The Great Oni
Volume (1) Benoni Chapter (8)
When Li Fan regained consciousness, darkness flooded the place so completely that "she" had to blink several times to clear the black haze.
Every bone still ached from being stretched past its limit, and the pain made her whole body tremble.
"Ugh…" she groaned, confused.
Why hadn't her true body returned home? Why was she still trapped here?
While she struggled to think, the System's screen shimmered into view.
> [Survive as **Yeti**]
> The longer you remain alive, the richer the eventual reward.
"Great…" Yeti muttered a curse.
She tried to swing her legs off the cot and stand—only to collapse back, stabbed by fresh pain.
She seemed to be in a cell, laid on a rough bed.
Moonlight seeped through a barred window, letting her barely make out her surroundings.
Sighing, Yeti settled onto her back, deciding to sleep if she could.
But then came the echo of footsteps.
*Tok, tok, tok*—a single set, by the sound, and they stopped right outside her door.
Keys clinked; the lock rattled. The door opened, and a man entered carrying a torch.
Yeti's stomach knotted—the visitor was the priest.
He hung the torch on the wall, turned toward her, and smiled.
A chill ran down her spine, and bile rose in her throat.
*That filthy dog…* she thought, then forced out words. "What do you want?"
The priest leaned so close she felt his breath. "Your lovely face. Your lovely little body," he whispered, giggling.
The reek of alcohol wafted into her nose.
She wanted to smash a fist into him, but her arms barely moved.
He pressed his lips against hers. Yeti suddenly grinned—and bit down hard on his cheek.
"Aaagh!" The priest shrieked and slapped her across the face.
Their strength hardly matched; Yeti reeled, dazed.
Blood trickled from the priest's torn flesh. "You little bitch!" he snarled, and kicked her in the stomach.
*Thud!* The blow folded her in two.
He stormed out, presumably to see to his wound, leaving the door ajar.
Yeti forced herself up, but before she could crawl away the priest returned with a staff and began beating her.
*Thunk!*
*Thunk!*
*Thwack!*
After three or four blows he hurled the staff aside, wiped the blood from his face with a scrap of cloth, and stared lustfully at Yeti's bruised but still beautiful features.
Yeti—Li Fan—could no longer even twitch. The pain left her paralyzed.
The priest yanked off her tattered clothes and began his work.
"He-he-he, You are a Virgin," he crooned, voice dripping with revulsion.
Yeti clenched her teeth; she could only endure.
"Rot in hell, rot in hell," she cursed him silently, tears streaming.
"You little mutt—soon you'll die a wretched death."
He pressed his sweaty neck against her slender throat.
"Dog, you'll die before I do," she whispered, but the priest laughed.
"In one week you'll be burned alive."
After roughly an hour he finally left.
She lacked the strength to wipe away the filth; exhaustion dragged her into unconsciousness.
---
During the week that followed the priest never returned, but the jailers came often.
The strength gap was too great; Yeti had to suffer in silence.
At last the day of execution arrived. She had no hope of rescue and simply sat in her cell wearing a delirious smile.
A week of abuse had dulled her eyes. Her injuries had been treated just enough to keep her alive—she could barely walk.
Then a translucent blue screen unfolded before her, and her eyes lit up.
> Congratulations on surviving a full week as **Yeti**.
> As a reward, 5 percent of your original body's capabilities will be transferred to you.
> All injuries will also be healed.
> Survive, Yeti.
Energy surged through her limbs; wounds closed in seconds.
"Good—excellent. I'll butcher every last one of those dogs."
Her eyes blazed.
Even at only five percent, her strength now equaled two grown men, and her greatest edge—speed—remained.
"Come on, dogs. I'm going to kill you all."
Yeti ground her teeth and clenched her fists.