They were like clowns put on display for amusement.
At this moment, whether they were the original inhabitants of the fishing village or the women who had risen up to resist after awakening.
They all stood frozen in place.
Not a single person ran.
But not a single person stepped forward to help Xu An either.
This clearly exceeded the scope of their involvement.
This was destined to be a one-sided torment.
It was like heaven playing a cruel joke on you.
Just as you understood dignity and stood up to fight back, ready to take control of your own life, it delivered another punch.
Smashing you heavily to the ground.
Just like Xu An and Qin Chuan were experiencing now.
These three individuals were like the future for this group of people who were still struggling.
This octopus monster didn't kill Xu An immediately.
Instead, it chose this method that was almost like toying with them.
It was to warn these humans who dared to resist.
"Look, this is the consequence of your resistance."
As soon as Xu An realized the monster possessed such consciousness, without needing to ask Ze Yuan,
She blurted out instinctively, "This monster has evolved self-awareness."
Qin Chuan, who was still struggling to support his body, vaguely heard Xu An say something.
But in the next moment, his already injured waist and abdomen were once again tightly ensnared by the octopus monster's tentacles.
The suckers on the tentacles moved like living things, constantly crawling over Qin Chuan's body.
Everywhere they passed, a pain like being gnawed by thousands of ants, bone-deep and heart-rending, spread throughout his body.
Yet, on his face, apart from a furrowed brow, there was no further breakdown.
Among them, Zhou Haimei was arguably the most miserable. She felt as if her internal organs were about to explode.
Her entire body felt like an overinflated balloon, about to be popped the next second. The pain contorted her features, and her organs seemed to be fighting within her body, causing her to feel that life was worse than death for the first time.
She, too, was like a clay Buddha crossing a river, unable to save herself.
Zhou Haimei's weapons had long been exhausted.
They were like fish on a chopping block now, waiting to see when the monster would decide to kill them all.
Xu An wasn't as worried as Qin Chuan and Zhou Haimei, as she had the spatial ability as her secret weapon, her final reliance.
But although the space was large, it could only accommodate herself.
Therefore, she couldn't save these people.
Looking at those desperate faces, at the sweat beading on Qin Chuan's brow, and at Zhou Haimei's tears of pain.
It was like boiling a frog in warm water.
Though not scalding, it would still harm.
It was like a small knife slowly carving away at one's heart, piece by piece.
The pain made Xu An's heart ache.
She had long thought she wouldn't pity anyone anymore, wouldn't feel heartbroken over losing anyone.
But reality proved that Xu An was still human.
Humans have emotions, love, hate, sorrow, and joy.
Yet, at this moment, she was like a puddle of mud, flung onto the ground.
Xu An knew her ribs were broken, and the bones in her legs had been crushed by the octopus monster's tentacles.
Despite the extreme pain, Xu An couldn't shed a single tear.
It was like a dilapidated bellows, with a hollow space where her heart should be, constantly leaking air.
...
Just then.
In her daze, Xu An vaguely saw a familiar figure.
That person was none other than her mother.
That face that seemed like it would never age, now had streaks of white in her hair.
That face, always full of collagen, now bore fine lines at the corners of her eyes.
Xu An endured the searing pain, and through her blurred vision, she felt an overwhelming urge to cry out of sheer grievance.
"I must be dreaming."
She whispered softly.
Even Qin Chuan had said that the Lighthouse didn't know when a rescue team would be dispatched.
How could she possibly see her mother, who was far away on the Lighthouse?
If this was a dream, it must be a good one.
Before losing consciousness, Xu An vaguely fell into a familiar embrace.
A faint fragrance enveloped Xu An entirely. It was a scent she knew all too well.
It was the scent of Xu Yan.
At the last moment, she still hadn't chosen to hide in her spatial ability, abandoning Zhou Haimei and Qin Chuan.
She didn't know if this was the right thing to do.
But Xu An's conscience was clear.
As she closed her eyes, Xu An saw her mother again.
She thought, if this was the end of her life, she would have no regrets.
...
Opening her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a familiar, clean, and tidy room.
The more Xu An looked, the more something felt wrong.
She suddenly sat up, but the pain in her chest made her fall back onto the bed.
With a loud "Bang—"
Someone outside the door heard the commotion and quickly pushed the door open, rushing in.
"How are you, are you okay?" Xu Yan asked with concern.
Feeling the warm body in her arms, Xu Yan's suspended heart finally settled.
She gently stroked Xu An, continuing to coax her to lie down, and thoughtfully tucked her in.
"Why are you getting up? You're injured like this and still moving around."
Xu An seemed stunned, looking at the person who felt so real before her, but her mind couldn't quite process it yet.
Looking at Xu Yan, she blurted out, "Mom, did you die too?"
As she said this, she started sobbing uncontrollably.
Her cries were so heartbreaking that anyone who heard them would weep and anyone who saw her would be saddened.
But before she could cry for long, her forehead was flicked by Xu Yan.
Xu An touched her forehead with both hands, feeling the real pain.
"I'm not dead?" Her voice was filled with surprise.
Like any survivor who had narrowly escaped death, upon seeing their loved ones.
The sadness, grief, and grievances accumulated over the past few months finally found an outlet.
Grabbing her mother's hand, she began to sob softly.
"Wuuuu wuuuu wuuuu. I really didn't die."
"I thought I was going to die for sure this time. I even dreamed, I saw you before I died, and I thought it was just a dream."
"Mom, when did you get here? How did you find us..."
Every time Xu An uttered the word "die," Xu Yan's eyelids would twitch.
Heaven knew, when Xu Yan first saw Xu An, the feeling of her heart being held captive was as if she herself had died once.
There was nothing that could drive a mother more insane than watching her own daughter close her eyes right before her.
At that moment, she had almost run faster than the professional rescue teams dispatched from the Lighthouse.
While everyone was attacking the giant monster, she was the first to rush towards her daughter.
Pulling her tightly into her arms.
Seeing Xu An's eyes closed, as she lay unconscious in her embrace.
Xu Yan felt as if, at that moment, her soul had been ripped away along with her daughter's.