The shrill scream was getting closer and closer. Jing Shu still hadn't found a place to hide, and anxiety began to crawl up her spine. She couldn't just jump into the pigpen, could she? Or hide with the cows? If the lights stayed off, she might go unnoticed, but the moment someone turned them on, she'd be exposed. And then how was she supposed to explain herself?
She briefly considered using illusion magic to wipe a few people's memories, but just as she was thinking that, she turned a corner—and froze. Two massive pythons blocked her path, their scales glistening under the faint red light. Behind them stretched rows of iron cages, each one housing something far worse.
"Dear Miss Peggy, is something wrong?" Two tall bodyguards approached from a distance, their deep voices echoing in the cold air.
Peggy smiled sweetly. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just feeding my darlings. No matter what you hear, don't come in. Go farther away."
She lifted her gaze and unexpectedly spotted Jing Shu standing there, the panicked Chinese woman who'd barged in by accident. Peggy's lips curved. A woman who could use witchcraft—now that was interesting. She wondered which would be stronger, this intruder's strange power or her two beloved snakes.
The place was pure hell. Strange, grotesque creatures were locked inside huge cages. Chunks of flesh littered the floor. These weren't ordinary animals—they looked like something a mad scientist had stitched together: a pile of sludge with reptilian legs and heads like tiny dinosaurs.
They weren't a threat, though. Most couldn't even stand properly. Jing Shu guessed they were experimental hybrids created by the nobles.
What drew her attention instead was the source of that terrible scream. It came from a man—one she recognized. He was the same noble who'd been flirting with Peggy two days ago.
Now, half of his body was already swallowed by one python, while the other half was clamped in another's jaws. Peggy watched the scene with fascination, her eyes glittering in the dark. This, apparently, was her favorite pastime.
Then, in fluent Chinese, she turned to Jing Shu. "You saw everything, didn't you?"
"I didn't see anything." Jing Shu shook her head quickly. "I just went the wrong way. Sorry, I'll leave now." It wasn't the time to cause trouble—not tonight.
"No, you saw it. You saw me kill him." Peggy suddenly burst into laughter, her voice shrill. "Die! You should all die! Eat her!"
Knowing this woman had strange powers, Peggy immediately backed away and yanked down a metal lever. A glass door slammed down between them, sealing Jing Shu and the two giant snakes inside the narrow room.
Now, Peggy was safe on the other side. Whatever tricks Jing Shu had, she couldn't get close. And as far as Peggy was concerned, there was no way anyone could survive two enraged pythons. Unless this woman was Superman, she was dead meat.
"Luo Fei," Peggy sneered at the half-eaten man, "someone's joining you in heaven. Go on, scream all you want. No one's coming to save you. No one even knows you're on this ship. Who told you to dream of running away with me? In your people's words, that's called a toad lusting after a swan. Still, thank you for the inheritance—I'll be sure to enjoy it."
She waved impatiently. "What are you waiting for? Eat her!"
Normally, her "darlings" would obey instantly, devouring whatever she pointed to. They were known as intelligent mutant serpents. But this time, they just stared blankly, not even finishing off the half-dead man.
"What the hell's wrong with you?"
Jing Shu's eyes gleamed faintly, a strange light flickering within. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "You mean like this? You want them to eat me?"
The moment she spoke, both pythons lunged straight for her, jaws wide open.
"Yes, eat her!" Peggy screamed.
But before their fangs could reach Jing Shu, she raised both hands, palms open. The giant snakes froze mid-strike. Then, slowly, they lowered their heads and nudged her palms gently, like oversized pets afraid of hurting their master.
Peggy's jaw dropped. Her voice trembled. "You… you can control them? You can control my darlings? No, that's impossible! They don't accept anyone else!"
Jing Shu's mind throbbed painfully. Controlling one high-intelligence creature was already hard, but two at once? These snakes had developed a frightening level of awareness. The mental strain hit her like a hammer, a roaring pressure that made her feel like her skull would split open.
Yet beneath that pain, something inside her shifted—like a wall breaking, a sealed gate bursting open. Her vision sharpened, her senses expanded, and the world suddenly felt wider, clearer.
She didn't know how to describe it. It was as if she'd just unlocked an entirely new world.
The only downside was the blinding headache.
Holding her head, Jing Shu pointed at Peggy. "Eat her."
Peggy stumbled backward, crashing into the wall. The two pythons slammed into the glass door with a thunderous crack.
Boom!
The reinforced glass shattered like paper. The snakes shot forward, and before Peggy could even scream, they tore her apart. Blood sprayed across the wall as her beloved pets devoured her alive.
Across the room, the mutilated man finally saw her die. His eyes softened, and he exhaled one last, contented breath before going still.
Jing Shu, meanwhile, collapsed to her knees, utterly drained. It took a while before she managed to stand again, still dizzy but strangely elated. She could feel it—she'd leveled up. Not the Rubik's Cube Space this time, but her illusion ability.
And when that happened, it usually meant the Cube Space was about to evolve too.
Before, the space always upgraded first, followed by new powers. But this time, it was the opposite. She'd unlocked a new level of illusion first, and that in turn triggered signs of an upcoming upgrade.
Maybe it was time to study how to unlock new functions in the Cube Space through her abilities instead.
"Nullity" and "Phantasm." Those words echoed in her mind. They weren't new powers exactly, but a deeper understanding of illusion—a natural evolution of her craft.
Her illusions had changed. They were no longer something she had to activate deliberately. They were constant now, flowing like breath, woven into her existence.
But what did that mean for her in practice?
She'd think about that later.
For now, she glanced at the mess around her. The two pythons were still coiled in the corner, sluggish after their meal. Jing Shu picked up Peggy's torn clothes, searching until she found her ID and room card.
"Inheriting Peggy's assets doesn't sound like a bad deal," she muttered, slipping them into her pocket.