The flames grew higher and higher, licking the forest’s canopy and immediately charring the moss and vines all around it. I felt the searing heat on my skin and instinctively flinched, but my mind was still too clouded for me to process what was happening as the flames seared straight into my skin.

Physique level 20 → level 30

Upgrading my physique level would only delay the inevitable; but instead of feeling immense pain, each burn and scar only left me with a small feeling of relief.

Demon shrieks and cries were heard all around me, the demons desperately growing their arms and aiming for me in one last, futile attempt to kill me, grab me, take me with them. Yet as I took in a staggered breath but immediately convulsed and hacked as black smoke filled my lungs.

Hell’s fire was unspeakably potent, but in my state, I could hardly move. My body hit the ground before I could even process the movement—the flames were unwavering as they only grew even higher, burning the pollen and exploding with bright yellow sparks at every combustion.

The tattoo on my arm began glowing once more, so brightly it could even be seen beyond the flames of hell fire. I would have tried to tear it out of my skin once more, and not just for the relief it would bring, but my other arm was far too gored or severed for me to do so.

Instead, I tangled my head upward and planted my teeth in my arm, firmly clamping down on my arm and tearing at the tattoo before squeezing my eyes shut—the heat was so unbearable it almost felt like my eyes would start boiling.

Surprisingly, I was glad to have been infected. This was far more peaceful than I’d have anticipated. I wouldn’t mind going out like this.

Scathing Reviewer activated!

My eyes widened, shaking unsteadily.

“Yang,” I gasped before wheezing heavily, resuming my feeble attempts to crawl away.

If I died, his stupid fear would undoubtedly be worse. I had no idea what would have caused women to be his biggest fear, but whatever it was, I didn’t want to gash another gaping wound upon him.

An entire strip of my skin tore off and I spat it out, watching it quickly be consumed by the fire, but the tattoo seemed embedded through my entire arm. Suddenly, it burst with white light once more, and I looked away out of shock.

For a moment, out of the eruption of yellow sparks and in my delusional state, I thought I saw a figure approach me—a potentially frustrated expression was drawn on its face before it turned its back on me.

Squinting my eyes, I tried to make out the details in the twisted expression, but my vision was far too blurred. As it turned away, two shapes, almost like wings, were attached to its back.

All I could manage, however, was a pained groan as I writhed on the ground in a failed attempt to get away from the flames. The black smoke was blinding me now, and my lungs were filled with smoke and ash.

Suddenly, two arms lifted me up, initially slipping when trying to maneuver around my limp body, but they eventually succeeded in throwing me over their back.

Letting out a pathetic sound, I felt another wave of instant relief before searing torment would tear through me. I felt a thick cloth being patted all over me, trying to put out the flames.

I let out a loud gasp before screaming, my entire body feeling as if my skin were being peeled off from the burning sensation.

“I’m sorry.”

Yang. He was here, but there was nothing I could do or say or comprehend through my screams. My voice turned hoarse—it was no more than silent, scratchy sounds.

“D-don’t touch me,” I pleaded, my eyes squeezed shut as I gently shook my head.

“I’m so sorry, Peijin,” Yang repeated with his strained voice, “Just hold on, okay?” Bringing Zhige, Yang began running out of the forest, taking the path I had told Yue earlier. Before him, the forest warped and changed to reveal the path as I stared forward.

With a sudden burst, Yang massively upgraded his agility level and brought me to the edge of the forest.

A vicious scream suddenly rang out as the entire forest lurched forward, thousands of roots and vines darting forward toward Yang. The trees grew rapidly, towering even higher, and began to form one, collective figure.

“How dare you? How dare you!”

The voice was shrill and crackled—with each word, it strained and croaked as if it were incomprehensibly ancient.

A giant hand reached out, smashing into the ground just before Yang. Sharp, wooden and stone spikes burst out of it into fractal-like branches, one of them hooking the fabric of his pants but missing his skin.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

If he was stabbed, he would be infected by the pollen.

“Z-Zhige,” I stammered, reaching for my blade to help.

To my surprise, Yang firmly slapped my hand down before he threw his staff high up into the air; it quickly grew to the height of a small building and he lept up, grabbing onto it before swinging it firmly into the forest ground.

The entire world shook from the impact, and the metro behind us jumped into the air before falling against the ground in a crash. The wind from the impact blew back the entire forest, raising the flames higher and higher on the demonic figure.

Letting out a deafening screech, the figure gripped and pried at its wooden figure, stripping off piece after piece and causing a gooey sap to seep out like blood. It shimmered in the light, clearly full of the pollen.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all! How dare you!”

I could barely hang on to Yang’s neck as we landed on the ground, the entire floor splitting below us. He kept one of his hands to stabilize me while the other spun the staff high above him, cutting back the countless splintering branches.

His nervousness was apparent by the way he chewed on his lower lip, but he did not fall back against the demon. With a strong leap back, we made it to the metro and quickly jumped into it before I was placed on the ground.

I looked up to notice a small cut on his cheek that was bleeding.

Yang was hit.

Hissing through my teeth, I let out a pained groan as soon as his contact ceased. My entire body writhed on the floor, blood seeping out onto the metro floor from my mutilated arm.

I tried blinking rapidly to clear my vision, wanting to check if Amelia was here. Yue had her held tightly on the opposite side of the car, blocking her view. Thankfully, she was still wearing the headphones.

“Y-yang, you’re hit?”

“Stop talking,” he ordered.

“You’re hit!”

My breathing came in a shaky pattern of shallow wheezes, each one forcing my chest to rise before falling deeply. Suddenly, the hot rush raged through my body once more, and I let out a loud scream, curling into a fetal position on the ground.

“Peijin! Peijin!” Yang shouted, rushing over to me and hovering above me with his hands nervously held in the air. He was clearly deeply frightened by my condition, and he reached down to grab my gored arm.

It would be so easy to kill him right now. In one movement, I could swing Zhige up and slice Yang in half.

Then everything, this pain, this sickness, would cease, even if it were just for a moment. If I killed everyone on this train, I was certain I could find my relief.

Gripping Zhige, I lifted the blade into the air and stabbed it straight through my abdomen, pinning myself onto the floor of the train.

I let out a blood-curdling screech, tears springing from my eyes as my entire body reeled once more. My mind cleared from the violent act for just a moment, and I could finally make out Yang and Wei’s face.

“Oh my god, Peijin!” Wei screamed, darting toward me. “Stop it! Stop!”

What ignorant words from an outsider who did not know this story.

“Wei! Help me pin her down! She’ll kill herself!”

In my moment of clarity, I leaned up, sliding up Zhige’s sharp blade. “Don’t touch me! You’ll make it worse!”

Blood dribbled out of my mouth, but at least the searing pain paused. I gasped for breath, appreciating every single one because in a few moments, I’d suffocate once more.

Yang trembled above me, his hands hovering above me.

“P-peijin, I don’t know what to do,” he whispered, turning around desperately while swiping through the Azure Dragon store.

Sputtering blood, I brought my hand before my mouth to try and avoid it spraying onto the other party members. Zhige trembled violently, only further cutting up my abdomen.

Hindsight activated!

If I died now, the party would move on. My room would be skipped and they’d continue as is—with all of their current sponsors and weapons, they’d make it just fine. It was clear that Yang had already established Peijin’s World Dominion sufficiently with the fraudulent Major Arcana.

But that was only if they made it through Wei’s room. In fact, I even doubted my own capabilities to survive that room. I knew it when I took Wei onto the team, but if I was being fully honest, Yang could probably do well with them.

If I pushed through this, my room would definitely be delayed by a few hours until the effects of the pollen wore off. Although not typically the case, since my room was next, the arc couldn’t proceed. Such a delay would push my party back significantly, and Feiyu’s group may continue with their edge.

“Don’t even think about it, Peijin,” Wei ordered sharply, his voice a higher pitch as he wrapped bandages around my arm. He was already halfway complete, but I didn’t even realize he’d begun.

My eyes widened at his words before I gave a small smile. I could feel the effects of the pollen growing once more, and I winced, my entire body trembling. Above this scene, Archangel Michael’s silhouette hovered and watched over closely alongside Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, Athena, and the Kraken.

Fuckers. If they could watch, why weren’t they doing anything anymore?

And god damnit, where was Socrates?

Observer ‘Nipon23’: Aren’t you the god of fate and fortune? Jia Li, don’t be a failure in both your lives.

I seriously hated that guy. He only showed up at my worst, and now, he was the only one that could use the messaging system.

“Yang,” I said firmly, pushing through the immense pain and grabbing onto his shoulder, “Are you infected?”

“I had to be to see the way out.”

How was he handling it better than me? I doubted I was the bigger pervert.

Seeming to read my mind, he looked away, shaking and looking deeply upset. “Yue sucked out the pollen.”

“...”

I’d question him later.

“Wait for me,” I suddenly ordered, heaving.

“What?”

“Knock me out,” I wheezed out. “Wake me up in six hours. If something happens, get Archangel Michael to help you. Sun Wukong is an asshole,” I smiled, my lips twisted in pain.

Archangel Michael’s silhouette shifted in surprise, yet it remained above me.

Reassured, I let my head fall against the train floor while Yang raised his fist, smashing it against the side of my head.

And I blacked out.