"Why should we care if he lives or dies?" Carl's brow furrowed.

"Arthur, first and foremost, we can't ensure our own safety, so what's the point of worrying about him?" "Moreover, do you even know who he is? He's a wanted murderer on the run! You saw what happened. If he hadn't passed out, it could have been us!"

Arthur opened his mouth to respond, but William beat him to it. "We can't just leave."

William's eyes remained on Alex's motionless form.

"Are you insane?" Carl exclaimed. "Don't forget, Willem, if I hadn't intervened in time, that monster wouldn't have been the first to die; it would have been you."

"I understand," Willem nodded solemnly. "But have you ever considered something peculiar?"

William continued, "The city has been buzzing with news of Alex's pursuit."

"But what if most of the people in the city are monsters in disguise? Isn't it possible that the individuals he killed were monsters from the start?"

William vividly remembered the mix of hatred rather than surprise in Alex's eyes when he encountered the monster. Coupled with Alex's remarkable control over his abilities, it suggested that he had prior knowledge of these monsters.

"I always had the feeling that he knew more about these creatures than we did. Perhaps we can gain valuable insights from him."

Carl clenched his teeth, realizing that William had a point.

"Let's halt the bleeding first," Carl suggested, eyeing Alex's wound.

Arthur promptly sprang into action, using his own clothing as a makeshift bandage since he had nothing else.

Carefully removing the makeshift bandage from Alex's waist, William's scalp tingled as he beheld the wound. It was a deep cut, and although it had been stitched, it was evident that Alex had performed the stitching himself.

"He was running a fever," Arthur remarked as he tended to the wound. "This suggests that he may have an infection, given that he's been hiding here with an untreated wound."

"Do you have any anti-inflammatories?" William inquired, scanning their limited supplies. Arthur shook his head, revealing his lack of any such medication.

William rummaged through his backpack and proposed, "What if we disinfect the wound with wine? I discarded all the wine I brought earlier, but I still have toilet water and wind cream in my bag."

Carl shot William an incredulous look. "Are you trying to save him or kill him?" William, undeterred, responded, "If we want to save him, it may be our only option..."

Carl abruptly stopped mid-sentence, raising his head to peer in the direction they had come from. William understood what Carl meant and added, "That might be our only recourse."

"I know of a 24-hour pharmacy nearby," William explained. "There are still a few hours until dawn. I'll go there and return quickly. You all wait here."

"I'll accompany you," Carl said, intercepting William's path. "It's not safe for you to go alone. With two of us, we can handle any situation."

Carl affectionately tousled Lucy's hair and instructed, "Lucy, stay here and remember not to wander off. If anyone suddenly approaches the mountain, make sure to hide."

He then turned to Arthur, saying, "Arthur, you remain here as well and assist me in looking after my sister."

"Rest assured," Arthur affirmed, his tone resolute. "Let's go," William urged.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The two of them left Sifang Mountain and headed for the nearest pharmacy. To err on the side of caution, Carl ventured inside alone, while William kept watch from across the street.

The streets lay tranquil in the dead of night, appearing as familiar as ever, yet for William, they carried an eerie undertone. As he sighed, his gaze veered toward the pharmacy. Carl emerged after completing his errand.

William had intended to approach him, but a vehicle suddenly pulled up and halted before him. When the window slowly descended, William's apprehension grew as he recognized the driver.

William recognized the driver, and how could he not? This man was his father, the other monster in the family. His father remained seated in the driver's seat, not stepping out of the car. He fixed an intense gaze on William, a slow, malicious sneer curling on his lips.

"William, why are you out so late when you should be at home sleeping?" his father inquired with a taunting tone.

William shivered. He couldn't fathom why this monster, his father, was there. Just like his mother before him, these monsters always seemed to find him. He quickly composed himself, pretending to be nonchalant, and replied, "These two days of exams have been so stressful. Tomorrow, I have two exams, and I couldn't sleep with all the anxiety. So, I thought I'd take a break, clear my mind, and prepare better for tomorrow."

"I see," his father sneered, his expression darkening. "You've been out for quite a while. Your mind should be clear now. Get in the car, and I'll take you home."

Home? To be devoured by you?

"No, I can walk back by myself," William tried to decline, but the moment he said it, his father's face turned menacing.

"Don't play games. I know you've figured it out," his father's words sent a chill down William's spine. He clenched his teeth, contemplating fleeing from this dire situation.

However, his father's next words dissuaded him from that notion. "Don't even think about running. You can't escape." Something seemed to wriggle under his father's skin, like insect legs or barbed tentacles. His eyes gleamed with hunger, and even drool trickled down the corners of his mouth as he spoke. "Besides, we wouldn't want to disturb the entire neighborhood with a commotion at this late hour, now, would we?" He didn't say it explicitly, but William understood.

Carl had once told him that once a human discovered a monster's true nature, they were no longer exclusive prey for that monster. Any monster in the city could target such a person. His father realized that if William tried to escape, he would face not just one monster, but potentially a horde of them.

Willem knew he couldn't escape, not now. He decided to buy time. "I'll be turning 18 the day after tomorrow," he quickly said. All he had to do now was stall. He remembered the last time when this monster had feasted on him; it had been right after his 18th birthday.

His father didn't respond immediately, but the wriggling under his skin gradually subsided. "I've been looking forward to turning 18. I want to have a big birthday cake and celebrate happily," William pretended to sound somber.

The monster raised an eyebrow, and William continued, "I'll be devastated if I don't celebrate my 18th birthday. If I'm too sad, the meat might not taste as good."

"Indeed, you'll be of age soon," the monster mused. "The meat is at its best when the prey has matured. A day's difference can affect the taste significantly."

"Moreover, I've heard that one's emotional state can influence the taste," William added, recalling the monster's words from their previous encounter. "I'd be so heartbroken if I couldn't celebrate my 18th birthday. The meat might not taste as delicious."

"Anyway, after all these years, you've waited patiently. What's a day or two more?" William continued, doing his best to convince the monster.

The wriggling under the monster's skin ceased entirely. It reverted to his father's appearance, though his eyes had lost their humanity. "Go to bed early, William," his father said, his lips moist.

William felt a wave of disgust but knew he had to suppress it. He couldn't afford to provoke the monster at this point; everything depended on buying time.

Once in his room, William rushed to the window, looking downstairs for any sign of Carl. "Did Carl notice I was taken?" William worried. But he quickly dismissed the thought. Carl had a nose better than a bloodhound's, so if he had followed the monster, he would have been alerted. Besides, when he peeked out the window as he got into the car, Carl, who had exited the pharmacy, had vanished. It indicated

that Carl had gone into hiding.

"Take your time," William reassured himself. "It's still early, and if Carl wants to save me, he'll have to devise a foolproof plan. If he tries now, he might not only fail to rescue me but also fall into the hands of this monster."

Carl had always been cautious, so he was likely somewhere scheming a way to save William. Nevertheless, worry still gnawed at him.

There was one other aspect William couldn't comprehend. The two monsters in the house had an uncanny ability to pinpoint his location. His mother had gone to Condastre Mountain, and his father had driven to the pharmacy. If it wasn't for Arthur risking his life to rescue him, William would have suspected that he had inadvertently revealed his location. William even patted himself down, wondering if the monsters had planted a tracker on him.

He considered his cellphone, suspecting it might be bugged. With this thought, he refrained from contacting Carl using his cellphone. If there was a GPS tracker on his phone, there could be something else as well, like eavesdropping.