Deadly Plan: How Will I Survive?

On the sleeper train, the young man on the opposite bunk was staring at me.

I felt a wave of fear and hesitated, unsure if I should call the conductor.

He leaned forward and said in a low, sinister tone, "You need to get rid of that scar by your eye, or you'll keep having bad luck."

I was stunned.

He was right; I'd been down on my luck for the past few years.

As I thought about it, I realized my misfortune had begun around the time I got this scar.

1

It was ten o'clock at night when I boarded the train, alone, with my suitcase.

The lights in the carriage were already off, and darkness filled the space.

Using the faint glow from my phone, I managed to find my bunk.

It was quiet.

I yawned, pulled the quilt over me, and tried to settle in for sleep. But just as I was about to drift off, a shiver ran through me.

I noticed the young man across from me had sat up and was staring intently in my direction.

He looked to be about twenty, with big, blackframed glasses. His beard was scruffy, and his hair was a mess. He had an unkempt appearance that made me uneasy.

I remembered all the recent news reports of women being harassed on night trains. Instantly, my drowsiness vanished. I gripped my quilt tightly and watched him warily.

He seemed oblivious to my discomfort and continued to stare, inching closer.

My muscles tensed, and I debated whether to call for the conductor. But before I could act, he spoke first. "You need to get rid of that scar by your eye, or you'll keep having bad luck."

I was taken aback, stunned into silence.

I never expected him to say such a thing.

Seeing I didn’t respond, he added, “Get it looked at as soon as you get off the train, or you’ll face serious trouble soon.”

I finally found my voice, "How do you know?"

He was right—I was on the brink of serious trouble.

Just before the New Year, my company had secured a major contract and tasked me with proofreading the details.

Somehow, I had made a critical error, miswriting an important price. Now, I was on my way to meet the client and fix the mistake.

If I couldn't resolve it, not only would my hopes of becoming a permanent employee be dashed, but I might also be held financially liable for millions of dollars.

In that case, my career could be over.

Seeing the shock on my face, the man seemed to know he had struck a nerve. He pushed his messy hair back and asked coolly, "That scar—it looks recent. When did you get it?"

By now, I had started to regain my composure.

He didn’t seem like the usual timid creep, so I decided to tell him the truth. “Last spring, my best friend was trimming my eyebrows, and accidentally hurt me.”

Linda Anderson, my college roommate, and I had been inseparable for over three years, closer than sisters.

She was skilled at makeup and always helped me with my eyebrows.

But this time, while trimming, she slipped and scratched me by mistake.

She cried out of guilt, and I tried to comfort her, saying it was just a minor injury and that I didn’t rely on my looks for anything important.

Luckily, the wound healed quickly, leaving only a faint scar, which I soon forgot about.

“I was right.”

The young man nodded as if he understood. Then, looking at me intensely, he said, “That cut fell right on your luck line. From that day, your good fortune vanished.”

I was silent.

His words sent a chill down my spine.

As I thought back, I realized my bad luck did start around then.

First, I twisted my ankle walking on a perfectly flat surface. Then, I bombed an exam in my best subject, costing me my guaranteed spot in grad school.

Later, despite landing an internship at a prestigious multinational company, I started making frequent mistakes at work.

Seeing my silence, the young man continued, his expression serious. “I bet the person who scratched you is doing well now.”

I stared at him, shocked, then slowly nodded. “Yes.”

Since then, Linda, who used to struggle with her studies and complain about her bad luck, seemed to have turned her life around.

She not only took my spot for guaranteed admission to grad school, but she also became the favorite of our professors and started dating a handsome, talented guy.

Our fortunes had completely reversed overnight.

But I had never given it much thought.

“If I’m right, she consulted someone knowledgeable.”

The young man said, scrutinizing me with a mix of seriousness and pity.

“She had your luck cut off and transferred to her. This change will drastically improve her life and that of her family.”

As for my family, the repercussions were evident.

My father, who had always been healthy, began to fall ill last autumn and hasn’t fully recovered since.

My dad once mentioned that a friend, knowledgeable about evil spirits, thought he might be affected by something sinister. But after a thorough search, they found nothing and eventually gave up.

At the time, I dismissed it as superstition. But now, it seemed the problem was with me all along.

Linda had such a vicious mind!

Meeting this person on the train was a stroke of luck. Without this encounter, I shudder to think what other misfortunes might have awaited me.

Reflecting on this, I began to relax and addressed the person with more respect, “In your view, sir, if I repair this scar, will everything return to normal?”

“Certainly not.”

The young man replied without a moment's pause, shaking his head.

“It will only stop your bad luck from continuing. To restore your former good fortune, you must find the master behind her and break the curse he placed on you.”

“A curse?”

The word sent chills down my spine, and I felt my skin prickle. “Do you mean she did more to me than just leave this scar?”

"Yes."

He confirmed, staring intently at me as if searching for answers. After a pause, he murmured to himself.

“The Parasitic Insect isn’t in your body, so where could it be?”

Parasitic Insect?

The thought made my scalp tingle. Images of tiny bugs swarming over me, crawling and biting, flooded my mind.

They moved in groups, invading every orifice—mouth, eyes, nose...

"Vomit..."

I gagged, trembling with fear. The urge to rush back to school and confront Linda surged within me.

But now wasn't the time to confront Linda.

I needed to understand her actions and uncover the mastermind behind this dark magic.

I knew that relying solely on my own strength wouldn’t be enough.

Summoning all my courage, I stood on my shaky legs and bowed deeply to the young man.

“Since you’ve offered me advice, could you help me end this bad luck? I’m willing to give you anything you want in return.”

“I don’t go around looking for good deeds to do every day. I just happened to cross your path.”

He replied with a gentle smile, dimples appearing on his cheeks.

“I don’t need anything from you, but there is one condition: from now on, before you take any action, you must consult me. Don’t act impulsively.”

Breaking a Parasitic Insect curse was complex; even a small misstep could disrupt the entire process.

If the other party sensed anything amiss and prepares accordingly, it would make breaking the curse far more challenging.

But the crucial task is to discover where they placed the insect.

“Understood.”

I agreed quickly, then asked, “Do I need to repair this scar immediately?”

If Linda noticed the scar at the corner of my eye was gone, it could tip her off.

“Yes, we need to fix it as soon as we get off the train tomorrow morning.”

The young man said, scrutinizing me. “Once it’s repaired, it will halt your current streak of bad luck. As for the future...”

He abruptly stopped talking and stared intently at my chest.

It made me feel uneasy despite his seemingly good intentions.

“Sir...”

I began to speak, but before I could finish, he leapt up from the bed and grabbed my neck with his strong hands.

Panic surged, and I instinctively wanted to scream.

But before I could, he pulled at the red string around my neck, yanking off the jade pendant I had been wearing.

Examining it closely, he frowned and said, “If I’m not mistaken, this was given to you by your best friend.”

"Yes."

My heart sank deeper as I realized the implications. Biting my lip, I asked, “This jade pendant affects my luck too, doesn’t it?”

Every year on our birthdays, Linda and I exchange gifts.

Linda, who comes from a modest background, usually gives handmade trinkets. But this year, she surprised me with this valuablelooking jade pendant.

I assumed it was her way of making amends for accidentally cutting my skin, so I accepted it without hesitation.

I never suspected it was part of a sinister plan, a trap designed to drain me dry!

The malice in human nature could be unfathomable.

The young man didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he turned on his phone’s flashlight and inspected the jade pendant carefully.

After a moment, he placed the pendant on a small table, pulled out a bag of silvergray powder from his backpack, and sprinkled it meticulously over the pendant.

I had never seen anything like it. I watched, wideeyed, afraid to blink and miss something crucial.

What happened next left me speechless.

The silvergray powder began to turn black, reminiscent of a silver spoon detecting poison in an old TV drama.

The transformation was rapid and continued for about ten minutes. When the powder had completely blackened, the young man used a small broom to sweep the blackened ash away bit by bit.

As the ash cleared, I saw a fine crack appear in the center of the onceintact jade pendant.

From this tiny fissure emerged a slender silver insect, its small eyes darting left and right as if surveying its surroundings.

I was stunned.

My scalp prickled, and I felt faint with fear.

I had been carrying this cursed thing day and night, letting it feed on my life force and disrupt my fate.

If not for this young man’s intervention, I might never have realized what was happening to me until it was too late.

It took me a while to find my voice in the great shock, "Sir..."

Before I could say more, he shot me a sharp, silencing look.

I understood immediately.

He didn’t want to alert the insect. If it sensed danger and retreated into the jade, extracting it would become even harder.

But it was already too late.

My voice startled the creature. It hesitated for a moment before shrinking back, attempting to retreat into the jade pendant.

But something unexpected happened. The creature's tiny eyes flicked toward me, and in an instant, it darted forward, crawling rapidly in my direction.

The young man, anticipating this, tried to catch it with his tweezers.

However, the creature was incredibly fast. Before I could react, it flew to my face and entered my nostrils.

I felt a tickle inside my nose and instinctively tried to scratch it, but it was too late. The creature had already entered my body.

"Sir..."

I gasped, my eyes wide with terror, clutching the young man's hand in desperation.

He acted swiftly. Tilting my chin up, he poured a dark brown liquid from a small porcelain bottle into my nostrils.

The liquid had a pungent, almost nauseating smell, like rotting manure, which made me gag violently.

As I retched, my stomach convulsed, and I vomited repeatedly onto the floor.

I was unprepared for what came next.

To my horror, small insects began to crawl out of the vomit.

They were tiny, about the size of ants, but each had more than a dozen legs and seemed to multiply rapidly, their numbers growing before my eyes.

I bit down on my arm hard, trying to suppress the urge to scream.

The young man held the bottle tightly, watching the writhing mass of bugs with calm intensity. He waited as they scurried around, forming a wriggling black swarm.

From the center of the vomit, a larger, more prominent Parasitic Insect began to emerge.

It looked like the smaller ones but was noticeably bigger—a clear leader of the swarm.

In a flash, the young man poured more of the liquid directly onto the leader.

The scene unfolded in an instant.

The next second, the larger insect was trapped in the bottle, securely locked away.

Without their leader, the smaller insects quickly became disoriented and lethargic. Within moments, they stopped moving entirely and died.

The Parasitic Insect twisted and writhed at the mouth of the bottle, desperately trying to escape. The young man quickly sprinkled a thick layer of silvergray powder around the bottle’s opening.

Under the influence of the powder, the insect's frantic movements slowed, and its head drooped lifelessly.

Watching this, I felt my anxiety ease slightly.

But I still kept my hands over my mouth, too afraid to make a sound after my previous outburst nearly caused disaster.

The young man glanced up at me, then carefully sealed the insect in the porcelain bottle. It was only then that I realized the creature was over four inches long.

He sighed deeply and gave me a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, it’s powerless now.”

“Is it...really dead?”

I asked, my voice trembling. “Could it...come back to life?”

My mind raced with fear. If such a small insect could hide in a jade pendant, what might it do in a more spacious container?

“No, it’s not dead.”

The young man said, placing the bottle in his black bag.

“This is a Blood Parasitic Insect. It drains a person’s blood, energy, and luck. What we have here is a Baby Insect. We need it to find the Mother Insect.”

"What!"

I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you saying Linda has a Mother Insect?”

I had heard stories about wealthy people using dark arts like raising poisonous insects or ghosts to safeguard their fortune.

But I never imagined such things would touch my life.

“It could be her or someone behind her.”

He replied, looking more relaxed now. He rubbed his temples and tried to comfort me.

“Don’t worry. From what I see, the Mother Insect hasn’t activated yet. Otherwise, you wouldn’t just be unlucky—you’d be facing something much worse.”

When someone siphoned off another's luck, it must be done gradually and with precise timing; otherwise, it would backfire.

This gave me a small measure of relief. My life wasn’t in immediate danger. Swallowing hard, I said respectfully, “Thank you for saving me, sir.”

“My name is Sherwood Walker. You can call me Sherwood.”

He introduced himself calmly. “We can talk more tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.”

With that, he tossed the quilt back and lay down, as if our conversation had been about mundane matters and not a lifethreatening encounter with a deadly Parasitic Insect.

While Sherwood fell asleep quickly, I couldn’t find any rest.

I lay awake, replaying every moment of my relationship with Linda over the past few years.

Linda is just an ordinary college student. It seemed impossible that she could know about dark magic.

If she had known, she would have acted much sooner, not waiting until our junior year.

There was only one explanation.

She must have met someone recently who understood dark magic.

That person saw my good luck and decided to exploit it for her.

Linda and I rarely interacted with people outside our campus. How could this have happened?

Suddenly, a vivid memory flashed through my mind.

That had to be it!

I remembered an incident not long before the eyebrowcutting episode. Linda had taken me to the food street outside our school, saying her cousin was visiting and wanted to have barbecue with us.

Linda's socalled cousin had an unkempt beard, a sinister glint in his eyes, and a prominent scar across his face. He didn’t seem like a trustworthy person at all.

During our meal, I could feel his gaze on me, darting back and forth, making me so uneasy I could hardly breathe. I worried he might have some unsavory intentions toward me.

Fortunately, he did nothing inappropriate and left shortly after dinner.

At the time, I dismissed my discomfort as paranoia, thinking I was being too judgmental. But now, it was clear that this encounter was connected to the strange events happening to me!

I stayed awake all night, finally dozing off just before dawn.

Sherwood’s voice woke me. “Wake up, we’re almost arriving.”

"Okay."

Groggy, I sat up, grabbed a bottle of water from my bag, and took a few sips to wake up. Then, I gathered my things and followed Sherwood off the train.

I had a meeting with my client at 2 p.m. Initially, we planned to review the contract in the morning, but there wasn’t time now. Instead, we took a taxi straight to the plastic surgery hospital in the city center.

The scar at the corner of my eye was fresh and shallow, so the plastic surgeon recommended laser scar removal for quick results.

After the preparations, the procedure only took an hour, and the scar was completely gone.

Gazing at the smooth skin where the scar had been, I felt a wave of relief. I turned to Sherwood and whispered, “Is this okay?”

"Yes."

Sherwood nodded approvingly, “This should end your streak of bad luck. Your afternoon negotiations should go smoothly.”

Really?

Could it be that simple?

It turned out Sherwood was right.

In the afternoon, I arrived at my client's office as scheduled. I presented the remedial measures for the issues in our previous project, expecting some pushback. To my surprise, they agreed without hesitation.

If I completed this project successfully, I would be promoted to a fulltime position!

But first, I needed to deal with Linda and the person behind her, reclaiming the good luck that was rightfully mine.

Linda had moved out of our dorm after she started dating her wealthy boyfriend and rarely came back unless it was necessary.

I was trying to figure out how to lure her back when I opened the dorm door and found her sitting in a chair, angrily muttering to herself with a fierce expression.

Seeing her filled me with the urge to slap her for all the harm she had caused.

But I needed to find the mastermind behind her actions, so I forced myself to stay calm. I bit my lip and smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“You’re such a busy person. What brings you back today?”

Linda, not even bothering to turn her head, snorted.

“My instructor’s stupid experiments are driving me crazy. I made a mistake with the data and got chewed out.”

Linda’s academic performance had always been mediocre. Even though she managed to continue her studies into graduate school, she frequently made mistakes. This wasn’t the first time.

Just by looking at Linda’s expression, I could tell that her mistake was serious, not some minor error.

Thinking of this, I had some thoughts in my mind, but I kept my composure and gently gave her some suggestions.

“The instructor values accurate data, so it’s normal for him to criticize when something goes wrong. Once he calms down, you should apologize.”

“Why should I apologize to him? I don’t even want to be a graduate student anymore," she snapped.

Ever since Linda started dating that wealthy guy, she had become increasingly arrogant and dismissive.

She paused, about to continue her rant, when she turned and noticed my face. She looked startled. “Yasmine, why is the scar at the corner of your eye gone?”

I decided not to reveal the truth. Casually, I replied, “That scar was small but annoying to look at every day. The beauty salon had a promotion, so I decided to have it removed with a laser treatment.”

As I spoke, a theory formed in my mind.

Could it be that fixing the scar had disrupted Linda’s ability to siphon off my luck? If so, it might explain why her own luck was faltering now.

If this was true, Linda wouldn’t be able to hold on to the graduate position she had secured through underhanded means.

Linda’s eyes widened in anger. They practically glowed with fury, and her voice turned harsh. “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting the scar removed?”

I knew exactly what she was worried about. Inside, I was laughing at her panic, but I replied evasively, “Oh, come on. It was just a little scar. It didn’t cost much. Do I need to ask for your permission or compensation?”

My vague response clearly frustrated her. She struggled to hide her anger, finally managing to calm herself down. With a forced smile, she spoke.

“I’m just in a bad mood today. Don’t take it personally. By the way, my cousin Garret’s visiting tonight. Let’s go out for dinner together!”

I had expected Linda to act, but not so quickly.

Her impatience could work to my advantage, giving Sherwood a chance to meet the man sooner and break whatever spell was affecting me.

With a deeper smile, I agreed.

“Sure, I haven’t had a decent meal or good sleep in days because of the project. Now that it’s over, I’m ready for a nice dinner.”

“The project that was about to collapse... you managed to save it?”

Linda’s anger, simmering earlier, now boiled over.

Her eyes blazed with fury. If looks could kill, I’d be dead.

“Yeah, if everything goes well, I’ll be a fulltime employee by graduation.”

Feigning fear at her intense reaction, I took a step back and asked softly.

“Linda, what’s wrong? Are you upset that I managed to negotiate the deal?”

“No, of course I’m happy for you.”

Linda was cunning. She quickly recovered from her outburst and forced an awkward smile, biting her lip.

“Rest for a bit. Let me ask when Garret will arrive.”

Okay."

I ignored Linda and started unpacking my things, then texted Sherwood, inviting him to join us for dinner.

His response was quick and to the point: [OK.]

With Sherwood’s confirmation, I felt a wave of relief. Pretending to scroll through my phone, I kept a close eye on Linda.

Linda was fixated on ruining the luck I had just regained, furiously tapping away at her phone with a fierce expression.

But her bad mood didn’t last long. Whatever was said on the other end of the conversation, it transformed her face from anger to cold calculation.

As I wondered if she had been given new instructions to plot against me, she broke the silence, “Yasmine, are you still wearing that jade pendant I gave you?”

Ah, so that was her angle!

I recalled how Sherwood had extracted the Parasitic Insect from the pendant. The memory sent shivers down my spine.

Trying to maintain my composure, I pinched my thigh to avoid reacting and then pulled the pendant from under my shirt, joking.

“Of course I am. You’re not planning to take it back, are you?”

“Of course not.”

Linda replied, clearly relieved. She walked over and sat next to me, holding my arm affectionately.

“I got this jade pendant especially for you. It’s meant to bring you good luck. You should keep wearing it.”

Ha, nice try.

It seemed that she wanted to do something with the Parasitic Insect.

Gratitude flooded me for Sherwood’s quick action in dealing with the pendant. Without him, that cursed insect might already be inside me.

“Is it so magical?”

I smiled sincerely, suppressing my disgust, and handed the pendant to Linda.

“Actually, I think you need it more than I do. You’ve had a run of bad luck lately. Maybe it will help you.”

It was not possible for it to turn around her luck.

There was no way I was going to repay evil with kindness. Linda needed to feel the consequences of her actions.

Linda looked taken aback by my quick move. She had no time to refuse.

The moment I placed the pendant in her hand, she recoiled as if it were a hot coal, flinging it away and jumping up from the bed in horror.

Up until that moment, I had harbored a sliver of hope that Linda might not be fully aware of the evil behind the jade pendant.

But her reaction confirmed that she knew everything.

She had been willing to drain my luck and let the Parasitic Insect slowly bleed me dry.

My hands clenched into fists, but surprisingly, my anger gave way to a cold calm. I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Linda, what’s wrong?”

"Nothing... nothing."

she stammered, her eyes wide and fixed on her palm, as if checking for any sign of the insect. Slowly, her face regained some color.

Trying to sound natural, she said, “I got this for you. It only works if you wear it.”

"I see."

I casually picked up the pendant and toyed with it, watching Linda’s reaction.

“Maybe I’ll get one for you sometime, so you won’t keep making mistakes and blaming your bad luck.”

Linda was speechless.

Linda didn't seem to expect that I would hit her sore spot so bluntly, but she needed me to change her luck urgently, so she couldn't get angry. She just said coldly, “Garret will be here soon. Let’s get ready to go.”

“Sure.”

I agreed easily, checking my phone. “What a coincidence, my cousin’s coming too. Why don’t we all have dinner together?”

Linda, preoccupied with her schemes to improve her luck, barely registered my words. She agreed without hesitation, “Alright, let’s go out first. Your cousin can meet us there.”

After quickly packing, Linda and I left the dormitory to pick up our respective "cousins". By the time the four of us gathered at the barbecue restaurant, an hour had already passed.

My hunch was right. The person Linda brought was indeed the intimidating scarred man who had eyed me last time.

"It's him."

I murmured to Sherwood as we entered, leaning close. "Could the Mother Insect be inside him?"

"Possibly."

Sherwood replied calmly, sensing the tension. "Avoid drinking alcohol or beverages for now. We'll see how things unfold."

"Got it."

As we spoke, we headed straight to our table.

The scarred man glanced at me briefly, then shifted his gaze to Sherwood, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

Sherwood, unfazed by the intimidating stare, casually pulled out a chair and sat directly opposite him.

I took a seat next to Sherwood and smiled across at Linda. "Sorry we're late," I said politely.

Sherwood had explained that to lure out the Mother Insect using the Baby Insect, we needed perfect timing and the certainty that the Mother Insect was within the other person.

It had to be a decisive move, catching them redhanded.

Otherwise, if they were prepared, it would be much harder to catch that creature next time.

Furthermore, without direct evidence, the police wouldn't believe us, allowing these demons to escape justice.

Sherwood and I were determined not to let that happen. They must be brought to justice!

"Not at all, we just arrived."

Bernard Allen, Linda's wealthy boyfriend, replied before Linda or Scarface could speak.

I didn't expect him to come too.

His unexpected presence was an opportunity to see Linda's true nature.

Seeing Sherwood, I noticed his fingers subtly trembling.

I remember very clearly that when he was helping me deal with the Parasitic Insect on the train last night, his fingers made the same subtle movements.

Could it be that...

Before I could dwell on it, Linda handed me a glass of juice with a warm smile.

"The skewers will be here soon. Have a drink!" she said.

"Thanks."

I accepted the juice but recalled Sherwood's warning and left it untouched on the table.

Seeing this, Linda looked obviously a little nervous.

Although Garret remained silent, I felt his eyes fixed on me the entire time.

Not wanting to arouse suspicion, I considered finding a casual topic to divert their attention when my phone buzzed.

It was a message from Sherwood: [Your roommate's boyfriend also has Parasitic Insect.]

I froze.

Linda had pursued Bernard relentlessly since freshman year, and despite his initial indifference, they started dating six months ago.

I had attributed it to Linda's persistence, but now it seemed it was because of the Parasitic Insect.

This woman was so vicious!

Anger surged, but I bit my lip, struggling to contain my shock, and quickly messaged Sherwood back: [Can you fix this?]

Sherwood replied quickly, "Alright, let's see how it unfolds."

With Sherwood's assurance, my anxiety eased, and I waited patiently for the right moment to act with the others.

Linda couldn't contain her impatience and urged, "Yasmine, this orange juice is your favorite. Try it and see if you like it!"

She seemed about to force the cup into my hand.

But before I could react, Sherwood swiftly intercepted it.

Just as I watched Sherwood cautiously, worried about any spills, he unexpectedly tilted the glass, splashing the entire contents directly onto Garret.

Since Sherwood entered the room, Scarface had been on high alert.

But he never expected that Sherwood would attack in such a simple and crude way. He dodged swiftly but couldn't avoid being partially soaked, the juice staining his forehead.

Without hesitation, Garret grabbed a stool, ready to strike Sherwood.

Yet, before he could swing it, the blood drained from his face at a visible rate, leaving him as pale as a ghost.

Linda knew exactly what was in the orange juice. She was completely stunned and shouted angrily, "Who... are you?"

Among us, Bernard was the only one oblivious to the unfolding drama. He was now terrified by Garret's sudden transformation.

Glancing at Linda, Bernard saw her expression was more fearsome than Garret's.

Concerned for Bernard's safety, I grabbed his arm and calmly explained to him.

"Linda has planted Parasitic Insect in you. She's been asking you for money a lot lately, hasn't she?"

The relationship between Linda and Garret wasn't simple. Otherwise, he wouldn't do such a cruel act for her.

Whether it was stealing my luck or being with Bernard, it all boiled down to funding her selfish desires for more money.

Bernard seemed incredulous. Wideeyed, he stammered, "Whwhat did you say?"

Coming from a wealthy background, Bernard didn't care how much money he spent, but being enchanted was another matter entirely.

"Linda planted Parasitic Insect in both you and Yasmine, and this man here is the mastermind."

Sherwood reiterated, his gaze icy as he stared down Garret. "You've clearly been practicing this for a while, but your execution is lacking."

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Linda didn't care about confronting me, but she couldn't afford for Bernard to doubt her. She lunged towards him, trying to grab his hand, but he deftly evaded her.

Bernard might not fully believe me, but he couldn't ignore the evidence before him.

Sherwood, quick on his feet, tossed a prepared powder onto Garret's forehead.

Garret's complexion worsened visibly. Clearly affected by the Baby Insect in the juice, the Mother Insect concealed within him began to stir.

Simultaneously, the Baby Insect that Sherwood had extracted from the jade pendant writhed violently in its container, one of its small eyes glaring malevolently.

Having witnessed such scenes before, I was mentally prepared and managed to maintain my composure. However, for Bernard, this was his first encounter with such a horrifying sight, and he was understandably shaken.