Chapter 77: I Must Have My Reasons

The tattooed man froze, instinctively glancing at his shoulder. His expression instantly twisted into absolute terror. But just as he opened his mouth to shout, a blank look washed over his face. He turned to Yang Dongqing and asked, "Where is the monster?"

"Are you fucking blind? It's right on your shoulder!" the impatient Yang Dongqing shouted, charging straight at him. Su Mu didn't stop him; he just watched.

He knew for certain the tattooed man and the bald man belonged to the Bronze Coffin Company; his own mental fluctuations still lingered on them.

Yang Dongqing swung a fist at the little monster, but the moment he crossed within ten meters of it, a blank look surfaced on his face. He stopped dead in his tracks.

He scratched his head like an idiot. "Huh? What was I charging over here to do?"

He had forgotten.

Meanwhile, the little monster just kept taking bite after bite of whatever it was digging out of the tattooed man's brain.

Thud!

The tattooed man fell stiffly to the ground. He died with a peaceful expression, without a single wound on his body.

Yang Dongqing and the bald man flinched in shock.

"What happened!? Why is he on the ground?"

"Could it be low blood sugar? Hurry up and help him."

The two hastily reached down to lift the tattooed man, but the moment they bent over, a blank look flashed across both their faces. They completely forgot what they were trying to do.

Swish!

The little monster leaped onto the bald man's shoulder, reaching a hairless arm toward his head.

Watching this, Su Mu instantly understood. This little monster was the culprit behind their missing memories, and it had most likely created that fog, too.

"Yang Dongqing, come back," Su Mu called out, waving him over.

Yang Dongqing took a step back, but after a single stride, he paused again. He looked at Su Mu in confusion and asked, "What did you just say?"

Seeing this, Su Mu immediately pulled out his gun and aimed it at the little monster. He didn't use Myriad Phenomena. The creature had no eyes, and they were too far away for hypnosis to work anyway.

Bang, bang, bang...

The bullets struck the little monster with dead-on accuracy, knocking it off the man's shoulder. It bared its fangs in pain, but the rounds didn't pierce its body; they only left a few white marks.

The little monster scrambled to its feet, flapped its fleshy wings, and fled into the distance.

"Why did you suddenly start shooting?" Yang Dongqing asked, bewildered.

"There was a memory-devouring monster right beside you. If my guess is right, entering within ten meters of it affects your memories. Keep your distance from me; don't come closer."

Yang Dongqing's face fell. "A memory-devouring monster? Why didn't I see it? Can it turn invisible?"

Su Mu shook his head. "It doesn't turn invisible. But the instant you see it, you forget you ever saw it. That means the only way to retain the memory is to stay at least ten meters away."

Yang Dongqing opened his mouth to speak, but before the words could come out, his expression abruptly changed. He stared at Su Mu's shoulder in utter shock.

"You..."

Su Mu's eyes turned cold. Without waiting for Yang Dongqing's warning, he aimed his gun at his own shoulder. Sweeping his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the little monster reaching its hand toward his head.

Without a shred of hesitation, he squeezed the trigger. Yet, with his life hanging by a thread, a blank look flashed across his eyes, and Su Mu halted his finger.

'Wait, what was I going to do next?'

'A gun? What was I aiming at?'

'Why was I about to shoot?'

'Forget it, it doesn't matter. I never do things without a reason. I must have my reasons.'

Bang!

A scorching bullet whistled out, striking the little monster right in its open maw and sending it tumbling backward. The shot must have hit a vital spot; the creature rolled on the ground in agony, frantically flapping its small fleshy wings as it scrambled away.

Su Mu instantly regained his clarity. His hands were as steady as a precise machine as he fired relentlessly in the direction of the fleeing monster.

Even though every bullet hit the mark, they couldn't inflict a fatal wound. In the blink of an eye, the little monster vanished from their line of sight.

"Go!"

With that command, he led Yang Dongqing and the bald man in the opposite direction.

"That monster is so fucking wicked. What do we do now?" Yang Dongqing asked Su Mu, who was running ten meters ahead.

"Its actual strength is quite weak, and its defense doesn't compare to your Heart of Steel. However, that unrememberable state has no counter at the moment. To deal with it, you can only rely on long-range attacks like the Five-Finger Flame Bullet, or non-living entities that don't have memories. Handguns can drive it back, but they can't kill it. Our only option right now is to run; otherwise, once we run out of bullets, we're dead for sure."

A gleam of excitement flickered in Su Mu's eyes, like a hardcore gamer stumbling upon a highly challenging level. He had nearly died just now. If he hadn't fired that shot, he would undoubtedly be dead.

Counting on Yang Dongqing to save him was completely unrealistic. Even if Yang Dongqing charged over, he would lose his memory upon entering the ten-meter radius and forget what he was trying to do.

Fortunately, he had still pulled the trigger. Relying on absolute confidence in himself, he had managed to fire the shot even with his memory wiped!

The three sprinted away, but it wasn't long before the little monster caught up again. Flapping its bare fleshy wings, it charged rapidly toward them.

Su Mu kept firing as he fell back. Even though his gun couldn't kill the little monster, its firepower could at least slow the creature's advance.

When they crested a tall hill, they were immediately met with a different landscape.

The first thing to catch their eyes was a Land of Sacrifice surrounded by colossal stone walls. Semicircular walls were staggered in a mysterious pattern, built from enormous stone blocks with surfaces that were rough, uneven, and covered in mottled marks and moss.

Looking down from the hill, the ruins resembled a massive eye made of stone. At the very center sat an open clearing shaped like a human pupil.

"Let's go in and take a look," Su Mu ordered. This time, Yang Dongqing didn't wait to be told; he consciously took the lead to clear the path.

The bald man followed closely behind Su Mu, his expression filled with terror and his face covered in a cold sweat. He had completely forgotten who Su Mu and Yang Dongqing were, and even forgot why he was here in the first place. All he knew was that there was a monster behind them, and he had to run.

Miraculously, once the three stepped onto the grounds, the little monster halted its pursuit. It seemed to be afraid of something and didn't dare come any closer.

Su Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. He realized that some other danger was likely hidden here, but no matter what it was, they had to investigate. With his current methods, once he ran out of bullets, facing the little monster meant guaranteed death.