Chapter Three: The Sovereign

Seeing these three gangsters, the fury inside Feng Tianlin could no longer be contained.

They actually dared to threaten someone Feng Tianlin intended to protect. For this, they would pay the price—a steep and bloody price.

He hesitated no more. In a flash, he leapt before the blond thug, plunging his sharp plastic hand mercilessly into the man’s eye.

With his Nightmare Body, his form was unimaginably tough. One strike, and the blond collapsed instantly, dead before he hit the ground.

Wasting no time, Feng Tianlin withdrew his arm, streaked with crimson and white, and prepared to deal with the next target.

“Terror Points +100”

“Terror Points +80”

“The doll’s alive! The doll’s killed someone!”

The last remaining gangster was struck dumb with terror. Screaming, he tried to flee, but Feng Tianlin landed in front of him, stabbing his thigh and sending him crashing to the ground, where he promptly lost consciousness.

Scarface, though frightened, forced himself to stay calm—years on the street had taught him to keep his wits in moments like this. He didn’t rush for the door; he knew it would take too long to open, and in that time he’d be dead. Instead, he darted toward Long Mengting.

He was gambling that Feng Tianlin cared about her.

It made sense—if such a creature were always at Long Mengting’s side, there must be a reason.

Grabbing her roughly, he pressed a knife to her throat and glared at Feng Tianlin, eyes wild with menace.

“Don’t come any closer! One step and I’ll kill her!”

Feng Tianlin stood his ground, gazing coldly at Scarface. His rage had reached its peak. He hadn’t expected the thug to take a young girl hostage just to save his own skin.

Still, it was a clever move. Feng Tianlin dared not act rashly; who knew what a madman might do?

Seeing Feng Tianlin hesitate, Scarface finally laughed, wild and unrestrained.

“Ha! I never thought a monster like you would care about a human life!”

His sneer froze on his lips, twisting into a grimace of pain.

Long Mengting had sunk her teeth into the hand clamped around her neck, biting down with all her strength.

With a yelp, Scarface let go of her.

Not hesitating, Long Mengting dashed toward Feng Tianlin.

Seeing her run, Feng Tianlin was deeply moved—even a hostage could seize a chance to escape. No wonder she was his little sister.

But just as she neared him, Scarface, desperate and vicious, stabbed her in the neck. Blood spurted like a fountain.

Long Mengting collapsed, her gaze locking with Feng Tianlin’s as the light faded from her eyes, her breath stilled in an instant.

Feng Tianlin was furious—truly, utterly furious, angrier than he had ever been in his life.

“You… die!”

Slowly lifting his gaze to the stunned Scarface, the eerie smile on Feng Tianlin’s face vanished, replaced by a savage, ferocious snarl.

“Come on! If you’re so tough, kill me!”

Scarface roared, kicking over the heating stove in an attempt to block Feng Tianlin’s way. It was a desperate move, but he had no alternatives left—a drowning man clutching at the last straw.

The brazier crashed to the ground, red-hot coals spilling across the floor, searing the ground with blistering heat.

Feng Tianlin was ready to rush him, but the blistering flames made it impossible to get close.

“I… have a weakness?”

He realized it—his fundamentally plastic body feared fire.

Scarface realized it too. Glancing at the flames, a twisted grin crept onto his lips. “So you’re afraid of fire, huh? Ha! Heaven’s on my side!”

He snatched up the tongs and brandished a glowing coal at Feng Tianlin.

“Weren’t you acting tough before? Come on, try it now!”

Feng Tianlin was stymied, forced to watch helplessly as Scarface strutted and jeered, boiling with impotent rage.

But then, he saw something behind Scarface that made his eyes widen in disbelief, his blue gaze fixed on that spot.

Scarface scoffed at Feng Tianlin’s expression. “Trying to distract me by faking a look behind? As if someone like you could fool the brilliant—”

He didn’t finish. Agony exploded in his back and belly. Looking down, he saw a small, yet monstrously large hand pierce through, blood dripping from the fingertips.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood as the hand withdrew, shrinking back to its original size.

Scarface turned with difficulty and saw his killer.

It was Long Mengting—the girl he had just murdered.

“Why?” he croaked with his last breath, collapsing atop the burning coals, his body sizzling and popping in the heat.

He was dumbfounded. Feng Tianlin was even more so—Long Mengting had come back to life?

He threw open the windows, letting the frigid wind sweep in and douse the scorching heat. Feng Tianlin approached Long Mengting, who stood motionless, as though unsure what to do.

Up close, Feng Tianlin noticed she was different now. Her skin had grown even paler, her eyes lifeless, and the gaping wound on her neck had healed completely. In every other way, she seemed almost alive.

He called her name, uncertain if she was still the same Long Mengting.

“Mengting?”

At the sound of his voice, Long Mengting looked down at him, then bent and embraced him.

Even like this, it seemed she still remembered him.

“Detected: Host has made contact with another uncanny entity. Relationship non-hostile. Form team?”

The system’s voice sounded at that moment.

Uncanny entity? Was that what they were called? And it could only refer to Long Mengting—had she become one after dying? And what did it mean to form a team?

“Yes!” he responded.

“Congratulations, Host. You have formed a team with Bloodthirsty Lolita. All terror caused by other team members will be converted into Terror Points and added to your tally.”

“First time forming a team with another uncanny entity: Hidden reward triggered—Skill: Commander.”

Commander: Issue mental orders to other uncanny team members.

Commander? Bloodthirsty Lolita?

So he could command her from now on? And as long as Long Mengting scared people, he would earn Terror Points without lifting a finger?

A new panel appeared in his mind, labeled ‘Team’, where he could view both his and his team members’ attributes.

“Host: Feng Tianlin
Power: Grade G
Skill: Commander (passive, no level)”

Succinct and to the point. His Nightmare Body didn’t count as a skill, apparently. He checked Long Mengting’s stats.

“Team Member: Bloodthirsty Lolita
Power: Grade F
Skill: Probing Claws”

Also concise. It seemed Long Mengting was even stronger than he was.

He patted Long Mengting, who was still hugging him. “You don’t seem too bright, but you’re stronger than me. With my brains and your strength, we’ll stir up a bloody storm in this uncanny world and rack up Terror Points till we’re on top!”

Long Mengting stared at him, her wide eyes filled with confusion.

Feng Tianlin rubbed his forehead. She clearly didn’t understand.

He pointed at the door. “Um… let’s get out of here? Do you get what I mean?”