Rain poured relentlessly, rust-tinged rivulets tracing the contours of the barbed wire fence before dripping away.

Beyond the fence stretched a vast, uneven expanse of muddy earth, overgrown with nameless weeds. The heavy downpour had turned it into a quagmire, pocked with countless murky puddles of varying depths.

Within this desolate plaza, only a few structures remained—a large, roofed shed riddled with gaps, and scattered shanties. The rest of the space was choked with Marun-brand cars of every color and model.

Their bodies bore the scars of time: sun-bleached paint peeled away, revealing skeletal frames thick with black-red rust. They lay haphazardly—not parked, but discarded. Some on their sides, others tilted or upside down, even stacked like crude towers. This chaotic graveyard of vehicles, left utterly exposed to the elements, screamed one truth: every single one had been worthless junk long before reaching this state. No wonder no one had bothered with them, even when Marun prices soared over a year ago.

*This place looks like a horror movie crime scene…* Nainai shuddered behind the fence, watching rain hammer the groaning metal shells of the derelict cars. *What filthy thing does this man plan to do with me here?* She recoiled at the thought of becoming a real-life cautionary tale. Vivid, terrifying scenarios from adult doujinshi flooded her mind.

The Little Succubus calculated her odds:

70% chance of R18 scenarios she dreaded.

30% chance of something far worse—R18G.

"Hey…" Her voice trembled, small and thin. "Why… why did you bring me here? What do you want?" Gone was her earlier fury, replaced by a soft, quivering plea laced with sobs. "I was wrong before… I shouldn’t have snapped at you… Please, just let me go home…" She would’ve clung to Fusiming’s leg if she could move.

Pink hair plastered to her porcelain cheeks, violet eyes shimmering with rain and tears—she looked utterly broken.

Fusiming remained silent. His soaked, dark curls clung to his forehead, completely obscuring his pale silver eyes. His lips pressed into a thin, severe line. Rainwater traced his sharp jawline, amplifying the chilling aura around him. Trapped over his shoulder, Nainai could only see half his face—expressionless, icy. Her fear deepened.

With others, she could gauge danger by the size of the lustful flames in their chests. But Fusiming? His flame had always been small. Even now, aroused, it flickered weakly—a tiny, unstable pink ember. This inconsistency made her distrust her instincts. In this brutal world, optimism toward a threat was suicide.

*Did my teasing yesterday go too far? Is he finally…?*

—*Wait. He’s Scavenger Squad.*

Her heart plummeted. A Scavenger. An Extraordinary Being. He could erase her after… whatever he planned. If she lived, she’d become a caged plaything, forever severed from sky and freedom. But would he let her live? Silence was safest. And this abandoned wrecking yard? Perfect for making bodies disappear.

*Am I going to die here today?*

Dark thoughts avalanched. She regretted ever leaving home. Starvation or dehydration from losing herself to heat—anything was better than rotting in this wasteland. At least Xu Yingsnow would mourn her.

"...Hic…"

The tiny tremors shaking the small body on his shoulder finally registered. The Little Succubus was weeping silently, stifling sobs beneath the drumming rain. Her averted gaze held pure terror and despair—as if already sentenced to death.

*She’s… afraid of me?*

Fusiming froze. Had he truly done something so frightening? He mentally replayed the day: abducting her at night, silent and grim-faced, hauling her to this isolated ruin…

*Oh.*

The sequence was textbook horror-movie villainy. No wonder she expected the worst.

Rubbing his temple with his free hand, he sighed inwardly.

"...I won’t hurt you," he murmured, forcing his gravelly voice lower, gentler. "I brought you here… just to get out of the rain."

But his attempt at warmth backfired. The low, raspy whisper cut through the rain like eerie background music before a jump scare. Nainai’s teeth chattered violently. *Rain? Who believes that?!* She wished she could faint—anything to escape this paralyzing dread of the unknown.