Chapter 17: The Door
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All the sounds around him blended into a wild, overwhelming noise. Yu Sheng’s thoughts crashed against one another like a storm at sea while the fox demon’s last sliver of sanity clung desperately to life. Foxy’s soft, painful whimpers filled his ears, but his mind was crowded with a riot of other voices—insatiable hunger, a gnawing, all-consuming starvation, the seductive whispers of dark chaos… and an urgent, desperate voice telling him to run.
He gasped, crouching low, and darted toward the narrow gap between the fox demon and the monstrous creature. But instead of fleeing as Foxy had urged, Yu Sheng snatched a broken stone slab from the ground and charged toward the beast’s side.
He knew he couldn’t win. There was no doubt in his mind. But he also knew there was no escape—not with human speed alone. The area around them was a chaotic maze of rubble and ruins, and the only exit out of the temple was blocked by the hulking creature. If he tried to run blindly, it would just lead to a quicker death.
Better to grit his teeth and fight. He might not stand a chance, but if he wasn’t afraid to die, maybe, just maybe, he could make a difference. Perhaps his distraction could free Foxy from the creature’s suffocating grip. She was still battling for her sanity—if he could buy her even a moment, they might turn the tables…
These thoughts flickered in his mind for only an instant. There was no time to second-guess. He threw himself forward, summoning a surge of strength from deep within, strength that surprised even him, and hurled the heavy stone slab like a cannonball at the beast.
He didn’t wait to see if the slab struck its target. A wave of dread flooded his senses, warning him of danger. He leaped to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding the lashing shadow—a serpent’s tail sprouting from the monster’s grotesque body.
The tail slammed into the ground where he’d stood moments before, shattering stone and sending debris flying in every direction. In mid-air, Yu Sheng felt the force of the impact, shards of rock pelting his body like bullets, ringing against his skin as though it were made of metal.
But there was no time for pain. As he landed, he rolled swiftly to dodge the serpent tail’s next strike. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Foxy.