Viper’s mind was still racing. He could see the door handle just inches away and catch the faint aroma of food wafting through the cracks, but he couldn't move!
Not a single finger, not even a facial muscle!
Boundless terror, cold as ice water, instantly drowned out all his greed and ferocity.
Then, something even more soul-shattering happened.
He felt an irresistible, incomprehensible force envelop his entire body.
This force didn't push or pull; it was a "displacement."
His body defied all laws of physics, levitating into the air. Maintaining that ridiculous yet terrifying lunging posture, he began to "float" slowly and steadily toward the heavy fire door at the end of the hallway!
“No... no...” Viper screamed frantically in his mind, but he couldn't even roll his eyes.
He could only watch helplessly as he drew closer and closer to that door.
Black Rat was scared witless, standing frozen in place. He watched his companion being manipulated like a puppet by an invisible hand, floating toward his death.
The fire door silently opened a crack, revealing the greyish-white, churning, and writhing mist of the Death Tide outside. He could even hear the fine, sand-like rustling of everything being corroded.
Viper’s body was "delivered" to the doorway.
Controlled by the invisible force, one of his arms was slowly extended toward the grey-white mist that represented absolute death.
“Hiss—!!!”
The moment his fingertips touched the mist, even while completely immobilized, Viper’s body went into an uncontrollable spasm!
Agony surged from his arm, racing frantically toward his brain!
Upon contact with the mist, his skin began to discolor, blister, and rot, exposing the blackened, necrotic tissue beneath. The corrosion was spreading up his arm at a pace visible to the naked eye!
Even more terrifyingly, one of his legs was then controlled and slowly thrust into the mist.
“Heh... heh...” Broken gasps escaped Viper’s throat, but he couldn't even let out a full scream.
His body twitched incessantly from the extreme pain, and his eyes were filled with endless terror, despair, and pleas for mercy.
Watching this, Black Rat felt a cold chill surge from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the floor.
All his previous probing, scheming, and greed had become the most pathetic joke in the face of this incomprehensible, terrifying power!
This woman... she wasn't human at all!
She was a monster! Some kind of incarnation of rules wearing a human skin!
At the same time, system notifications rang out one after another in Su Wan’s mind:
【Tenant-004 (Viper) Malice Level is dropping sharply: 96→85→70→55→30...】
【Tenant-003 (Black Rat) Malice Level is dropping sharply: 96→80→60→40→20...】
【Warning: Tenant-004 (Viper) vital signs are deteriorating rapidly. Suffering from severe Death Tide erosion!】
【Prompt: The host may terminate the punishment or apply treatment at any time (requires Points).】
Black Rat’s Malice Level was actually dropping faster than Viper’s, despite Viper being the one tortured!
Clearly, witnessing his companion’s miserable state had dealt him a far more powerful psychological blow and sense of dread.
And at this moment, Black Rat didn't have the slightest intention of rescuing his companion.
Seeing Viper’s arm and leg rapidly rotting in the mist, he felt only relief and lingering fear—relief that he hadn't been the one to charge out, and fear that he had almost met the same fate.
He even thought maliciously: It’s better if he dies! If he’s dead, his belongings and the Crystal Cores he hid earlier will all be mine!
Su Wan observed everything coldly, including the subtle changes in Black Rat’s expression.
Human nature? In the face of absolute terror and profit, it was incredibly fragile.
Just as Viper’s forearm and the front of his lower leg had completely turned necrotic and black, with the corrosion threatening to spread to his torso, the system provided a prompt.
If she didn't stop now, Viper would likely die within a few hours due to infection and toxin spread.
She still needed tenants to complete her mission, so Viper couldn't die just yet.
With a thought from Su Wan, the invisible force once again manipulated Viper’s body, slowly "dragging" him back from the grey-white mist and gently placing him on the hallway floor inside the fire door.
The fire door closed silently, completely sealing out the Death Tide.
Viper collapsed onto the floor like a pile of mud, his body still twitching uncontrollably.
his right forearm and the front of his left lower leg were charred and rotten, emitting a pungent stench of burning and decaying flesh.
The intense pain and terror had caused him to completely break down. He didn't even have the strength to groan; tears mixed with snot and saliva covered his face.
Looking at the slumped Viper and then glancing at the expressionless Su Wan in sheer terror, Black Rat finally recognized the reality of the situation.
He practically crawled and scrambled to Su Wan, trembling as he pulled a dirty little cloth bag from his chest. Without even looking, he poured out all the Crystal Cores inside, holding them up to Su Wan with both hands, his voice shaking uncontrollably:
“Here! Here! Boss Lady! The rent! Here are five... no! There are eight Level 1 Crystal Cores here! They’re all yours! Please spare us! We won’t dare do it again! Never again!”
Su Wan’s gaze swept over his hands.
Eight irregular crystals about the size of a fingernail. They were a bit larger than the three Ah-Hao had brought out earlier, and their luster was more solid, indicating better quality.
Su Wan didn't stand on ceremony and took them all.
Neither of these guys were good people. Since she was kind enough to take them in, it was only natural for them to pay extra rent.
Black Rat felt as if he had been granted a grand pardon, kowtowing repeatedly. “Thank you, Boss Lady! Thank you for sparing my life!”
He didn't dare look at Viper on the floor again as he scrambled toward the stairs, sprinting to the end of the hall and ducking into Room 112, slamming the door shut.
Su Wan walked over to Viper and looked down at his rotting limbs.
【Warning: Tenant-004 (Viper) vital signs continue to deteriorate. If no effective treatment is administered, estimated survival time: 2–4 hours.】
【Systemic infection caused by Death Tide toxins and necrotic tissue is about to enter its peak period.】
Four hours... Su Wan glanced at the system clock in the corner of her vision.
There were still six hours until the next automatic timed travel back to the original world, Blue Star, and eleven hours until the Death Tide ended.
The "Shelter’s Disaster Resistance Proof" mission required at least four non-host units to survive inside the building during the Death Tide. In other words, Viper had to live for at least another eleven hours for the mission to be completed.
Fine then. Living while barely hanging on is still living.
“System, how many Points for the most basic life-saving treatment?” Su Wan asked in her mind.
Rate on N.U.
