From Apocalypse To Entertainment Circle (BL)-Chapter 85: Sian To The Rescue.

"No... No, please, please don’t kill me... Please..." WanWan sobbed between her tears and mucus, barely able to utter a single coherent sentence.

"My dear friend Wan Wan, how could I possibly kill you? I wouldn’t do such a thing. After all, I’m your friend... and your personal cameraman."

Yes, exactly. This man—standing before her with that eerie smile—was the same person who had once held a camera, live-streaming for Wan Wan.

As she gazed at the once-familiar and kind face, now transformed into the most terrifying nightmare of her life, she could no longer hold back her tears. She cried even harder.

This man had worked with her for quite some time, recommended by a friend she trusted. He had always seemed like a good, shy, and hardworking person.

But today... when she couldn’t find him anywhere, she feared something bad had happened to him. They were in an unfamiliar place, after all. Worried, she took out her phone and tracked the location of their work phone—the one he used to record her.

When she saw that he was in the forest, she panicked, thinking he might have gotten lost. So, she rushed over. But what she found instead... was the most horrifying and gut-wrenching sight she had ever seen in her life.

The friend she had come to help... was holding a long, sharp dagger. The edges of the blade were stained a vivid, blood-red. And in the next second, the man grabbed something—something bloody and somewhat circular.

The sun had not fully set yet, and its remaining light cast an eerie glow over the scene, allowing Wan Wan to see what he was holding with terrifying clarity.

...Skin.

Yes, human skin.

Wan Wan’s gaze slowly shifted downward to his feet, where a pool of hot, crimson blood seeped into the earth, hungrily absorbed by the surrounding plants.

And the source of that blood...

Wan Wan clamped a trembling hand over her mouth, forcing herself not to scream, not to make a sound. Her entire body shook violently as fear consumed her whole, paralyzing her thoughts and actions.

The kind man she had worked with for months... now wore a twisted, grotesque smile while holding a sheet of human skin. And finally, Wan Wan realized what it was.

How could she not?

The corpse lying at his feet... no longer had a face.

Where the face should have been, there was nothing but raw, exposed muscle, bone, and tendons drenched in blood. There were no features left. The skin had been removed so cleanly that not a single scrap of flesh remained.

If one looked closely, one would see that the body was still breathing—still moving. Like a slaughtered animal fighting for just a few more seconds of life, struggling against the inevitable, thrashing weakly against the dirt... only to finally, inevitably, die.

[I need to move. If I stay here, I’ll die. I have to tell someone. I have to call the police. Move, Wan Wan, move. Please!]

Wan Wan desperately tried to control her frozen limbs, but no matter how hard she willed herself, her body refused to obey.

Then, finally—after several shaky breaths—she managed to take a step.

But in that unfortunate moment... her foot landed on a dry branch.

Crack!

The sound was light, barely noticeable.

But to the man reveling in his grotesque "treasure," it was as loud as a gunshot.

His head snapped toward her with lightning speed.

His expression changed.

But it didn’t twist into fear of being caught.

Nor was there guilt over being discovered by a friend—his employer.

No...

What filled his face was pure, unfiltered euphoria.

Then, his lips stretched into a wide, ear-to-ear grin.

Step by step, he advanced toward her.

"Oh... what a shame, dear Wan Wan. I was planning to let you live for a few more days. After all, I do so enjoy watching your angelic face and all your adorable expressions. But since you’re so impatient to join my precious collection, I suppose there’s nothing more to say."

He paused, tilting his head, then continued in a softer, almost gentle tone.

"Your face will be the most beautiful addition to my collection yet."

As he drew closer, Wan Wan’s legs gave out beneath her. She collapsed to the ground, trembling, utterly powerless.

She watched in helpless terror as the dagger in his hand inched closer to her face.

The thought that these were the last moments of her life filled her mind.

She would never see her father again. She never seess her family. She never seess her friends.

Her face would be peeled from her skull, stolen by this deranged killer.

Wan Wan refused.

Even if she had to die today, she wouldn’t go without a fight.

Humans may be the weakest creatures in the universe...

But they were also the strongest.

Wan Wan grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it straight into the man’s eyes.

The moment the dirt hit him, he roared in anger and swung his dagger.

The blade sliced into her abdomen.

But—thankfully—it didn’t go in deep.

Wan Wan seized the chance and ran.

She ran and ran.

For two whole hours, she sprinted through the darkening forest, beneath a sky where the moon now loomed behind drifting clouds.

But now...

The game of hide and seek was over.

The killer had found her.

Painful death awaited.

"Oh dear, why is our precious Wan Wan crying? Don’t cry now, you’ll ruin that beautiful face of yours."

The murderer grabbed her by the hair and dragged her from behind the tree. He pulled her along the ground until they reached an open clearing bathed in moonlight.

A large, flat rock lay before them.

He forced her head onto it.

"It’s so dark, I’m afraid I might ruin your face while removing it. And it’s all your fault—you just had to play hide and seek. What if I can’t peel it off in one perfect piece? Tsk, tsk... the blame is on you."

The man rambled on and on.

Wan Wan lay there, crying.

But she wasn’t ready to give up.

Not yet.

One last chance.

One last desperate attempt at survival.

She screamed.

She screamed with all her might, over and over, her voice tearing through the silent night.

She screamed until her throat burned. Until her voice was hoarse and broken.

But no one came.

The man let her scream, utterly unfazed. He didn’t care.

He was enjoying this.

Enjoying her despair.

Once he had had his fill, he lifted the dagger, preparing to claim his "treasure."

But just as the blade was about to slice into her—

BAM!

Before Wan Wan’s tear-filled eyes—before the murderer’s twisted, hungry gaze—a figure appeared out of nowhere.

And with a single, powerful kick, he sent the killer flying several meters backward until he crashed into a tree.

Blood dripped from the man’s disfigured face. His nose was bent at an unnatural angle.

Of course, it was.

After all, Sian had aimed that flying kick right at his face.

Wan Wan stared in stunned silence.

Then, as she looked up at Sian standing above her, fresh tears welled in her eyes.

But this time...

They were tears of relief.

Tears of joy.

She was saved.

Wan Wan was in shock. But when she saw Sian standing over her, her amber eyes filled with tears—not tears of fear and despair this time, but tears of joy and relief. She had survived. She had escaped the endless nightmare.

For some reason, the moment she saw Sian, a deep sense of safety and reassurance washed over her. Her heart told her that as long as this man was here, no human or beast could harm her.

Sian, on the other hand, took in the sight of the girl’s pitiful state—her wounds, the dirt, and the blood smeared on her pale skin. His expression darkened further. Without a word, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

He was cursing his luck. He was cursing the lunatic standing before him.

A few minutes ago, he had been peacefully sitting by the fire, enjoying grilled meat. When he got tired of sitting, he decided to take a short walk to digest his meal. That idiot had followed him, walking beside him without an invitation.

But after only a few steps away from the camp, Sian sensed another presence in the forest ahead. He wasn’t interested in meddling in others’ business, so he chose to change his route. However, at that moment, he heard something.

"You hear that?" Sian asked Jiāo Liàngchén, his tone laced with suspicion.

"No, just the sound of insects. Why? Do you hear something?"

Sian didn’t respond. Instead, he crouched down, pressing his ear against the cold ground and closing his eyes.

"Sian, what are you doing? The ground is freezing! Get up!"

"Shut up. Let me concentrate."

A few seconds later, he pinpointed the location of the sound—and even managed to make out the desperate plea for help.

"Damn it! To hell with my life! I knew this would end badly! I just knew it!"

Sian cursed under his breath, then bolted like lightning, sprinting through the forest.

Jiāo Liàngchén left behind, hesitated for only a moment before running after him.