The Dragon-Headed Man

They stepped out of the room into a gloomy corridor.

"Are we in a basement?"

One of the bystander NPCs asked quietly.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the end of the corridor, accompanied by the newcomer's leisurely whistling.

Yin Chao shuddered inwardly. His sixth sense told him that whoever was coming was powerful.

He wasn't the only one who felt it. Luo Lingyue had sensed the danger too.

She tugged lightly at Yin Chao's hem and whispered, "I feel... really uncomfortable."

Everyone braced for a formidable enemy as the whistling drew closer.

Only then did Yin Chao recognize the halting melody. It was "Für Elise."

He clenched his teeth and shouted, "Run!"

Liang Chen and Luo Lingyue were especially fast, followed closely by Yin Chao, whom Anna carried bridal-style.

They hurried away in the opposite direction. Before they had put much distance between themselves and the people behind them, a huge blade half a person's height came flying through the air.

Like a scythe harvesting wheat, the blade cut those bystander NPCs in half at the waist.

The stench of blood instantly filled the pitch-black corridor.

The three ran for their lives. Fortunately, the way ahead wasn't a dead end. Soon, light flooded their vision, and they escaped the basement.

Yin Chao let Anna carry him without a qualm, taking the opportunity to look behind them.

He was shocked to find that the monster chasing them was a dragon-headed man.

Of the twelve animals of the zodiac, the dragon was a wondrous creature that existed only in legend. It should have symbolized good fortune and majesty, but the monster before them inspired nothing but fear.

Its entire dragon head was covered in pitch-black armored scales. Where the scales curled up, blood-red, rotting flesh showed beneath.

Crude stitches also ran around the dragon head. Staring at it for too long brought on an inexplicable nausea.

Suddenly, the dragon-headed man accelerated sharply, bounding forward until it was running shoulder to shoulder with the three.

The huge blade strapped to its back was still dripping blood, but it didn't seem to have any intention of drawing it.

It was like a hunter playing cat and mouse, thoroughly enjoying the thrill of tormenting its prey.

Yin Chao inwardly curled his lip, glancing at the expressionless Anna and Luo Lingyue, then at the equally unruffled Liang Chen.

The dragon-headed man also noticed their unnatural composure, and its black scales bristled even further.

Left with no choice, Yin Chao played along.

"Aaaaaaaaah! So scary! Help!"

Whatever emotion he'd put into it, his acting was certainly on point.

At his scream, Luo Lingyue and Liang Chen turned to stare at him in shock, as though they'd just tasted ice cream flavored with dirty socks.

Finally satisfied, the dragon-headed man slowed again, falling behind to pretend to chase them.

Just then, a familiar Black Sword flew out from around a bend in the stairs.

The Black Sword shot past the three humans and one ghost, flying straight toward the dragon-headed man.

The dragon-headed man drew the huge blade from its back to block it, its foot gouging a deep crater in the ground before it managed to stop the Black Sword.

Recognizing the sword's design, Liang Chen shouted excitedly, "It's Midnight! It's Midnight's sword!"

The moment he finished speaking, a tall, long-legged figure with an upright bearing stepped around the corner. Who else could it be but Midnight?

Moqi Xinzhi and the others followed behind him.

Midnight walked over to Liang Chen, his eyes fixed on the dragon-headed man's every move. Still, Yin Chao had the distinct impression that he had just cast a fleeting glance his way.

Sure enough, the man said next, "I heard someone shouting for help just now. Pretty loud, too."

Liang Chen promptly replied, "It was Yin... ow! Why did you step on me?!"

His words cut short, Liang Chen turned to look at Anna, the culprit who had stepped on his foot. He simply couldn't understand why this strange ghost servant would do that.

Anyone who knew about ghost servants, however, knew that a ghost servant and its master shared a mental bond.