A clump of hair stuck to a fragment of bloody flesh. Just hearing about it was enough to make anyone uncomfortable, let alone holding the thing in their own hand.
Perhaps because he had been startled, the itching that came from all over his body seemed to ease somewhat. But soon, his attention fell on his wrist.
A sesame-seed-sized red spot had appeared on his skin, and it was rapidly spreading outward at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Faint red lines could be seen beneath the skin in other places, resembling blood vessels or broken capillaries.
Just as he was about to say something, it suddenly felt as though something had clamped down hard on his throat. He gasped desperately, yet could not draw in even the slightest bit of air!
He frantically tried to call for help, but when he looked up, he discovered that everyone around him was in much the same condition.
Large patches of red and white had appeared on their exposed skin. Their flesh was severely congested beneath the skin, and the areas covered in red spots had swollen into bulges.
Some people's upper and lower eyelids had turned inside out over their eyes, completely covering them.
All of their faces were swollen to varying degrees.
During his struggle, the Small Boss found a section of branch on the ground. He tilted his head back and forcefully shoved it into his throat. He could feel his throat swelling from the inside out...
Once...
Twice...
His movements grew faster and faster. He even felt as though he had punctured something! But in the end, he collapsed onto the ground, his body convulsing violently several times, his face turning a purplish blue.
After a few more tremors, he returned completely to silence.
There were no