222: 5.32 Give It To Me!

5.32 Give It To Me!

Yves hummed thoughtfully, the euphoria he felt earlier vanished without a trace. The longer he looked into Joshua's eyes, the more plausible the possibility was. What if the parasites got more aggressive after they had killed the King? Certainly, they had to take it into consideration instead of rushing head on blindly. Joshua's worry wasn't unfounded. On the contrary, Yves was proud of how careful he was! See, this was how a guide was supposed to be!2

Joshua's eyes slowly brightened, but his hope was cut short when a loud scoff echoed in the room.

Turning to the source of the sound, he found Terra looking at him with an almost mocking look as if what he had just proposed was the stupidest thing in the world. He flushed, ashamed, feeling as if the guide had seen through his blunder. But still he insisted on holding his head high. "Excuse me, is there a problem?"

Yves furrowed his brows and almost snarled. Who gave him the courage to act like that—

"Eyes." Lu Yizhou suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his sight of the guide. He was taller than Yves by an inch but now, as Lu Yizhou leveled him down with that steely cold gaze that screamed murder, Yves suddenly felt himself becoming much, much smaller. "Do you even hear what he's talking about?" Lu Yizhou sneered, the mockery in his tone was sharp and blunt.

Yves' mind suddenly blanked, intimidated by the aura that the A rank dark sentinel exuded. "W—What?"

"Provoke them further?" Lu Yizhou jutted his chin toward the window. "Did you even see what they are doing? Obviously, they are trying to save their King. They are acting so desperately that they don't mind throwing their lives away. For what? Why can't you understand such a simple logic, Lieutenant Yves?"

Yves' whole body flushed with shame, especially as the situation suddenly became crystal clear in front of him because of General Kai's pointer. Of course, the parasites were desperate to save their King because they couldn't let it die. Why couldn't they? Because it would endanger them as well; because it had become a life and death situation, severe enough that some sacrifices had to be made. Why couldn't he think this through earlier?! Get yourself together, Yves! "My apologies, General." He bowed deeply, remorseful. "I have been inattentive."

"Now." Lu Yizhou moved to Joshua before anyone could react. "I can't help but find you suspicious. First thing first, why are you pursued by the parasite? I have seen them ignoring everyone else in the hospital. Without a doubt, they won't be provoked unless it's a matter concerning their lives. Second, why are you trying to talk us out of killing it? Do you have something to do with the parasite or… are you a parasite yourself?"

Joshua's face paled further and tremors shook through his entire body. No, nononono he couldn't let himself get exposed! Inside him, the parasite was also on its edge with anticipation. The King is so close, so close. Take it! Take it away! The two urges battled inside him vehemently, almost driving him insane. "I—"

"General! Joshua is a guide!" Yves couldn't help but come to his defense. "How can it be possible—"

"Stay out of this, Yves." Lu Yizhou cut in sharply. He held the crate in front of Joshua's face like hooking a fish with a sumptuous bait. He incited the guide further. "Tell me. Do you want this?"

Stay still. No, the King is right in front of us! You will be found out. Save the King! Save the King! SAVE THE KING! The battle inside Joshua's mind was won by the parasite by a large margin, too provoked by the sight of the goal. So close…. just a little bit more—

Lu Yizhou retracted his arm and jumped away in a blink of an eye.

The thin thread holding Joshua's sanity together snapped and he growled. "Give it back to me!"

The atmosphere abruptly stilled following his outburst, so silent that Yves' sharp intake of breath echoed loud and clear. Joshua broke out of the trance he was under and his heart abruptly sank, despair flooded his heart.

Everything was over… Joshua could feel Yves' shocked gaze on him like sharp needles. Tears blurred his eyes. No, this wasn't what he wanted— but he had gone and done it, hadn't he? He had let himself become weak and in exchange, allowed the parasite to slip through his armor. After everything he had endured, after the long way he had gone through, he had finally messed everything up. Yves wouldn't trust him anymore and certainly would no longer protect him. Well, so be it. After this, he would definitely be killed. Tears slid down his cheeks as Joshua closed his eyes and let the parasite take control of his body. 

In the next second, something unforeseeable happened. Joshua's body shook and his shoulders hunched, head hanging low. His lips were muttering something incomprehensible and Lu Yizhou's hearing-sense caught the sudden uproar outside the window, a man screaming "Why the fuck are they getting so aggressive all of a sudden?!" And footsteps. So many footsteps getting closer to where they were now.

Lu Yizhou grabbed Terra's hand and tore open the door. "Run!"

He had just gotten a few steps away when Joshua dropped from the ceiling right in front of them. A quiet gasp escaped Terra's lips and Lu Yizhou felt the urge to curse himself. The original plot didn't cover what would happen if Joshua and the parasite inside him merged into one and Lu Yizhou had never expected that the guide would snap and… turn into such a creature.

Joshua was on his four, the pose reminded him awfully of spiders. When he lifted his head, his eyes were wild and his lips twisted into a maniacal grin. "Give it! Give the King back to me!!!" 

Lu Yizhou grabbed a hand knife from his back pocket and threw it straight toward Joshua at lightning speed but the guide's reflexes had gotten up a few notches. He moved almost in a blur and evaded the attack, then lunged straight toward Lu Yizhou, arm stretched out toward his pocket where the crate was. Lu Yizhou clashed with him head on, his sight-sense allowing him to zoom every movement in slow motion. He didn't hesitate to deliver a punch at the opening on Joshua's side. A satisfying crack was heard from his ribs. The guide let out a strangled sound and rolled on the ground, coughing blood.

Terra! Lu Yizhou turned to check on his lover in time to see him exploding two of the nearest parasite's heads. He was breathing heavily and sweat dotted his forehead, face paling by each second. Lu Yizhou cursed. It was undoubtedly taxing to use mental power on moving targets again and again. He couldn't let Terra use his power any longer!

Lu Yizhou snatched the gun he had given Terra earlier from the guide's back pocket and used it to shoot Joshua, off mark of course otherwise he would break the rule of killing the protagonist. He focused on the ground around Joshua's feet, enough to wound his limbs and stalled him for a while, then he grabbed Terra and started running again. Gunshot reverberated through the hallway as Lu Yizhou tore a way through the fallen corpses, the green liquid splashing their shoes.

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