***
Bonus chapter! Thank you to JustSomeOne for the donation! ^^
***
Activating the Demon's Eye didn't consume much energy - the true strain came from resisting its corruption, which was essentially opposing the power of an evil god.
Ruan Qing was far too weakened. Before he could finish viewing the images he sought, another mouthful of blood surged up, and he collapsed straight onto the bed.
The Demon's Eye that had been floating in the air tumbled onto the sheets, its lidless pupil staring fixedly in Ruan Qing's direction - eerie and terrifying.
Ruan Qing could no longer spare attention for the Eye. Clutching his chest in agony, he curled into a fetal position on the bed. Fine beads of sweat soaked his disheveled hair as excruciating pain twisted his delicate features.
The pain was unbearable - his brain felt pierced by countless needles while his heart seemed ready to explode.
He'd long suspected his condition wasn't simply heart disease, though all medical examinations had consistently confirmed cardiac issues. But this current agony bore no resemblance to any cardiac symptoms.
His heart clearly harbored some other abnormality.
"Qi Lintian" would be returning soon, but Ruan Qing lacked even the strength to conceal evidence. The bloodstains had spread across the white sheets beyond any hope of cleaning. Even if he could clean them, his current state of weakness would be impossible to hide.
With tremendous effort, Ruan Qing concealed the Demon's Eye beneath the blankets. By the time he finished, his pupils had begun dilating and his mind grew foggy.
He bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood, fighting to maintain consciousness. Losing control while unconscious was unacceptable - he had to hold out until "Qi Lintian" returned.
CRASH!!
The shattering of glass startled him awake. Through blurred vision, he saw a figure flash from the doorway to his bedside in an instant.
It was "Qi Lintian".
"Qi Lintian" had brought a glass of water, but when he saw the state of the bed, his eyes widened in shock as he instantly appeared at the bedside.
Ruan Qing used his last ounce of strength to reach for "Qi Lintian's" sleeve, but his trembling hand only made it halfway before falling limply.
The bloodstained sheets burned the eyes with their vivid crimson. In panic, "Qi Lintian" caught Ruan Qing's falling hand, gathering the frail young man into his arms as he channeled healing energy.
Tears welled in Ruan Qing's beautiful eyes as he parted his lips, managing only the faintest whisper.
"...It hurts."
Ruan Qing's voice was so faint it was almost inaudible, trembling as he spoke. He looked so fragile, as if he might die at any moment—enough to wrench anyone's heart.
Blood seeped into the sheets beneath him, trailing from the corner of his lips as he spoke, a horrifying sight.
Ruan Qing had always resembled a pampered young master, the kind where even a slight frown would stir sympathy. Seeing him like this, so utterly vulnerable, made "Qi Lintian's" heart nearly stop.
"What... did you give me..."
His words came in broken gasps, growing weaker with each syllable. "Ever since I took it... my heart... it just... keeps..."
Before he could finish, his voice cut off abruptly as he lost consciousness.
The live-stream audience had been pitying their beloved streamer, but the moment this scene played out, the barrage of comments froze in shock.
[...Wow, our wife really knows how to frame someone. So he gritted his teeth and stayed conscious just to play the victim and shift the blame first (shocked.jpg).]
[Holy shit, I mean holy shit. Here I was, heart aching for our darling, and then he turns around and slams the world's biggest blame on the boss.]
[Well, congratulations to history's first dungeon boss to ever get framed. I was just thinking how our wife's sudden weakness would definitely get noticed by the big bad, and then he'd get absolutely wrecked. But no—two sentences, and not only does he clear himself of suspicion, he dumps the whole mess onto the boss. This development is *chef's kiss* perfection.]
"Xia Qing!"
The moment Qi Lintian saw the blood staining the bed, panic seized him. His pupils contracted as he stared at the unconscious figure, terror rising to its peak.
He was afraid.
"Qi Lintian", who had never known fear before, was experiencing it for the first time—and it was more terrifying than he could have imagined.
Desperately, he tried to use his power to heal Ruan Qing, but it had little effect. The person in his arms was breathing so faintly, as if he might vanish at any moment.
"Qi Lintian's" power was immense, but it wasn't the kind that brought light or restoration. His abilities were destructive, corrosive—which meant he couldn't use too much without causing harm.
A deep, primal fear took root in his chest, so overwhelming that his hands shook uncontrollably, his mind going blank.
How could this happen?
That thing was supposed to grant immortality—so why was it causing this?
"Qi Lintian" had never granted anyone true eternal life before—at least, not without stripping them of everything else in return.
In the past, he had always simply let his power corrode the other person, making them become part of himself—this was how he achieved immortality.
But this was the first time he had tried to make someone immortal without consuming them. He never expected such an unexpected outcome.
Ruan Qing's face was deathly pale, almost translucent. Beneath him, the sheets were stained crimson with blood, making him look as though he had already died.
Only the faint rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.
"Qi Lintian" tightened his arms around Ruan Qing, taking several minutes to steady himself.
He was an evil god. Even if the young man truly died, he could bring him back.
No one could take Ruan Qing away from him—not even death.
"Qi Lintian's" gaze darkened. Gently, he wiped the blood from the corner of Ruan Qing's lips, then carefully laid him back on the bed and pulled the covers over him.
At some point, the bloodstains on the sheets had vanished, leaving them pristine white once more. The fragile young man lay there, beautiful as a sleeping angel.
"Qi Lintian" pinched the edge of the blanket between his fingers—then, in the next second, his figure disappeared from the room.
***
Meanwhile, on the first floor of the cruise ship.
The first floor housed the engine room and other mechanical areas, closed off to passengers. Unless there was a malfunction, hardly anyone ever ventured down here.
Yet now, in a dimly lit corner, over a dozen people stood in a circle, each holding what appeared to be an eyeball. Their eyes were shut as they murmured something under their breath, facing the center of the ring.
The circle before them was drawn in red—not paint, but blood.
A few corpses lay nearby, making the scene look like some kind of horrific ritual.
The first floor was unlit, obscuring the exact features of the gathered figures, but their expressions were unmistakable even in the darkness.
Fervent. Ecstatic.
As the group continued chanting, the blood on the ground began to move, creeping toward the center of the circle. The flow grew faster and faster until, finally, the ring emitted an eerie white glow.
When the light appeared, black mist began swirling within the circle, writhing as if trying to break free and spread outward.
But the white light restrained it, forcing the black mist back until only the pure, soft radiance remained, illuminating the entire first floor of the cruise ship.
The light also illuminated the people standing in a circle - the cruise ship's staff.
Their expressions were eerie, all staring fixedly at the glowing white circle until its light gradually dimmed and finally disappeared completely.
Even the bloodstains on the floor had vanished without a trace, as if nothing had ever happened.
The staff members' eyes widened, unable to suppress the excitement rising in their pupils.
It seemed... they had succeeded?
***
The fourth night of the dungeon.
Ruan Qing didn't know how long he'd been asleep. When he woke, the room was empty, illuminated only by artificial lighting.
Outside the window remained an endless darkness, distorting all sense of time, creating an illusion where days might have passed or mere minutes.
The dull ache in his heart and brain persisted, though thankfully still within bearable limits.
With difficulty, he massaged his temples but didn't rise. Instead, he draped an arm over his eyes, blocking out the overhead light, lying perfectly still on the bed.
A sudden "Bang! Bang! Bang!" shattered the silence.
Ruan Qing turned his head toward the door but neither responded nor moved, though his body instantly tensed.
Opening doors had never been an obstacle for "Qi Lintian" - he came and went as he pleased, never bothering to knock.
Whoever stood outside wasn't him.
At first Ruan Qing assumed it might be cruise staff, but after the knocking, no voice followed - just another series of louder, more insistent bangs.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!!"
Unlike the initial tentative raps, these carried newfound boldness, as if the visitor had finished testing the waters and now demanded entry.
Ruan Qing's eyes narrowed slightly. Knowing his supposed identity as the Evil God, no one aboard besides "Qi Lintian" would dare knock like this...
Unless.
Unless the person outside had discovered he wasn't the Evil God at all - or worse, that he'd become weaker than an ordinary human.
The knocking continued relentlessly, growing more frantic with each passing second, the intervals between impacts shortening dramatically.
Whoever stood outside had clearly run out of patience.
