?
“Sigh, kids these days are so clever, won’t fall for anything. When I was young… ahem.”
Wang Xiao slowly walked to the first stall. “Little buddy~”
His voice was gentle, but he was gripping his hammer tightly.
Bang!
Didn’t even bother opening the door, just smashed it down.
Is this really hide-and-seek???
The boy couldn’t help but gulp.
Moving quickly, Wang Xiao reached the last stall.
“Heh, so you’re here!”
With a mighty swing, he smashed the stall open, but it was empty.
“This little one really knows how to play—where’s he hiding now?”
Seeing Wang Xiao’s puzzled expression, the boy’s earlier fear faded, replaced by a smug grin.
“Where are you, really?”
Wang Xiao moved to the second stall. Looking at the shattered partition, he declared, “Hey, I’m a good guy, you know. Since I broke this partition, I’ll fix it.”
He took the doors from the other stalls and began repairing the partition.
But the boy started to panic, for he was hiding right against the wall of that partition.
You’re fixing the partition with doors from the other stalls and still claiming to be a good guy!?