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.
Leave a Reply to Miau Cancel reply