The apocalypse is coming, but thankfully I have a harem of paper dolls.

Page 6

These tree spirits resembled humans, but were made of twisted branches. Their empty eye sockets shimmered with an eerie green light, and their steps were as slow as those of an old man on his deathbed.

Their number corresponds exactly to the row of trees I saw earlier by the playground downstairs. Now that I think about it, the cracks in the trunks of those trees look more like the open bellies of pregnant women, from which tree spirits are born.

"Young master, you'd better stay in the classroom and not come out." As danger approached, Archina's voice was low, and her tall figure blocked Luo Jiajun's path.

Luo Jiajun shook his head, his gaze firm: "A real man doesn't always cower behind a woman."

After he finished speaking, he raised his left hand, and wisps of electricity crackled in his palm.

He's a man who drives big trucks! How can he act like a little baby, always hiding behind Archina!

Achina lowered her head, glanced at Luo Jiajun, and a smile appeared on her lips:

"Then let's go together."

The two then divided their tasks clearly: Achina faced the tree spirit on the left, while Luo Jiajun faced the enemy on the right.

Using his ability to manipulate electricity, Luo Jiajun aimed at the nearest tree spirit on the right side of the corridor, and a surge of electricity shot out from his palm—

"Fuck!"

When the lightning struck the tree spirit's trunk, it only left a charred patch on the surface. The tree spirit's movements paused for only a moment before it continued to approach.

"Damn, the electric current doesn't seem to have much effect on them!" Luo Jiajun gritted his teeth.

The tree spirits' wooden trunks seemed to have a strong resistance to electric current, and his attacks could hardly cause any substantial damage!

—I never imagined that what I said at the school gate would come true!

……

As the tree spirit on the right drew closer, Luo Jiajun was forced to retreat.

Just then, a loud crash came from the left side of the corridor—Achina, with astonishing strength, flipped a tree spirit over, then grabbed its body and slammed it against the wall. The classroom wall collapsed instantly, and the tree spirit was thrown inside, buried under dust and rubble.

However, these tree spirits have extremely strong defense and vitality. Even if they are severely injured, they can still lift up the rubble and slowly crawl up in the dust.

“Come over here!” Archina called out to Luo Jiajun as she turned around.

Luo Jiajun quickly retreated behind Achina, his back pressed against her alluring, curvaceous body.

The remaining tree spirits surrounded them from both sides, creating a critical situation. Although Archina's claws could tear through the tree spirits' trunks, they couldn't kill them as easily as they had with the mutated vines before. Moreover, there were many tree spirits, and they could still move after being injured, making them very difficult to deal with!

“We’ve got the stuff. There’s no need for us to fight these bastards to the bitter end. As long as we can break through, that’s enough!” Luo Jiajun said to Achina in a deep voice.

Upon receiving Luo Jiajun's instruction, Archina nodded, her greyish-white dress rippling as she turned. She shielded Luo Jiajun behind her and whispered, "Stay close to me."

As soon as she finished speaking, she charged towards the group of tree spirits on the left side of the corridor like a white lightning bolt. Her three-meter-tall body unleashed astonishing power, her sharp claws sweeping across and cleaving the foremost tree spirit in two at the waist. Even so, the tree spirit's upper body continued to writhe on the ground, trying to grab Archina's skirt.

"Annoying thing!" The woman snorted coldly, kicked away the tree spirit's remains, then grabbed another tree spirit that pounced on her, tensed her arm muscles, and swung it around, slamming it hard against the corridor wall.

"boom--!"

The protective wall shattered under the immense impact, and the tree spirit was thrown out of the teaching building, crashing heavily onto the playground below, kicking up dust.

Behind him, watching the three-meter-tall Archina, like an unstoppable heavy-duty war chariot, crush the tree spirits blocking her path one by one, Luo Jiajun couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

"That's really powerful!"

Although the tree spirits were very resilient, none of them, whether cut in half or thrown off the building, died completely. However, they moved slowly, and after a few minutes, Luo Jiajun and Achina successfully evacuated the school without serious injury.

When the two returned to the place outside the school where they had been resting.

Achina slowly withdrew her claws, panting heavily, with fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

"Are you alright?" Luo Jiajun noticed her fatigue and asked with a frown.

"I'm just a little tired." Archina forced a smile, but there was a hint of confusion in her eyes. This level of combat shouldn't have expended so much energy on her.

Luo Jiajun recalled the unresolved status message in the [Party] interface and felt a vague unease. So he took out the Red Dew Holy Grail Bottle from his backpack, uncorked it, and said to the woman, "This is a good thing. Try taking a sip."

Achina glanced down at the golden bottle in Luo Jiajun's hand and did not refuse.

After she took a big gulp, Luo Jiajun checked her status again in the team interface, but the situation had not improved at all.

[Achena Dimitrescu]

Current status: Moderate fatigue, ?

……

Could it be that she simply used up a lot of energy in the battle just now?

Luo Jiajun was still uneasy.

"Let's find a safe place to rest as soon as possible!"

Having not slept all night, and with Achina not in good condition, finding a safe place to rest became Luo Jiajun's top priority.

Later.

They set off again, with Achina following Luo Jiajun's pace. The sunlight stretched their shadows long, casting them onto the cracked asphalt road.

Although neither of them was injured, and Luo Jiajun even obtained the valuable "Red Dewdrop Holy Grail Bottle," an ominous premonition still inexplicably shrouded their hearts like a dark cloud.

Added URL 7

At noon, when the sun is at its brightest and the streets and alleys should be bustling with people.

...The city remained silent.

Although there are occasional noises: dogs barking, cats meowing, and even the roar of car engines.

But without exception, these voices are always quickly swallowed up after abruptly breaking the silence.

A residential building on a street in the north of the city.

Luo Jiajun, carrying a quilt, went downstairs with Achina and came to the street.

The trees in the roadside green belts have long since grown to an astonishing height, their intertwined branches weaving a dense net between the seven- or eight-story buildings, filtering even the most intense midday sunlight into a pale green haze.

Archina's right hand remained in a claw shape, with some of the slime from when she cut the mutated vines still clinging to her black claws—she had just entered the building with Luo Jiajun, randomly found a room, and taken out a clean quilt from the wardrobe. Unfortunately, the room's owner, a young woman, was already dead in bed, but at least Luo Jiajun and Archina had avenged her.

Across the street from where Luo Jiajun and Achina were, there was a parking lot with a large SUV that was five meters long parked inside. It was the place that Luo Jiajun and Achina had finally found to stay.

Now the city is full of deformed plants, and almost all buildings are unsafe.

The full-size SUV, which was originally designed to fold down the front seat back and connect with the rear seat to form a bed, became the perfect choice for Luo Jiajun and Achina to spend the night temporarily.

At this moment, Luo Jiajun, carrying a blanket, and Achina were about to return to the parking lot.

Achina was extremely vigilant, tilting her head slightly to carefully observe the row of overly tall trees in the green belt, fearing that a branch might suddenly swoop down like a demonic claw and attack her and Luo Jiajun.

Compared to her previous composure and confidence, her mindset is now completely different. The reason she has become more cautious is that, in addition to feeling inexplicably tired, she is also feeling increasingly uncomfortable over time, but she does not know the cause of these strange symptoms.

Because she didn't want to show her vulnerable side in front of Luo Jiajun, her "little master," she kept up her act and didn't explain the situation to him.

But Luo Jiajun was not entirely oblivious...

As the two of them returned to the car quietly, Luo Jiajun spread out the blankets and beckoned Achina, who was standing guard outside the car, to come in.

As the woman bent over and squeezed into the carriage, the expensive leather seats groaned under her weight. Because of her excessive height, she had to hunch over, like a female animal forced into a cage.

When she arched her ivory-colored, plump buttocks, her buttocks squeezed out an alluring curve that made hearts race in the narrow space.

Limited by space, Luo Jiajun had no choice but to snuggle into her arms like a cub of a mother beast, his nose immediately filled with the cold scent of perfume and the faint smell of blood.

Lying so close to Achina, Luo Jiajun could clearly feel the unusual heat emanating from her skin—not the heat of desire, but a morbid burning sensation.

Perhaps because her body had relaxed and was no longer tense, an unnatural blush appeared on Achina's cheeks, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her breathing was heavier than ever before.

"Are you thirsty? Would you like something to drink?" Luo Jiajun asked the woman softly.

The woman shook her head, forcing a smile: "No need, I'm not thirsty, I just want to take a nap."

Her voice still carried a touch of languid allure, but the end of her note trembled slightly, clearly indicating that she was trying hard to suppress her discomfort.

Luo Jiajun nestled in her soft embrace, looking up into her eyes. After a moment of silence, he finally voiced his doubts: "You don't seem to be doing well. Are you feeling unwell?"

Achina paused for a moment, then chuckled softly and raised her hand to stroke Luo Jiajun's cheek.

"Is my little master concerned about me?" Her tone remained teasing, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused. "My family wasn't happy when I was young, and I've never had any true friends growing up... As far as I can remember, no one has ever genuinely cared about me."

Although she was recounting her less-than-ideal past before becoming a "monster," the woman's seductive tone was clearly teasing Luo Jiajun, not out of sadness.

Seeing that she was still pretending to be relaxed at this time, Luo Jiajun's face darkened, and he suddenly reached out and grabbed her plump thigh hard. The force was not light or heavy, but it was enough to make her wince in pain.

"Since you call me master, you should answer my questions properly!" Luo Jiajun said in a low but heavy voice.

Archina was taken aback by this sudden and forceful action, and then a strange flutter rose in her heart. She lowered her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and finally said in a low voice, "Um... I do feel a little uncomfortable... but I don't know why."

Luo Jiajun frowned and pressed, "Since when did it start?"

After a moment's thought, Archina said softly, "Something was wrong before I even entered the school, but I didn't feel it at the time."

Luo Jiajun narrowed his eyes in thought, when suddenly a thought flashed through his mind. He remembered that outside the supermarket, Achina's face had been pricked by thorny, withered leaves. Although her constitution was special and the red spots on her face faded quickly, those strange plants might very well be poisonous!

Given Archina's unique physique as a "bio-monster," ordinary viruses are naturally ineffective against her. But those spiky, withered leaves that had previously injured her were no ordinary objects!

Even if it's just a tiny leaf, aren't the most poisonous creatures in nature often just that small? Like venomous scorpions and spiders, they are so small compared to humans that they could be crushed with a single step, but their venom is enough to put even the strongest human in mortal danger!

...Immediately, Luo Jiajun also told Achina his guess.

He added, "It seems you're most likely poisoned! Your body is fighting the toxins, which is why you're feeling increasingly unwell."

Achina did not refute; at this moment, she could no longer pretend to be unharmed.

Her curled-up body enveloped Luo Jiajun in her soft embrace, fine beads of sweat sliding down her cheeks. Then Luo Jiajun heard her murmur softly, "If I'm really poisoned, young master, do you think I can pull through?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Jiajun's heart tightened, and images of the women who had accompanied, teased, and cared for him along the way flashed through his mind.

The next second, Luo Jiajun grasped the woman's large hand without hesitation.

Her palms were burning hot, but her fingertips were icy cold.

Luo Jiajun squeezed her hand tightly, his voice firm yet gentle: "No, you'll be alright. I'll stay with you until you get through this crisis."

He paused, his gaze fixed intently on her. "I know you can do it."

Perhaps in Luo Jiajun's original impression, Achina Dimitrescu was one of the villainous bosses in the game "Resident Evil 8", a thoroughly evil woman.

Perhaps she didn't show her wickedness to Luo Jiajun simply because she was wary of the contract and because she hadn't yet grown tired of treating Luo Jiajun as an interesting plaything.

Perhaps she isn't as reliable as she's seemed along the way.

But Luo Jiajun doesn't look at "maybes," he only looks at the facts.

The truth is, he reciprocates kindness to those who treat him well.

Achina could naturally sense Luo Jiajun's sincerity.

She stared blankly at Luo Jiajun, a complex emotion flashing in her scarlet eyes.

She never imagined that she would be so steadfastly protected by a "little guy" during such a vulnerable time. The master-servant relationship imposed by the contract seemed to become less important at this moment, replaced by an indescribable warmth she had never experienced before.

A brief silence fell over the carriage, with only the sound of their breathing echoing in the small space.

Luo Jiajun could feel Achina's hand tightening slightly as she held his, as if drawing strength from it. He gently touched the back of her hand and whispered, "Rest now. I'll watch over you. Even if there's danger, don't forget I have magic! I can protect you too."

Achina was deeply moved by Luo Jiajun's words, and a warm feeling welled up in her chest once again.

As an evil "monster," she had lived for so many years and had long been accustomed to loneliness and indifference. She never imagined that one day someone would stand firmly by her side.

Even more unexpectedly, this person was just a "little guy".

And now, she even needs this "little guy" to protect her.

Slowly, she closed her eyes, trying to relax.

But the discomfort in my body felt like countless tiny needle pricks, spreading from under my skin.

If she was indeed poisoned, it seemed that the toxins had not been completely suppressed by her immune system, but were instead engaged in a battle with it that was becoming increasingly intense over time—the raging fire of the battle was causing her nerves continuous pain.

"Ugh..." she groaned softly, her brows furrowed, and she instinctively curled up. Her three-meter-tall frame felt particularly cramped in the narrow carriage, forcing her to turn slightly to the side. Her arms, which were wrapped around Luo Jiajun, tightened instinctively, trying to alleviate the indescribable heat and pain within her body.

Luo Jiajun noticed her unease and gently patted her shoulder: "Are you feeling unwell?"

The woman slightly opened her eyes and softly hummed in agreement, her voice a few decibels hoarser than usual. She didn't want Luo Jiajun to see her in this disheveled state, but her body language betrayed her. Her breathing became rapid, her chest heaving noticeably, and cold sweat trickled down her forehead, dripping onto the leather seat and spreading into a small, dark stain. (The last sentence appears to be unrelated and possibly a fragment from another text.)

Seeing this, Luo Jiajun immediately took out the Red Dewdrop Holy Grail Bottle from his backpack, uncorked it, and held it to her lips: "Drink some water, it might make you feel better."

Archina slightly opened her eyes, her crimson pupils appearing exceptionally deep in the dimly lit carriage. She hesitated for a moment, then finally lowered her head and took a sip. The cool, red liquid in the chalice slid down her throat, but it couldn't extinguish the burning sensation within her. She gently shook her head, indicating that she couldn't drink anymore.

Luo Jiajun didn't force her. He simply reached out and wiped the sweat from her forehead, saying in a low voice, "Hang in there a little longer. Your constitution is special; you'll definitely be able to pull through."

Despite the huge size difference, Luo Jiajun looked like a child nestled in Achina's arms. But now, it was Luo Jiajun who was taking care of this large woman whose embrace alone could envelop him completely.