C27 The Omen of Doom

As Chief Inspector Liu stepped out of his office, he didn't spot the cockroach; instead, his eyes fell on the many subordinates huddled to one side.

The sight of his male employees cowering made Chief Inspector Liu's temples pulse with visible irritation.

"What a useless lot! Scared stiff by a mere cockroach!"

He was about to heap more scorn upon them when a trembling staff member pointed to the ceiling just behind him.

"Cock... Cockroach..."

"Mmph!"

Several female colleagues, petrified, clamped their hands over their mouths, terrified that any sound might draw the insect closer.

Chief Inspector Liu followed the direction indicated by the staffer's shaky finger, and as he turned to look at the ceiling, his anger evaporated, replaced by a deep, paralyzing fear.

"Ah!"

He toppled over in terror, scrambling backward on the floor, his suit pants growing conspicuously damp.

While fear gripped them all, the sight of Chief Inspector Liu's accident provoked a wave of revulsion among the staff.

The cockroach overhead, not counting its antennae, stretched at least half a meter in length, and with them, it spanned over a meter.

In Xiao Hao's eyes, who had encountered wild monsters up to eight or nine meters long, this cockroach didn't even qualify as a level 0 threat.

But to ordinary people unaccustomed to survival games, this creature was the stuff of nightmares!

Moreover, cockroaches could consume nearly any organic matter, feasting on everything from living organisms to soap, leather, hair, and wood.

With this particular cockroach's mutation, humans were now, quite alarmingly, on its menu.

Perhaps it was the scent of Chief Inspector Liu's urine that drew its attention. The cockroach's antennae swayed casually as its head turned ominously toward him.

"Don't... Don't come any closer..."

Chief Inspector Liu's pants grew even wetter, but Xiao Hao found himself more repulsed by the man than the loathsome insect.

The cockroach's spiny legs inched forward, and then it made a beeline for Chief Inspector Liu!

In a desperate moment, Chief Inspector Liu snapped to his senses, bolted back into his office, and slammed the door shut. But the determined cockroach lunged, shattering the wooden door's lock in its pursuit.

As the cockroach fixated on Chief Inspector Liu, many employees had already fled the building, some calling the police, others simply running for their lives.

Now, only Chief Inspector Liu and Xiao Hao remained in the office.

The door squeaked open, and the sight of the cockroach's slender brown legs creeping forward spurred Chief Inspector Liu into action. He dashed behind Xiao Hao and shoved him with all his might.

But Xiao Hao, blessed with the Immortal Body skill, was no longer merely human. Chief Inspector Liu's shove was futile, like pushing against a solid steel wall.

The cockroach, mid-advance, turned its head toward Chief Inspector Liu, but with Liu cowering behind Xiao Hao, it found itself staring directly at Xiao Hao instead.

Xiao Hao's pupils narrowed. His left hand gripped his right, which subtly morphed into a miniature scythe. Sensing something amiss, the cockroach halted in its tracks.

Cockroaches were not only resilient; their antennae were adept at detecting danger.

This human exuded a lethal threat far greater than any they had sensed before.

In an instant, the tables turned, and the cockroach was overwhelmed with terror.

To it, this human was as deadly as one would be to an ant.

Memories of hiding in dark, damp corners, too fearful to venture into the open, flooded back.

As if anticipating Xiao Hao's strike, the cockroach beat a hasty retreat, wings flapping frantically, desperate not to be crushed into a pulp.

With the cockroach gone, the distant screams of humans persisted.

Watching the cockroach disappear, Chief Inspector Liu's fear subsided, and he realized the gravity of his actions.

"Xiao... Xiao Hao... I'm sorry, that wasn't intentional..."

Xiao Hao remained still, his fingers already back to normal, silent.

Chief Inspector Liu, aware of his guilt, said tentatively, "Look, Xiao Hao, take your time with the planning, no rush..."

Xiao Hao cast a disdainful, icy glance at the chaotic office, then at Chief Inspector Liu, his expression seeming to ask, "After all this, you still expect me to work?"

Chief Inspector Liu was immediately filled with regret. Accustomed to exploiting others, he couldn't believe he'd spoken so carelessly to Xiao Hao, especially with the danger still looming.

There would be time enough to press him into service once the threat had passed!

After all, Xiao Hao had just chased off the cockroach, and he still needed his help. How could he afford to slip up and say the wrong thing at such a pivotal moment?

With an awkward smile, Chief Inspector Liu said, "Well... uh... it's okay if you don't want to do it. If you're feeling tired, take all the rest you need..."

He could barely stand to hear his own words and quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. "Xiao Hao, why did the cockroach flee at the sight of you?"

Though Chief Inspector Liu was detestable, Xiao Hao had no desire to resort to murder.

In the real world, killing brought only fleeting satisfaction, followed by a host of complications.

Xiao Hao had no intention of killing Chief Inspector Liu. To avoid raising any suspicions, he needed a plausible reason for sparing him.

"It's because of fear," he stated simply.

Chief Inspector Liu was perplexed. "Fear?"

Xiao Hao elaborated calmly, "I'm not sure why that cockroach grew so large, but before its transformation, it was always evading humans."

"It still fears us. But your fear made it think it was superior, emboldening it to strut around and view humans as prey."

"In such a situation, if you want to survive, you must confront your fear. Treat it as the insignificant cockroach it once was, awaken the deep-seated fear within it, and it will instinctively avoid humans."

His logic was sound and persuasive, convincing not only Chief Inspector Liu but also the viewers commenting in real-time.

The streamer was impressively formidable. Even blending into the crowd, he managed to repel the wild monster without resorting to supernatural strength.

He was absolutely right. In the early days, this was indeed how people commonly dealt with newly mutated creatures, given the players were vastly outnumbered.

Our race only pieced together this wisdom after some time had passed since the apocalypse. Yet, the streamer pinpointed it on day one. It's no wonder he's a gaming pro. I'm thoroughly impressed.

Regrettably, this survival strategy was short-lived. Once the wild monster recognized its newfound strength, the fate of ordinary people was left to chance.

Xiao Hao skimmed the bullet screen but found nothing of value.

"I see..."

While Chief Inspector Liu scrambled to keep the conversation going, Xiao Hao had already exited the office.

He had no desire to endure the stench of urine any longer.

Too fearful and embarrassed to ask Xiao Hao to stay, Chief Inspector Liu remained in place, quickly making a call for assistance once Xiao Hao had departed.

Xiao Hao gave the disheveled office a cursory look and noticed someone hiding, but he chose not to get involved.

Returning to his desk, he waited briefly before the sound of gunfire confirmed his expectations.

Not being an actor, Xiao Hao took a moment to compose himself before he could feign a convincing sense of fear.

Police officers stormed in, and only after they declared the mutated cockroach vanquished did a sense of normalcy start to return.

Everyone was on edge until the police confirmed the threat was neutralized, allowing calm to slowly resurface.

Xiao Hao had anticipated they would all be asked to record their statements, but the police merely conducted a brief verbal inquiry, sparing them the formal process.

While the rest didn't give it much thought, Xiao Hao instantly grasped the gravity of the situation.

The absence of formal statements was a clear sign of the dire shortage of personnel.

With the incident over, there was no point in sticking around; everyone headed home.

Unbeknownst to Xiao Hao, as he left, a detective's eyes followed him intently, squinting with keen interest.