Chapter 196 : I Want to Have a Taste

“Go——！”

Lilia ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍grabbed Bulara by the back collar, the veins on her arm bulging.

However.

Just ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍as Bulara’s stiff, corpse-like face was about to slip from her grasp, the Conjoined Heart Lock ring on Lilia’s left ring finger suddenly heated up without any warning.

“Don’t ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍break it!”

Lilia’s ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍arm, already swung to full force, froze stiffly in midair.

The inertia dragged her body forward, nearly flinging her straight into the drooling mouths of those Resentful Spirits.

“I……”

Lilia looked at the high-end figurine in her hand that was playing dead.

“Fine then!!!”

Grinding her molars to dust, Lilia yanked the deadweight Bulara back in one go, then slung her over her shoulder like a sack of rice.

Her legs burst with force, kicking a massive crater into the humus layer beneath her feet.

“Your lady is making a run for it!”

With the infinite endurance provided by the “Seed of Life” and her monstrous strength, Lilia turned into a silver cannonball, plunging headfirst into the dense forest.

……

Half an hour later.

Lilia felt like a donkey grinding a millstone.

Bulara looked skinny, but carrying her felt absurdly heavy—like hauling a slab of granite.

If it weren’t for Lilia’s current abnormal physique, anyone else would’ve had their spine crushed long ago and ended up kneeling on the ground as fertilizer for this forest.

“I’m saying…”

“Don’t you have some kind of ‘auto-follow’ or ‘low-power standby’ mode?”

The doll on her back remained silent. As Lilia ran, that head bumped against the back of her skull again and again, producing dull thudding sounds.

The noise made Lilia’s brain throb.

The surrounding fog seemed to have thinned a little, yet that spine-chilling sensation of being watched grew stronger.

It felt like something was flying right against her scalp, always staying in her blind spot.

Whoosh——

A pitch-black shadow suddenly darted across right in front of Lilia.

It was absurdly fast, leaving not even an afterimage, only stirring up a gust of cold wind that carried a fishy stench.

“Who’s there!”

Lilia slammed to a sudden stop, her shoes carving two long trenches in the damp soil.

With a flick of her hand, she tossed Bulara off her back beside a crooked-neck tree. Two short blades instantly left their sheaths, crossing in front of her chest.

Silence reigned all around.

Only a few withered trees, shaped like hanging corpses, swayed in the wind, creaking eerily.

That shadow had vanished.

As if it had never existed.

Lilia narrowed her eyes, her pupils shrinking into needle-like points in the darkness.

That outline just now… didn’t look like any proper creature.

Round and plump, and covered in fur?

Could it be that even wild boars had turned into spirits in this mass grave?

“It just passed by like that without even coming out to say hello. That’s seriously rude.”

Lilia spat, then hoisted that “humanoid granite” back onto her shoulder.

Whatever it was, as long as it didn’t jump out to attack her directly, she’d pretend she never saw it.

After another ten-plus minutes of walking.

The forest ahead suddenly became sparse.

An open clearing appeared in her field of vision.

And right in the very center of that clearing, extremely out of place, stood a carriage.

It was an old-fashioned four-wheeled enclosed carriage. Its body was originally black, but now it had nearly rotted away, the wooden planks covered in dark green moss and basin-sized poisonous mushrooms.

Two skeletal horses, nothing but bones, had ghostly blue phosphorescent flames burning in their empty eye sockets as they lowered their heads to gnaw on rotting flesh on the ground.

“These days, even ride-hailing services have expanded their business into the underworld?”

The corner of Lilia’s mouth twitched.

This carriage just screamed bad luck.

But she really wanted to find a place to dump that damned Bulara off her back and rest for a bit.

Even sitting on a pile of rotten wood would do.

Lilia cautiously approached.

The two skeletal horses didn’t even lift their heads, as if they had no interest in a living human carrying one of their own kind.

Lilia circled to the side of the carriage. The door there was half-open, pitch black inside, exuding a stale, moldy smell.

“Anyone there?”

Lilia asked tentatively, gripping her blade tighter. “If there’s no one, I’m requisitioning this carriage. No change needed.”

No response.

Only the wind whistling through the gaps of the carriage.

Lilia let out a sigh of relief.

Seems like an ownerless wreck.

Just as she was about to stuff Bulara into the carriage and hide inside herself for a bit—

“Hey!”

A crisp, youthful voice suddenly came from above the carriage roof without any warning.

Immediately after—

A red figure dropped like a cannonball from the sky, slamming into the muddy ground right in front of Lilia with a loud bang.

Mud splashed everywhere.

Lilia’s heart nearly stopped from fright. She recoiled like a startled cat, springing three meters backward, almost flinging Bulara off her back as a projectile.

“Damn it! What the hell is that!”

When she saw the creature clearly, Lilia froze.

It was a little girl.

She looked quite young, at most twelve or thirteen.

She wore a blood-red hooded cloak, carried a small bamboo basket in her hand, and had a pair of delicate little leather boots on her feet.

Beneath the oversized hood was a fair and adorable little face, big eyes blinking as she tilted her head curiously at Lilia.

This appearance…

If not for the ground covered in broken bones and the rotting forest, Lilia would’ve thought she had somehow stepped into a scene from Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Little Red Riding Hood?

This intense sense of dissonance was even more scalp-tingling than a three-headed hound jumping out.

“Big sister.”

The little girl smiled, revealing a mouthful of neat white teeth, with two small canine fangs that were a bit too sharp. “Are you here to attend grandma’s funeral too?”

Lilia swallowed, her throat a little dry.

Her gaze shifted downward, landing on the small bamboo basket in the girl’s hand, covered with a white cloth.

Dark red liquid was slowly dripping down from it.

Drip.

Drip.

“Um…” Lilia forced out a smile uglier than crying, her body subtly stepping back. “I’m just passing by to buy soy sauce. I left the gas on at home, so I’m heading back.”

“Don’t go.”

The little girl hopped forward lightly like a deer, instantly shortening the distance between them.

Those originally innocent big eyes suddenly changed—the pupils turned into vertical beast-like slits, flickering with a chilling glow.

She leaned closer to Lilia, her nose twitching twice, as if she had smelled some ultimate delicacy.

“Big sister, you smell so good.”

The girl licked her lips, her voice becoming sticky and soft. “What’s your name?”

“Name?”

Lilia steadied herself, her gaze sweeping the surroundings for an escape route, while her mouth began spewing nonsense, “You can call me… Bulara.”

Since both her boss and coworker were such pits, using their names as shields against disaster was only fair, right?

“…Bulara?”

The little girl tilted her head, seemingly savoring the name. “Sounds… a bit hard.”

“Hard is right!”

Lilia hoisted the stiff doll on her back upward, putting on a fierce posture. “Not only is my name hard, my life is even harder. I’m full of hard bones, all made of technology and ruthless tricks—break your teeth!”

“Is that so?”

The little girl suddenly smiled even more brightly.

She slowly extended one hand. Beneath the shadow of the cloak, that hand rapidly elongated and deformed, her nails becoming as sharp as blades, with a few strands of fresh flesh hanging from them.

“Then I want to have a taste even more…”