Thinking about how satisfying it was to stomp on that "immortal cockroach" last time, Qin Yang started searching the library again, albeit a bit unwillingly.
After a while, he returned to his seat with his head down, looking thoroughly dejected.
He had scoured both Area 1 and Area 2, yet the only pests he managed to kill were two miserable flies huddled in a dark corner.
And this time, the system didn't even react.
In the end, Qin Yang could only come to one conclusion.
This ridiculous system was spouting nonsense again.
The Beast King in the library? What a joke.
What kind of being was the Beast King?
It was far more terrifying than any ordinary beast. A creature of that level was comparable to a star beast strong enough to surpass even elite human masters.
If there really was a Beast King in the library, then no one in the building would make it out alive.
With that thought, Qin Yang completely lost interest in the system's nonsense.
Even if there was a Beast King lurking somewhere, what could he do with his current strength? He'd be dead in seconds.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Why did he end up with such an unreliable system?
Just then, the system's voice returned with renewed urgency.
"Ding! Beast King presence detected. Host is not escaping. Do you want to die?"
"With the host's current strength, there's zero chance of survival against a Beast King!"
"Host, please do not overestimate yourself and throw your life away for nothing!"
As Qin Yang remained motionless, the system's tone grew more anxious, even slightly angry.
It was urging him nonstop, almost like a panicked parent yelling at a child.
"mdzz…" Qin Yang rolled his eyes, swearing silently in frustration.
The system's persistent nagging killed any desire he had to keep reading, so he shut the Seven Star Steps Secret Manual with a snap.
Unnoticed by either of them, the small purple spider hanging from the ceiling above him flickered with a brief glint of blood-red light in its eyes. A second later, it vanished into the shadows, retreating silently along a near-invisible thread of silk.
"Finally some peace…"
After stepping outside to smoke a cigarette, Qin Yang sighed in relief. The system had gone quiet at last.
If it had kept yapping any longer, he might've gone insane.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was noon.
Qin Yang made a beeline for the cafeteria.
Anyone who isn't quick about food has something wrong with their brain.
As a self-proclaimed expert in eating, Qin Yang always made sure to be the first in line at lunchtime.
"This Xia He guy didn't show up for work all day," he muttered. "Must've had quite a wild night…"
He didn't see Xia He again until after work that afternoon.
The following morning, Xia He finally showed up—limping.
"What happened to you? Did someone beat you up?" Qin Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.
Did this guy get caught in a honey trap or something?
Xia He looked like he'd lost all hope. "Don't ask. I must've been cursed for eight lifetimes."
And then, with a grimace, he explained why he had skipped work the previous day.
The night before last, Xia He really had gone to Bai Jinhan and even invited a cute little sister over.
But before things got interesting, he ran headfirst into Superintendent Xingwu's anti-prostitution sweep.
He spent the whole night in a police station holding cell.
The next day, his father bailed him out.
And when he got home?
His dad pulled out his belt—the legendary Seven Wolves—and let Xia He experience what true fatherly love meant.
"My old man was ruthless… he nearly beat me to death," Xia He groaned, holding his waist like it still hurt.
"The deeper the love, the harsher the lesson," Qin Yang said calmly.
On the surface, he sounded sympathetic, but in his heart, he couldn't help thinking, If I were your dad, I would've beaten you even harder.
The Xia He incident was just a passing hiccup in the otherwise peaceful routine at Qinyang Library.
Days returned to their usual rhythm.
Reading books on the job, doing the bare minimum to survive, and practicing martial arts diligently after work.
Being proactive is the best form of self-discipline.
…
That day, Qin Yang was once again reading in Area 1, the zone under his supervision.
In his hands was a thick volume titled The Complete Book of Star Beasts.
According to the book, star beasts, like humans, began as ordinary creatures. But once they absorbed the power of the stars, a dormant bloodline within them could awaken, mutating them and granting strange, supernatural abilities.
These abilities ranged wildly in strength and nature.
Some terrifying beasts were born with control over elements like wind, fire, thunder, or lightning.
Others could even transform into human form, possessing high intelligence and stealthily hiding among real people.
The ones humans feared the most were the powerful star beasts with destructive abilities and violent personalities.
If one of them appeared in the human world, disaster was sure to follow.
Beasts on the level of Beast King or Beast Emperor were near-apocalyptic. Without innate fighters or grandmasters to face them, even humanity's most advanced weapons couldn't stop such creatures.
"Hey, uncle, are you alright?"
"What's wrong?"
"There's a spider…"
Bang!
"Qin Yang! Come quick!"
Xia He's panicked shout came from Area 2, cutting through the silence like a blade.
Qin Yang snapped out of his trance. What is that idiot up to now?
Frowning, he dropped the book and hurried over.
There, lying on the floor, was a middle-aged man. Xia He was squatting beside him, looking completely bewildered.
"Uncle, can you hear me?"
Qin Yang stepped in, immediately noticing the man's face had turned an ominous purple. Foam dribbled from his mouth, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Is this epilepsy? A sudden illness?
"Spider… Spider…" the man managed to choke out, just before passing out.
Qin Yang's eyes narrowed.
Spider?
He glanced at the man's neck—and his heart sank.
There was a dark purple mark spreading across the skin. It looked sinister, unnatural.
Was he bitten? Poisoned?
Is he going to turn into Spider-Man next?
"Why are you standing there like an idiot? Call an ambulance!" Qin Yang shouted, giving Xia He a solid kick.
They quickly contacted library security and alerted emergency services.
A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived and rushed the unconscious man to the hospital.
Several security guards arrived soon after to investigate.
"I don't know what happened," Xia He said, still shaken. "He was reading just fine, then suddenly started foaming and twitching. Scared the hell out of me…"
"No surveillance?" Qin Yang asked, frowning.
The security captain's expression turned sour. "He was sitting right in one of the blind spots."
The man could only pray this incident had nothing to do with the library. If the higher-ups blamed him, his days as security captain were over.
"Qin Yang… do you think that uncle is going to die?" Xia He whispered, face pale.
He was clearly rattled. The incident had happened in his area. If things turned serious, he might be held responsible—or even fired.
"You're asking me? Who else would I ask?" Qin Yang rolled his eyes. "He collapsed in your section."
But even as he spoke, his eyes drifted upward toward the library's ceiling.
Spider?
Did that man imagine it, or was there really something up there…?