Chapter 039: The Terrifying Siblings Bound by Love and Rivalry

A gentle rain had just swept over the ancient city, and on People's Road, my spirits soared. Today feels as if it were a carefully written game, just waiting for a new stamp to be affixed...

The cheerful music filled the room, rousing Li Tianque from his sleep. What would have been a pleasant melody now grated harshly on his ears. Struggling, Li Tianque forced his eyes open and found himself lying flat on his back on the floor, his hand clutching the phone still blaring its alarm.

The clock read 8:18.

He habitually turned off the alarm, then sat up slowly.

Only then did he realize he was lying on Danni's bed.

The bed was exceptionally soft, half his body sinking into it, so comfortable that he was reluctant to move. At that moment, Danni lay beside him, a sweet smile on her lips. Morning sunlight filtered through the cracks in the window, bathing her face in a gentle glow that made her look utterly adorable.

Staring at Danni’s peaceful features, a chill crept through Li Tianque, instantly dispelling his drowsiness.

What was going on? Why was she still here? And why was he here as well?

Had everything that happened last night been just a dream?

He rubbed his eyes again, gazing at Danni in disbelief.

She was curled up docilely under the covers, the room suffused with a faint pink haze. Everything seemed normal—no eerie stench, no strange noises—just an air of warmth and sweetness.

No, this wasn't a dream!

Li Tianque quickly noticed something amiss. Glancing down at the side of the bed, he saw clear signs of a struggle. On one corner of the blanket, there were traces of corrosion from the black substance—evidence of the active iodine. The inky matter writhed at the edge of the bed, like a tangle of leeches struggling, yet without any physical form.

A jolt of fear stabbed through Li Tianque. Clearly, he hadn’t dreamt it—everything from the night before had truly happened.

Danni had indeed transformed into a monster last night, intent on killing or devouring him. He’d managed to escape, only to be rescued by that grotesque, tumor-covered creature...

It was all real; Danni had gone mad, and that horrifying creature truly existed.

With these thoughts, Li Tianque leapt out of bed, creeping downstairs with his phone in hand.

Passing by the sickroom, he stole a glance inside and saw the terminally ill man still groaning in pain, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood.

The villa’s front door stood wide open, the door panels he’d battered through last night still scattered on the ground—further proof that none of it had been a dream.

Stepping outside, Li Tianque saw the mist in the garden had faded, and there was no sign of the monstrous creature. The clustered flowerbeds, basking in the sunlight, looked vibrant and alive, like a breathtaking oil painting.

But he had no mind to appreciate the scene. After a day and night without food, hunger gnawed at him. Yet anger and fear quickly overshadowed his hunger, compelling him to dial Lu Mou’s number for answers.

Lu Mou answered quickly this time, his familiar lazy drawl coming through the line. “Good morning…”

“Good morning, my ass! Are you trying to get me killed, you maniac? Why didn’t you tell me there was some terrifying monster in that room? No, wait—two! Actually, three!” Li Tianque shouted furiously.

“Hey, you can’t blame me for that. I assumed you’d call or message me when you arrived last night so I could fill you in. But you didn’t—guess you were distracted by beauty, so you can’t put this on me,” Lu Mou said nonchalantly.

“Screw you! She said it was all arranged by you. I thought it was safe, but who knew she’d turn out to be so terrifying!”

“Eh, but since you’re still alive, I suppose Hulk saved you…”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. If that lumpy monster hadn’t shown up, I’d be dead by now!”

“Well, you’re fine now—don’t dwell on what’s already happened.”

“Don’t dwell on it? I’d like to kill you and then offer you the same kind of comfort! You really have no clue—you’d make a fortune as a motivational speaker if you ever quit being a spook! Anyway, I’m not staying in that apartment. I’m not risking my neck for this. Get me a normal place to live!”

“Hey, wait! You weren’t just put there to live—you’re also supposed to look after Danni. You need to protect her; that’s part of your mission!”

“Protect her? You mean feed myself to her!”

“Well, if you’re up for it, you can try. Let’s see how long you last…”

“Enough! I’m serious—get me another place or I’ll quit!”

“Hold on—if you really quit, with how quickly that thing in your head is growing, you’ll probably die even faster than if you stayed here!”

Li Tianque said nothing, grinding his teeth in frustration but helpless.

Lu Mou took a long drag on his cigarette and went on. “Don’t be so upset. Danni isn’t that hard to look after, you should be able to manage. Let me give you a quick rundown: Danni is actually a synthetic core parasite. As you’ve seen, she looks like a cute girl who likes to dress in school uniforms and Lolita outfits. During the day, she’s no different from an ordinary child, with the intelligence of a twelve-year-old. But from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., she becomes extremely sleepy and must be held in a constant embrace while she sleeps, or she’ll go berserk and unleash terrifying destructive power.

All you need to do is hold her while she sleeps during those hours. So really, it’s a plum assignment—you get to cuddle a beautiful girl every night instead of sleeping alone. You should be thanking me!”

“Thank you? If I have to hold her all night, my arms will snap!”

“You’re actually right. And you mustn’t let go. If you do, she’ll go berserk within thirty seconds, and before she does, she’ll start emitting a warning scent. The last person assigned to this task used two elastic straps to secure himself every night. You might want to try that—it should be in the cabinet. Of course, if you find your own way to handle her, I’ll owe you a debt of gratitude!”

“Heh… so the last guy on this job must be that dying wretch in the sickroom, right?”

There was a brief silence on the line before Lu Mou changed the subject.

“Don’t worry too much. Even if you accidentally let go at night, as long as you’re not dead asleep, the strong odor Danni gives off will wake you instantly. Just run to the garden, and someone will help you deal with her.”

“Oh, I get it—it’s that tumor monster, right? If it’s so effective, why not have it stay with Danni every night?”

“Absolutely not. That thing is her brother, and he’s emotionally unstable.

His name is Hulk. He feeds on core parasites, but harbors no hostility toward humans. As for the details, you don’t have clearance yet. Still, I can tell you this: Hulk has always wanted to eat his sister Danni, but her body is so tough his teeth can’t pierce her defenses. If they were together every night, in about a week, he’d probably find a way to devour her safely, so they can’t coexist.

And Hulk’s memory is poor—if he doesn’t see Danni for a few days, he forgets her entirely. Next time they meet, he’ll treat her as a stranger, pounce on her, and try to eat her again.”

“You’ve got a reason for everything. In the end, I’m the one being thrown to the wolves…”

“Relax, you won’t have to watch her all the time. Danni gets sent to Shian Pest Control once a week for a routine checkup, so you’ll get one night of decent sleep every week…”

“Well, I should be grateful, then. Why not just keep her locked up at Shian Pest Control?”

“That’s enough. Don’t overthink it. I’ve told you all I can. Since you chose to join our company, you have to follow the rules.”

Lu Mou’s tone turned stern.

Li Tianque pursed his lips in resignation. Though still deeply dissatisfied, he had no alternative. For now, he was forced to rely on others to keep himself alive. Still, he resolved inwardly to find a way to collect enough active iodine—or better yet, rid himself of the core parasite in his head altogether—so he could break free from Shian Pest Control’s hold as soon as possible.

With that thought, Li Tianque suppressed his anger and said, “I’m starving—I’m going to get something to eat. I’m a bit strapped for cash, so I’d like to get my salary in advance this month.”

“No problem. In fact, I was just about to pick you up. Let’s have a meal together.”

“Pick me up? Don’t tell me I’m starting work today…”

“That’s right. Our content channel hasn’t put out an exploration video in a while. All the top influencers on the main platform have gone quiet, so the platform is running an exploration livestream contest to reignite excitement. The winning team gets a big cash prize and cross-platform promotion.

The company’s decided your exploration team will shoot a video for the contest. Don’t worry, it’s just a regular entry—perfectly safe.”

Though Li Tianque was still simmering with anger, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of an exploration trip.