Chapter 33: Why Didn't You Save Me!!
Crack—
A sickening crunch echoed in the room as a foot descended upon Liu Cangzhen's other hand. The force of the stomp was so great that shattered bone pierced through skin, revealing a glimpse of ghastly white. A fresh spray of blood painted the floorboards in a grisly, expanding patch.
"Ssss—Aaah!"
The excruciating agony jolted Liu Cangzhen from the brink of unconsciousness. A display of tearing and crushing sensations from his arm and leg sent him into inhuman screams. Adrenaline flooded his veins, and the body that had been fading just a moment ago erupted with a terrifying, desperate strength, snapping a section of the rope that bound him.
He instinctively tried to push himself up, but the arm he used was already a mangled ruin of flesh and splintered bone. The moment he put weight on it—
Crack!
With a sharp, final snap, his forearm broke clean in two. His hand, now dangling by a few pathetic strands of flesh, swung limply. A raw, pig-like squeal tore from Liu Cangzhen's throat as he collapsed and rolled on the ground in pure agony.
King Chen stared intently at the cruel spectacle, his eyes betraying no ripple of emotion.
Liu Wensong silently turned his head away, unable to watch.
Yotsuya Miko shrank behind Haruto, her fingers clutching a corner of his shirt. She knew this was necessary, that this was justice, but the scene was still far too bloody for her to bear.
The newcomer swallowed, his throat tight. "Isn't... isn't this a little too cruel?" he whispered.
"Cruel?" Haruto stood and cast an indifferent glance at him. "Wasn't he cruel when he left Uncle Chen and the others to die yesterday?"
The newcomer immediately blanched, waving his hands in apology. "Sorry, sorry, I spoke out of turn."
Haruto withdrew his gaze, his eyes settling back on the wailing figure of Liu Cangzhen. A mocking curve touched the corner of his lips.
"We're merely helping him practice what he preaches. In this damn Death Game, anyone can be sacrificed. The only way to survive to the end is to use any means necessary." He let out a soft chuckle. "It's just that this time, he happens to be the one on the altar."
"What are you screaming about? Does it really hurt that much?" Kaguya frowned with theatrical dissatisfaction. She raised her foot and ground her heel into the wound on Liu Cangzhen's broken leg, causing his entire body to convulse.
"Don't kill him just yet," Haruto reminded her. "He's still useful."
Kaguya flashed him an 'OK' gesture. She produced a small glass bottle from her sleeve, a shimmering pink liquid sloshing within.
"I only managed to sneak a few of these. Wasting one on you is a real shame," she sighed, leaning down to pour the potion over his severed limbs.
Almost instantly, Liu Cangzhen's screams began to weaken. The mangled wounds healed and scabbed over at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within a few short breaths, the bleeding stopped completely. Though his hand and leg couldn't regenerate, his life, at least, was no longer in danger.
"Is... is that a Healing Potion?" Liu Wensong stared, his voice filled with disbelief at the miraculous medicine.
Haruto nodded. "It's a potion brewed by her family's attendant. And it's not just Healing Potions—if you can think of it, there's no potion her attendant can't concoct."
The sheer amount of information packed into that single sentence left everyone stunned.
They had learned on the first night of the Mermaid Pension instance that this was only Haruto and his friends' second game. It was impossible for them to have acquired so many miraculous items on their own.
Her family's attendant?
Every eye in the room turned toward the girl who looked as exquisite and delicate as a porcelain princess. At that moment, she was casually resting her foot on Liu Cangzhen's remaining intact leg, seemingly contemplating whether she should cripple that one as well.
If they remembered correctly... this was her very first instance.
Yet whether it was her composure when facing a corpse or her unblinking cruelty while torturing a fellow player, she exuded the air of a hardened veteran, a stark contrast to her doll-like appearance.
No one dared to ask any further questions. Sometimes, knowing too much was a liability.
"Alright, leave him here. Don't bother closing the door," Haruto said, turning to leave. The others followed closely behind.
"Don't... don't leave me... please..." Liu Cangzhen's weak pleas echoed from the room, but not a single person looked back.
Night gradually descended, cloaking the pension in shadow.
The group settled into the room directly across the hall from Liu Cangzhen, waiting in silence.
Time ticked by, minute by agonizing minute. Then, an abrupt, crisp clack-clack sound broke the stillness, echoing from the far end of the corridor. It was getting closer.
It's here.
A nervous sweat broke out on everyone's brow.
Haruto held up a hand, gesturing for silence. He opened two Gaps in the air, the swirling portals revealing a perfect view of the hallway outside.
Kaguya and Yotsuya Miko, already familiar with his abilities, showed no surprise and leaned in to watch.
Though King Chen and the other two were shocked by the sudden appearance of the spatial tears, the tense situation left no room for questions. They followed Kaguya's lead, held their breath, and peered through the Gaps.
Da... da-da...
The crisp, slow footsteps echoed from the end of the hall. As the sound grew clearer, a bloated, grotesque figure swayed into view.
It was the first time Liu Wensong and the newcomer had seen one of the mermaids. A primal fear gripped them, followed by an involuntary wave of revulsion.
Just as Haruto had speculated, the mermaids were evolving.
This time, it wasn't sliding or shifting across the floor.
Nor was it crawling.
Instead, it walked. It stumbled forward on two legs crudely wrapped in human skin, dragging its long, fleshy train behind it like a grotesque bridal veil. It swayed and wobbled with every step, looking as if it might topple over at any moment.
Seeing the creature's clumsy, difficult movements, most of the group breathed a small sigh of relief.
Haruto, however, did not relax.
'Humans have an extremely high capacity for adaptation,'he thought.'If these mermaids can evolve to mimic us, does that mean they can also learn to master these newborn feet?'
Across the hall, the bound Liu Cangzhen also heard the da-da-da of the approaching footsteps. His eyes widened in terror, but he was utterly paralyzed, unable to move a muscle.
Da-da... da-da-da-da...
A bizarre, twisted figure suddenly lurched into his field of vision. This was the first time Liu Cangzhen had laid eyes on a so-called mermaid. Its long, fleshy skin dragged across the floor, a living carpet that seemed to swallow the hallway.
He held his breath, his muscles tensed to their absolute limit. He didn't dare make a sound, fearing that the slightest movement would give him away.
Fortunately, the mermaid didn't seem to notice the open doorway, nor the helpless prey tied to a chair just inside. It shuffled past.
Liu Cangzhen slumped in the chair, a wave of relief washing over him. He felt as if he had just survived a catastrophe, his clothes dripping with sweat as if he'd been pulled from the ocean.
But just as his mind began to relax, his center of gravity shifted—
Clang!
With a loud crash, he and the chair toppled sideways, hitting the floor hard.
Only then did he realize that the hemp rope binding him had somehow come loose.
Dazed, Liu Cangzhen looked up toward the broken doorway. In an instant, his will to survive surged like a wildfire. With a distorted expression, he used his one good leg to push off the floor, hopping pathetically but frantically toward the exit.
The moment he cleared the doorway, he ran right into the mermaid. It had turned back. The creature's bloated face twisted with loathing and resentment as it saw him, and it lunged with a raspy, guttural hiss.
Liu Cangzhen was prepared. He threw himself forward in a desperate leap, narrowly avoiding the lunge. His head, however, slammed into the wall with a heavy thud, and blood immediately began to trickle down his temple.
Ignoring the blinding pain, he took advantage of the brief moment while the mermaid was fallen and struggling to stand. He hopped twice, covering the distance to the door of Haruto's room. His eyes were bloodshot as he began to pound on the wooden panel with all his remaining strength.
"Open the door! Open the door!! Let me in! Open the door!!"
One second... two seconds...
Silence reigned from within. There was no response.
Bang—!
Bang, bang—!!
"Why won't you open the door?! Why won't you save me!! You can all go to hell! GO TO HELL!!!"
Liu Cangzhen roared, smashing his fist against the wooden door again and again. His one good hand was quickly reduced to a bloody, pulpy mess.
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