Bai Ruoshui couldn't help but recall what her older brother had once told her as a child: "Never accept candy from strangers so easily."

She'd grasped this lesson by age three. Even if her brother repeated it, she'd only think he regretted promising that stranger to live forever as a "Hero."

Now, she realized her current situation mirrored that exact warning.

The words this man before her had just spoken were clearly meant to lower her guard.

"No need."

She knew exactly what he planned. From the start, Bai Ruoshui had already guessed his words and actions.

"I know everything."

As she spoke, the man before her—Xila—shuddered slightly.

"Huh?"

He had no choice but to react that way to her phrasing.

"What did you just say?"

To her kidnapper, she'd uttered this without flinching. Merely speaking it took immense courage; she knew her peril all too well.

"I gained self-awareness just a month after birth. I knew I existed in this world and held my own memories. So, I might understand myself better than anyone alive."

As she spoke, Bai Ruoshui slowly straightened her back, puffing out her chest.

"Categorized as human, I'm probably a bit of a monster. As you see, I don't panic blindly or make exaggerated gestures. Before acting, I summarize in my mind what I observe—the events about to happen and those past. Even with tiny fragments, I piece them together."

In Bai Ruoshui's eyes, Xila saw not a trace of fear. Perhaps that was why they'd grown interested in this girl's older brother.

"Interesting. How many people have been locked in this cage? And how many ever walked out alive?"

"Roughly 140. None escaped."

"...

Seeing the girl state cold facts like statistics, Xila stood abruptly from his stool. His reaction proved Bai Ruoshui right.

"If you only beg for your life, you'd live like a puppet, obsessing over existence's meaning. That path leads only to confusion. My daily work is far heavier—I estimate trends and fluctuations too. Counting me, you'll kill about twenty more people in the coming days."

Xila's gaze locked onto the girl's sapphire pupils. Her astonishing courage and unyielding presence captivated him.

"Ohoh, truly captivating."

Xila's eyes widened. He leaped from his stool, strode to the cage door, and slammed against the iron bars with a *bang*.

"Aah, this is why I adore humans. So weak, yet so endearing; so ordinary, yet so surprising. You're heaven's greatest gift to this world, making me want to..."

He opened his mouth wide, licking his sharp fangs with a blood-red tongue.

"...bite off your head, rip out your guts, and swallow you whole."