Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter 59: Consume

Objectively, between a slap and a severed arm, the latter was undoubtedly more painful.

But Performer felt no emotional reaction to Luo Ling slicing off her arm, only disdain for what she perceived as a futile struggle.

…Because to Performer, her physical body was merely a fragile vessel, easily discarded. She had done so many times in the past.

Just like the Bone Doctor, who could survive even with only her skeleton remaining, Performer’s essence resided in her soul.

As long as her soul remained intact, she could always find a new body.

That was why she was wary of Elsa’s ability, a power that could truly kill her.

As for being slapped, it wasn’t a matter of pain, but a profound insult to her persona.

—Slapping was one of the few physical acts that could inflict psychological damage.

“You think that just because you’re somehow immune to my psychological suggestion, I’m helpless against you? How naive.” Looking at the young girl, whose grip on the dagger was clumsy, Performer sneered. “It seems I have to deal with you before you give up.”

“I have to deal with you to save her,” Luo Ling said softly.

She couldn’t bypass the barrier around Elsa, and her Spores couldn’t do anything…

To save Elsa, even for a sliver of a chance, she had to consume the Grotesquery here, just like before, to gain a new ability for her Spores.

Luo Ling steadied her breathing, her long white hair spreading out, several Spores scattered around the battlefield, carefully observing Performer’s every move.

After obtaining Proliferation, Luo Ling had found the number of Spores she could control had doubled. She could now maintain the perspectives of four Spores simultaneously.

The four Spores completely enveloped the battlefield, allowing Luo Ling to anticipate Performer’s every action.

But Performer’s next move was unexpected.

She took out a small knife, held it in front of her, and slowly sliced from her left shoulder to her right, a putrid stench erupting, strong even in the corpse-filled subterranean cavern.

Performer’s expression remained unchanged as she reached into the wound and, with a wince-inducing motion, pulled out a mass of dark purple flesh, still pulsating as it landed on the ground.

The pulsating flesh slowly unfurled, revealing a deformed, undeveloped fetus, still in its embryonic state.

—A Forgotten River Child.

Performer had somehow sealed a Forgotten River Child within her own body, and judging by the stench, it was even more powerful than the one Luo Ling had encountered before.

“Let me introduce you, this is my eldest son,” Performer said, her tone as if introducing a pet or a servant. “His father gave him a nice name, Shi Handong. I think it’s quite nice, so I’ve used it for most of my sons since.

“Unfortunately, it was my first time cultivating a Forgotten River Child, and I wasn’t very experienced. I performed the ritual too early, and it can’t even hunt on its own, so I have to feed it with my own flesh and blood.

“But thankfully… its combat strength is quite decent.”

This disgusting scene didn’t faze Luo Ling. Her eyes gradually turned a pale gray.

The next moment, the deformed Forgotten River Child lunged forward, its mass of foul flesh riddled with countless bulging eyes, dragging a ghostly shadow behind it as it flew towards Luo Ling with incredible speed.

A chilling, ghostly shriek echoed in Luo Ling’s ears, the intense mental assault momentarily disrupting her consciousness, but the approaching stench quickly brought her back to reality.

Ignoring the pain in her head, Luo Ling swung her dagger, accurately intercepting the Forgotten River Child’s attack, slicing through its flesh like butter.

“Oh?”

Performer’s expression finally turned serious. Although the white-haired girl’s movements were clumsy, not even reaching the level of a street brawl,

…She seemed to be anticipating the Forgotten River Child’s every move, allowing her to counter it with such an awkward fighting style.

And the weapon in her hand didn’t seem ordinary either. It looked like a Sacred Tool, but she hadn’t used any skills.

However, it was all futile.

The sheer number of corpses here… was enough for the Forgotten River Child to die and regenerate hundreds of times.

As expected, the Forgotten River Child’s flesh, scattered on the ground, instantly began to devour the surrounding corpses, writhing and reforming, its bulging eyes filled with endless resentment, attacking Luo Ling again from an impossible angle.

“Hiss—”

A deep gash appeared on Luo Ling’s leg, the corrosive corpse poison sizzling.

“Ugh…”

Intense pain shot through her leg, and Luo Ling fell to one knee.

“Hee hee hee…”

The Forgotten River Child shrieked excitedly, its cries laced with laughter.

Seeing this, Performer knew she had won. The white-haired girl’s struggles were futile.

“I should hurry up and collect the ‘egg’… hmm?”

Performer turned around and froze.

Where was the “egg”?

Where was her big, beautiful “egg”?

There should have been a white reishi mushroom the size of a small yard behind her!

Performer looked up and saw, in the distance, a white reishi mushroom… slowly moving?

Looking closer, there seemed to be a person hidden beneath the mushroom… it was that lunatic!

She had actually taken the white reishi while she was dealing with those two girls?

Damn lunatic, was she born to be her nemesis…?

The sting of the slaps she had received earlier still lingered, not a physical pain, but a wound to her soul, her persona!

Performer was furious.

This was the most humiliating thing that had ever happened to her.

She lunged forward, reaching the Seer in the blink of an eye, blocking her path.

The Seer, clearly not expecting Performer’s sudden appearance, was startled, then panicked.

But just as Performer thought the girl was scared of being discovered, she heard the Seer say,

“Why are you here? Run!”

“The big mushroom, the big mushroom wants to eat you…”

Chapter 58: Struggle

“No…”

“Don’t…”

Elsa’s small body trembled uncontrollably. The woman before her was a stranger, but her cruel smile was familiar.

“No, no, no…”

Elsa’s wheelchair rolled back slightly, but it was too late.

An ethereal chime echoed through the vast subterranean cavern, slow and steady, neither hurried nor delayed.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Elsa clutched her head, as if enduring intense pain, as the omnipresent chime continued.

“Listen, Elsa, playtime is over, naughty child. Time to come home!”

Performer, or rather, Scientist, looked at Elsa with a mocking gaze. The strange chime seemed to be her ability.

Luo Ling felt nothing, but as the chime continued, the fear and panic on Elsa’s face gradually faded, replaced by an empty confusion.

Then, for the first time, Elsa opened her eyes. Her eyes were devoid of pupils and whites, only swirling runes radiating an eerie aura.

If one could read ancient script, they would recognize the runes… as a death warrant, detailing eighteen gruesome methods of torture.

At the same time, a powerful force emanated from Elsa, pushing outwards.

Luo Ling, standing beside her, was thrown back several meters, barely managing to stay on her feet by bracing herself against a Spore-enhanced rock.

“Elsa…”

Luo Ling looked up at Elsa, whose state was clearly abnormal, then turned to Performer, who was laughing maniacally, her expression hardening.

It seemed this was something from Elsa’s past…

“That’s a good girl. Do as Sister says, or you’ll be punished, you know~”

Scientist winked at Elsa, then said to Performer,

“Alright, just don’t touch her for now. In about… half an hour, her consciousness will collapse. Take the ‘egg’ and leave. We’ll talk after I arrive.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Leave as quickly as possible, or when little Elsa goes off… tsk, tsk, last time, if it weren’t for the Company’s intervention, thousands would have died.”

“…I know,” Performer said grimly.

After those words, the duration of the psychological suggestion ended, and Performer coughed up more blood, her head buzzing.

She took out a piece of foul-looking flesh from her pocket and ate it, her condition stabilizing slightly.

Psychological suggestion could implant another personality, allowing for long-distance communication and ability usage, but it placed a heavy burden on the target’s soul, especially since Scientist and Artist were both High-Order Awakened Ones.

An ordinary person would die within a minute of implantation. Even Performer, with her strong soul, didn’t dare exceed five minutes, or the damage would be irreversible.

“Heh, one less nuisance…”

Performer’s expression returned to its usual indifference as she looked coldly at Luo Ling. Although she didn’t know Luo Ling’s strength, judging from the earlier situation, she was far weaker than Elsa.

After all… Elsa was Scientist’s masterpiece, codenamed “Great Demon King of Slaughter,” a name that reflected Scientist’s morbid sense of humor, but also Elsa’s power.

Most importantly…

Elsa was likely the first human to master a Grotesquery path. Six Grotesqueries had been forcibly merged into her, currently only Soul Torture, Sequence 262, was active, the others still dormant.

Performer had sensed the Grotesquery aura within Elsa through her demonic eye, realizing she was the experiment Scientist had lost years ago.

Years had passed, and Elsa’s appearance had changed, so Performer hadn’t recognized her immediately.

Fortunately… all of Scientist’s experiments had undergone neurosurgery upon creation. Hearing her chime would trigger a certain state within them.

Otherwise, Performer wasn’t confident she could defeat Elsa.

This was the power of a Grotesquery path; Awakened Ones of the same Order struggled to contend against it.

Of course, such power came at a price, and Elsa’s price… was especially heavy.

“Even Scientist said that, it seems I can’t have this ‘egg’ all to myself.”

A hint of annoyance flashed across Performer’s face. If it weren’t for the white-haired girl and the experiment’s sudden appearance, she could have used this “egg” to advance to High-Order Awakened One, just a step away from obtaining her Authority.

But now… everything was ruined.

“Elsa! Wake up!”

Luo Ling shouted at the dazed Elsa, trying to snap her out of it, but to no avail.

She tried to approach, but an invisible force field surrounded Elsa, preventing her from getting closer.

Her Spores could penetrate the force field, but they couldn’t do anything.

“This isn’t working…”

Luo Ling was anxious. She had heard Scientist’s words; Elsa’s situation was critical. If she didn’t wake up, the consequences would be dire.

And… through the Spores, Luo Ling could sense Elsa’s overwhelming terror, masked by her dazed state.

What should she do…?

“It’s useless.”

Performer sneered at Luo Ling’s futile attempts and turned to retrieve the largest white reishi mushroom.

Since she couldn’t perform the ritual here, she would take as much of the white reishi as she could.

Although it would be a loss of one or two tenths of its power, it was better than nothing.

Just as she turned, she felt a chilling coldness behind her, a sharp pain on her skin.

Performer instinctively raised her arm to block, but it was sliced through like butter.

Her severed arm fell to the ground, blood gushing from the wound, staining the soil crimson.

The surrounding white reishi mushrooms grew rapidly, instantly devouring the severed limb.

“Stop.”

Luo Ling’s dagger dripped with blood, its cold edge gleaming.

Just like her expression.

But Performer, her arm severed, showed no emotion. She calmly clutched the wound and said flatly,

“Not going to save your little girlfriend, but trying to kill me instead?”

“Good, a somewhat useful struggle.”

“Somewhat, indeed.”

Chapter 57: Escape

Their eyes met.

For the first time, Performer felt a sense of helplessness.

For a few brief seconds, she held her breath, not daring to move a muscle, not even daring to curse inwardly.

Because the person in front of her was a lunatic…

A true, unpredictable lunatic.

The Seer stared at Performer with an unusually solemn expression, then suddenly clapped her hands and shouted,

“I know!”

You know what?

Performer’s snake-like pupils trembled, the sting of the slaps on her face still lingering.

“You’re also eating mushrooms! People can eat mushrooms!” The Seer’s face lit up with excitement, and she started dancing around. “Ahahaha, eat mushrooms, I want to eat more mushrooms!”

She ran around Performer in circles, then, still laughing maniacally, ran deeper into the subterranean cavern.

“…Unreasonable lunatic.”

Performer muttered, though it was the truth.

However, at least the girl hadn’t interrupted her ritual…

Just as Performer thought this, a soul-shaking shout echoed from behind her.

“Lu!”

Performer’s hair stood on end, a chilling coldness surging from her bone marrow.

She saw countless blades flying towards her from all directions, the sensation of being sliced into a thousand pieces, the intense pain almost making her lose consciousness.

When she came to her senses, Performer found her body unharmed, but her soul felt fractured.

“A soul-based attack? An Awakened One on the Oneiric path?”

Performer turned and saw a small, red-haired girl in a wheelchair, her eyes closed, her face pale with fear. The hellish surroundings seemed to be affecting her deeply.

Behind the red-haired girl stood a white-haired girl of similar age, her expression cold.

It was fortunate that Performer had suppressed the white reishi; otherwise, Luo Ling and Elsa wouldn’t have been able to withstand the intense mental assault.

Even so, the sight of the subterranean cavern alone was terrifying enough.

“Ci!”

“Yi!”

“Mie!”

Elsa’s voice continued. Her ability had no effect on Luo Ling, so she could use it without restraint.

As three more words left her lips, Performer’s soul experienced the tortures of beheading, dismemberment, and hanging, threatening to shatter completely.

A soul in this state couldn’t maintain the ritual. The demonic eye on her fingertip slowly closed, seemingly disdainful of such a fragmented offering.

“No…”

Performer, recovering from the agonizing pain, watched as the ritual she had painstakingly prepared crumbled irrevocably, her gaze filled with hatred as she looked at Luo Ling and Elsa.

How was this possible…?

How had they broken free from her psychological suggestion?

Even a Mid-Order Awakened One, without any external interference, should have remained under the basic psychological suggestion for at least half an hour.

“In that case, I’ll offer you to ‘Him’…”

Tears of blood streamed down Performer’s face as she used psychological suggestion again, despite her damaged soul, intending to push it to its highest level, regardless of the consequences.

But…

It had no effect.

Luo Ling and Elsa’s gazes remained clear, unaffected by the psychological suggestion.

“So this is An Yu’s ability…”

Luo Ling was inwardly impressed.

She could feel a force acting on her consciousness, but it was instantly erased upon contact.

And Elsa’s ability was equally terrifying.

She was clearly an Awakened One on the Oneiric path, and she had managed to survive the exchange group’s ambush, perhaps even killing them… she was definitely not weak.

But under the effect of Elsa’s ability, Performer’s soul, which should have been her greatest strength, was incredibly fragile.

After using her ability four times, Elsa’s face was pale, the strain evident.

But she gritted her teeth, preparing to utter the fifth word.

Just then, Performer’s furious expression vanished, replaced by confusion as she looked at her fingertip, then at Elsa.

“What’s going on?”

Then, as if realizing something, a look of understanding dawned on her face.

“I see…”

“Yan!”

The torture of burning descended upon Performer, her soul feeling as if engulfed in flames, but she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hahaha… I see…”

The next moment, Performer’s expression hardened as she used psychological suggestion again.

But this time, not on Luo Ling or Elsa, but on herself.

—Suggesting, Scientist.

“Oh dear, Performer, how did you end up in such a state? Having to trouble me to come all the way here. I’m on a tight schedule, you know.”

Performer’s voice suddenly turned cheerful, a playful glint appearing in her eyes.

But just as quickly, her expression returned to its previous state, filled with hatred and resentment.

“Cut the crap. Is that girl in the wheelchair your experiment? She’s using Grotesquery abilities.”

“Let’s see,” Performer looked up languidly, her gaze falling on Elsa, and her eyes lit up. “Well, well, well, isn’t this my dearest Elsa, still holding the little Bella that Artist gave you?”

Hearing these words, Elsa, who had been about to use her ability for the sixth time, paled, her face filled with terror.

“You, you’re…”

Buried memories surged forth, the deepest secrets of her heart, the past she desperately wanted to avoid.

“It’s me. Don’t you recognize your dear Sister Scientist? Did you think you could escape to a place I couldn’t find you? Hmm, I couldn’t indeed, but you came to me yourself!”

Performer laughed triumphantly, so hard that she coughed up blood.

“What the hell happened to your soul? Oh, right, it must be Little Elsa’s doing. Naughty girl, didn’t Sister Scientist tell you not to hurt people with your ability?” Performer looked at Elsa, a cold smile spreading across her lips. “You should listen to Sister Scientist… wasn’t I clear enough?”

“Cut the crap, make your experiment stop! She interrupted my ritual!”

“Oh my, were you trying to steal a snack? Tsk, tsk, such a big appetite, not leaving any for me? I don’t care about Artist, but I came all this way, and I’m not leaving with just one runaway little darling.”

“If you keep babbling, you won’t get any at all!”

“Tsk, tsk, such a hothead. I was just making small talk, heh…”

Performer’s expression kept shifting, talking to herself, but the terror in Elsa’s eyes deepened.

“No, no…”

She wanted to escape.

Desperately.

Chapter 56: Gratitude

After seeing the Grotesqueries covering the mountain, Performer had prepared for the worst—the “egg” had hatched, and she would have to face a Grotesquery of at least Sequence 120 alone.

Now it seemed she had arrived just in time.

Although the “egg” had become active, it clearly hadn’t awakened yet.

But looking at this horrifying scene, how terrifying would the power it had accumulated in its dormant state be?

Fortunately, none of that would happen. This unhatched “egg” would ultimately serve her purpose.

A faint smile touched Performer’s lips as she reached out, the demonic eye on her fingertip about to touch the largest white reishi mushroom.

Just then, she noticed a person lying on top of the mushroom.

“Who?”

Performer’s alarm bells went off, and her hair stood on end.

In Grotesquery phenomena, the most terrifying thing wasn’t encountering a bizarre-looking Grotesquery, but encountering a human-like one.

…Not a humanoid Grotesquery like the Forgotten River Child, but one that was almost indistinguishable from a human.

This meant the Grotesquery had progressed far along its path, mastering its Authority and gaining self-awareness.

To achieve this, it had to be at least within the top fifty Sequences, a High-Risk Grotesquery.

But after the initial shock, Performer calmed down, a puzzled expression on her face.

“How could this be…”

The demonic eye didn’t react to the girl lying on the white reishi mushroom, meaning she wasn’t a Grotesquery.

But for a human, not a Grotesquery, to appear in a place like this… was even stranger.

Performer hesitated for a moment, then used psychological suggestion on the mysterious girl.

But just as quickly, she withdrew the suggestion, her chest heaving, muttering in a shaken voice,

“Damn it… she’s a lunatic…”

Utter chaos and confusion, unreadable memories, fragmented thoughts, all indicating the girl’s mind was… broken.

And in that brief moment of psychological suggestion, Performer realized the girl… was just an ordinary person.

Not even an Awakened One.

How had an ordinary person survived here?

…Perhaps she had just arrived and hadn’t been fully digested yet?

“Never mind, what a nuisance. I’ll deal with her after absorbing this ‘egg.’”

Performer waved her hand dismissively, walked to the farthest point from the mysterious girl on the largest white reishi mushroom, and extended her finger, the demonic eye opening once more.

But this time, more than just the eye opened. A ritual descended upon Performer.

Complex, eerie patterns appeared on her back, forming a terrifying eye that stared coldly at the largest white reishi mushroom.

The mushroom trembled, along with the surrounding mushrooms, as if struggling against some unseen force.

But the demonic eye ritual on Performer’s back radiated a higher-order Grotesquery aura, suppressing the mushrooms’ tremors.

“As expected of ‘His’ blessing…”

Performer couldn’t help but laugh, the craving in her snake-like eyes deepening.

At this moment, she briefly walked the path of a Grotesquery, feeling the immense power of the so-called “path to godhood,” even as blood trickled from her orifices.

The blessing wasn’t free. Performer had to offer her soul and life force as a price, in exchange for a sliver of “His” power.

The white reishi was completely suppressed. The “egg” was trying to awaken, but the suppression rendered its struggles futile.

“Almost there…”

Performer’s snake-like pupils widened.

Such a powerful Grotesquery, what would she receive after offering it to “Him”…

Would she be able to directly step onto the path of Nightmare?

Just as Performer was filled with anticipation, a small hand appeared at the edge of the largest white reishi mushroom, gripping it tightly.

The next moment, a pair of broken glasses was thrown out, hitting Performer in the face.

“What?”

Performer was startled, then she saw a disheveled girl with messy hair, looking like a lunatic, standing before her, staring intently at her with an unusually solemn expression.

The Seer had awakened.

The demonic eye ritual’s suppression of the “egg” had finally allowed her to break free from the white reishi’s control.

“It’s that nuisance… how is she still moving?”

Performer’s eyes widened in shock, but she was in the middle of the ritual and couldn’t interrupt it. She could only watch as the girl approached.

Suddenly, the Seer stood at attention, her right hand raised in a salute.

Performer was dumbfounded.

The next moment, the Seer suddenly shouted,

“Thank you for saving me!”

“…”

Performer almost spat out blood. This crazy lunatic…

But her ritual was still in progress, and she couldn’t interrupt it. Otherwise, she would definitely deal with this annoying girl.

Fine, since she didn’t seem hostile, she would just endure it.

Seeing Performer didn’t respond, the Seer frowned, as if wondering if her gratitude hadn’t been conveyed properly.

After a moment of thought, a look of realization dawned on the Seer’s face, and she walked towards Performer.

As she approached, Performer felt a sense of foreboding. She wanted to shout, but a mouthful of blood welled up in her throat.

The demonic eye ritual was extremely taxing. How else could it suppress a Grotesquery of Sequence 120?

An entity of this level, at its peak, would require a full team of High-Order Awakened Ones to deal with. Even in its dormant state, it wasn’t something she, a Mid-Order Awakened One, could handle alone.

Finally, the Seer reached Performer. The same solemn expression, the same words of gratitude, but this time, the Seer didn’t salute.

Instead, she raised her hand and swung it with all her might.

“Slap!”

“Thank you for saving me!”

“Slap!”

“Thank you for saving me!”

“Slap!”

“Thank you for saving me!”

A resounding voice, firm and unwavering slaps.

Performer, her face red, stared at the Seer in disbelief, fury burning in her snake-like eyes.

Who expressed gratitude like this?!

Lunatic!

No, wait, she really was a lunatic…

Seeing Performer finally react, the Seer nodded in satisfaction, then, after a moment of hesitation, slapped her again.

“I’m leaving now! Goodbye!”

After saying that, the Seer walked past Performer, her steps unsteady.

“When this ritual is over, I’ll tear her to pieces!”

Performer gritted her teeth. This was the second most humiliating moment of her life, being slapped repeatedly by an ordinary person and unable to retaliate.

Just as she was imagining how she would tear the mysterious girl apart, she met those unwavering eyes again.

—And that familiar, solemn expression.

Chapter 55: Grief

A silent whisper echoed in her ears. Luo Ling struggled to open her eyes, but only a vast, empty darkness greeted her.

Where… was this?

Shouldn’t she still be in Baiyan Village?

What had that madwoman, the one who killed the Bone Doctor, done to her?

Luo Ling felt a heavy fog in her mind, her energy drained, as if lost in an endless void.

Even her memories were fading.

Images of the orphanage dimmed, then her first encounter with her sister, followed by her school days in Jiangcheng County, the fading stopping abruptly at the start of high school.

“No, this isn’t right…”

Luo Ling desperately tried to grasp her past, but it slipped through her fingers, even her sister’s face becoming blurry…

No…

Luo Ling instinctively curled up, hugging her knees. A hard texture met her fingertips, like scales.

Was this… her true self…?

“Xiao Bai… Xiao Bai! Wake up! Xiao Qian, you try, I’ll cover my ears…”

“Big Sister Bai, wake up…”

Faint voices seemed to be calling her, and the color slowly returned to Luo Ling’s eyes as her memories shifted to Baiyan Village.

No, this wasn’t the time to be lost in thought…

An Yu and Elsa were waiting for her…

And that madwoman… Although she didn’t know how the woman planned to merge with the Puppet Ballad, she had to stop her!

And the Seer, fighting against fate in the subterranean cavern…

She couldn’t lose herself here!

Luo Ling slowly raised her head, a faint light appearing in the darkness, the whispers growing clearer.

“I’ve dispelled her ability. Xiao Bai must have fainted. Xiao Qian, give her mouth-to-mouth.”

“I… really… can…”

“…Just do it.”

Luo Ling opened her eyes and saw Elsa, her eyes closed, her face flushed, leaning towards her.

Déjà vu.

Last time it had been An Yu.

“I’m awake.”

“Eek!”

Elsa let out a cute yelp and quickly retreated to her wheelchair, flustered.

“That’s great,” An Yu breathed a sigh of relief. “The madwoman has entered the village. What should we do now?”

Luo Ling was silent for a moment, composing herself, then took out her phone.

Still no signal.

“It’s best to wait for rescue, but it seems unlikely now,” Luo Ling said grimly. “She’s very strong, and she’s probably an Awakened One on the Oneiric path. If we can’t counter her ability, Xiao Qian’s strength is simply…”

“Don’t worry about her ability,” An Yu interrupted softly.

“Hmm?”

Luo Ling looked at An Yu, who had lowered her eyes.

“I… I ranked up. I can erase the effects of the madwoman’s ability, and for a while, I won’t be affected by it again.”

Ranked up at a time like this?

This was unexpected, but An Yu didn’t seem as happy as one might expect.

Luo Ling quickly understood why.

She looked up and saw An Yu’s grandparents among the Meat Puppets frozen by the madwoman.

The kind and loving elders had become grotesque, unspeakable creatures.

An Yu had learned the truth.

The deception Luo Ling and Elsa had maintained had finally been exposed.

But An Yu wasn’t consumed by grief as expected. Instead, she seemed unusually calm.

Her ability was to conceptually erase information…

Information, including memories.

An Yu could erase memories, but her power hadn’t been strong enough before, only capable of wiping information from SIM cards.

The complex memories of a human being weren’t so easily altered.

But… the intense emotions and grief, the desperate desire to forget, had allowed An Yu to take this crucial step on the Order path.

She had temporarily erased her attachment to her grandparents to prevent the overwhelming grief from hindering her actions.

“Don’t worry about me,” An Yu said softly. “Xiao Bai, Xiao Qian, go. I want to be… alone for a while.”

She sat down, her gaze fixed on the Meat Puppets that were once her grandparents.

Silent.

Luo Ling didn’t speak. She didn’t know what to say.

Words of comfort would only add salt to An Yu’s wounds.

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Ling nodded at An Yu and pushed Elsa’s wheelchair towards the shady area in the distance.

Only after they were gone did An Yu curl up, burying her face in her knees.

She stared blankly at the scattered fruits and vegetables, tears streaming down her face.

“Grandpa, Grandma…”

The emotions she had suppressed, the bonds that no ability could erase, finally erupted.

…

When Performer arrived at the shady area, almost all the villagers had transformed into Meat Puppets, hundreds of Grotesqueries, each equivalent to Sequence 350. Even a High-Order Awakened One would find this sight daunting.

But for Performer, with her blessing, Grotesqueries were the least of her worries.

The demonic eye on her fingertip opened, and all the Grotesqueries froze, unable to move.

Performer reached the shady area without any resistance and quickly located the entrance to the subterranean cavern.

Opening the entrance, the hellish scene of the cavern unfolded before her.

Even Performer, who had witnessed countless Grotesquery phenomena, couldn’t help but gasp, using psychological suggestion on herself several times to maintain her composure.

“It seems I didn’t underestimate this Grotesquery… it’s indeed around Sequence 120.”

Performer walked through the cavern, littered with corpses, her gaze sweeping over the wildly growing white reishi mushrooms.

She could tell that these mushrooms, seemingly independent entities, were actually just extensions of a single being, like its “limbs.”

Where was the Grotesquery’s true form?

Performer continued deeper into the cavern. The mushrooms grew larger and larger, and she finally stopped when she saw one the size of a small yard, pulsating rhythmically.

She cautiously reached out and touched the largest mushroom with her demonic eye, then breathed a sigh of relief.

“Fortunately, it hasn’t fully awakened yet…”

Chapter 54: Despair

“That’s great…”

Elsa finally burst into tears. Everything in Baiyan Village was too terrifying; it was the first time she had encountered such a horrifying scene.

Luo Ling breathed a sigh of relief. The Patient Exchange Group was reliable, arriving not too long after her estimated time.

Any later… she would have been fine, but Elsa and An Yu might not have been so lucky.

Either turned into Meat Puppets or becoming nourishment, neither was a pleasant fate.

The number of corpses in the subterranean cavern far exceeded the number of villagers in Baiyan Village…

This meant that almost everyone who had come to Baiyan Village during this period had been buried in the cavern.

If Luo Ling and the others hadn’t discovered the truth, they would likely have become one of them.

However, it would all be over soon.

A faint shattering sound echoed through the void as the invisible barrier surrounding Baiyan Village crumbled. From beyond the collapsing barrier, a cold voice echoed,

“Heh, found it.”

The snake-like pupils in Performer’s eyes dissipated, and she narrowed her eyes.

An immature incubation barrier. It seemed the condition of this “egg” was worse than she had anticipated.

Dormant Grotesqueries were called “eggs” by the Harbingers of Calamity. Generally, only Dangerous Grotesqueries or above could form “eggs.”

An “egg” would instinctively create an incubation barrier to help it accumulate power, which also served as a form of protection.

For Low-Order Awakened Ones and ordinary people, the incubation barrier would only prevent them from leaving, but for someone as powerful as Performer, the barrier would actively protect the “egg.”

Luo Ling’s time estimate had been conservative. The extra time had been spent by Performer breaking through the incubation barrier.

“Now it seems, even Sequence 120 was an overestimation. It’s probably around 130 or 140,” Performer said, retracting the eye on her fingertip. “Heh, in its dormant state, it’s equivalent to Sequence 250 at most. What a lucky find.”

Plus, she had “His” blessing. She couldn’t imagine this operation failing.

Informing Scientist and Artist beforehand had been overly cautious. She wouldn’t need their help.

“That idiot wasted my precious time… but as long as I get this ‘egg,’ it will all be worth it.”

Even the emotionally unstable Performer couldn’t help but smile slightly.

She stepped forward, entering Baiyan Village, now unprotected by the incubation barrier.

But the moment she entered, a chill ran down her spine.

Dozens of grotesque gazes instantly focused on her. Among the trees and fields, white, mycelial monsters wearing tattered human faces slowly writhed.

“What… what’s going on? Isn’t the ‘egg’ still dormant? Why is it so active?” Performer instinctively took a step back. “Almost all of them are equivalent to Sequence 350 Grotesqueries, and their numbers are astonishing…”

But the next moment, Performer understood why.

She saw Luo Ling, frozen in place, Elsa’s face filled with disbelief, and An Yu, half-conscious in her arms.

…Had these newbies awakened the “egg”?

But how could they possibly make the “egg” this active…?

With their measly First or Second-Order strength, even one or two awakened Grotesqueries should have been enough to devour them completely.

Performer hadn’t expected to see them alive. They should have been consumed long before she arrived.

At the same time, Luo Ling and Elsa were just as shocked as Performer.

“It’s that madwoman! No, wait, I sent the distress signal to the exchange group…

“Could it be… that they were all wiped out?”

Luo Ling instantly recognized Performer and realized that… something was wrong.

Their distress signal had somehow been intercepted by this madwoman.

Luo Ling didn’t believe the madwoman was here to save them. A lunatic who could turn her own flesh and blood into a Grotesquery, her purpose here was either to kill them or to obtain the Grotesquery in this village.

Considering the madwoman’s organization, the second possibility was more likely.

“Merging with Grotesqueries, exploring their paths…”

Elsa didn’t have a strong impression of the madwoman. She was merely surprised that only one person from the exchange group had arrived—though it wasn’t unusual for there to be members she didn’t know.

Only when Luo Ling stepped back did Elsa realize that this wasn’t help, but an enemy.

The rescue they had desperately waited for had brought another crisis.

“You’re quite good at causing trouble for me,” Performer said coldly.

Even in this situation, she was only slightly surprised. These Grotesqueries might be a desperate situation for Luo Ling and the others, but for Performer… they were nothing.

She slowly extended her hand, and a red eye with a black pupil opened on her fingertip, its center twitching uneasily.

Instantly, all the Grotesqueries froze, unable to move.

“This… is ‘His’ blessing.”

No matter how many times she used it, Performer felt a deep thrill, an uncontrollable craving.

“Soon, when I finally reverse my Oneiric path and step onto the path of Nightmare, I will truly possess this power…”

The ultimate goal of every Harbinger of Calamity member was to reverse their Awakened path and walk the path of a Grotesquery. Performer was no exception.

“It’s… it’s you…”

An Yu, struggling to open her eyes, looked at the madwoman, her voice trembling, her eyes wide with shock.

“Brother Liu and the others… they…”

If this woman was here in Baiyan Village, it meant…

“They’re all dead,” Performer sneered.

“Impossible!”

An Yu gasped.

“Nothing is impossible. They were too weak,” Performer looked down at them. “The weak deserve to die… you’re all in my way.”

Her eyes shimmered with an eerie light, then her snake-like pupils widened, her gaze cold as she stared at the three of them.

—Psychological Suggestion.

Luo Ling, Elsa, and An Yu’s expressions turned blank, but just as Performer was about to gain further control over their minds, a sense of danger washed over her.

It seemed this was the limit of her suggestion. Pushing further would be dangerous.

“Fine, I’ll retrieve the ‘egg’ first and deal with you later.”

Performer wasn’t one to waste time. Since these three seemed to have some hidden cards, she would prioritize her objective.

Her gaze swept past the frozen Meat Puppets, following the red and black eye on her fingertip, towards the shady area deep within Baiyan Village.

“Found you…”

Chapter 53: Rescue

It hurts…

I can’t feel my body…

Am I dying?

It seemed so…

“Hold on, An Yu.”

Bai’s calm voice, now laced with urgency, echoed in her ears, but An Yu could barely hear it, like a whisper in a dream.

This was her first battle… and such a crushing defeat…

“Don’t fall asleep.”

I’m already dying…

Xiao Bai, don’t save me, give up, run…

Everyone should be arriving soon, don’t die here because of me…

“Don’t give up.”

“Don’t… give up!”

“Don’t die!”

The usually monotonous, childish voice was now filled with barely contained urgency.

An Yu slowly opened her eyes and saw the White Witch, her long white hair flowing freely, her eyes devoid of pupils, only white remained.

Her eerie hair seemed to have a mind of its own, floating in mid-air, weaving something with its power.

“Live.”

Not a request, but a command.

An order given to a life.

“Bai…”

An Yu reached out weakly.

“You must live, An Yu.”

The beautiful, pale girl gazed at her, her colorless eyes seeming almost holy.

An Yu clearly saw her missing half regenerate at an incredible speed.

Her life force responded to the undeniable command, miraculously surviving.

Only after regaining consciousness did An Yu realize what had happened, shock washing over her.

This was Xiao Bai’s ability?!

Could a Low-Order Awakened One on the Myriad path do this?

It was practically resurrection!

At the same time, An Yu felt an unprecedented weakness, as if her recovery had come at the cost of her life force.

But even so, it was a miracle.

Seeing that An Yu was alive, Luo Ling, who had used all her strength for Proliferation, breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked.

This was the first time she had used Proliferation to heal someone, and it was a severe injury, half a body gone.

Fortunately, Proliferation was powerful enough. Luo Ling only needed to expend her own stamina; it was An Yu’s own life force that fueled her regeneration.

However… the danger hadn’t passed.

This wasn’t a battle An Yu, not even a First-Order Awakened One, should be involved in, especially since her ability was currently useless in combat.

The Meat Puppets’ strength wasn’t just their immortality; even more terrifying was their instinct to consume flesh and blood. A single touch would result in complete assimilation.

An Yu was lucky to have only lost half her body. The “Old Man Huang” Luo Ling had fought had almost devoured her entirely.

However… fortunately for Luo Ling, she seemed immune to this consumption. Their “touch” had no effect on her.

Luo Ling suspected this was because she possessed the Puppet Ballad’s power.

But Elsa and An Yu weren’t so fortunate.

The Meat Puppets were an insurmountable force for them.

Elsa, surrounded by several child-sized Meat Puppets, looked panicked. She swung Bella, trying to fend them off, but it was Luo Ling who intervened, pushing them back.

Immune to their consumption, Luo Ling could attack the Meat Puppets without fear. The Sacred Tool dagger Ji Ying had lent her was indeed powerful. Even without any combat training, Luo Ling could easily slice the Meat Puppets into pieces with wild swings.

But this only delayed their advance. Each time they were cut, the Meat Puppets would regenerate within seconds.

Luo Ling recognized their regeneration method as similar to Proliferation, but the source of their life force… didn’t seem to be themselves.

…It likely came from the subterranean cavern beneath Baiyan Village.

This meant that, at least for Luo Ling, they had an endless supply of life force, practically immortal.

“Take An Yu and go,” Luo Ling said to Elsa, who was looking increasingly panicked.

Elsa was unlucky. Her ability was completely countered by these Meat Puppets, who had no souls or consciousness to affect. Mental attacks were useless.

“Mm…”

Elsa bit her lip, knowing that she and An Yu were just burdens.

She switched her wheelchair to electric mode, picked up the unconscious An Yu, and narrowly dodged a Meat Puppet’s attack.

She hadn’t used the electric mode earlier because the battery life was limited, and she didn’t want to waste it unless necessary.

Three small Meat Puppets and one large one, even an experienced Awakened One would struggle to handle them, let alone Luo Ling, who was only able to fight them because of her immunity to their consumption… but even she couldn’t hold them all back.

“It’s been almost an hour,” Luo Ling said, slightly out of breath, trying to reassure them. “Help should arrive soon.”

“Mm…”

Elsa fought back tears of terror and held on.

Luo Ling looked like she was eleven or twelve, but Elsa was that age. The children who had become Meat Puppets might even be older than her.

Even though Elsa had participated in battles against Grotesqueries before, they were nothing compared to this horrifying scene.

Especially the sight of An Yu being erased right before her eyes, her flesh and organs splattering everywhere, had almost broken her.

“Just… a little longer…”

Driven by fear and panic, Elsa followed closely behind Luo Ling, who was fighting and retreating, dodging the Meat Puppets’ sporadic attacks.

Unknowingly, they had returned to the area near the small store.

“One hour and three minutes.”

“If the group still cares about us, they should be here within ten minutes… no, five minutes.”

Luo Ling’s stamina was almost depleted, her movements sluggish.

“At least… I can hold out for another ten minutes.”

This thought crossed Luo Ling’s mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

Because she saw a terrifying sight in the distance.

Dozens of Meat Puppets, wearing the tattered faces of villagers, slowly emerged from the village. Among them, Luo Ling even saw An Yu’s grandparents.

Her second theory had been correct.

Almost all the Meat Puppets in Baiyan Village had awakened. Their only fate was to be devoured.

Just then, Elsa’s excited voice echoed from behind, laced with tears of relief.

“They’re here, Big Sister Bai! Everyone’s here!”

Luo Ling quickly turned and saw ripples appearing in the barrier surrounding Baiyan Village, as if someone was trying to break through from the outside.

One hour and four minutes.

Rescue had arrived.

Chapter 52: Eradication

The children didn’t seem to fully realize that “Old Man Huang” had become a grotesque monster.

In their eyes, he seemed just as he always had been.

Why…?

There was only one answer.

They were also Meat Puppets of the Puppet Ballad, also playing roles assigned by the Grotesquery.

“Puppet Ballad…”

A tragedy orchestrated by the Puppet Ballad was unfolding in Baiyan Village, the curtain far from falling.

Everything was fake.

The villagers were fake, the peaceful atmosphere was fake, all of it was fake.

The real Baiyan Village was buried in the hellish subterranean cavern, becoming the soil from which this tragedy bloomed.

“Go somewhere else?” An Yu hesitated. “But there’s only one entrance to Baiyan Village… everywhere else is just mountains and forests.”

“…”

Luo Ling didn’t reply. She had just sensed the connection with her scouting Spores being severed.

This had almost never happened before. Even in the subterranean cavern, she had chosen to withdraw the Spores herself, unable to withstand the mental assault.

And the Spores whose connections had been severed… were just up ahead.

They had been exposed.

…It was too late.

The boisterous children suddenly froze, turning to look at Luo Ling and the others, their eyes devoid of childish innocence, filled only with a bone-chilling coldness.

“Run!”

Luo Ling didn’t hesitate. She immediately turned Elsa’s wheelchair around and ran.

An Yu reacted a beat slower. Only when she saw a two-meter tall, wrinkled husk of skin, animated by white mycelia, peeling itself off the wall of the small store, its bulging, distorted eyes fixated on her, did she finally realize the mortal danger approaching.

Perhaps it was because of their earlier reckless actions in killing “Old Man Huang,” or perhaps because the Puppet Ballad was gradually awakening…

The peaceful facade of Baiyan Village had been torn apart, revealing its monstrous fangs.

“Run… run!”

An Yu finally snapped out of her daze and ran, leaving behind the bag of fruits and vegetables her grandma had given her, only carrying her backpack filled with equipment.

“Elsa’s ability can’t completely kill Meat Puppets. It only shredded ‘Old Man Huang’s’ outer layer… The exposed Grotesquery is barely maintaining its programmed behavior. If we’re not careful…”

Luo Ling had a few chilling theories, all of which would worsen their current situation.

“Run towards the forest, away from the villagers,” Luo Ling’s voice echoed in An Yu’s mind.

“Ah… okay!”

An Yu nodded and immediately plunged into the nearby forest.

In direct combat, her useless ability would only be a burden, but when it came to running… few in the group could match her.

Even Luo Ling and Elsa, who had started running first, were a few steps behind her.

However, An Yu thought Luo Ling wanted them to stay away from the villagers to protect them, when in reality, it was to protect themselves.

After “Old Man Huang” was awakened, the children were also awakened, meaning these Meat Puppets shared senses to a certain extent.

Luo Ling’s first theory was that this awakening was area-based, meaning when one was awakened, all nearby Meat Puppets would shed their disguises. Her second, more terrifying theory was… the entire village had awakened at this moment.

Regardless, the forest was their only escape route.

Luo Ling didn’t dare release her Spores anymore. She wasn’t sure if it was the Spores or something else that had triggered the Meat Puppets’ awakening.

Perhaps the peaceful facade of Baiyan Village had been a fragile illusion, destined to shatter the moment they stepped inside.

They could only become Meat Puppets, or become the Meat Puppets’ prey.

“Big Sister Bai, I can…”

Elsa said as they ran.

“It’s useless. Their souls and consciousness can’t influence their physical actions,” Luo Ling said softly. “Your ability won’t work, just like your voice has no effect on me.”

“Why?”

Elsa was taken aback.

“Because this Grotesquery’s path is Silent Demise, controlled only by the flesh,” Luo Ling replied.

“Ah, Big Sister Bai, how did you know…?”

Elsa stopped mid-sentence, seeing Luo Ling’s grim expression, and wisely kept quiet.

Perhaps this was Big Sister Bai’s secret, and she shouldn’t pry.

Just like she had her own secrets she didn’t want others to know.

Just then, An Yu, who was running ahead, suddenly stopped and turned back to Luo Ling and Elsa, her face filled with terror.

“Go back, Xiao Bai, Xiao Qian, quick… run back!”

Luo Ling looked up and saw several smaller Meat Puppets blocking their path.

The Meat Puppets wore the tattered remains of children’s skin, their faces, torn into pieces, clinging to masses of white mycelia.

Was it teleportation?

But their movements weren’t fast…

So why were they ahead of them?

Luo Ling looked around, and her blood ran cold.

It wasn’t that the Meat Puppets were blocking their path, but that their path was leading them towards the Meat Puppets.

The Grotesquery’s barrier in Baiyan Village was manipulating their escape route, leading them straight into the Meat Puppets’ waiting arms.

…A ghost wall.

But if they took a step back, a two-meter tall Meat Puppet, wearing “Old Man Huang’s” terrified face, was closing in on them.

“We have to break through.”

Luo Ling took a deep breath, stopped, and drew her dagger.

At the same time, Elsa didn’t hesitate. While the smaller Meat Puppets were still some distance away, she uttered a few words.

“Ci!”

“Yi!”

“Mie!”

The Meat Puppets shuddered, the skin clinging to them tearing further, the faces on the skin contorted in pain.

But their movements didn’t slow, still advancing towards them, driven by the white mycelia.

“I… I’ll help too!”

Finally facing the Grotesquery battle she had always dreamed of, An Yu’s heart was filled with conflicting emotions. She was facing the villagers of Baiyan Village, the people who had watched her grow up.

An Yu drew her bone blades and, alongside Luo Ling, who was charging forward, slashed at a Meat Puppet.

It was effective. The Meat Puppet was cut in half.

But before she could celebrate, the severed parts of the Meat Puppet reconnected, instantly healing.

And at the same time, the Meat Puppet reached out its “hands” and grabbed An Yu.

“This…”

Whether it was mental or physical attacks…

These Meat Puppets seemed completely impervious.

“An Yu, look out!”

Bai’s slightly anxious voice echoed beside her ear, but the “hands” were unavoidable.

A gust of wind swept past, and An Yu crashed to the ground.

Along with her right arm, almost half of her body had vanished in an instant.

Chapter 51: Meat Puppets

Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes, traces of shock still lingering in them.

Somewhere in the subterranean cavern, the Seer was fighting for her life.

Even though the rescue she was waiting for had overlooked her…

“Big Sister Bai?”

A soft voice echoed beside Luo Ling’s ear. Turning her head, she met Elsa’s closed eyes.

Luo Ling then realized she was being held in Elsa’s lap, her head resting on her knees.

She quickly sat up, placing Bella back in Elsa’s arms.

“Sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s… nothing…”

Elsa lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper.

“Oh, Xiao Bai, you’re awake?”

An Yu, who had been watching TV, turned around, looking at Luo Ling in surprise.

Grandma just smiled, her expression unchanged.

But seeing Grandma’s face, Luo Ling couldn’t help but recall the gruesome corpse in the subterranean cavern and quickly averted her gaze.

“Mm.”

An Yu leaned closer, glanced at Grandma, and whispered,

“Brother Liu and the others should be arriving soon. We need to go to the village entrance to meet them.”

She hadn’t forgotten the dangerous situation they were in, but because of Luo Ling and Elsa’s deception, she still believed the Grotesquery’s threat wasn’t too serious.

A Grotesquery that could annihilate an entire village was something she had yet to encounter.

Luo Ling understood An Yu’s intention in suggesting they go out to meet the others. She didn’t want to involve her grandparents in the Grotesquery incident, even if it meant putting herself in danger.

Everyone had their own selfish desires, and An Yu’s was her grandparents.

But…

Luo Ling closed her eyes in pain.

She couldn’t imagine the despair An Yu would face when she learned the truth.

“Okay.”

She replied softly.

An Yu nodded seriously, then turned to Grandma and said cheerfully,

“Grandma, we’re about to head back!”

“Oh?” Grandma was taken aback. “Leaving so soon? Why not… stay a few more days?”

“We still have classes, Grandma. We just came here to finish a school assignment,” An Yu winked playfully. “Besides, if we stay any longer, you’ll get tired of us.”

“Nonsense, I would never get tired of Xiao Yu, no matter how long she stays,” Grandma chuckled. “But studying is indeed important. Your father was the only university student in our village. Everyone envies us.”

“That’s right~ Grandma, you’re so wise. Dad was lucky to be born into our family.”

An Yu’s sweet words made Grandma laugh heartily.

“Alright, alright. This old woman’s legs aren’t what they used to be. Just a short walk today, and my joints are already aching. I won’t see you out, be careful on your way… Wait, let me get you something to take back with you.”

Grandma stood up with some difficulty and went to the kitchen to pack some fruits and vegetables. She initially wanted to include the leftover half a chicken from lunch but decided against it, worried An Yu wouldn’t be able to carry it.

Grandma handed An Yu a large bag filled with fruits and vegetables.

“Take these back with you. Your grandpa and I can’t finish them all. It would be a waste to leave them here.”

“Isn’t this… a bit too much?”

An Yu struggled to hold the heavy bag.

“Who knows when you’ll be able to visit Grandma again after you leave.”

Grandma held An Yu’s hand and rambled on,

“Besides, your grandpa grew these himself, no pesticides, very healthy, much better than the stuff outside. Eat more, it’s good for you…”

An Yu listened patiently, then picked up the bag and smiled sweetly.

“Okay, Grandma, I’m leaving now. I’ll definitely come back to visit when I have time.”

“Good, good…”

Grandma shuffled to the door, watching them leave with reluctance.

Even as they turned the corner, An Yu could still see Grandma’s kind smile, a comforting sight.

“Where are we going?”

Luo Ling asked softly.

After leaving “Grandpa and Grandma,” she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected had happened before they left. The truth about the subterranean cavern made Luo Ling’s scalp crawl just thinking about it.

She… couldn’t stay there any longer.

“The only road into the village is near Uncle Huang’s small store… We’ll wait there,” An Yu said, her voice still trembling slightly at the mention of “Uncle Huang.”

Baiyan Village wasn’t large, only about two hundred households, less than a thousand people, and almost everyone knew each other.

Old Man Huang was one of the elders she was closest to, after all, the small store was a favorite haunt for children.

But now…

Life was unpredictable. Who would have thought that such a small village would suffer such a terrible fate?

Fortunately, this tragedy would soon be over.

“Rest in peace, Uncle Huang,” An Yu whispered in her heart.

“Okay.”

Luo Ling didn’t hesitate. She wasn’t directionally challenged, and with her Spores, she had memorized most of the village’s layout before entering.

Old Man Huang’s small store was at the village entrance. A little further ahead was the road leading out of the village, but due to the Grotesquery’s barrier, every time they tried to leave, they would be inexplicably redirected, trapping them within.

If they waited near the small store, the main force from the Patient Exchange Group would see them immediately upon entering the village.

Soon, the three of them arrived at Old Man Huang’s small store.

Before they could get close, they saw several children gathered in front of the store, chattering excitedly.

An Yu looked at this scene with nostalgia. She had once been one of those children, though much quieter back then.

However, both Old Man Huang and “Old Man Huang” were dead. Were these children… stealing something?

Or had they discovered something?

An Yu’s heart skipped a beat. As she wondered, Luo Ling suddenly stopped, holding An Yu and Elsa back.

“Don’t go over there,” Luo Ling whispered.

Elsa and An Yu looked at her questioningly and saw the grim expression on her face.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

The Spores had seen it.

The children gathered in front of the store were scratching lottery tickets.

And the one selling them the tickets was Old Man Huang.

No, “Old Man Huang.”

The thin, wrinkled husk of skin, animated by the dissolving white mycelia, twitched and made unintelligible noises, seemingly hawking its wares.

Its voice rose and fell with the excited chatter of the children around it.

Chapter 50: Eating People

The Seer, Wang Lili.

Luo Ling had read her file. The Awakened organization, the Speaker, claimed she was an Awakened One on the Other Shore path, but Qingshan Hospital had diagnosed her as an ordinary mental patient.

Her “premonitions” were chaotic, yet strangely consistent with a certain pattern.

Only now did Luo Ling realize that the Seer had truly seen something with her ability…

Weren’t the white reishi mushrooms covering the subterranean cavern the “big mushrooms” she had described?

And these white reishi, growing by consuming flesh and blood… were indeed “eating people.”

Unfortunately, no one had believed her.

Perhaps the Speaker had, but judging by how they had allowed the Seer to wander into this dangerous place, and from what An Yu had said about them making the Seer even crazier… Luo Ling didn’t think the Speaker was a trustworthy organization.

At least less trustworthy than the Patient Exchange Group.

Wang Lili’s head lolled to the side, her eyes rolled back, her tongue sticking out, her broken glasses hanging empty on her face.

Her messy hair was scattered on the plump, white reishi mushroom, and traces of her former prettiness could still be seen on her dirty face, but her contorted posture was a gruesome sight.

…She seemed to be quite dead.

However, perhaps because she was lying on the largest white reishi mushroom, Wang Lili’s body hadn’t been completely consumed like the other corpses, her flesh and blood not yet fully absorbed.

Luo Ling sighed inwardly.

If… Brother Liu had found this place when he investigated Baiyan Village a few months ago, perhaps everything could have been salvaged.

But now, it was too late to do anything.

Just then, Grandpa, seemingly finished inspecting his “specialty product,” picked up his hoe and turned to leave.

At that moment, the Spore detected a slight movement, startling Luo Ling, who had been about to sever the connection.

Had the Seer’s eyes just fluttered open?

Although barely perceptible even with normal vision, Luo Ling had definitely seen it through the Spore.

A Spore’s perception was different from ordinary vision, more comprehensive and detailed… although for Luo Ling now, this detail was excessively gruesome.

She experienced the horrors of the subterranean cavern more intensely than an ordinary person. If she weren’t emotionally detached due to the Puppet Ballad’s influence, she would have broken down long ago.

“Could it be… that the Seer is still alive?”

This incredible thought crossed Luo Ling’s mind. By “alive,” she meant truly alive, not controlled by the Puppet Ballad, living a fate worse than death.

But… how was that possible?

Even if the Seer had somehow escaped being consumed by the white reishi, how could she have survived in this dark, subterranean cavern?

There wasn’t even any food here… wait?

A terrifying possibility struck Luo Ling.

However, if the Seer was indeed still alive, perhaps her premonitions contained more information…

Without much time to hesitate, as Grandpa hummed his tune and left, Luo Ling gritted her teeth, and the Spore detached itself from Grandpa, slowly drifting towards the Seer.

Without the Meat Puppet’s cover, the Spore was as weak as a candle in the wind. It was instantly assaulted by the terrifying, grotesque mental pressure within the cavern, the backlash hitting Luo Ling directly.

“Ugh…”

Luo Ling couldn’t help but groan, blood trickling from her eyes, her pupils trembling.

The sound finally attracted Grandma and An Yu’s attention. They looked at Luo Ling with concern and saw the small, pale girl lying with her back to them, her head resting on the lap of the girl in the wheelchair.

“Shhh.”

Elsa held a finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet.

“Is Xiao Bai… tired?”

An Yu looked at the small figure, her chest rising and falling slightly as if she were asleep.

She must be tired, after everything that had happened…

Xiao Bai didn’t seem very old and probably hadn’t experienced much hardship like this.

Grandma smiled and nodded, putting a finger to her lips and turning down the volume of the TV.

Only after the two turned back to the TV did Elsa breathe a sigh of relief, looking at Luo Ling with concern.

She had seen Bai trembling suddenly, blood trickling from her eyes, as if on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Although Elsa didn’t know what Bai was experiencing, she realized that An Yu and Grandma had almost noticed.

No matter what, she couldn’t let them find out…

With this thought, Elsa quickly pulled Bai into her lap, shielding her tear-stained face.

Now that there was no risk of exposure, Elsa carefully examined Bai.

Luo Ling’s eyes were closed, two lines of blood and tears staining her delicate cheeks, a gruesome sight.

Not only that, but her frail body was still trembling slightly, as if enduring unimaginable pain.

“I should be the one protecting everyone…”

Elsa looked at Luo Ling with heartache, picking up Bella and gently wiping away the blood and tears from her face.

Although she wanted to help, all she could do now was watch.

Interfering during a confrontation with a Grotesquery would only make things worse.

Meanwhile, the Spore finally landed on the Seer’s body. The moment it attached itself, Luo Ling’s suspicions were confirmed.

The Seer was still alive!

Although her life force was weak, like a flickering candle in the wind, it was still burning stubbornly.

But how had she survived these past few months…?

Could it be… that she really…

“Mm…”

A soft moan escaped the Seer’s lips, like a girl stretching after waking up.

Her eyes fluttered open, and her protruding tongue retracted.

Her fingers twitched, and she slowly, with great effort, turned her body.

Luo Ling then noticed that the Seer’s flesh hadn’t been completely untouched. Part of her body had fused with the largest white reishi mushroom, yet her consciousness remained.

Then, something happened that, while Luo Ling had suspected it, still shocked her.

The Seer turned her head, opened her mouth wide, revealing her dirt-stained teeth, and bit down hard on the enormous white reishi mushroom, tearing off a large chunk.

“Chew, chew…”

She chewed on the Grotesquery that fed on human flesh and blood with all her might.

The Grotesquery was eating people.

And the person was eating the Grotesquery.

The Seer’s survival wasn’t just a miracle.