INSIDER Chapter 83

Yuan Kejie cursed and immediately closed her eyes. She quickly waved her hand towards Luo Qi and said, “Kiki! Go and kill that thing for me! I’m not mentally prepared yet!”

Luo Qi hoisted her shovel and retorted, “Don’t call me Kiki.”

Despite her complaint, Luo Qi swung her shovel and charged at the monster. She aimed at its head and struck it on the neck.

The monster looked disgusting. It had a body similar to an ape but was hairless and covered in eyes of varying sizes instead of having any reproductive organs. The sight of its numerous blinking eyes was horrifying. Even though Luo Qi aimed at its neck, her shovel still hit four eyes. She could feel the repulsive sensation through her weapon.

Luo Qi pulled out her shovel.

“Squish—”

The sound of eyes popping made Yuan Kejie shudder.

The monster roared in pain and swung a punch at Luo Qi.

Luo Qi, clearly annoyed by the creature, dodged its attack and told the others, “I got this, don’t help. This thing is mine to kill.”

With that, she struck the monster’s head again with her shovel.

Oddly, though the monster lacked reproductive organs, it had a full set of facial features, including ears, nose, and mouth.

Luo Qi’s second blow severed one of its ears. The monster howled in rage and went berserk, but Luo Qi gave it no chance to retaliate. She knocked it to the ground and then jumped, driving the shovel into its neck with her full weight.

“Crack—”

With a light twist of the shovel handle, she decapitated the monster.

The monster’s body convulsed, and its many eyes blinked erratically before finally closing in death.

Yuan Kejie, sensing the battle was over, cautiously opened her eyes. The sight of the lifeless monster, with its drooping and dense eyelids, still made her feel nauseous and dizzy.

“This won’t do,” Yuan Kejie shook her head, trying to overcome her discomfort. “Next time we encounter these things, I need to kill one myself to overcome this fear.”

Lu Chu nodded in agreement.

Song Gui said, “We’ll save one for you to practice on after we’ve killed most of them.”

Yuan Kejie forced herself to stare at the dead monster, muttering, “Thanks.”

The group waited, giving her time to acclimate.

In these scenarios, people are forced to confront their fears, as failing to do so means certain death.

After some time, Yuan Kejie walked up to the monster’s body for a closer look.

Lu Chu joined her, picking up a stick to lift one of the monster’s eyelids. The now lifeless eye stared blankly ahead.

Yuan Kejie, mimicking Lu Chu, lifted the eyelid of another eye. Despite her grimace, she didn’t pull back.

.

After the fight, darkness had fallen.

Unlike previous stages, this one had no buildings or forests, just a barren plain of yellow soil that looked like quicksand, soft enough to leave half-inch footprints. In the distance, a few trees stood out against the flat landscape.

It was desolate and eerily quiet.

Aside from the monster they had just killed, there was no sign of life.

Song Gui suggested, “Let’s check out those trees.”

The group agreed, as the trees were the only signs of life in the desolate area.

They proceeded cautiously, maintaining their formation to guard against potential threats.

As night fully descended, the dim moonlight made it hard to see the trees clearly.

Yuan Kejie chuckled, then took out an oil lamp and a box of matches from her backpack. “Time to use my all-purpose backpack.”

Song Gui raised an eyebrow. “You have a lamp?”

“Yes,” she said, lighting the lamp. “I brought this just in case we couldn’t find any wood for torches.”

Luo Qi commended her, “Well done.”

Qian Zhen took the lamp to lead the way.

Though dim, the lamp provided much-needed light.

.

As they neared the trees, Lu Chu felt an unsettling sensation.

“Something’s odd,” he warned. The others stopped immediately.

Qi Lei asked, “What did you sense?”

Lu Chu frowned, “It feels similar to when we encountered that monster but not exactly the same. The closer we get to those trees, the stronger the feeling.”

Song Gui asked, “What about the smell?”

“There’s a resemblance,” Lu Chu admitted.

“Could the monster be hiding behind the trees?” Song Gui speculated.

“Or maybe the tree evolved into a monster?” Yuan Kejie suggested.

As they theorized, Luo Qi and Qian Zhen prepared for battle.

Lu Chu made his own guesses but dismissed them. He and Qi Lei exchanged glances. “Let’s get closer and see. Speculation won’t help us.”

Song Gui agreed, “Good idea.”

With heightened vigilance, they approached the trees.

Getting closer, they saw nothing unusual.

Due to the dim light, they had to be very close to see the trees clearly. What they saw left them speechless.

Song Gui asked Yuan Kejie, “How do you feel?”

Yuan Kejie closed her eyes again, “I need a moment to calm down.”

Song Gui said, “I’ll check back later.”

Luo Qi remarked, “That’s disgusting.”

The tree stood three to four meters tall with slender, green leaves rustling in the wind. But instead of a normal trunk, it had a grotesque form covered in eyes, just like the monster they fought earlier.

The tree’s trunk was a mass of blood-red flesh with eyes scattered all over, giving it a disturbing, almost alive appearance.

Lu Chu now understood why he had felt that strange sensation; the tree and the monster were related.

Yuan Kejie squinted at the tree and sighed, “What a… unique sight.”

Lu Chu also found the tree’s form rather appalling.

Luo Qi nodded at Yuan Kejie’s waist and then at the tree, “Try it.”

If Yuan Kejie wanted to overcome her fear, this tree was the perfect target.

Without hesitation, Yuan Kejie put down her bag, drew her knife, and took a deep breath. Forcing herself to look at the tree, she swung her knife, cutting into it.

“Squish—” The sound of cutting through the eyes made her shiver, but she kept going, swinging again and again.

After countless swings, she finally stopped.

Song Gui asked, “How do you feel?”

Yuan Kejie stretched, “I’m getting used to it.”

She chose her words carefully, saying she was “used to it,” not that she was “not afraid anymore.”

Luo Qi patted her shoulder, and the group continued on their way.