Watching the approaching monster, William became even more anxious. He couldn't figure it out. It was only 5 minutes until 00:00, and he was about to be eaten by the monster. Why hadn't Carl appeared yet? What was Carl doing all day long? Could it be that Carl had given up on him? After all, Carl knew that even if William died, he would only return to the past, so why not save him? William wanted to cry, he really wanted to cry. Although he could survive in the past time after being killed, the pain of being killed was unavoidable. William still vividly remembered how excruciating it had been when he was killed.

"Wait... wait," William shouted, trying to halt the monster's relentless approach. "We agreed that you'd eat me tomorrow. It's still almost an hour until it's officially tomorrow. And what about the cake? For my birthday, you should at least prepare one cake for me."

"I don't like desserts," the monster licked its lips, sneering, and the grotesque movements under its skin continued.

"It's not for you to eat!" William shouted, desperation driving his voice to new heights. He continued, "Even if there's no cake to eat, let me blow out a candle and make a wish."

The monster ignored William, its body expanding, the human skin twisting as if the monstrous entity inside was about to burst forth any moment.

"I can't die, I don't want to die!" William gritted his teeth, his mind racing through the events that had unfolded on Yin Mountain. He vividly recalled the moment when the monster had assumed the guise of his mother, ready to devour him, and how time seemed to stand still.

Could it be that this time manipulation was his own ability? If he could make time stand still, maybe he could escape this monster. With newfound determination, William shouted in his mind, "Time, stand still!"

But the monster paid no heed, continuing its relentless approach. William felt a growing sense of despair. Maybe shouting in his mind wasn't enough; he needed to shout out loud. So, with every ounce of strength he could muster, he opened his mouth and yelled, "Stay still! Stop!"

"Dad" continued to approach, his grin widening to reveal serrated mouthparts within. His abdomen bulged, and his writhing tentacles threatened to burst forth from beneath his skin.

As a human livestock, being eaten by the owner was supposed to be a joyful experience, a blessing. But William had a different view. "Luck? Forget it! Do you really want this 'blessing' for yourself?"

"William, it's midnight," Dad's voice sounded, dark and gloomy. "The last five minutes have passed. It's officially August 11th. Happy birthday, William."

The monster's saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth, and it stretched its hand, expanding itself further, as if the human skin it wore was about to burst open any second.

William gritted his teeth and made a fateful decision. Although he knew he wasn't a match for the monster, he preferred to fight to the death rather than be devoured. Even if he couldn't ultimately escape his fate of being eaten, he was determined to revolt against this monster in his final moments. He retreated toward the desk, gripping a chair tightly, ready to use it as a weapon when the monster pounced.

Then, suddenly, a doorbell rang outside the room. Hope surged within William. "Someone's coming!" William exclaimed, glimpsing a potential savior.

The monster, however, remained unperturbed. "Don't worry," it dismissed. "There's nothing more important than eating you."

The doorbell continued to ring insistently, and the visitors outside, perhaps realizing the doorbell wouldn't suffice, began to pound on the door.

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"You should go and see who it is," William suggested in response to the relentless knocking. "If they don't leave, the noise might wake up the neighbors. If you attract other monsters in this building, you won't get to enjoy your meal alone."

"Ugh, fine!" The monster growled irritably and reverted to its father's usual appearance. "William, you

better stay here quietly. I'll be back soon." With that, Dad glared at William and turned toward the door, heading to investigate.

Seizing the opportunity, William's mind raced. He couldn't go through the main entrance, guarded by monsters. Their apartment was on the 13th floor, so jumping out of a window wasn't a viable escape either. William had contemplated these options before, and if they were truly viable, he wouldn't still be in this predicament.

Gritting his teeth, he gazed up at the window. There had to be a way. "If all else fails, I might as well gather all the monsters in this building," William mused. His plan: once all the monsters had converged, he would leap from the building and end his life. He might as well die on his own terms, and before he did, he would make sure to thoroughly revolt against this monster.

As William approached the window, ready to open it, a familiar voice sounded from outside the room. "Hello, Uncle. I'm William's classmate. My name is Carl."

"Carl?!" William exclaimed, relief washing over him upon hearing Carl's voice. "Could you have come any earlier? If you were a bit later, I might not have been here anymore."

"What are you doing here at this hour?" William's father's voice was stern and unfriendly.

Carl, ever calm, responded, "Uncle, here's the situation. William missed the exam the day before yesterday and skipped the graduation dinner yesterday. Our classmates are worried about him, thinking he's sick. So, they sent me as a representative to check on him. Uncle, is William okay? Is he really sick? Did he go to the hospital? William has always been among the top in our class, and it's a shame he gave up on this crucial exam."

Carl continued to chatter away outside the door, while William inside the room grew increasingly bewildered. Wasn't Carl here to save him? Why was he engaging in small talk with this monster? What was Carl's plan?

His father's impatience was evident in his tone as he questioned Carl's purpose.

"Is something wrong with your ears, Uncle?" Carl replied, maintaining his deliberate pace. "I'm just concerned about William's well-being, that's all."

William couldn't fathom Carl's intentions. Given Carl's cautious nature, he wouldn't have confronted the monsters without a solid plan. Yet here he was, discussing unrelated matters with the monster. What exactly was Carl up to?

As William pondered, a muffled sound emanated from the room, followed by slow footsteps drawing closer to William's room.

William froze, a cold shiver running down his spine. Had Carl been killed? Was the monster so bored that it had decided to kill Carl? No, Carl's ability was sensory enhancement; he wouldn't fall prey to monsters so easily. But why had Carl's voice suddenly gone silent? If Carl was still alive, why wasn't he speaking?

William clenched his teeth, his heart heavy with regret. Carl had sacrificed himself to save him, and now he felt compelled to do something

for Carl, who had come to save him. He couldn't let Carl's efforts go in vain.

"Ugly monster, I'll fight with you!" William exclaimed as he grabbed the chair and rushed toward the door. He was determined to confront the monster head-on. Even though he knew he was no match for it, he couldn't stand idly by.

But just as he reached the door, a familiar figure appeared outside. It was Carl, standing there calmly, watching William, who was wielding a chair in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Carl asked, his tone perplexed. "Are you planning to fight the monster? Why did you take so long?"

"You... you're not dead?" William stammered, his surprise evident as he looked at Carl standing before him.

Carl raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I'm not dead. What made you think I would be?" "But I heard it clearly just now..." William trailed off, uncertainty gnawing at him.

Carl frowned. "Heard what?"

William slowly lowered the chair he had been clutching. "I thought the monster had killed you. I heard a muffled sound from the room, and then your voice disappeared."

Carl's expression softened, and he explained, "I just dropped a heavy book accidentally. There was no

need for me to confront the monster; I had a different plan in mind."

Relief washed over William as he processed Carl's words. Carl hadn't fallen victim to the monster, and he had come with a plan to save William.

As they stepped out of the room, William saw the monster lying motionless at the door. It was evident that Carl had indeed taken care of the threat, but how had he done it?

Amidst his surprise and gratitude, William noticed something familiar wrapped around the monster's

neck. It was a necklace—a necklace that held a significant clue.