Chapter Twenty-Five: The Mark of the Nightmare

This matter is actually quite easy to understand. After all, anomalous creatures are rare research materials, and a peculiar being like this doll is exceptionally uncommon. If he were handed over to the Institute for Anomalous Creature Studies, the director would receive a generous reward.

Su Chen, however, cared little for such things; he only cared whether his opponent was strong enough.

He tore the report in his hand into pieces, flung them into the air, and stomped on the ground, scattering the fragments with a shockwave. “I’ll head there right now!”

He could no longer wait to confront the doll.

...

While Su Chen was rushing toward the city of Tianjing, Ruan Miao had already gathered Feng Tianlin and the others, ushering them into the car and preparing to depart for Ling City. Their duel would have to be postponed.

The reason Ruan Miao was heading to Ling City was to attend the Horror Art Exhibition.

The Horror Art Exhibition in Ling City was nothing like the casual ones in Tianjing; here, the artists were required to personally explain their works. After the exhibition ended, the paintings would be auctioned immediately, with the proceeds split proportionally between the artists and the organizers.

As for Feng Tianlin, he too had his reasons for traveling to Ling City. The residents of Tianjing had nearly been drained dry by him; to gather more terror emotions and horror points, he would have to resort to increasingly heinous acts. Though Feng Tianlin was capable of such deeds, his previous life as a human made him reluctant to indulge in them unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, his havoc among the anomalous creatures of Tianjing was bound to attract stronger humans seeking trouble. If a max-level boss were to show up, there’d be no hope left.

Weighing these considerations, Feng Tianlin ultimately decided to accompany Ruan Miao to Ling City.

It was a small sedan rented by Ruan Miao. Long Mengting was cradling Feng Tianlin and the Explosive Wild Bear in the passenger seat. Ruan Miao drove calmly, as if she were an older sister taking her younger siblings for a ride—nothing remarkable enough to draw suspicion.

They drove straight to a hotel. Ruan Miao had booked a room with two beds. As soon as they entered, Long Mengting obediently sat on the bed with the Explosive Wild Bear in her arms, while Feng Tianlin walked directly up to Ruan Miao.

“What... what are you going to do?” Though Ruan Miao’s instincts told her that the doll would not harm her, every time she met its gaze, a primal fear overtook her.

“I won’t hurt you,” Feng Tianlin spoke with the gentle voice of a man, so tender and melodious it soothed her nerves.

He placed his delicate hand on Ruan Miao’s forehead, and a strand of black mist crept from his fingers into her mind.

Ruan Miao’s expression shifted from terror to vacancy, and then to reverent submission.

It was the newest skill Feng Tianlin had learned, crafted specifically for Ruan Miao—“Nightmare Mark.”

---

This skill was exceedingly powerful and could be used on anyone. Whoever was marked by the Nightmare Mark became a hybrid between anomalous creature and human, a servant of the user, utterly obedient. At level one, he could mark only one person, but for Feng Tianlin at this stage, that was enough.

Why call it a hybrid? If you called her human, she no longer truly was; if you called her an anomalous creature, she lacked any of their energy. So she could only be described as something in between, though strictly speaking, still a human.

Feng Tianlin looked into her eyes, and once he was sure the Nightmare Mark had fully taken hold, he spoke.

“I won’t harm you. As long as you follow me, no matter what desires you have, I’ll do my best to fulfill them.”

Hearing these words, Ruan Miao’s mind gradually cleared, and she murmured, “Any desire?”

Feng Tianlin nodded. “Any desire. Whether someone has wronged you and you want them dead, or you want something, I can provide it. As long as you obey.”

His voice was laced with temptation, and Ruan Miao, unable to resist, nodded dully in agreement.

Not that she had a choice; she’d been marked, and her life was at his whim.

Seeing Ruan Miao accept, Feng Tianlin smiled and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. My name is Feng Tianlin.”

It was the first time he’d revealed his previous life’s name in this world; he hadn’t had the opportunity before. It showed he now regarded Ruan Miao as one of his own.

This declaration shocked Ruan Miao deeply; never could she have imagined that the doll would introduce itself, complete with a human name!

How strange the scene was—shouldn’t it be shrouded in mystery and horror?

Despite her thoughts, she obediently reached out. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ruan Miao.”

Her hand was much larger than Feng Tianlin’s, so she could only pinch his fingers gently in greeting.

Then Long Mengting and the Explosive Wild Bear came over and stretched out their hands.

“This young lady is Long Mengting, and the teddy bear is Explosive Wild Bear,” Feng Tianlin said, introducing them.

Their approach was, of course, at Feng Tianlin’s command. Long Mengting and Explosive Wild Bear couldn’t speak for themselves; even their introductions had to be handled by him.

---

Why not let them learn the Disguiser skill? Forget it—with their intellect, they're better off sticking to basic combat abilities; complex skills are simply too much.

Ruan Miao hurriedly shook hands with each of them. “Hello, hello, a pleasure to meet you.”

She naturally applied the human social rituals to these two anomalous creatures.

Feng Tianlin watched the puzzled faces of Long Mengting and Bear Three and almost laughed, but held himself back, not wanting to embarrass Ruan Miao.

He sat by the window, gazing out at the countless high-rises. Even at night, the streets were bustling with people and vehicles, far more prosperous than Tianjing.

Of course, the larger crowds meant that terror would spread even faster!

He already had a plan: once his power reached a certain level, he would seize an entire city, command all the anomalous creatures within, and each day randomly kill a few citizens—keeping everyone in constant fear, feeding himself and his army of anomalous creatures.

He’d also select a few humans to act as managers, with Ruan Miao as one candidate...

At this thought, he looked out at the dazzling cityscape, his gaze full of longing. He raised his hand before his eyes, as if he could grasp the world outside, and squeezed his fingers, speaking softly.

“First, I must fill this city with fear for me! And destroy the Anomalous Creatures Investigation Bureau!”

As soon as he finished, a layer of black mist seemed to envelop him; an ordinary person catching a glimpse would surely be frightened out of their wits.

Long Mengting and the Explosive Wild Bear were affected by his words, standing in awe, as if anticipating the doll would lead them to absorb ever more terror.

Ruan Miao nearly collapsed to the floor. Once she regained herself, her first act was to pull out her art supplies and begin sketching—the doll’s image was simply too perfect not to capture.

In an inconspicuous corner of Ling City, a mysterious creature whose upper body was human and lower half covered in scales glanced toward Feng Tianlin’s location, then addressed the peculiar beings before her. “It seems another extraordinary figure has appeared.”

She then shook her head. “It’s a pity he’s so conspicuous. If humans ever discover that anomalous creatures can possess such intelligence...”