Chapter 594: Carnival of Desire [26]

Nick and Ember were dragged across the stone floor. The bright golden chains remained tightly wrapped around their bodies, leaving them unable to move.

Several corrupted mascots approached and reached out to drag them toward another gate. But the Pig Overseer lashed out with his chain whip, the sharp crack bringing them to an immediate halt.

"Don't touch them!" the Overseer roared, his metallic voice rasping with excitement. "This isn't ordinary material! They're both fresh stock, still brimming with strength and willpower! They'll provide His Lordship with an enormous sense of fullness!"

It stepped closer, its blood-red eyes looking down at Ember and Nick, who lay bound tightly on the floor. The foul stench radiating from its body spread through the air.

"He'll be very pleased..." the Pig Overseer whispered. "Two fresh, high-quality specimens like these... He'll never forget my gift."

Nick tried to open his eyes, but his vision had begun to blur. His body no longer had the strength to resist; only cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Beside him, Ember was completely motionless—he had passed out the moment the golden chains tightened around him.

"Take them to the bath!" the Overseer ordered. "Soak them in Happy Water before presenting them to His Lordship! Make them smell nice and freshen them up!"

Three corrupted mascots stepped forward, lifting Ember and Nick as effortlessly as two empty sacks and dragging them toward another gate at the far end of the arena.

And behind them, Adrian was still standing there, his hands in his pockets, the panda mask concealing the smile on his lips.

The workers began to disperse, returning to their stations and their duties. The atmosphere in the arena quickly settled back into its usual mechanical silence, as though nothing had ever happened.

The Pig Overseer leisurely made his way toward Adrian, the chain whip coiled around his arm. Its blood-red eyes stared intently at the panda-masked worker before it, a flicker of something passing through them—perhaps curiosity, perhaps suspicion.

"Hey, panda worker."

Adrian raised his head slightly, his sapphire-blue eyes remaining calm behind the panda goggles. "You called?"

The Pig Overseer stepped closer, its massive body casting a shadow over Adrian. It tilted its head, its grotesquely split mouth twitching.

"You did well." Its voice was lower now, carrying a reluctant note of acknowledgment. "I suspected you, but it turns out you're an excellent worker. That restraint... quite skillful."

Adrian lowered his head slightly, the gesture perfectly humble.

"I'm only doing what I was trained to do."

"Hmph."

The Pig Overseer studied him for a long while, its blood-red eyes never leaving the panda mask.

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to know that I want to stay longer."

The Pig Overseer narrowed its eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Adrian raised his head, his sapphire-blue eyes meeting the giant pig's blood-red gaze head-on. He smiled—though no one could see it beneath the mask.

"Him," Adrian said, his voice carrying a quiet but genuine reverence. "I've heard about Him for a long time. He's the reason I requested a transfer to this shift—I wanted to see Him."

The Pig Overseer froze.

Its body remained motionless for several seconds, as though Adrian's words had touched something buried deep within its rotting brain.

"You..." It frowned, its voice tinged with suspicion. "You want to meet Him?"

"Not just meet Him."

Adrian took half a step forward, raising a hand to rest against his uniformed chest.

"I want the honor of presenting this gift to Him alongside you. A worker like me may never get another chance—please, let me come with you."

The Pig Overseer stared at Adrian. Its blood-red eyes traveled from the panda mask down to the gray uniform, then back up to the sapphire-blue eyes gazing at it with an almost unbelievable devotion.

"Do you know what happens to those who dare to enter His presence?" Its voice grew colder. "No one goes in and comes back out. You may be swallowed whole, transformed into a part of Him. Do you still want to go?"

Adrian didn't hesitate.

"I'm ready."

Silence.

The Pig Overseer stared at him. It frowned, its nostrils flaring, its blood-red eyes shifting back and forth as though weighing something.

Then it laughed—a harsh, rattling sound like metal scraping against stone.

"You really are insane," the Pig Overseer said, but there was no contempt in its voice. "A loyal kind of insane. I like that."

It swung its chain whip toward the gate where Ember and Nick had just been dragged away.

"Follow me. You'll present the offering with me."

Adrian bowed his head.

"Thank you, sir."

He followed the Pig Overseer's massive figure, leaving the arena behind along with the corrupted mascots standing frozen like statues.

Behind him, among the workers who had dispersed, a small stuffed figure huddled in a dark corner. Lulu watched Adrian's silhouette gradually disappear behind the gate, her button eyes wide.

"Adrian..." Lulu whispered, her little stuffed paws trembling. "W-where are you going?"

She received no answer.

...

Pop... pop... pop...

The soft sound of bubbles bursting.

The first thing Nick felt when he regained consciousness was moisture.

A warm, viscous liquid rose to his neck, enveloping his body. It smelled sweet—cloyingly sweet, so overpoweringly sugary that it made his head spin.

Nick opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out that he was lying in a large tub, filled with a translucent bright-red liquid that reflected the sickly yellow light hanging from the ceiling.

Beside him, Ember was lying in the same tub. His eyes remained closed, but his body trembled faintly. The red streaks across his skin were beginning to fade—Happy Water was seeping into his body, temporarily suppressing the corruption.

Nick tried to move, but his body was still weak. The golden chains were gone, yet his strength had not returned. All he could do was lie there, staring at the ceiling as he struggled to regain his bearings, trying to piece together his sense of space and time.

Then a dark shadow fell over him.

A massive panda mascot face appeared directly above him. Its round, pitch-black eyes stared down at him, while its small, circular mouth looked almost as though it were smiling.

Nick's blood ran cold.

He had seen enough corrupted mascots in this factory to know that a cute face did not mean something was harmless. His survival instincts flared in an instant, but his body remained motionless, the only sign of his extreme vigilance being the bloodshot eyes fixed warily on the creature.

The panda said nothing. It simply stood there, looking down at him.

Nick gritted his teeth and struggled to recover his voice.

"You..."

At that moment, a hoarse voice, heavy with exhaustion yet unmistakably familiar, came from the tub beside him.

"Adrian..."

Ember opened his eyes. His eyelids were heavy, his amber eyes hazy, but a flicker of recognition still shone within them. He stared at the panda's face, then narrowed his eyes.

The panda suddenly burst out laughing.

Then it raised a hand and pulled off its mask.

Brilliant golden hair cascaded down, and sapphire-blue eyes gleamed like twin stars. Adrian smiled and gently raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

"Heh heh," he whispered. "Nick's expression is absolutely priceless."

Nick: "..."

This really wasn't all that amusing.

Even so, he couldn't hide the astonishment in his eyes. He looked at Adrian, then Ember, then back at Adrian again before finally asking, "When did you realize?"

Ember closed his eyes without saying a word, looking about as weak as a person could possibly look.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands covered their heads.

Nick turned around, and Ember slowly opened his eyes as well.

They found two panda paws patting their heads, gently rubbing them as if offering comfort.

Even in a situation like this, Adrian's beautiful face remained completely unfazed.

He smiled softly.

"You two have been through a lot. Just a little longer. Hang in there, okay?"

Nick couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. Ember, meanwhile, pressed his lips tightly together, then immediately slapped Adrian's hand away and turned his head aside.

Adrian chuckled as he looked at Nick.

"He's a tsundere. Deep down, he actually likes it when I make him blush."

Ember: "..."

Nick: "..."

Nick silently edged a little farther away from Adrian, then instinctively covered his chest.