Chapter 107: Bewitched by My Sister p1
What… was going on?
Lin Jiayao was certain she was in a logged-in zombie state.
Then why were these Japanese people worshipping a zombie?
And judging by their practiced movements and reverent expressions, this wasn’t the first time.
Looking at the woman with broken legs lying before her, Lin Jiayao ignored her and tried to pull at the chains binding her.
Not that she didn’t want to gather information, but firstly, there was the language barrier, and secondly, the woman’s hateful glare suggested she wasn’t open to communication.
“ちくしょう (Chikushō – Damn beast)…” the woman spat, glaring at Lin Jiayao.
Although not a common phrase, Lin Jiayao understood this particular Japanese curse.
But she didn’t dwell on it, instead checking the extraction point and time.
She didn’t know this woman’s identity, the situation in Japan, or the characteristics of Japanese zombies; these were things worth exploring.
Compared to that, the woman’s curses were insignificant.
Besides, why not indulge her?
She located the extraction point, marked on the left side of her vision.
「Extraction Time 1:59:51」
【Extraction Point: 39m】
39 meters?
I can’t even get down this hill…
The short distance and long time reminded her of Mask’s first extraction.
Back then, Mask, just a head, and later, the fungal zombie, had also been given ample time to reach a nearby extraction point.
This wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
It usually meant the zombie had some limitations, or there were significant obstacles between the spawn point and the extraction point.
During Mask’s first login, it had encountered the seemingly invincible Nest Zombie.
The current situation also suggested difficulties.
She tested the chains, far too thin for her massive body. She could easily break them.
So it wasn’t the chains…
Lin Jiayao closed her eyes, focusing on this zombie’s abilities.
After about a minute, she opened her eyes again.
She now understood why those people had been collecting the zombie’s bodily fluids.
The pores on its rough skin secreted a viscous substance.
This secretion, seemingly a kind of filth or grime, was a valuable medicine, both for humans and zombies.
In other words, its bodily fluids had medicinal properties.
But its survival didn’t depend on this ability, but on its thick hide and surprisingly agile body – like a heavily armored Hunter with a cape.
But now, it was clearly being farmed like a “pig,” deliberately fed low-blood-crystal food to increase its fat content and maximize the production of those fluids.
Judging by its size, it had been here for a long time.
As for why those Japanese people were worshipping her as a deity…
Lin Jiayao hadn’t understood, until she’d seen an old mural on the temple wall.
The mural depicted a corpulent figure with a purple face, holding a pipa, a fearsome deity… but its grotesque appearance and massive size were unlike any other Buddhist statue she’d seen.
It seemed to be a pre-apocalypse… Japanese cult.
And inscribed below the mural, in neat Chinese characters, were the words “Dhṛtarāṣṭra,” and beside it, “God of Ino.”
Lin Jiayao frowned.
She now understood why they were keeping this giant zombie here.
It was likely a pre-apocalypse Japanese cult, trying to…
Cultivate the deity worshipped in their scriptures, a twisted version of Dhṛtarāṣṭra: the God of Ino.
Lunatics…
It seemed the apocalypse drove people to madness everywhere.
Understanding her current situation, Lin Jiayao tried to move towards the extraction point.
She leaned forward slightly, and then, losing her balance, she toppled over.
“AAAAAH—”
The wounded woman on the ground screamed and scrambled away, despite the risk of further injury, trying to escape the falling shadow.
“Crash—”
Lin Jiayao’s massive body shattered the stone path. The woman, having just barely escaped, lay there, exhausted, her eyes filled with despair, only an arm’s length away from Lin Jiayao’s face.
She seemed to have given up completely.
Lin Jiayao tried to move, but then, a realization, both frustrating and slightly amusing.
She couldn’t move.
No matter how hard she tried, her massive body, her flesh and fat spreading across the ground, pinned her in place.
Trapped by her own weight.
After a few more attempts, Lin Jiayao gave up and looked at the woman.
She couldn’t move on her own.
This Awakened woman… she seemed to be at least D-rank… perhaps she could help.
Lin Jiayao extended her hand, her limbs still mobile, thankfully, reaching the woman.
“Sob, sob, sob…”
The woman, seeing the massive hand approaching, closed her eyes and wept, her body trembling.
She felt her leg being grabbed, pulled towards the grotesque zombie’s mouth.
She waited for the inevitable, but it didn’t come.
Instead, a “squishing” sound, like something being rubbed against rough skin.
She cautiously opened her eyes and looked at the massive, purple zombie head inches away.
Confusion replaced her fear.
What… was it doing?
Lin Jiayao was digging through the folds of her own flesh with her right hand.
She pulled out a clump of viscous, purple fluid.
The fluid, surprisingly, didn’t smell foul; it had a faint, floral fragrance, a stark contrast to its appearance.
Then, holding the dripping mass, she brought it to the woman’s head.
For Lin Jiayao, this was just a small amount, a bit of drool.
But for the woman, it was enough to completely cover her body. She thrashed and struggled, as if being coated in the viscous fluid was more terrifying than being eaten.
Lin Jiayao watched silently.
After ten minutes, the woman’s body began to change.
Her wounds rapidly healed, the scars from whips and other injuries closing, only her twisted legs remaining damaged.
Not just her wounds, but also her strength and her Awakened abilities were rapidly recovering.
Realizing this, she sat up, struggling against the sticky fluid.
A small cyclone formed in her palm, drawing the surrounding fluid into a vortex.
Ignoring the pain, she used the cyclone to cut open her legs along the fracture lines and then, using the viscous fluid, reconnected the bones.
She seemed skilled at manipulating the fluid, likely a former member of this cult.
While her legs slowly mended, she looked up at Lin Jiayao, the fear in her eyes replaced by confusion.
Why… was this artificial god helping her?
She knew this wasn’t Dhṛtarāṣṭra, or the God of Ino, but just a large, captive zombie.
But its usually vacant eyes were now focused on her, its expression calm, almost… intelligent.
Could it be… had the God of Ino truly awakened…?
She shook her head, dismissing the unrealistic thought.
Impossible. She herself had written the cult’s scriptures before the apocalypse, based on twisted interpretations of Buddhist texts; it couldn’t be real.
It was more likely that this zombie was being controlled.
And it was clearly expecting something from her.
She wiped away the drying mucus from her face and asked, “What do you want me to do?”
Hearing her speak, Lin Jiayao was relieved.
Communication was possible, an opportunity.
But she didn’t understand the Japanese.
After a moment of thought, she decided to use sign language.
She pointed at herself, then at the torii gate.
“You… want those people to return?” the woman asked, frowning. They clearly weren’t on the same page.
Lin Jiayao, unsure if she’d been understood, decided to be more specific.
She pointed at herself, then at the torii gate again, and then scratched a word on the stone floor with her fingernail.
“Run.”
A simple word; any elementary school student should understand.
Seeing the English word, the woman was certain the zombie was being controlled by an Awakened.
Run?
It wanted to escape?
But who would be so bold as to bypass the Ino Cult’s defenses and control their god?
She looked around, searching for the controller.
They had to be nearby; controlling a zombie had distance limitations.
“You… you want to take the God of Ino away?!” she exclaimed, incredulous.
“Then let’s go.” She tested her legs, feeling no pain, and stood up.
But the zombie didn’t move, still lying on the ground.
Too heavy?
She instantly understood.
Having been deposed as the cult leader, with no hope of regaining her position, if she could steal the God of Ino and spite the cult, she was willing to help.
And the zombie had just saved her life.
She pulled at the God of Ino’s hand, but it wouldn’t budge.
It was simply too massive.
“Groan—”
The God of Ino suddenly groaned. The woman looked at it curiously.
It raised its right arm, pointed at the rolls of fat on its stomach, and then made a scissor motion with its fingers.
The woman instantly understood.
The excess fat was unnecessary; it had been deliberately cultivated to make it resemble Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
Besides feeding it, they’d even injected it with liquefied zombie fat.
“You want to… remove the fat?” She asked tentatively, a small cyclone forming in her hand.
Seeing the swirling air currents, Lin Jiayao gave a thumbs-up.
Although she didn’t understand the woman’s words, she seemed to have understood her intentions.
The woman, holding the cyclone, walked over to Lin Jiayao’s side.
She crouched down and pressed her hand against the God of Ino’s rough skin.
“Sizzle…”
The cyclone, like a saw against metal, ground against the zombie’s skin, sending sparks flying.
With considerable effort, she managed to cut a small opening.
“Haaa!”
She threw the cyclone at the small opening.
“Pop—”
The cyclone penetrated, slicing through the purple skin.
A torrent of yellowish, white, red, and brown fat gushed out, like an oil well erupting.
“Ugh—”
The woman, unable to dodge, was splattered, quickly discarding her clothes and vomiting.
It seemed the… substance… wasn’t very pleasant to the… taste.
Fortunately, Lin Jiayao’s senses of smell and touch were dulled; she didn’t react.
As the fat continued to flow, forming a greasy puddle on the temple floor, Lin Jiayao felt her body lighten.
Her range of motion increased; she was no longer like a beached whale, her limbs pinned beneath her own weight.
The small cut on her skin was closing, but now she could move her own limbs.
Using her sharp fingernails, she made a large incision in her stomach, her massive body shrinking drastically.
Then she cut away the excess fat from her arms, legs, and face, her movements becoming more fluid.
Gradually, she regained the zombie’s original form.
A tall, slender figure, like a Hunter, almost ten meters tall when standing upright, layers of rough, dark purple skin draped over her like multiple capes.
When she spread her arms, the skin extended with them, like a flying squirrel.
Or a giant, caped vampire.
Lin Jiayao slowly sat up, supporting herself with her hands, and looked at the woman, still retching in the dirt.
She had helped the woman recover; the woman had helped her shed her excess weight. They were even.
Ignoring the woman, Lin Jiayao lowered herself and crawled towards the torii gate.
She didn’t want to attract attention by standing up.
After about twenty meters, she reached the gate. The extraction point was now only nineteen meters away.
Peering down the steps, she saw that they didn’t lead to the hillside, but to an old house.
The dilapidated house looked deserted.
I’ll extract first… time is of the essence.
The longer she stayed, the more her mental strength would be drained.
This zombie didn’t seem very powerful; there was no need to waste time here.
She had hoped for a Godzilla login in Japan.
Oh well.
As she passed through the torii gate, about to descend the steps, she heard a voice behind her.
“Hey! Hey! Want to cooperate?! You want to destroy the cult too, right? I know when they’ll be back—”
Unfortunately, Lin Jiayao didn’t understand Japanese.
She jumped down the stairs, landing on the old house with a crash.
The dust settled, and the extraction countdown appeared.
[Extracting: 7.9]
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