This creature was covered in a dark, oily substance and had a layer of soft fur. Its round little head had two large ears, resembling an ordinary bat, but its body was over half a meter in size. What was particularly strange about its face was that it had no eyes, no nose, and no mouth—just a bare patch of skin with a needle-like proboscis.
Night Stalker Bat.
This was not a species native to this world. Like the sulfuric acid worms seen earlier, this creature came from a dimensional rift. Besides being known as Night Stalker Bat, it also had another name.
Night Demon.
Although it looked like a bat, it hunted like a mosquito. It liked to pierce the bodies of its prey with its sharp proboscis, sucking their blood to gain energy.
A Night Demon could drain the blood of five adults in a single day. Greed and ugliness were its trademarks, and it was a social creature, usually acting in groups of a few to several dozen.
Their method of hunting was peculiar. Since they had no facial features, they couldn't rely on sight or smell to locate prey. Instead, when flying, they would spray urine over a large area. This urine contained a slight energy, and as long as the prey didn't die, the Night Demons could track it using the heat it emitted.
A bizarre predator.
Sowing during the day, feasting at night.
This earned them the name Night Demon.
"What's going on?"
Chen Feng's tone was low as he observed the flickering shadows at the door. These creatures, lacking facial features, couldn't hunt prey using sight or smell.
When Chen Feng had left the Colosseum, he was certain he hadn't encountered any Night Demons, yet now these creatures were attacking the convenience store!
"Wait a minute..."
Chen Feng suddenly paused and turned his head slowly toward the girl. She was already terrified, her eyes filled with horror.
Chen Feng was sure he hadn't encountered the Night Demons, but... there were two people in this convenience store.
Chen Feng took a step forward and grabbed the girl. Staring at the burgundy skin on her neck, the more he looked, the stranger it seemed. In the next second, he directly tore open her collar. His forceful action exposed a large portion of her skin, revealing a section of her shoulder as white as bamboo shoots—extremely alluring.
Red.
At first, Chen Feng thought the red on her neck was a bruise, but upon closer inspection, he realized it looked more like a kind of dye. He lowered his head and sniffed it lightly, his pupils immediately narrowing into slits.
"The smell of urine!"
All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The girl had mentioned that they had encountered some kind of flying monster. Clearly, the monster she referred to was the Night Demon in front of them. She had been marked with their urine, leading the Night Demons directly to this place.
"No, don't..."
The girl screamed in terror. Chen Feng's actions were utterly misleading—he had not only torn her clothes but also seemed to be sniffing her skin like a pervert. Feeling violated, the girl forgot about the threat outside and started screaming loudly.
"Let me go... my dad is a policeman, he will..."
Crack!
The girl's voice was abruptly cut off as Chen Feng twisted her neck, snapping it instantly.
Her eyes remained wide in shock, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She could never have imagined that the man behind her wasn't after her body, but her life.
Her delicate, beautiful face was frozen in that moment forever.
Chen Feng, on the other hand, remained calm, as if the girl who had just died at his hands was not a delicate young girl, but a mere insect he had casually squashed.
"Don't blame me. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being too careless..." Chen Feng's voice was as cold as ice, devoid of any warmth.
The Night Demons relied on the life energy of their prey to track them. In the situation just now, Chen Feng had only two choices: First, to release the Dretch to fight off the Night Demons for the sake of the girl. While this might save her, it would expose him to even greater danger and reveal his presence, forcing him to not only deal with the Night Demons but also the other predators lurking in the streets.
The second option was to kill the girl. Once she was dead, the signal the Night Demons had left on her would vanish.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Chen Feng didn't hesitate. He instinctively twisted the girl's neck, ending her life.
Innocent bloodshed?
This world is cruel. Everyone only has one life, and no one, no matter who or what they are, has the right to deprive another of their will to survive.
This convenience store was not a stronghold. Even if Chen Feng hadn't killed her, the girl would have eventually been drained of her blood by the Night Demons and died a horrible death. The moment she was marked, her fate was sealed.
So...
It was better for her to die quickly. It was easier for both her and Chen Feng.
As for pity? That was nonsense.
Try showing pity to the monsters outside and see if they'll let you go.
This world is harsh, filled with constant dangers. You can die of hunger, be torn apart by zombies, or perish in a fight or due to disease.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest.
It's a simple truth.
Bang...
The convenience store door was hit again. The Night Demons hesitated, as they had sensed prey inside just a moment ago.
Chen Feng formed a seal with his hands. Caution didn't mean cowardice. If the Night Demons broke in, he would have no choice but to fight.
However, the Night Demons stopped after a few hits. These creatures had very low intelligence, and with the mark's disappearance, they quickly shifted their attention elsewhere.
After confirming that the Night Demons had left, Chen Feng sat down again. Time was running out for him to rest. He needed to regain his strength before nightfall.
The girl's corpse lay beside him, her face pale, her lifeless eyes still fixed on the sleeping Chen Feng. If it were anyone else, they would have been scared out of their wits.
But for Chen Feng, killing was just... normal.
This is the Apocalypse.
Such are the way of the things.