An inexplicable terror surged into Takeda Masao's heart, instantly washing away the tipsiness from moments ago.

He stared hard at the 'Natsume Masahiro' before him.

That face was clearly familiar beyond measure—the timid little yellow-haired man from usual days.

Yet now he gave him an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity.

The state the other party displayed now, that aura of indifference toward life, was completely different from the previous Natsume Masahiro.

Only then did Takeda Masao suddenly realize.

"You... you're not Natsume Masahiro! Who on earth are you?!"

Facing Takeda Masao's interrogation, Zhou Huai merely gave him a faint glance.

He couldn't be bothered to explain anything to these trash who were about to die.

For Zhou Huai, his infiltration had only one operational principle.

Since it was an infiltration, he must perfectly maintain his persona.

Whoever broke his persona, he would break them.

As long as all who knew the truth were dead.

Then his persona would be as good as unbroken.

The logic loop was closed, flawless.

"Who I am doesn't matter."

Zhou Huai's voice was so calm it was unsettling. He slowly raised his right hand and snapped his fingers with a crisp sound.

"What matters is that it's time for you to hit the road."

As for Natsume Rinku's whereabouts, Zhou Huai didn't need to waste words forcing it out of them.

In his spiritual perception network, the signal source representing the Parasite inside Natsume Rinku was as clear as a lighthouse in the dark night.

Its location was at the top floor of this Palace of Ultimate Bliss.

The next second.

"Buzz—!!!"

A dense sound of fluttering wings that made one's scalp tingle exploded without warning in the small space of the private room.

Countless black specks, like a bursting flood, surged madly from Zhou Huai's sleeves, collar, and even the shadows under his feet.

They were thousands upon thousands of Soldier Beetles!

They were not the Shadow Demon Insects used for self-destruction before, but the sharpest and most brutal eating machines under Caesar's command!

Each Soldier Beetle was only the size of a fingernail, but their metallic-gleaming mandibles were sharp enough to bite through steel.

"Ah—! What are these things?!"

"Bugs! So many bugs!"

The private room instantly fell into chaos.

Takeda Masao and his men screamed in terror, instinctively trying to flee or draw weapons to resist.

The skinny lackey who had wanted to act just now had just formed a small ball of fire in his palm.

Zhou Huai moved his mind.

The Alien Parasites lurking inside them struck instantly!

"Ugh!"

The bodies of the few stiffened abruptly, their eyes instantly becoming vacant and dull.

The Parasites inside forcibly severed the brain's control over their bodies, freezing them in place like several rigid statues.

They could only watch helplessly as the black tide of insects, like a black tsunami, instantly engulfed them.

"Buzz buzz buzz—"

A grating sound of gnawing arose, the sound of countless sharp teeth chewing flesh and grinding bones.

Compared to the Shadow Demon Insects, the Soldier Beetles under Caesar's command were several times more efficient in 'cleaning up'.

This was an extremely terrifying punishment.

Takeda Masao widened his eyes in terror, clearly feeling hundreds of beetles crawling all over his obese body.

Agonizing pain?

No, there wasn't even time to feel agonizing pain.

It was a numbness as if nerves were being devoured in an instant.

He watched his arm—the layers of greasy fat disappearing visibly under the black swarm, revealing white bones, and then even the bones were bitten and swallowed by those greedy mandibles.

"Help... help..."

He tried to let out a final wail, but a Soldier Beetle instantly burrowed into his mouth and bit off his tongue.

In just a few breaths.

The private room fell silent again.

Takeda Masao, who had been so arrogant just now, and his few domineering underlings, had now completely vanished from this world.

Not even a hair or a bone fragment remained.

Even the blood splattered on the floor and sofa was licked clean by those still unsatisfied Soldier Beetles.

This was the terror of the 'Insect Tide Calamity'.

Wherever it passed, not even a blade of grass grew.

"Ah—!!! Murder!!!"

The dancing girls cowering in the corner witnessed this hellish scene with their own eyes.

They could no longer control their inner fear, letting out piercing screams and rushing madly toward the door of the private room.

Zhou Huai frowned slightly.

He turned his head, looking at those panicked backs, his eyes devoid of any ripple.

"Sorry."

"You are also witnesses."

He looked at these trembling women, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.

"Although you are innocent."

"Blame only your bad luck."

Zhou Huai never considered himself a saint.

In such a high-risk environment of infiltrating enemy territory, any trace of mercy could become the grave that buries oneself.

"Buzz—"

The swarm hovering in mid-air moved again.

They were like black scythes of death, mercilessly reaping the remaining lives.

The screams abruptly stopped.

Just a few seconds later.

The entire private room returned to complete silence.

At the same time.

Top floor of the Palace of Ultimate Bliss.

Natsume Rinku was roughly thrown by a middle-aged man onto that large round bed capable of holding five or six people.

The soft down bedding bounced her body slightly before she sank into it. Huge fear gripped her heart like a cold hand.

Natsume Rinku cried pitifully, her thin shoulders trembling violently.

"Please... please let me go..."

She curled up, desperately retreating to the corner of the bed, her voice full of desperate pleading.

Beside the bed, the middle-aged man in a silk bathrobe slowly untied his belt, licked his dry lips, and his eyes burned with murky, naked desire.

He chuckled, the fat on his face trembling: "Let you go?"

"Little one, you cost me two hundred thousand Sakura Coins, bought with real money."

The man approached step by step, like a fat cat toying with a mouse.

"Don't worry, you're so cute, I can't bear to hurt you."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, the mattress sinking slightly under his weight.

"Come, tell uncle, what's your name?"

Natsume Rinku looked at the greasy face approaching, tears blurring her vision, and trembled timidly: "I... my name is Natsume Rinku."

"Natsume Rinku?"

The man savored the name, his eyes growing brighter.

"That's a really good name, sounds as clean as the sky."

He reached out, his fingertip tracing the girl's trembling outline in the air.

"You see, this is a good start."

Natsume Rinku nodded obediently, her body already backed into the dead corner at the headboard, with nowhere to retreat.

The excitement in the middle-aged man's eyes was almost spilling over, and his breathing became rapid and heavy.

"Miss Rinku, you are truly a delicate bud that hasn't been tainted by dust yet."

"As long as you behave, uncle will cherish you, buy you new clothes, give you delicious food..."

As the middle-aged man spoke, his broad, hairy hand had already stroked Natsume Rinku's thin back.