Chapter 27: 27. Something Eating His Flesh

The flashlight beams instantly focused on the source of the grotesque scene, revealing Dion. He was frantically scratching at the uncovered parts of his body, which were riddled with strange, small welts resembling insect bites but oozing blood and pus.

The sight immediately snapped Trisha out of her anger. She rushed toward Dion, who had begun to groan in pain, collapsing to the ground, unable to withstand the sudden agony any longer.

Panic and fear swept through the group. Some of the treasure hunters exchanged worried whispers. “What’s happening to him? Could this place be cursed?”

Hearing this, Trisha’s fury flared, and she shot them a deadly glare. “Shut your filthy mouths!”

Kairav stepped in, approaching her. “Help me prop him up!”

Trisha nodded and helped him lean Dion against the cave wall. Once they managed, she turned to Kairav, her expression filled with concern. “What’s happening to him?”

Kairav frowned deeply, his hazel eyes fixated on the strange wounds covering Dion’s face, neck, and hands.

His mind raced as he observed the eerie wounds, which were widening and spreading across Dion’s skin. The man groaned in even greater pain as more blood and foul-smelling pus flowed from his body.

The sight struck fear into some of the others. “Miss! What should we do? Are we going to end up like him?!” Zacky, the bald man, shouted, instinctively backing away from Dion.

“Move another step, and I swear I’ll break your legs!” Trisha snapped, her deadly glare freezing Zacky in place.

Meanwhile, Kairav, who had been absorbed in examining Dion’s condition, turned his attention to Baron. “Bro, what do you think this is?” he asked, seeking his friend’s medical insight.

Baron, who had been observing the wounds closely, furrowed his brow further. “Judging by the small patterns, it looks like insect bites or stings, doesn’t it?” He offered, though his tone was uncertain, almost asking for Kairav’s opinion.

Kairav’s confusion deepened. “I thought the same thing at first. But looking at how bad these wounds are… What kind of insect could cause this?” He wondered aloud.

Just then, Gavin, who had been silent but clearly anxious, spoke up. “Bro, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” His dark eyes remained vigilant as they scanned the hundreds of fireflies hovering around them.

“They’re the only insects we can see here right now…” he said uneasily.

One by one, the others became aware of this, their eyes filling with fear and suspicion as they stared at the glowing bugs.

Heartbeats quickened as they all instinctively tried to avoid any direct contact with the fireflies, hoping to avoid touching the suspected culprits.

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Trisha, however, seemed in denial. Her voice carried a hint of frustration as she looked at the insects. “Are you sure? Fireflies can bite humans?”

Kairav turned to her. “Normally, fireflies release a chemical from their bodies as a defense mechanism. Predators exposed to this toxin experience irritation or even death.”

His frown deepened as confusion clouded his expression. “But I’ve never heard of humans getting injuries this severe from exposure to Lucibufagins.”

“But look at him!” Zacky interrupted loudly, pointing at Dion, who was writhing in pain on the ground, his agony intensifying with each passing second.

“Argghhh!!!”

Dion’s mysterious wounds continued to spread, now almost covering his entire, weakening body. The severity became undeniable as his flesh and skin peeled away, revealing his prominent cheekbones, as if something vicious was eating him from the inside.

The dying man’s body began to convulse violently, his eyes rolling back, showing only the whites. In his desperate state, Dion flailed, weakly reaching for Trisha’s hand, pleading in a voice barely above a whisper. “Miss... Please... help…”

His fellow treasure hunters watched in horror, shouting in panic, unsure of what to do. “Dion!”

Trisha, however, stood frozen, staring blankly at one of her men as he hovered on the brink of death, barely able to breathe. The sound of his agonizing groans filled her ears, sparking a crazy thought in her mind.

Bang!

“You’re insane!!!”

Everyone reeled in shock, their eyes widening as the madwoman had just blown a hole through Dion’s head with her rifle, ending his life in an instant.

Kairav, who had already been seething, grabbed her by the collar, fury in his voice. “You psycho!”

But Trisha, calm and expressionless, looked back at him. “I only wanted to shorten his suffering. Death was coming for him anyway. It’s better than letting him suffer longer when the outcome was clear,” she said coldly.

Kairav froze, disbelief written all over his face. He couldn’t comprehend the warped logic of the girl standing before him. “There’s seriously something wrong with how you think,” he muttered under his breath, trying to contain his rage.

Trisha remained silent, unfazed by his accusation. Slowly, she kneeled down beside Dion, pulling out a white handkerchief from her jacket pocket.

With a surprising sense of tenderness, she draped the handkerchief over Dion’s face, leaving Kairav and his friends momentarily speechless at the unexpected gesture. The other treasure hunters, however, didn’t seem confused or surprised, as if this was something they were used to seeing her do.

Howllll…

The eerie silence was abruptly shattered by the monstrous howl that echoed through the cave’s entrance, sending a wave of terror over everyone.

“Damn it! That thing’s back!” Gavin cursed.

Faces turned pale as the group realized the looming threat had returned to haunt them.

“Miss! What do we do now?!” Zacky, trembling with fear, clung to Trisha.

Kairav quickly cut in. “This place is crawling with fireflies! We can’t stay here any longer!”

Trisha, clearly frustrated, wracked her brain for a solution. Her gaze fell on the mysterious tunnel across the pool. “We can hide in that tunnel over there!” she suggested, pointing toward it.

Her men hesitated. “But what if it’s full of fireflies? We’ll end up like Dion!” One of the treasure hunters protested, quickly backed up by the others.

Kairav shone his flashlight at the tunnel’s entrance. “Look, even with my flashlight aimed at it, only a few fireflies are coming out, meaning there aren’t many left in there.”

The light drew the remaining fireflies out of the tunnel, and Kairav continued once he saw the treasure hunters’ hesitation fading. “So, are you going to hide or stay here?” he asked firmly.

But before they could respond, Gavin and Baron pulled Kairav aside, frustration in their voices. “Their lives aren’t our problem!” Gavin growled.

“You still want to help them after everything? I don’t get it. Are you too nice or just naive?!” Baron added.

Howlll...