Even Buddhas Can Only Endure Twice

Si Ming had given the dark-circled youth a chance.

If he truly were some protagonist of a light novel, truly possessed some extraordinary destiny, then this would be the moment for him to seize that opportunity, ascend to the heavens in a single step, and carry out a ruthless counter-kill. However...

No such situation occurred.

Si Ming walked a full circle through the dark underground shopping mall. He discovered many unopened cans of food, as well as many piles of stark white skeletons in the corners—the agony and wails of those deceased souls still echoed across this land. If the energy level of this world were just a bit higher, perhaps even the most rudimentary wraiths would have spontaneously manifested upon the earth.

There were no wraiths.

There was no concentrated ambient energy, nor any effectively manifested curses.

When he emerged from the darkness with what he deemed sufficient supplies and returned to the escalator exit, he saw a fresh Night Demon—its limbs fractured, skin smooth, hair fallen out, and eyes filled with madness—struggling desperately at the exit.

The clothes were the same, and the glasses had not fallen off. The hideous face of the Night Demon still retained the contours and physical traits the dark-circled youth had possessed in life. But he had already completely transformed into it.

His soul had not departed, and the transformed Night Demon was not powerful. Nor did any intruder descend from the heavens to snatch this doomed fellow away and bestow upon him a cheat code.

"Roar—" It let out an ignorant growl toward Si Ming.

Si Ming allowed it to vent its wild nature. He simply picked it up by the scruff of its neck and wrapped it in a piece of black cloth. Then, with his other hand, he carried the shotgun he had switched back to and walked toward the upper levels—the few Skeleton Soldiers he had left behind were still patrolling the shadows on their own, waiting to handle any unexpected situations.

Upward.

Continuing upward.

The blood aura permeating the underground dissipated silently, but when Si Ming returned to the third floor, his slightly furrowed brows twitched.

There was no smell of disinfectant in the air.

The bloodstains on the floor had only been cleaned in a half-hearted manner.

The high school girl in the JK uniform was working hard with a mop, doing something futile. He also heard faint "woo-woo" sounds; the glamorous woman who had been shot was gagged, stuffed into a corner of the room, and had her hands and feet bound.

He threw the freshly minted Night Demon onto the ground.

The sweating high school girl let out a frightened squeak—as his gaze shifted, he saw that the cracks he had marked at the windows had not been repaired. The supplies on the third floor had not been moved together, nor had any new electrical appliances been brought up from the first floor; there was not even a shadow of a generator or solar panels.

"Hey!" A crude barricade appeared before Si Ming's eyes. The American soldier hiding behind it was holding an M16 assault rifle—this was America, and there were plenty of guns here. He flashed a smug smile at Si Ming.

"I advise you not to move. I've set up bombs here, and I can detonate them at any time. Also, I know that high-tech combat suit you're wearing isn't EMP-proof. And I just happen to have found a charge."

The chubby white-collar worker and the tall, thin salaryman Keiji Koyama both stood behind him; the latter offered Si Ming an apologetic smile. The American soldier kicked him, so he bowed to Si Ming and spoke with a tone full of apology but devoid of any sincerity.

"I am truly very sorry, sir. Officer James is very familiar with the local terrain, and he feels that each of us should have a gun. This humble one feels that makes a lot of sense, so I went out with Mr. Yamaguchi. And this humble one did indeed manage to get a new gun."

It was a Remington, a classic American shotgun. The chubby white-collar worker also had one in his hands, and all three of them were wearing bulletproof riot armor with added plates.

Because of this, they possessed confidence. This confidence outweighed their fear of Si Ming.

Si Ming just watched them quietly, his gaze having already completed a full observation of the surrounding area.

"So, none of the tasks I assigned to you have been completed?"

"I am truly very sorry," Keiji Koyama bowed again. "But Officer James's opinion is also very important."

"What hasn't been completed?" The chubby white-collar worker sneered in disapproval. "Isn't that girl named Ishihara cleaning up? Isn't that Ms. Tanaka you wounded tied up just fine? Also, with that tone of yours, you're actually Chinese, aren't you? Chinese people should stop bossing the East Sea Team around!"

James spread his hands and smiled for the second time.

"You see, this is the East Sea Team, a Japanese team. And everyone doesn't welcome you. Perhaps you should reflect on your own actions and find a new position for yourself within the team."

"I am truly very sorry," Keiji Koyama bowed for the third time. "But this humble one feels you would be better off carefully considering Officer James's suggestion."

Si Ming glanced at the high school girl who, though terrified, was at least still holding her mop. His gaze shifted further; the glamorous woman, simply bandaged and bound in the corner, was glaring at him fiercely—her eyes filled with the joy of revenge, even though the current situation was not actually clear.

Not clear at all.

Si Ming truly could not fathom where they found the courage to make such reckless decisions when they had so little information.

Is this what first-generation newcomers are like?

Is this what Japanese and Americans in 2007 are like?

"I can actually tolerate your rebellion," he sighed. "But I truly cannot tolerate your stupidity and incompetence."

James wore a look of alert; he instinctively prepared to raise his gun.

And Si Ming's final warning had already transformed into a proclamation.

"Therefore, I will give you one last chance. Now, obey me and close your eyes."

"Don't even think about it—" The trigger in his hand was about to be pulled.

The wind began to flow.

A behemoth suddenly manifested above the shopping mall.

It was a massive creature, over ten meters long, resembling a small tunnel-boring machine. It looked like a giant squid soaking in mud, and its numerous tentacles and feelers waved, drastically amplifying its presence.

The entire third floor of the mall was occupied by a large portion of it. Within that massive body, covered in viscous slime, every inch of skin seemed to flow with alien and twisted light.

That light attracted the gaze of intelligent beings.

That light was a prison that bound and devoured sanity.

Kin of the Old Ones, the Burrowing Devil Worm, appeared here. Its existence instantly filled the senses of those who dared to open their eyes and look directly at it, and in the next moment, it shattered them all!

One second, two seconds.

The chubby white-collar worker suddenly extended his fingers and, with a miserable laugh, gouged out his own eyes.

"I didn't see anything, President. I really didn't see anything. The things between you and Keiko, I truly didn't see a single bit of it..."

BANG— His head exploded violently. That was the effect of an assault rifle fired at point-blank range. James the soldier kept his gun pressed against the man's body, then pulled the trigger in a continuous burst.

"I am not a deserter," he said, repeating himself. "I did not defect. I did not drink on duty, and I did not take off my uniform."

He fired a shot with every word until the white-collar worker's body stopped moving. The soldier then wore a twisted smile.

"I killed a spy, I've earned merit! I didn't leak any intelligence... I've been promoted!"

"I'm going back to the mainland to get promoted!"

He let out a shriek of ecstasy, dropped his gun, and lunged toward the unpatched window opening. One second later, the sound of a watermelon smashing against the ground echoed from outside.

He was dead.

The swaying Keiji Koyama then muttered to himself as he walked to the window from which the other had jumped.

"I am truly, deeply sorry. I didn't mean to violate your daughter. I am truly, deeply sorry. I didn't mean to drop your younger brother to his death. I am truly, deeply sorry. I didn't mean to take those pension funds. I am truly, deeply sorry... I've already said I'm sorry, how could you still be so impolite?"

He jumped as well.

The sound of a body hitting the ground rang out a second time. After all, the third floor of a shopping mall was always higher than a regular building.

A soft gasping sound emerged; the beautiful woman, bound and gagged, had her eyes wide open, her heart having already stopped. She had been struck down by incomparable terror, dragged into death by her own heart.

Of the six newcomers, one remained. The high school girl in her uniform kept her eyes tightly shut, trembling as she clutched the mop in her hands. Yet, in Si Ming's ears, there was no notification from the Main God regarding a point deduction.

This did not count as team-killing.

Going insane and committing suicide—how could that possibly count as team-killing?

Si Ming walked up to the schoolgirl and injected a wisp of Night Battle Qi into the center of her forehead. Then, he patted her shoulder.

"You can open your eyes now," he said.

The girl opened her eyes, saw the dead bodies and the massive Burrowing Devil Worm, and let out another scream.

The Night Battle Qi protected her; this was a method Si Ming had researched after many attempts in Mexico. It was only then that he realized how vast the gap was between him and ordinary people, and now, with the injection of divine particles, both his own mental resistance and the mental pollution of the Burrowing Devil Worm had increased significantly once again.

"What is your name?" Si Ming's gaze swept from her head to her feet.

"Shizuka... My name is... Shizuka Ishikawa."

Si Ming nodded.

"In this world, you may call me Mr. Si, or Professor Si. I will tell you my real name after we return, but until then, I expect you to fully obey my arrangements and listen to what I say."

"Ye-yes..." She was pale, nodding hurriedly. Her gaze dared not linger on the massive Burrowing Devil Worm. "I will listen to everything you say... Professor... Professor Si."

"Very good." Si Ming handed her the .22LR caliber Glock. "Take this, and shoot that."

He pointed to the Night Demon, which was wrapped in black cloth and still twitching and writhing.

The last newcomer was trembling with fear, but she grabbed the pistol haphazardly and pulled the trigger toward the Night Demon, which was on the verge of death.

BANG—BANG BANG BANG—

The magazine was emptied.

The twitching Night Demon let out an instinctive howl. It was hard to imagine the level of marksmanship required to empty an entire magazine from within half a meter without landing a single fatal shot. But then again, it was possible the .22LR simply lacked stopping power.

So be it.

Si Ming stepped down onto the Night Demon's head.

CRACK— Another smashed watermelon.

The announcement from the Main God sounded in his ears; just right, with this one, the total of 10 required for the settlement was met.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't do it well..." Shizuka Ishikawa looked at him in fear.

He merely turned around and walked toward the exit of the mall.

"My only requirement for you was to 'pull the trigger'," Si Ming's voice drifted back faintly. The Burrowing Devil Worm vanished silently, and his footsteps paused for a moment.

"Come here, follow me." She had already fulfilled his needs.