Chapter 109: Stealing a Bite

“Just one bite, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

The moment this thought popped into Chen Ling’s mind, it became impossible to suppress. He glanced outside, confirming no one was there, then, as if possessed, tore a piece from the roasted chicken. After all, this was a calamity creature, and if other residents saw him eating it, it would surely lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

The aroma of roasted meat, mixed with the scent of alcohol, filled Chen Ling’s nostrils, almost blanking his mind. Instinctively, he popped it into his mouth and began to chew.

It was incredibly delicious! This was a texture Chen Ling had never experienced: tender yet elastic. Just one bite, and a wave of satisfaction surged from his mouth to the top of his head, making him feel as light and invigorated as if he were about to ascend. All fatigue vanished instantly.

A strange red glow gradually appeared in Chen Ling’s eyes. He seemed to have completely forgotten his “just one bite” intention, as his hands frantically tore pieces of succulent chicken from the roasted body and stuffed them into his mouth! He couldn’t understand why the shopkeeper earlier hadn’t reacted at all to something so delicious.

Chen Ling seemed to have completely fallen into a bizarre state. Pairs of crimson eyes opened from the void behind him, and the onlookers squinted, watching the scene with amusement and playfulness in their gaze.

At the same time, the shadow centipede, not yet completely dead, let out a piercing shriek that echoed through the street. It could clearly feel its body being torn apart little by little, writhing and twisting in agony. Just then, Chen Ling seemed to find its struggles too annoying. He casually picked up a jar of fermented rice wine from the table and smashed it onto the creature with a thud.

The rich aroma of alcohol spread over the centipede’s entire body. The next moment, Chen Ling plunged the burning stick in his hand into its body!

Fwoosh—! Flames instantly erupted, completely engulfing the shadow centipede. Its life force rapidly dwindled in the flames, its body curling into a ball. At that moment, it seemed to sense something. The charred, blackened holes on its head “looked” towards the crimson eyes behind Chen Ling.

A harsh, grating sound filled the air again. With difficulty and terror, it uttered a single character:

“…King.”

The calamity creature’s shriek gradually faded, and fierce flames spread out from the wine shop.

The shopkeeper, who had been running, stopped midway and looked back at the shop not far away. His eyes were filled with conflict. There was such a huge fire in the wine shop; he wondered if the law enforcer was alright. Why hadn’t he come out yet after all this time? Had he fainted? Was the monster truly dead? A jumble of thoughts flooded his mind.

He stood there for a long time, then gritted his teeth and started walking back. Those thoughts were merely excuses he made for himself to go back. He had finally gotten a chance to prove himself to a law enforcer; if he just left, he probably wouldn’t get another opportunity to become one in his lifetime. If something had really happened to Chen Ling and he saved him, his future would naturally be smooth sailing. If Chen Ling was fine, the worst he’d get was a scolding.

Comforting himself with these thoughts, the shopkeeper approached the flickering flames at the shop’s entrance, just as he was about to call out…

The next moment, he froze.

Deep within the burning inferno, a centipede, writhing and shrieking in agony from the flames, slowly curled up. In front of it, a dark figure squatted, frantically tearing off its flesh and slender legs with both hands, stuffing them into its mouth, cheeks bulging. Eerie green blood dripped from the corners of his mouth onto the ground. His hands, scorched by the flames from tearing at the flesh, seemed completely oblivious to the pain, like those of a gluttonous pilferer.

This bizarre scene met the shopkeeper’s eyes, his pupils shrinking in disbelief. He recoiled half a step in terror, a rustling sound escaping him.

The figure paused. In the flickering firelight, he slowly turned his head to look at the shopkeeper, half a centipede leg dangling from the corner of his mouth. His pupils emitted a strange red glow…

He tilted his head in thought for a moment, then snapped off the large centipede head and offered it to the shopkeeper. With bulging cheeks, he mumbled incoherently:

“…Want a bite?”

The shopkeeper’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot from fright.

Seeing that the shopkeeper wouldn’t eat, Chen Ling stopped trying to share. In a few quick bites, he devoured the creature’s leg, emitting crunching sounds as he chewed. Before long, the two-meter-long roasted creature had completely vanished from in front of him, leaving only some oil stains on the ground.

Chen Ling let out a satisfied burp.

He swayed as he stood up, the red glow in his eyes gradually receding as sanity flooded back into his mind like a tide. He stared blankly at the empty corner where the creature had been.

“…It’s all gone?” Chen Ling frowned deeply, holding his head, his eyes filled with profound bewilderment.

What just happened?

Chen Ling’s mind was a blank. His consciousness was still stuck at the moment he took the first bite of what he thought was chicken, and then, when he came to, the entire two-meter-long roasted creature was gone! Chen Ling looked down at his stomach; there was no sign of distension, nor any feeling of fullness. Only an endlessly lingering aroma resonated between his lips and teeth.

Yet, all the fatigue from his journey of fighting was swept away. And, perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt his mental energy… had increased by a bit?

Chen Ling glanced at the corner, now only marked by oil stains, feeling a pang of guilt. He was about to turn and leave, but after a moment’s hesitation, he turned back. He put away both his knife and gun, then picked up a jar of wine and the burning stick, walking out of the shop with a satisfied air.

“Why is he here?”

Just as he reached the doorway, Chen Ling saw the shopkeeper lying unconscious on the ground. He called out twice, but the man showed no signs of waking. Chen Ling looked around, then temporarily put down the jar of wine, moving it into a nearby room and locking the door.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, he heard a crackling sound from the walkie-talkie.

“This is Xi Renjie… I’ve finished clearing Hanchuan Street too. It seems the entire west side is almost dealt with now.” Xi Renjie’s hoarse voice came through the walkie-talkie, sounding as if his throat were parched, his words revealing deep weakness. “But my body seems to be reaching its limit… Chen Ling, are you alright?”

Chen Ling picked up the walkie-talkie and replied with vigor.

“I’m fine… exceptionally fine.”