Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 20: The Taste of Revenge

Fang Xiu's calm expression shocked everyone. They stared at him, their hearts racing like a crazy roller coaster ride. They were shocked by his ruthlessness and straightforward approach. They couldn't believe it.

Of course, no one wished to harm another, but in dire situations, difficult choices had to be made. 

But Fang Xiu's unexpected and swift action left no room for debate or choice; he attacked without warning. Hurting one person was already bad enough, but he kept another as a backup. It totally messed up their understanding of the situation. 

Now, they were scared of Fang Xiu. They worried he might keep yet another backup. But Fang Xiu didn't attack again. 

"If you want to stay alive, take the left path," he said firmly. "The right path is a dead-end."

Some looked at Fang Xiu suspiciously, no longer trusting him.

"If the left path is safe, why aren't you taking it?" one asked.

"I need to touch a leg."

_'Touch...a leg?'_ 

They all thought they heard him wrong, except for Zhao Hao. 

"Touch a leg in the Specter Zone? Touch a Specter's leg?" 

Suddenly, they heard a clicking sound. The "doctor," with bloody lips, crawled down from the ceiling. 

"Ah!" Two of them screamed and tried to run away, but they were scared Fang Xiu might be lying, so they stopped halfway down the left hallway, too scared to keep going. Meanwhile, Fang Xiu didn't run; he walked toward the "doctor."

He stopped near Wang Ziteng. As Fang Xiu came closer, Wang Ziteng's eyes flashed with hate and anger. He reached out, ready to grab Fang Xiu's pants, even if it might kill him.

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Fang Xiu swiftly stepped on Wang Ziteng's hand.

"Ah! You! You!" Wang Ziteng writhed in pain, driving him mad with fury.  

Fang Xiu slowly looked down, his face hidden in shadow. He looked fierce, angry even! But there was something else, like he was having fun. A wild grin stretched across his face, showing off his white teeth. 

"Like my way of rewarding all your 'kindness' to me?"

"No, no, no!"

With Wang Ziteng's final scream echoing through the hallway, Fang Xiu's face showed more pleasure. 

WHOOSH! 

There was a flash of silver, and Wang Ziteng's head rolled on the ground. His eyes showed terror and lingering hate.

"Is this how revenge tastes? It's amazing!" Fang Xiu shuddered slightly. This was his first taste of revenge, and it thrilled him. Wang Ziteng's warm blood splashed on his face, and Fang Xiu could finally feel his heart beating.

He couldn't help but daydream. *'How great it'll be if I can kill my "wife" someday?'*

Fang Xiu quickly acted like nothing happened. He walked over to the Specter and started to touch her leg. 

The others, watching from afar, were scared. Even though they saw everything, they couldn't believe Fang Xiu was really going to touch the Specter's leg.

Fang Xiu turned to Zhao Hao. "Wanna join me?"

He remembered what Zhao Hao did in the storage room. While Fang Xiu didn't feel grateful for now, he still wanted to help Zhao Hao. 

He felt like he was losing his feelings or even his humanity after being through so many eerie events. His heart was filled with hate and madness. He didn't mind these emotions, but he also didn't want to lose touch with his human side. 

Zhao Hao hesitated, unsure about Fang Xiu's offer. 

Fang Xiu's calm face was covered in fresh blood. His pale skin contrasted sharply against the red. As he stood next to the Specter, with Wang Ziteng's severed limbs lying at his feet, it was hard to tell who the real Specter was.

After a moment, Zhao Hao decided to trust Fang Xiu. He didn't have many friends. In fact, his only real friend was Fang Xiu. Zhao Hao was always seen as a weirdo in the sales department because he was average and looked normal. Only Fang Xiu, who was an orphan, wanted to be his friend. And over time, they slowly developed a close bond. 

Slowly, Zhao Hao walked over to Fang Xiu. They both started touching the Specter's leg. The last two remaining people had already run away. They weren't scared of the Specter but rather of Fang Xiu's sudden change. 

"Xiu," Zhao Hao said. He stopped for a moment before asking, "Why did you suddenly attack Wang Ziteng and Wu Dahai?"

"The Specter is faster than any human. If we want to live, we have to buy time by sacrificing others' lives. Someone will inevitably be chosen. Think about it, considering Wang Ziteng and Wu Dahai's status and identity, who do you think would be chosen when push comes to shove? Me, with my issues with Wang Ziteng and Wu Dahai? Or you, who's always been disliked?"

Zhao Hao's face went pale. He was about to answer when Fang Xiu asked, "Do you feel a slight cold in your body?"

Zhao Hao was surprised before shaking his head.

Fang Xiu thought for a moment as he felt what was happening. It wasn't a mistake. He could feel a cool sensation flowing from the Specter's leg, through his hand, and into his body. 

*'Is this the Specter's power? Why didn't I feel it when I touched the leg before? No, I probably felt it, but it was too weak. I might have crossed some threshold, so the feeling is suddenly strong. If I'm not mistaken, this might be the start of becoming a psychic! Zhao Hao didn't feel it because he's never been in a life-or-death situation. His mind isn't there yet.'*

After a while, Zhao Hao said, "Xiu, it's time. Let's go."

"Don't worry, we still have Wu Dahai. I think I'm about to activate my psychic power," Fang Xiu said, calm as ever.

Zhao Hao looked at him, his face full of surprise, "Really, Xiu? That's amazing! We're gonna be alright then! But what does unlocking psychic power feel like? I can't sense anything."

"You've been around the Specter for a while, but you haven't really faced life and death. That's why you can't sense it," Fang Xiu replied.

Zhao Hao looked like he wanted to ask something, but he held back. It seemed like he wanted to ask, "We've been together the whole time; when did you face life and death?" 

After that, Fang Xiu pulled Zhao Hao back. He only started to touch the "doctor's" leg again after she had taken Wu Dahai apart. 

Wu Dahai was a big guy. With his size, he could keep the Specter busy for about five minutes. 

Fang Xiu decided to touch the leg for two more minutes, leaving them three minutes to make their escape. If he couldn't unlock psychic power within those two minutes, they couldn't risk staying longer. 

Determined, he shut his eyes and moved his hand over the leg, focusing on every sensation."