Chapter 65: Good Child
The moment Xu Zhi realized that her current means of attack likely wouldn’t kill the man, her first reaction was: run.
Just as she decisively turned and bolted for the stairwell door, the alien creature leapt from her pocket and scurried toward the man at full speed, leaving Xu Zhi stunned.
Before she could even ask what it was doing, she saw it lunge directly at the man’s chest and burrow into his heart like a parasite. From its dry, woody body, several tendrils emerged, embedding into the man’s pulsing heart and greedily consuming his blood and energy.
Under the power of the [Eye of Secrets], Xu Zhi clearly saw the Cup-type energy and blood flowing from the ritual into the man being devoured by the little alien. It looked like a parasitic creature feeding on its host’s flesh to fuel its own growth. The man realized this, too—he reached into his own chest to try and rip the greedy alien out.
But the creature, focused solely on feeding, used its tendrils to cling tightly to the heart, resisting the pull. Even so, it was being slowly dragged out.
Seeing this, Xu Zhi immediately commanded Zhen: “Break his arm!”
She didn’t know what the little alien was up to, but clearly, she had to help it now.
Xu Zhi didn’t rush in herself. She only had Zhen assist from the side, while she remained at the stairwell—ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
As she pulled out her game console, she saw the alien’s evolution points rising rapidly.
It was as if it had consumed some supercharged tonic. In no time, it had leveled up from 18 to 20—and it was still climbing.
While keeping her eyes on the battlefield, she watched the game’s notification windows pop up:
[Notice: Your Follower’s Restlessness Level has increased. Please ensure it remains nearby!]
[Congratulations! Your fourth Follower has reached Level 20. Fifth Follower slot unlocked. Go to the selection screen to summon your fifth Follower.]
[All four of your Followers have entered their Metamorphosis Phase at Level 20. The initial life level of new Followers you summon will now be higher.]
[Your Follower “Aberration” has entered Metamorphosis. All its stats will now rapidly grow. Upon reaching Evolution Level 10, it will break its current limit and ascend to a higher lifeform.]
[Followers in the Metamorphosis Phase have greatly increased energy needs. Please provide it with more attribute-appropriate cores.]
[Warning! Your Follower’s Evolution Path has mutated! Feed it the required food in time. Do not let it stray! Maintain its sanity!]
Huge red exclamation marks emphasized the importance of the situation.
Xu Zhi didn’t even have time to check the alien’s new stats—she could only watch it closely. Then she saw something incredible.
At the exact moment the Follower reached Level 20, it was as if a seed had sprouted: thin, black branches pierced through the man’s chest. As it absorbed more “nutrients,” the twigs slowly grew, forming a small, not-very-lush black shrub on his chest.
The man’s complexion grew paler and paler until he collapsed to his knees, completely drained.
Xu Zhi didn’t know what kind of ritual he had been attempting, but it clearly all ended up benefiting someone else.
Through [Eye of Secrets], she watched as the red blood threads connecting the man to the ritual array began snapping one by one. Perhaps the energy was depleted, or maybe the ritual itself had flaws—after all, she recalled the woman warning that their preparations were insufficient.
Whatever the case, this seemed to be the end.
Once all the blood threads were severed, the sky-reaching red light vanished, and the sticky, twisted mental pollution in the air disappeared. All that remained was the man’s corpse—pale and lifeless—and a black flower made of alien branches blooming from his chest.
Xu Zhi opened the alien’s stats:
Follower: Aberration Lv21
Mind: 35
Body: 4800
Attribute: Cup
Traits: Bloodlust Lv8, Stealth Lv6, Agility Lv6, Strength Lv6, Pain Tolerance Lv8, Restlessness Lv5, Evolution Lv3
Special Ability: Seed of Parasite
Displayed prominently were the newly acquired Restlessness Lv5, Evolution Lv3, and the new special ability.
[Congratulations! Your Follower has awakened a Special Ability: Seed of Parasite]
Seed of Parasite: Your Follower can produce seeds that burrow into living creatures and lie dormant. Once activated, the seed consumes the host’s flesh and supernatural energy to nourish its growth. Each fully fed seed can transform into a new Aberration with comparable abilities, under the command of the Parasite Master.
The higher the original Follower’s supernatural level, the more seeds it can produce, and the harder they are to detect once implanted.
How fitting for a Follower with the Cup attribute.
The crisis seemed to have been resolved effortlessly, but Xu Zhi remained alert. She looked at the man’s corpse, and the black flower of the alien’s body on his chest suddenly twitched—then lunged toward Zhen, who was floating nearby!
Xu Zhi’s pupils shrank. She knew it wasn’t over. With Restlessness Lv5, the alien had clearly become unstable.
Zhen immediately flew upward, dodging the surprise attack. Meanwhile, Xu Zhi’s mind was at war. One part screamed at her to run—clearly, the alien had lost its sanity. The other reminded her of the game’s warning not to let the alien stray from her side.
If she fled now, there was no doubt—she might lose this powerful Follower forever.
She didn’t want that.
But she couldn’t be 100% sure the alien wouldn’t hurt her now, either.
“Let’s try it.”
Xu Zhi made her decision—not because she trusted the alien, but because she trusted the game’s narrator.
She waved for Zhen to return to her side, then cautiously took a few steps toward the alien, which had just crawled out of the man’s chest.
Immediately, the creature noticed her movement. Several sharp spikes extended in her direction, accompanied by a harsh, screeching sound. The threat was clear: come closer, and it would strike.
Because of the alien’s high Restlessness level, Xu Zhi couldn’t read its thoughts at all. All she sensed was chaotic madness.
But despite the threat, she bravely stepped forward again.
Why? Simple—when the alien attacked Zhen, it struck without hesitation. Yet now, toward her, it was only threatening—not attacking. That strange double standard gave Xu Zhi the confidence to test further.
Sure enough, as she approached step by step, the alien continued to screech and wave its grotesque tendrils—but never actually struck her.
In fact, when she was nearly upon it, it even backed away.
“Don’t move!” Xu Zhi barked.
The alien, previously baring fangs and claws, froze in place. Xu Zhi could sense it hadn’t understood her words—the creature’s mind was still a chaotic mess—but it had instinctively responded to her tone and command.
“Good child.”
Looking at the [Restlessness Lv5] on its panel, and at the motionless, bristling creature before her, Xu Zhi smiled and praised it.
Then, pulling out her Tang sword, she cut open her palm—blood dripping down from the wound.
“This is your reward. Drink.”
