Old Larry peered through the crack of the door; his eyes fixed on Stirling on the bed. He stuck out his damp tongue and licked his parched lips without realizing it.

  "Tomorrow is Hajj. Let's do it Tonight." The old man slid the firewood knife through the door crack with great care. He propped it against the bolt and lifted it with a steady motion.

  The door bolt, under the old man's control, moved slowly upwards, making a slight creaking sound. Seeing this, Stirling, who was on the bed, couldn't hold back. He sat up in a rush and shouted: "Is that you, Mr. Larry?"

  "Hahaha, you have found out, but it is too late." Larry expected Stirling's reaction. With a sudden kick, he pushed open the dilapidated wooden door with tremendous force.

  "Little brother, we have taken care of you for so many days. It's time for you to return. You know what I mean, right? " Old Larry gave a strange laugh and then took a step forward. But in the next moment, his feet go numb. As he was feeling puzzled, he felt the world around him go dark and dizzy.

  "Ah!!"

  Intense pain swept through the old man's mind immediately after he had fallen into the trap. Looking up at the enormous hole above, he let out a shrill scream.

  The old woman's withered yellow eyes instantly turned blood-red when she saw this.

  "You bastard! I want you dead!" The old woman, wild like a mad dog, dropped to all fours. She skipped the big pit at the door and pounced towards Stirling.

  The old woman's quick movements scared Stirling. Thank God, he remembered the two deadly weapons under his bed, he yanked his wrist hard right away, and the traction line attached to his wrist snapped with a coherent sound.

  As expected, a distant glint sparkled in the darkness. Meanwhile, a dull sound echoed around. In a flash, the old woman lunged forward and let out a shrill scream. A tremendous force flung her sideways.

  This force shot the old woman out of the room. She rolled on the ground and crashed into the earthen wall. The beams shook a few times.

  Holy crap!

  Stirling looked at the flying old woman with pleasant surprise.

  As an object fortified by consuming one's lifespan, it delivers impressive results. What amazing!

  Meanwhile, the screams from the pit diminished. It showed that old Larry had reached the end of his life.

  There was still some movement outside the door, which made Stirling dare not take it easy. He rushed to pull another crossbow from under the bed and aimed it at the door.

  "Hahaha, little bastard, you're dead! You're dead!" The old woman's frantic roar echoed outside, like a crying baby. It stunned Stirling.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  As Stirling was tense, he heard a sudden "crack." Instantly, Stirling understood what the old woman was doing.

  She broke the wooden planks blocking the window!

  Behind her, the closed window had been flung open, and the wooden board that had been sealing it was now ripped in two.

  Stirling could no longer hold back. Embracing the crossbow, he braved the pain in his leg and rushed out. Then he saw the old woman, covered in blood, reaching for the lit oil lamp on the table.

  "You bitch!" Although he didn't know why the old woman was acting this way, Stirling realized he had to stop her. He immediately aimed the crossbow at her and pulled hard.

  With a crisp, vibrating sound, the old woman flew back, pinned to the wall by the arrow.

  Her eyes widened as she looked at Stirling. Her mouth opened broad, making an unclear "Hahaha" sound.

  Stirling didn't have time to check whether the old woman was dead or alive. He turned his gaze to the oil lamp on the table, his heart skipping a beat.

  The lamp went out!

  He was a step slow, unable to stop the old woman from destroying the lamp!

  By and by, a deep fear gripped Stirling, causing him to tremble a little.

  A strange sound echoed from outside the open window. A chilly wind swept into the room. Without a second thought, Stirling skipped to the table and snatched up the oil lamp.

  It was Stirling's first time touching the mysterious lamp. He finally saw its appearance.

  This lamp has one unique feature: a strange red lacquer pattern carved into the lampshade, resembling the eye of some beast. The dried oil in the lamp gave off a strong, foul odor. It smelled like fermented vomit that had been there for over ten days and came from an unknown source.

  A dark shadow swept through the window. The temperature in the hall dropped almost ten degrees.

  Stirling took a single glance at the object, and his eyes flashed red. The next moment, he felt as if he were falling into a pool of blood. A cold, suffocating sensation enveloped him, and the air reeked of decay.

  Stirling gripped the oil lamp. A jumping idea hit him, and he felt lost. He bit his tongue in a swift motion, like in the film. He hoped the pain would wake him from this illusion.

  The bite missed his tongue and pierced his teeth instead. Stirling grimaced in pain.

  His tongue didn't break, but the pain made him shudder. It instantly snapped him out of his daze.

  Now Stirling could finally figure out what was pouring in from the window.

  It was a pitch-black, shadow-like flying insect.

  But calling it a flying insect wasn't quite accurate. After all, it was only the size of a flying insect, and the shadow itself was completely transparent.

  Now, these insects were gathering in their hundreds and thousands, forming a vast cloud of black smoke to rush towards Stirling.

  Stirling looked at the lamp he held in his subconscious and saw the familiar message again.

  "Current enhancement consumes an 80-day lifespan. Enhance?"

  Without hesitation, Stirling's mind swung to yes. Next, the lamp in his hand flashed with light and transformed into an ancient bronze lamp.

  Engravers decorated this ancient lamp with intricate patterns. Even more surprising to Stirling was the plentiful oil within. A fiery red flame flickered on the wick, illuminating the entire room with a dark crimson glow.

  The strange black insects in the flames let out a loud roar. Then, they exploded without warning.

  A series of dull sounds echoed throughout the room. Seeing the strange lamp work, Stirling raised it high. Like the Statue of Liberty, he faced the dark torrent flooding the room and walked to the window.

  "Kill the Ghostly Shadow Hornet; +0.1 Day Lifespan,"

  "Kill the Ghostly Shadow Hornet; +0.1 Day Lifespan,"

  "Kill the Ghostly Shadow Hornet; +0.1 Day Lifespan,"…

  Prompts flashed before Stirling's eyes, making him stop in surprise.