Chapter 109: Stealing a Bite

Just one bite, it shouldn't hurt, right?

The moment this thought popped into Chen Ling's mind, it became impossible to suppress.

He glanced outside the room, confirmed no one was there, and as if possessed, tore a piece off the roasted chicken... Regardless, this was a Calamity; if other residents saw him eating this thing, it would likely lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

The scent of roasted meat mixed with wine drifted into Chen Ling's nostrils, leaving his mind almost blank. He instinctively shoved it into his mouth and began to chew.

[Audience Expectation +1]

Delicious.

So delicious!

This was a texture of meat Chen Ling had never tasted before—tender and elastic. Just one bite, and a sense of satisfaction surged from his mouth to the top of his head. His whole body felt as refreshed as if he were ascending, and all his fatigue was swept away.

Chen Ling's eyes gradually glowed with an eerie red light. He seemed to have completely forgotten the idea of "just one bite," his hands frantically tearing at the roasted chicken's body, stuffing chunks of succulent meat into his mouth!

He didn't understand why the shopkeeper earlier had no reaction to something so fragrant.

[Audience Expectation +1]

[Audience Expectation +1]

[Audience Expectation...]

Chen Ling seemed to have fallen into a strange state. Pairs of scarlet eyes opened in the void behind him; the audience squinted as they watched this scene, their eyes filled with mockery and amusement.

At the same time, the shadow centipede, not yet fully dead, let out a shrill screech that echoed through the street.

It could clearly feel its body being torn apart bit by bit, writhing and twisting in agony. Just then, Chen Ling, seemingly annoyed by its noise, casually grabbed a jar of fermented wine from the table and smashed it onto the creature with a bang.

The rich aroma of wine coated the centipede's entire body. The next moment, Chen Ling thrust the burning stick in his hand into its body!

Whoosh—!

A raging fire ignited instantly, completely engulfing the shadow centipede.

Its vitality faded rapidly in the flames, its body curling into a ball... At this moment, it seemed to sense something. The charred hole where its head used to be "looked" toward the pairs of scarlet eyes behind Chen Ling...

A harsh, grating sound of friction rang out again, and it struggled in terror to spit out a single character:

"...King."

……

The Calamity's screeching gradually faded, and the raging fire spread out from the wine shop.

The shopkeeper, who had run halfway, stopped and looked back at the shop not far away... His eyes were full of hesitation.

Such a big fire in the wine shop, he wondered if that Enforcer was alright? It had been so long, why hadn't he come out yet? Could he have fainted? Was that monster dead for sure... A mess of thoughts flooded his mind.

He stood there for a long time, then gritted his teeth and walked back.

Those thoughts were just excuses he made for himself to return. He had finally had a chance to show himself in front of an Enforcer; if he just left like this, he probably wouldn't have another chance to become one in this lifetime.

If Chen Ling was really in trouble, saving him would naturally pave the way for his future. If Chen Ling was fine, the worst he'd get was a scolding.

The shopkeeper comforted himself this way while walking to the entrance of the flickering, fire-lit shop, about to call out...

The next moment, he froze in place.

In the deepest part of the flames, a centipede, screeching in agony, slowly curled up. In front of it, a dark figure was squatting, hands frantically tearing off its flesh and thin legs, stuffing them into his mouth, his cheeks bulging.

Dark green blood dripped onto the floor from the corners of his mouth. His hands, which were tearing at the flesh, were scorched by the flames, yet he seemed completely unaware of the pain, like a greedy thief.

This eerie scene fell into the shopkeeper's eyes, his pupils shrinking in disbelief. He took half a step back in terror, making a rustling sound.

The figure preying on the centipede suddenly stopped.

In the flickering firelight, he slowly turned his head to look at the shopkeeper, half a centipede leg dangling from the corner of his mouth, his pupils glowing with an eerie red light...

He tilted his head, thought for a moment, then broke off the massive centipede head and held it out toward the shopkeeper.

With his cheeks stuffed full, he spoke indistinctly:

"...Want a bite?"

The shopkeeper rolled his eyes and fainted on the spot, terrified.

Seeing the shopkeeper didn't want any, Chen Ling stopped sharing, swallowed the chicken leg in a few gulps, making a crunching sound as he chewed... I don't know how much time passed, but the meat chicken in front of him had completely disappeared, leaving only a few grease stains on the floor.

Chen Ling let out a satisfied burp.

He stood up unsteadily, the red light in his eyes gradually fading, and his reason returned like a tide... He looked at the empty corner in front of him, standing there in a daze.

"...I finished it?" Chen Ling frowned, holding his head in his hands, his eyes filled with deep confusion.

What just happened?

Chen Ling's mind was a blank. His consciousness was still stuck at the moment he took the first bite of chicken, and then, by the time he came to his senses, the entire meat chicken was gone... And that meat chicken had been two meters long!

Chen Ling looked down at his stomach; there was no sign of it being distended, nor did he feel full. There was only an endless, lingering aroma echoing between his lips and teeth.

But the fatigue from Chen Ling's long battle had been swept away, and—perhaps it wasn't just his imagination—he felt his mental energy... had increased by a fraction?

Chen Ling glanced at the corner where only grease stains remained, feeling a bit guilty. He was about to turn and leave, but after a moment of hesitation, he turned back.

He put away his knife and gun, grabbed a jar of wine and the burning fire stick, and walked out of the shop, feeling satisfied.

"Why is he here?"

Just as he reached the door, Chen Ling saw the shopkeeper fainted on the ground.

He called out twice, but there was no sign of the man waking up. Chen Ling looked around, decided to put down the wine jar, tossed it into a nearby room, and locked the door.

As soon as he stepped out of the house, he heard a rustling sound coming from his walkie-talkie.

"This is Xi Renjie... I've finished clearing out Hanchuan Street as well. The entire west side should be mostly resolved now." Xi Renjie's hoarse voice sounded from the walkie-talkie, as if his throat were cracked dry, his words revealing deep exhaustion.

"But my body seems to be reaching its limit... Chen Ling, are you alright?"

Chen Ling picked up the walkie-talkie and answered, full of energy.

"I'm fine... very fine."