On the outskirts of Fuyuki City, a long-defunct machine processing plant lay hidden in the thick night.
Its rusted steel skeleton cast clawing, menacing shadows under the moonlight.
Kayneth leaned against a cold metal casing, his face appearing even paler than usual in the dim light, with fine beads of cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
His expensive suit jacket was covered in dust from when he fled the hotel, and his meticulously groomed hair was somewhat disheveled.
Ever since the emergency evacuation from the bombed-out hotel, an indescribable sense of discomfort had been slowly spreading from deep within his stomach.
"Cough... cough cough..."
He couldn't help but cover his mouth with a handkerchief, coughing suppressively a few times.
It wasn't just exhaustion from excessive magical energy consumption; it felt more like something that didn't belong to him was restlessly wriggling deep inside his body, draining his life force and magical energy.
"My master, you..."
Lancer keenly sensed his master's abnormality.
Holding his twin spears, he stood guard a few steps away from Kayneth like the most loyal hound, his handsome face filled with worry.
"It is nothing, Lancer."
Kayneth waved his hand, fighting back another wave of surging nausea as he tried to straighten his back.
He absolutely could not show too much weakness in front of his servant; this was his pride, as well as the dignity of the head of a Magus lineage.
"It is just the water at that hotel... perhaps it was mixed with residues of inferior purification potions, and I am having some trouble adjusting."
He found an excuse that even he didn't quite believe, and immediately, anger surged in his heart again, dispelling some of the discomfort. "Those senseless lunatics! How dare they attack in such a crude, reckless manner! If my Sola were also there..."
Thinking of his beautiful yet equally arrogant fiancée, Sola-Ui, Kayneth felt both lingering fear and a trace of relief.
Sola had not accompanied him to Fuyuki, which was perhaps a blessing in disguise; otherwise, amidst such an explosion and chaos, he truly did not know how he could have ensured her absolute safety.
Lancer frowned; he intuitively felt that things were not as simple as his master said.
The hotel's water source—his master had clearly examined it carefully with magecraft when they checked in...
Just then, a crystal-clear female sneer, like a feather brushing against the air of the silent factory, reached their ears.
"Who?!"
Lancer turned instantly, his spear tip pointing directly at the shadows where the sound came from, assuming a perfect combat stance.
Kayneth also forced himself to stay alert, quietly gathering magical energy at his fingertips, preparing to activate his defensive mystic code.
From the shadows, a slender figure stepped out.
It was Phantylia.
She gently swayed the folding fan in her hand, her gait as leisurely as if she were strolling in her own garden. She paid no heed to Lancer's sharp spear tip, which was capable of piercing steel, her gaze falling with great interest upon Kayneth, whose complexion was becoming increasingly awful.
"Oh my, it seems I have arrived at just the right time."
Phantylia's voice was soft and melodious, carrying a pleasure akin to watching a play. "I am quite curious, you see—that little thing that was quietly planted... just when will it complete its magnificent shell-breaking?"
"Little thing? Shell-breaking?"
Kayneth's heart skipped a beat, and the increasingly distinct sensation of wriggling and bloating that had been entrenched in his chest and abdomen seemed to intensify sharply because of her words!
He clutched his chest, his face turning from white to green; an ominous premonition washed over him like a bucket of ice water.
"What have you done to my master?!"
Lancer demanded sternly, stepping forward, his spear tip mere inches from Phantylia's throat, his violent killing intent locking onto this mysterious woman who had appeared.
No matter what she was, if she was related to his master's current pain, she was an enemy!
Phantylia, however, giggled, her fan half-covering her red lips, her eyes full of mockery. "Done what? I have done nothing at all, loyal knight."
She cast a meaningful glance at Kayneth. "I am merely an... observer who happened to be passing by. The seed was planted long ago, and the soil was fertile enough; is it not natural for it to bear fruit now? If you must blame someone, perhaps you should blame that cup of water? Or... blame the... existence deep beneath this city that just woke up and couldn't help but let out a 'little sneeze'?"
Her words were like the flicking tongue of a viper, each word striking at Kayneth's taut nerves.
"Argh—!"
Kayneth could finally bear it no longer; he let out a painful groan, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.
He clawed desperately at his chest, his expensive suit fabric becoming wrinkled as if he wanted to dig out the thing wreaking havoc inside.
"My master!"
Lancer was horrified; no longer caring about Phantylia, he instantly retracted his twin spears and knelt on one knee, trying to support Kayneth.
However, the moment he touched Kayneth's body, a cold, slimy sensation transmitted along his spirit origin.
"Riiip—"
The sound of fabric being slowly torn from the inside rang out in the dead-silent factory, exceptionally clear and jarring.
On Kayneth's chest, his expensive shirt was rapidly soaked through by a spreading, dark, viscous liquid, its color turning a heart-wrenching dark red—it was blood, mixed with some kind of even filthier bodily fluid.
Immediately after, the area beneath the fabric bulged noticeably, as if some living thing was desperately trying to crawl out!
Lancer's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpricks!
He witnessed a terrifying scene he would never forget for the rest of his life: the skin and muscle on Kayneth's chest were bulging and stretching irregularly, as if possessing independent life, presenting a semi-transparent texture, through which one could vaguely see some multi-limbed, twisted shadow writhing frantically underneath!
"No... don't..."
Kayneth's eyes were filled with extreme fear and pain; his voice was hoarse and weak, his gaze began to unfocus, and his life force was being rapidly drained by the greedy tenant inside his chest cavity.
"Splurt!"
A soft sound, yet more hair-raising than any explosion.
The clothing on Kayneth's chest, along with the flesh, was finally completely burst open from the inside!
A worm about the size of a palm, with an indescribable form, crawled out.
It looked like a horrifying amalgamation of flesh and eerie green energy, its body covered in strange patterns and tiny, constantly opening and closing sucker-like mouthparts. It had no eyes on its head, only a ring of sharp teeth constantly dripping with viscous fluid.
It was covered in Kayneth's blood and tissue fluid, emitting a "rustling" sound as if countless limbs were rubbing together.
"My master!!!"
Lancer let out a roar of extreme grief and indignation, his eyes instantly bloodshot!
How could an honorable knight have ever witnessed such an extremely evil scene!
He hesitated not at all, his short spear thrusting toward the monster worm that had just "been born" and seemed still a bit bewildered, with lightning speed!
However, the worm's reaction speed was faster than imaginable!
It side-stepped as if teleporting, just enough for the tip of the Yellow Rose to graze its chitinous shell, kicking up a trail of eerie green sparks.
At the same time, several slender limbs on its body shot out violently, precisely latching onto Lancer's arm that held the spear!
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