About how my wife resurrected me as tentacles after my death.

Yu Wan ignored her and went straight to the very edge of the line.

Many of the materials used in the rituals to appease the evil god were transported in from outside the city by her alone, such as the corpses and skulls of those strange beasts.

The hood covered most of her face, and her blood-red eyes were lowered.

I don't know what I'm looking at, but it also seems like I'm not looking at anything at all.

Ah-Ching was rebuffed, pursed her lips, and said nothing more.

But she couldn't help but mutter to herself.

An engineer, skinny and thin, without even a decent weapon, comes to accept a mission outside the city? Isn't that just suicide?

Oh well, it's none of her business anyway. Just don't hold her back.

well.......

Old Zhou stubbed out his cigarette and glanced at everyone: "Everyone's here, let's go."

.......

The car was that old SUV, Ah-Qing was driving, and Lao Zhou was in the passenger seat.

The back seat was crammed with A-Dao, Xiao-Chen, and Yu-Wan.

Yu Wan sat on the far side, leaning against the car window.

The place they were going to wasn't too far.

But outside the city, you never know what kind of strange beasts might roam...

She can die easily, but Ah Yuan can't be allowed to die anymore.

......

The car left the city.

The sandstorm was very strong.

In the distance are endless ruins, with only crumbling walls remaining of the former buildings.

Chen Yuan peeked out a small tentacle from Yu Wan's collar, secretly watching the outside.

This is outside the city.

He had come here many times before, but always with the alliance's engineering team, with armed escort and professional equipment.

At that time, I didn't think there was anything scary about the area outside the city, it was just a bit desolate.

Now, looking out from Yu Wan's chest, the perspective is different.

Those ruins, rubble, and sandstorms

They all exuded an aura of danger.

He could feel Yu Wan's body tense up slightly.

It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that I'm starting to be wary.

His blood-red eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the desolate plains rushing past the window.

Something's not right...

But she didn't say anything.

Chen Yuan also sensed it.

He quietly tightened the suction cups, pressing them against her skin, with the tips of his tentacles protruding further from her neckline, trying to sense the outside atmosphere.

Something seemed to be moving in the sandstorm.

Very subtle, very far away.

But it does exist.

Chen Yuan's tentacles twitched slightly.

Just then—

"Bang!"

The car jolted violently.

Xiao Chen slammed his head against the front seat, wincing in pain.

A Dao braced himself against the roof of the car with one hand to steady himself.

Old Zhou frowned and asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know..." Ah-Ching said, turning the steering wheel. "It seems... the tire is stuck?"

Before he could finish speaking, there was another loud "bang".

This time, the car veered to one side, tilting violently.

Ah-Ching slammed on the brakes, and the car slid a few meters before finally coming to a stop.

"Damn it!" Ah-Ching slammed her hand on the steering wheel, pushed open the car door, and jumped out. "What?! A tire blew out? What the hell?!"

Old Zhou and A Dao also got off the bus.

Yu Wan didn't move.

She sat in the back seat, her gaze fixed on the distant wasteland through the car window.

Chen Yuan peeked out more from his collar, the tips of his tentacles pointing in that direction.

Something was surging in the sandstorm.

"Sandworms."

Yu Wan's voice came from under the hood.

Ah-Ching had just squatted down to check the tires when she heard this and was stunned for a second.

"What?!" Xiao Chen had just gotten out of the car when he heard this word, and his face turned pale.

"Sandworms?! The kind that...the kind that eat people..."

"What are you yelling for!" Old Zhou slapped him on the back of the head, making him stagger.

"They're just sandworms, they've never seen anything like it."

Sandworms are not uncommon outside the city.

They live underground and hunt by sensing ground vibrations, and usually do not attack large targets.

Just avoid them and go around them.

Old Zhou turned to look at Ah Jing: "How was it?"

Ah-Ching squatted beside the blown-out tire, her face grim: "It's completely ruined. It'll take half an hour to change the spare tire."

"Then let's change it."

As soon as Lao Zhou finished speaking, A-Qing suddenly felt a tightness in her ankle.

Something was holding her back.

She lowered her head...

A snake-like creature emerged from a crack in the ground and coiled tightly around her ankle.

The crack was widening, and the thing was dragging her down.

Her body suddenly tilted to the side, and half of her lower leg was dragged into the crevice.

A-Dao reacted the fastest, drawing his long sword and rushing over.

Old Zhou also pulled out his gun.

But there are people who are even faster than them.

"Bang!"

Gunshots rang out.

Ah-Qing felt her ankle loosen, and the force of that thing instantly disappeared.

She staggered back two steps and looked down.

The sandworm's severed body was still wrapped around her foot, but it had gone limp, and dark red blood was gushing out from the bullet hole.

Ah-Ching gasped for breath and looked back.

Yu Wan stood beside the car, holding up a pistol with wisps of smoke rising from its muzzle.

Her movements were steady, and her eyes were cold.

"Thank you... thank you." Ah-Ching's voice trembled slightly.

She's a little embarrassed now.

After all, I was just thinking to myself that the other person was an engineer, but it turned out that I was the first one to be rescued.

Yu Wan glanced at her casually, which was her response.

"Um."

The voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

But those scarlet eyes had already turned toward the distant wasteland.

Something's not right...

The ground is moving.

And in many places.

Fine cracks spread across the ground like a spider web, extending from dozens of meters away all the way to the side of the car.

Beneath those cracks, something is surging.

"Get on the bus!!"

Old Zhou suddenly roared, his voice cracking.

But it was too late.

The ground behind Xiao Chen cracked.

A huge, round mouth burst out from underground and bit his lower body.

"ah--!!!"

Screams tore through the sandstorm.

Xiao Chen's hands were still waving in vain, his upper body was still on the ground, but his lower body had disappeared into that giant mouth.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the surrounding sand red.

The giant mouth snapped shut.

"Click."

The sound of bones breaking.

Xiao Chen's screams abruptly stopped.

His upper body lay in a pool of blood, his eyes still open and his mouth still agape, but there was nothing left.

"Get on the bus!!!"

Old Zhou roared again, firing his gun as he retreated.

A-Dao had already rushed into the car, and A-Qing scrambled into the driver's seat.

Yu Wan didn't move.

She stood still, holding her gun level, aiming at the giant sandworm that was devouring Xiao Chen's remains.

No... it's not just one.

Three on the left.

Five on the right.

Directly in front, the largest one, at least ten meters long, was standing upright, like a giant tower rising from the ground.

It straightened up and opened its huge mouth.

.......