C1 The Express Delivery Was Delivered to the Kidnappers Nest

"What is this place?" Ho Lee gripped his backpack strap tighter as he gazed at the ramshackle factory before him, fighting back tears. Across from him sat a group of hulking men, their heads covered in nylon stockings, brandishing knives and clubs, and one had the dark barrel of a gun aimed straight at him.

All he wanted was to make some extra cash delivering food during the summer break. How on earth did he end up in a den of thieves?

"Listen, guys..." Ho Lee forced a sheepish grin and gingerly set the delivery down. "Enjoy your meal. I've got more orders to drop off, so I'll be on my way." He edged backward as he spoke.

Suddenly, a woman sprang up from a corner. Dressed in a purple satin business suit, she was bound with a thick red rope and gagged with a round ball. Her eyes, wide with urgency, bore into Ho Lee, her face screaming a silent plea: "Hurry! Save me!"

"Kidnapping?" Ho Lee paused, momentarily frozen. His extensive film-watching experience told him this woman was an extraordinary beauty. Torn between the woman's desperate appeal and his own safety, he hesitated. He was just trying to earn some pocket money; risking his life for it didn't seem worth it. Though he had recently stumbled upon the Demonic Dragon Clone System, these men were armed.

"What are you staring at?" The gunman barked, snapping Ho Lee back to reality. He stumbled before turning on his heel, scurrying toward the exit like a street rat, the thugs' laughter echoing behind him. The kidnapped woman's face turned ashen, her eyes filled with despair. She knew that once Ho Lee left, her captors would whisk her away, and by the time the police arrived, they'd be chasing shadows.

"Heh, once that guy takes the lead, it'll be our turn to have some fun," one of the men gloated. "For a beauty like her, I'd die a thousand times over."

"Could this bring the Fang family's wrath down on us?"

"Scared of what? We'll release her once we get the money. Even if she's not in any shape to walk, she's still alive, isn't she?"

Hearing this, the woman in the corner blanched with terror, her body shaking uncontrollably as she whimpered through her gag.

As Ho Lee was about to step through the doorway, the distressing sounds halted him in his tracks. He couldn't stand by and watch a woman of such exquisite beauty be desecrated by brutes. How could he allow her to be defiled by such swine?

Whirling around to face the kidnappers, he interjected, “I mean… this isn’t right, is it? You’ve got the ransom, so why not just let her go?”

“What the hell?”

A hush fell over the courtyard. The woman in the corner, who had seen a sliver of hope, nearly passed out in frustration upon hearing his words. Why couldn’t this young man employ some tact? Was he trying to get himself killed?

The armed kidnapper pointed his gun at Ho Lee and sneered, “I was feeling generous enough to let you live today, but you’ve got some nerve. Alright, boys, looks like we’ve got ourselves a live punching bag.”

Several burly men stepped forward, cracking their necks and chuckling menacingly as they pushed Ho Lee towards the wall. “Kids these days have no idea of their limits. We’ll have ourselves a bit of fun.”

The woman’s brow furrowed deeply in the corner. It was clear she couldn’t rely on the young man; she’d have to find her own way out. Despite the dire straits, her years of battling in the business world had honed her survival instincts. She knew she had to stay calm and devise a plan, or they’d both be doomed.

“Should’ve minded your own business.”

Ho Lee had expected some kind of threat, but instead, a fist came flying at him without warning. He took a blow to the stomach before he could even react, and his backpack tumbled to the ground.

“Kid!” One of the men grabbed Ho Lee by the hair, his yellow teeth bared in a sinister grin. “You’ve got a decent look about you. Do me a favor, and I might just let you live. How’s that sound?”

[Host life threatened. Activate the Demonic Dragon Clone System?]

The voice echoed in his mind. Without a moment's hesitation, Ho Lee responded, “Yes!”

The thug’s eyes gleamed as Ho Lee agreed so readily. “Didn’t think you’d be so submissive. Well then, let’s see how much you enjoy this.”

Upon hearing those words, Ho Lee's face instantly shifted. "No, no, you've got it all wrong. I'm straight."

"Get over here!" barked the burly man with yellow teeth, lunging at Ho Lee. With a thunderous yell, Ho Lee delivered a swift kick to the man's groin, snarling, "Go to hell."

Writhing on the ground, the yellow-toothed man clutched his crotch and wailed, while his fellow kidnappers hurled curses and aimed their kicks at Ho Lee.

"The Demonic Dragon Clone is now active, consciousness successfully divided."

The system's voice echoed once more. Ho Lee sensed something draining from his body and seeping into the backpack beside him. Suddenly, he was seeing double: one perspective from his own body, the other a dark expanse, signaling the emergence of the Demonic Dragon within the backpack.

As the assailants' blows were about to strike, Ho Lee, manipulating the Demonic Dragon, let out a mighty roar.

The courtyard reverberated with a deafening dragon's bellow, startling everyone into looking around.

"What in the world?"

Next to Ho Lee, a two-foot-long silver-bellied black python stood erect. But this was no ordinary snake; it had four muscular limbs and a pair of dark golden eyes that glared icily at the armed kidnappers.

"This is..." The bandits inhaled sharply. Before them was not just a python, but a diminutive black flood dragon, a mythical creature they had only heard of in tales, now witnessed with their very eyes! The gang leader, stricken with terror, commanded, "Attack, take it down!"

"Charge!" These were hardened criminals, undaunted by danger; they would confront a tiger if need be, let alone a two-foot black flood dragon that seemed no more threatening than a small snake. Brandishing knives and clubs, they charged.

"Fools," Ho Lee's gaze hardened. He had seen the Demonic Dragon's power firsthand. Although this was merely a Black Flood Dragon, it possessed the "Dark Devouring" ability, capable of transforming any material in the cosmos into energy for its own growth.

"Engage Dark Devouring!"

As the mob closed in, the Black Flood Dragon on the ground suddenly gaped its maw wide, and a pitch-black void materialized out of thin air.

"What on earth is that? Back off now!"

A tremendous suction force erupted from the black hole, instantly devouring the people at the forefront. Those behind them seemed to lose control, gradually being pulled into the abyss. Eventually, every kidnapper in the yard was consumed by the black hole, leaving only the gang leader standing dumbfounded in the distance.

"Ah!" Terrified, the gang leader raised his gun and fired wildly at the Black Flood Dragon, but the bullets vanished upon contact with the black hole.

"Help! Somebody help!" he screamed, scrambling to escape.

The Black Flood Dragon didn't give chase but instead turned to look at the woman in the corner. She, in turn, locked eyes with the creature. A shiver ran through her — she sensed that this Black Flood Dragon was no mere beast; it possessed a human-like intelligence.

"Congratulations, host, for absorbing energy and advancing to a Level-2 Demonic Dragon. The dual body symbiosis attribute has been activated."

Ho Lee felt awkward and twisted his body. "What's this 'coexisting of two bodies'?"

Information then flooded his mind:

Host: Ho Lee

Age: 21

Clone: Demonic Dragon

Form: Young (divided into young, adult, and mature stages)

Level: Level 2 (advancing to the adult stage at level 10)

Skills: None

Life Attribute: Dual Body Symbiosis (Note: The host and clone are united, sharing life.)

Stunned, Ho Lee thought, So if the Demonic Dragon gets hurt, I get hurt too? And when I'm enjoying myself, so is the Demonic Dragon Clone? This system is twisted.

He muttered a curse under his breath and directed the Black Flood Dragon back into his backpack.

Coming to, Ho Lee grabbed his backpack, leapt to his feet, and dashed upstairs to free the captive beauty. Removing the gag from her mouth, he finally got a clear look at her — and was taken aback. The woman before him was none other than Faang Yi, heiress to Faang's Group and hailed as the most beautiful goddess across five provinces. Ho Lee often saw her on TV and in the news, a celebrity in the business world.

"Thank you, thank you so much..." Faang Yi was on the verge of tears, clearly shaken by the recent ordeal. Yet, as a formidable businesswoman, she swiftly collected herself, smoothed her disheveled hair, and said, "We can't linger here any longer. We need to get moving." With that, she took hold of Ho Lee's wrist and dashed towards the exit. The soft, smooth touch of her hand sent ripples through Ho Lee's heart, and he nearly let out a cry of exhilaration.

They had barely made it to the entrance when the wail of police sirens filled the air. Several patrol cars had the factory encircled, with a convoy of more than a dozen black sedans trailing behind. A phalanx of bodyguards clad in black emerged from the vehicles, swiftly forming a protective ring around Faang Yi and ushering her into a waiting MPV. Ho Lee, meanwhile, found himself squeezed to the fringes of the gathering crowd.

Out of nowhere, a cop with sharp, angular eyes approached Ho Lee, snapping handcuffs around his wrists and shoving him towards a squad car. Ho Lee protested in alarm, "What's going on? I'm not a kidnapper—you've got the wrong guy!"

The officer, unyielding, rapped Ho Lee on the head with his baton and growled, "Enough talk. If I say you're a kidnapper, then that's what you are."