"There was no other way..."
Han Su hadn't failed to notice the little girl in the bathtub. It just wasn't the right time.
Han Su darted past the bathtub and out the door. The door slammed shut behind him with a deafening bang.
Only then did the girl in the bathtub react. She stared blankly, her expression gray with despair.
Inside the room, the Worm Monk was strangely unmoved by the theft of the key. Though he was usually slow and stiff, this time his movements were astonishingly quick.
Without needing the help of the worms, his hands darted out, catching one bottle and jar after another as they fell, then gently setting them on the table.
He even returned every bottle and jar to the exact spot it had occupied before falling.
Only after they were all back on the table did he slowly straighten and let out a soft breath.
The worms on his body rose upright one by one, their countless mouthparts contracting and expanding.
Fine currents of air swirled through the room, as if they were complaining to him.
The Worm Monk merely furrowed his brow and slowly looked in one direction: the way the enormous fat cat had disappeared. He seemed to ponder for a moment, but apparently couldn't recall anything.
In the end, he simply picked up his book, sat back down, and resumed reading. As if only to appease them, he slowly uttered a few indistinct words.
"The door... The door should appear now..."
Having escaped the room, Han Su clutched the key tightly in his hand. He had no time to check whether the Worm Monk was coming after him. Instead, he poured all his strength into repeating that thought and looked up expectantly.
Sure enough, at the end of