"William, I heard you missed the exam the day before yesterday, and you didn't attend the graduation dinner yesterday," Edna inquired with concern. "Is there something wrong with your family? Your classmates have been sending you messages for the past two days, but you haven't responded." William had indeed received many messages, but during that time, he was trapped at home by monsters, consumed with thoughts of how to escape, and had no time to respond to them. "An

emergency?" William scolded himself mentally. "Even if there was a real crisis, it's none of her business." "The only thing happening to me is that I'm uncertain about this year's exam, so I decided to give it up and repeat the year," William quickly thought of an excuse to deflect her concern.

"Really?" Ina didn't seem entirely convinced. "Absolutely," William nodded. "Monitor, it's quite late now. I need to get going."

"You should head home too. I heard that the police are still searching for that murderer, Alex, who recently resurfaced," Ina cautioned. "Be careful."

"I should get going," William said. He didn't want to waste any more time with this monster. However, as soon as he turned around, Ina stopped him again. "William, let me walk you home."

"Huh?" William paused. The monster back at his home was still lying behind the door. If Ina followed him, she would definitely see it. So William promptly declined, "There's no need for that, I can manage on my own."

"It's quite late, and it's not safe to be out alone at this hour. Let me accompany you," Ina insisted with a smile. "You wouldn't leave a girl alone at night, would you?"

William thought to himself, "What 'girl' are you talking about? The 'girl' you're calling is nothing more than a female monster." But he replied, "Let's not." William shook his head. He didn't want to walk through the night with a monster.

"People might get the wrong idea if they see a man and a woman out together late at night," Ina added. "If you're concerned about safety, you can always call a taxi for yourself."

"I really need to get back now, or my parents will worry," William said. "Monitor, I'll be on my way. Goodbye!" With that, he turned and began to walk away. He quickened his pace, not wanting to be followed by this monster. Occasionally, a police car passed by, prompting William to hide in an alley. "It looks like the plan is working," William muttered. "These monsters have been drawn away by Uncle An. By now, Carl should have obtained the key."

William couldn't help but wonder why he had encountered Ina, the monster, on this particular night. "I must be really unlucky," he thought. "I need to get back quickly. If I run into another monster, I'll be in serious trouble."

"You've figured it out, haven't you?" Just as William was about to leave, he heard Ina's deep voice from above. William froze in place, his eyes widening as he looked up slowly.

Above him, Ina's lower body had vanished, replaced by six slender insect-like legs. She lay prone on the wall, staring directly at William. William had been cautious, but he had forgotten that these monsters could climb walls. He also hadn't expected Ina to have followed him all this way.

"Now that you've discovered me, there's no need to hold back," Ina's skin began to tear, revealing a black exoskeleton. She opened her mouth, revealing saw-toothed mouthparts, and her huge compound eyes. Her abdomen was covered in barbed tentacles that swayed as if eager to pierce into William's body.

"Don't... don't come any closer!" William stammered nervously. At this moment, he couldn't help but admire Carl's abilities. If he had Carl's power, he would have detected this monster following him.

William thought about what had happened at the slaughterhouse in the previous timeline. If he could go back to that moment without dying, would things be different now?

"Go back! Go away!" William shouted desperately. Unfortunately, time didn't reverse itself as he wished.

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"Why does this ability work inconsistently?" William wanted to cry. Compared to the abilities of Carl and Alex, his own abilities seemed far less reliable.

Ina leapt down from the wall. In his panic, William grabbed a brick from the ground and hurled it at Ina. There was a loud thud as the brick struck Ina's forehead. William stared in amazement. Bricks had left a shallow dent on Ina's forehead. "Huh?" William wondered. Weren't these monsters' shells supposed to be tough? How did a brick manage to dent it? As he looked at the transformed Ina before him, William began to sense that something was off.

William had encountered many monsters before, especially during the timeline where the butcher shop was surrounded. However, compared to those monsters, Ina's body seemed much smaller. Even her tentacles and six insect-like legs were thinner than those of the other monsters. After some quick thinking, William began to understand. He recalled the time when Ina had killed him in the abandoned factory. He hadn't seen her entire form then. It seemed that Ina was still an immature monster. Only when these monsters fully developed did they grow larger, with thicker tentacles and invulnerable exoskeletons. Faced with this immature monster, William believed he might stand a chance in a fight.

With this realization, William began to form a plan. Ina had no idea what was going on in William's mind. She was quite angered by the brick's impact. Her six insect legs stamped the ground, and she pounced toward William. "Wait a moment!" Seeing the monster approach, William shouted. He knew how these monsters were driven by greed and wouldn't willingly share their prey unless forced to.

"Are you planning to devour me right here?" William asked. "Even though it's nighttime, other monsters might pass by due to the ongoing search for the murderer. If they see you eating a human, they might come and demand a share of the feast. You won't have my delicious flesh all to yourself."

"If you really intend to eat me, I know a place where you can enjoy your meal in peace," William raised an eyebrow, continuing, "After all, even as food, I still deserve some dignity."

William knew he stood no chance against Ina in a fight within the confines of the alley. He lacked a weapon and making noise would likely attract other monsters. So, he leveraged the greed and selfishness of these creatures to suggest an alternative location. William dared not go to the butcher's shop, uncertain if Carl was still there. If other monsters were lurking nearby, they would know that William had discovered their true nature if they saw another monster following him. Once a fully developed monster set its sights on William, he would be in grave danger.

William also ruled out Sifang Mountain as it was too far away. If other monsters spotted him on the way, his situation would become even more precarious. After careful consideration, William settled on the abandoned factory on the hill behind him.

In his previous experiences, William had set a trap in that very abandoned factory to eliminate Arthur. He had arrived there early and spent considerable time exploring the area, gaining extensive knowledge of the factory. Moreover, it was seldom visited at night, making it the ideal place to confront monsters for William.

This marked the first time William had chosen to face a monster on his own. As they made their way to the abandoned factory, he was filled with a mix of fear and excitement.

"Abandoned factory?" Ina questioned as they approached.

"Yes, this is it," William confirmed calmly. "There are few people in this area, so you don't have to worry about other monsters trying to steal your meal. Besides, there's no need to clean up afterward. You can simply wipe your mouth. It's clean and hygienic."

Ina remained silent, seemingly content with the choice of location. The surroundings outside the abandoned factory were eerie in the dead of night, with the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind adding an unsettling atmosphere.

Once they entered the abandoned factory together, Ina raised her forearm, and the tentacles in her abdomen began to writhe eagerly, signaling her intention to consume William. Unbeknownst to her, William had other plans.

William swiftly picked up a stone from the ground and turned to hurl it at Ina just as she was about to make her move. Compared to the narrow alley, the abandoned factory was filled with stones, making them readily available weapons for William. He could attack without concern for the noise drawing other monsters.

"Son of a bitch!" William cursed, "If you want to eat me, you'll have to prove you're capable of it!" William continued to hurl stones at Ina, although they couldn't penetrate her exoskeleton, they did manage to further enrage her. Her jagged mouthparts emitted a harsh, low hum, and her six insect-like legs stamped on the ground as she charged at William.

Having encountered numerous monsters, William remained calm when faced with this creature, which was not much larger than himself and still in the process of development. As Ina closed in on him, William scrambled on the ground, recalling his previous time at the factory setting traps.

He remembered that there was something in this vicinity that could serve as a weapon. He soon felt a cold object in his hand—a steel bar connecting broken cement stones. It was the perfect makeshift weapon. William raised the steel bar, mimicking Alex's stance for dealing with monsters, and swung it at Ina.