Volume 1, Chapter 37: Thriller Paradise 1: The Stitched Monster

Li Qian walked forward in a leisurely manner, clutching her long blade, and looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Do you have any idea how large the Eastern District is?"

"I honestly don't. How big is it?" Chen Fan asked with a humble expression, though when he turned to look at her, he couldn't help but chuckle.

Her clothes and pants were far too large for her, making her look like a mischievous little girl playing dress-up in adult clothing—a sight both cute and comical.

"What are you laughing at?" Her cheeks flushed crimson. She glared at him before continuing, "Base Commander Wang Ding once told us during a meeting that this world is called the Star Sea World and is divided into nine major districts. The Eastern District alone covers over 15 million square kilometers. But whether that’s actually true, I don't know."

"What? 15 million square kilometers? Doesn't that mean the Eastern District is as large as the entire nation of Huaxia?" Chen Fan’s eyes widened, unable to believe it.

"Where is Huaxia? I think I've heard Commander Wang Ding mention that place before. Are you from Huaxia too? What kind of place is it?" Curious, Li Qian tilted her head and looked Chen Fan up and down.

"Stop prying. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Better not to say anything at all!" Chen Fan smiled, though his gaze turned serious. According to Li Qian, it was highly likely that the commander of the Ninth Base, Wang Ding, was also a visitor from elsewhere.

"Fine, keep your secrets!" She huffed. "I know of three places where Alien Demon Stones are hidden, but they are all extremely dangerous, and I’ve never dared to go near them. Why don’t we explore all of them together this time?"

"Sounds good, I couldn't ask for more." A flicker of joy appeared in Chen Fan’s eyes; the thing he needed most right now was an Alien Demon Stone.

"Then let's head to the first location. It’s an... amusement park!" The moment she mentioned the amusement park, her expression turned grave.

"Is there some kind of terrifying monster inside?" Chen Fan’s gaze also grew stern; he dared not be careless.

She shook her head. "I’m not entirely sure, but that park always gives me a feeling of oppression. Even standing a street away, I feel like I'm being watched by invisible eyes. I never dared to get close!"

"Interesting. Perhaps it’s a vengeful spirit." He took out a Demon-Subduing Talisman and handed it to her. "Keep this close to your body. With this, those spirits won't dare to approach you."

As he looked at the talisman, he sighed inwardly, remembering Long Wu—the burly man who had called him 'brother' at every turn.

Li Qian gave a soft acknowledgement, extended her fair right hand to take the talisman, and tucked it carefully into her pocket.

After nightfall, the two of them finally arrived not far from the eerie amusement park. A long street appeared in their field of vision, with the park sitting at its very end.

Looking up at the sky, it was pitch black. Thick, heavy clouds crowded the heavens, churning slowly as if a rainstorm could break out at any moment. A biting, frigid wind swept in from an angle, chilling their bodies to the bone, as if it could freeze their very flesh in place. Store signs along the street stretched out like twisted branches, appearing sinister and grotesque in the dark of night.

"There might be danger, be careful." Chen Fan looked at Li Qian beside him. Her small face was pale, and her body was tense—clearly, she was extremely nervous.

She nodded, gripped her long blade tightly, and took a step to the right, moving closer to Chen Fan.

After letting out a long breath, Chen Fan drew his blade and began to walk forward with long strides. The street was indeed strange, as every door and window was wide open.

Chen Fan’s eyes narrowed, scanning the surroundings while clutching a talisman in his left hand to guard against a sudden ambush by a vengeful spirit. Beside him, Li Qian’s heart hammered like a war drum. Her face was deathly pale; the dark, desolate street felt like a passage to hell, leaving her suffocating and gasping for air.

The place was so ominous and unsettling that, were it not for Chen Fan, she would have turned and fled immediately, not daring to stay for even a second.

*Aaaaaah!*

Just then, a shrill, piercing sound erupted from fifty meters ahead—it was the sound of a child crying.

The noise was so sharp it startled them both. Li Qian’s pretty face drained of all color, filled with anxiety and terror. Chen Fan’s brow furrowed, and by instinct, he took a few steps back. On the third step, the child who had been crying finally appeared.

It was a little boy standing beneath a rusted blue street sign, staring at him pitifully.

"Big brother, hold me..." The boy was wearing a cute red outfit, his nose running with snot. His eyes were large, round, and clear.

Anyone with eyes could see that a child appearing in a place like this defied all reason. Therefore, it was safe to conclude that this child was not a child at all, but a... monster!

"Interesting!" Cold light flashed in Chen Fan’s eyes. He signaled for Li Qian to stay behind him and began to walk slowly toward the boy under the sign.

One step, two steps, three steps. They slowly closed the distance. When they were only ten meters away, Chen Fan’s brow knit into a knot, and he stopped.

Following his gaze, the appearance of the boy standing under the sign had shifted dramatically.

It was a humanoid, life-sized doll!

The truly horrifying part was that its head was the rotting skull of an elderly woman! Its skin was stitched together from a thousand pieces of human flesh, every thread clearly visible. Its eyes were human eyes too—but upon closer inspection, they were sewn in! Remnants of black-red ocular tissue still clung to the edges.

Looking at its arms and legs, its feet were the lower legs of a man from the knee down—though long rotted, they remained thick and sturdy. Its hands were different—they were taken from a woman, and because they were so long, the five slender fingers dragged along the muddy ground.

This was, without a doubt, a stitched-together monstrosity!

Foul-smelling black blood dripped from its body, turning the mud beneath its feet a dark, bloody red. Looking closer, the 'red child's outfit' it wore was actually a blood-soaked garment. There were two pockets on the clothing, bulging and full; through the gaps, one could see rotting flesh and white bone inside!

The monster was so grotesque that Li Qian let out a gasp, grabbing Chen Fan’s sleeve with both hands, nearly fainting from terror. Her face was as white as paper; she had never been so afraid in her life.

Chen Fan’s back felt cold as well. He had never seen such a bizarre creature before.

The thing was too horrific to get near. He retreated a few paces, pulled a sniper rifle from his pack, aimed it at the monster’s head, and pulled the trigger!

*Bang!*

The gunshot roared like thunder!

What happened next was shocking: the creature was incredibly agile, retreating over a hundred meters in advance to dodge the bullet!

Chen Fan’s gaze tightened. He tracked it through the scope and pulled the cold, rough trigger once more. In the deafening blast, the bullet tore through its chest!

Its chest shifted; amid a series of sickening squirming motions, a human skull erupted from within! The skull still had remnants of flesh—yellow and red—with two veins dangling from it. The bullet embedded itself into the skull, unable to penetrate further!

Chen Fan gritted his teeth, ready to fire again, but the creature seemed frightened; it quickly vanished around a corner, no longer daring to face the sniper rifle head-on.

"What... what is that?" Li Qian’s brows were furrowed, her face deathly pale. Her right hand could no longer hold the hilt of her blade, so she used her left as well. But at that moment, the blade felt as heavy as a thousand pounds; even with both hands, she could barely lift it. The tip dragged on the ground, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

"I’m not entirely sure!" Chen Fan’s expression was deadly serious. He took a pistol from his pack and handed it to her. "If you see it, shoot immediately. Do not let it get close to you!"

She took the pistol and nodded heavily.

"Be careful, don't shoot me!" Though the situation was dire, Chen Fan reminded her patiently.

"Relax, do you think I'm an idiot? It's not like I've never used a pistol before! If I accidentally shoot you, I'll let you shoot me once, deal?" She forced a laugh, telling a cold joke to try and steady herself.

Chen Fan smiled, said nothing more, and turned to walk forward.

*Rumble!*

At that moment, the rain began to fall—a heavy, waterfall-like deluge that lashed down upon them. For safety, Chen Fan moved toward the eaves of a building, and Li Qian hurried to follow.

The storm was violent, accompanied by ferocious winds. In the gale, the doors and windows along the street slammed against the walls incessantly, a rhythmic *bang, bang, bang* that never ceased. Though not caused by human hands, the sound was maddening.

The wind was so strong that Li Qian could barely stand, so she reached out to grab Chen Fan’s sleeve. He ignored her, his eyes fixed on a window across the street.

Amid the storm, that window was... anomalous! While every other door and window on the street was slamming shut, that window remained perfectly still!

Chen Fan’s pupils contracted as he looked at the glass. He then saw a scene that made his skin crawl!

The stitched monster was pressed against the window, staring straight at him. Its elderly woman’s head slowly opened its cloudy, white eyes. Rainwater from the eaves splashed onto its body, soaking it.

A yellow-brown slime oozed from its body, flowing down the rough glass like thick glue. In the flashes of lightning, the viscous liquid refracted a pale, ghostly light.

It... smiled!

Li Qian spotted it too. She stiffened, hiding behind him, her eyes filled with terror!

With a whistling sound, the creature tore through the curtain of rain, hurtling toward them at high speed! As it moved, it emitted the innocent, tinkling laughter of a child!

Chen Fan’s veins bulged. He grabbed Li Qian and lunged over ten meters to the side!

The creature slammed into the eaves where they had been standing, hovering there, staring at them with its bizarre, lifeless eyes.

"What are you? Speak!"

Chen Fan’s gaze narrowed. The thing was too strange, its speed impossibly fast—it would be difficult to handle. Li Qian was in even worse shape, her legs buckling; she could no longer stand.

"Are you deaf? I told you to speak!" Chen Fan snorted, raised his sniper rifle, and aimed at its hideous head!

The creature was frightened; it quickly retreated, hiding once more in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike.

Chen Fan shifted his gaze, scanning the surroundings to prevent an ambush. "It must be a monster created by the Black Rock Organization! But what is its purpose?"

After a moment of hesitation, he turned and marched toward the amusement park at the end of the street. Li Qian, completely terrified, gripped his sleeve tightly, not daring to be separated from him for an instant.

Chen Fan marveled to himself. The Black Rock Organization was truly capable if they could manufacture such wicked monstrosities. A guess formed in his mind—a guess that surprised even him: perhaps the fall of the Black Rock Organization was inextricably linked to these artificial monsters.

The organization could create thousands of types of monsters, even giant-level Devouring Demons; they were essentially invincible in the Eastern District. Aside from these monsters, who else would have the power to bring about their downfall?

Of course, this was just his speculation, not necessarily the truth.

Chen Fan reached the amusement park and stood before a large iron gate. It was rusted, the rust mixing with the rain to stain the ground a sickly yellow-brown. He peered through a gap in the gate.

The carousel area came into view. To his horror, the colorful, cute wooden horses were still spinning, and sitting atop them were small children with porcelain-like skin.

Chen Fan’s brow furrowed. For a moment, he couldn't distinguish if this was real or an illusion! He looked at Li Qian and gestured for her to look at the carousel. "What do you see?"

"The horses are still spinning... there are over a dozen children sitting on them. This... this isn't right!" Li Qian was terrified; she had never seen such a bizarre sight.

Chen Fan placed his hand on the iron gate and pushed hard, but it wouldn't budge, leaving his hand covered in rust. It was highly likely that these porcelain-skinned children were... monsters too!

A cold light flashed in his eyes. Ignoring the torrential rain, he raised his sniper rifle, aimed at a short-haired boy on one of the wooden horses, and pulled the trigger!

*Bang!*

Under the massive force of the bullet, the boy’s head exploded like a rotting watermelon. A sizzling sound rang out, and a large amount of foul-smelling slime sprayed from its body. The red wooden horse beneath it was instantly covered in the fluid. Within the slime, countless white maggots the size of rice grains were writhing—a sight so sickening it made his scalp tingle!

Chen Fan remained unmoved. He aimed at a little girl with twin tails and pulled the trigger again!

But then, something that made him frown occurred: the bullet passed right through her body, and she didn't seem affected in the slightest!

She was fake. She... didn't exist!

Chen Fan’s eyes narrowed. This meant one thing: inside this amusement park, there was a vengeful spirit!

The spirit was likely nearby! It had already manifested its special ability, manipulating their five senses!