Chapter 886: Or Should You Stay by Big Brother’s Side Forever?

Alice nestled close to him and pointed at the “plants” growing in a patch of open ground nearby. “Mm, because Big Brother said we mustn’t eat people, Alice planted a few crops to eat instead.”

Lynn blankly turned his head toward her little fenced-in vegetable garden, then immediately froze when he saw one “head” after another, still alive and buried in the ground. They belonged to all sorts of bizarre creatures, and without exception, their lower halves were buried in the soil. Strange vegetation and brain-red fruit grew all over their exposed heads (꒪Д꒪).

Well…

After all, she was a Death-Omen-Tier Evil Spirit. Growing a few vegetables probably wasn’t too much to ask…

Lynn cleared his throat. “Um… Alice, go on…”

Alice nodded. “Some of the crops have been to Wandering Souls Alley recently, so Alice learned a little about what’s happening there. They said there really was a high-energy Summoning in Wandering Souls Alley a few days ago, but they don’t know who was behind it.”

Lynn’s expression turned serious.

It seemed that was probably it.

The timing matched, so this Summoning was most likely aimed at the Blood-Robed Madam.

Lynn frowned. “Have there been any other strange incidents lately around Wandering Souls Alley or Soul-Severance Street?”

Alice thought for a moment. “If you really want to count strange things… there seem to be more outsiders coming here lately than before. And lots of creatures have been skulking around, trying to sneak into Alice’s castle… So Alice let them in and ate them.”

Yin Yi stood there, frozen with fear, too frightened to move.

Lynn asked, “Did you eat all of them? Did you save any?”

Alice blinked her dark eyes and nodded. “There are still a few tender ones. Alice put them in the cold storage, because she wanted to save them for Big Brother.”

Ahahahaha!

As expected of my virtuous Alice! She really knows how to run a household. Even at a time like this, she’s still thinking of her big brother. She’s just so considerate.

Lynn calmly adjusted his Monocle. “Then can Big Brother go take a look? I’ll see if I can get some useful information out of them. Most of them are still alive, right?”

Alice blinked, then took the whole ring of keys tied around her waist and placed it in Lynn’s hand.

Then, reluctantly, she floated down from Lynn’s embrace.

“Mm, most of them are alive. Big Brother can do whatever he wants with them. While you’re gone, please be sure to try Alice’s cooking. Alice has been working really hard to learn how to cook!”

After saying that,

she ran toward the vegetable garden, carrying her basket like a little angel.

Even after she had gone a long way, she turned around and waved happily at Lynn. In that white dress, she was so adorable it was almost unbearable.

Yin Yi stood there, terrified and unable to move.

Ah!

There’s just no helping it!!

ヽ(￣▽￣)ﾉ

My adorable, soft little angel, just saying a few words is enough to set your big brother’s heart racing. And what man wouldn’t like such a gentle girl who knows how to run a household? There’s just no helping it. How could my adorable Alice be married off to just anyone? She’d better stay by her big brother’s side forever!

Though… could we maybe skip the delicacies?

Still, Lynn didn’t want to discourage Alice’s enthusiasm. He adjusted his Monocle, picked up the castle’s key ring, and said solemnly,

“Come on, Yin Yi. Let’s check out the cold storage.”

…

With Yin Yi pushing the wheelchair,

it didn’t take long for Lynn to cross the empty kitchen and arrive before the familiar, massive doors of the cold storage.

Lynn knew this place very well. The last time he had come here as a guest, this was where he first met that mysterious Pig-Headed Butcher. It was also in this cold storage that he performed his first operation on Bai Yi. Back then, he had still been very inexperienced.

“This is the place. Let’s go in and take a look.”

Lynn solemnly adjusted his Monocle.

He had actually sensed something amiss, too. Wandering Souls Alley and Soul-Severance Street weren’t particularly large places. In the past, most of the outsiders were travelers who had been lured there to be slaughtered. If that was the case, why had so many outsiders shown up lately?

His instincts told him this might have something to do with the Flesh and Blood Cult.

After all, not long ago,

they had successfully taken down the Flesh and Blood Dominator. Big Brother Titan had even turned the entire domain where it resided upside down.

Creak—

As the cold-storage doors slowly opened, a vast wave of chill swept over them.

Yin Yi stiffly pushed Lynn inside, and the first thing she saw was row upon row of bloodstained iron hooks hanging from the ceiling, enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.

On those hooks, one writhing body after another hung like pigs awaiting slaughter.

【Ding! Yin Yi’s SAN -5】

【Ding! Yin Yi’s SAN -10】

There was no doubt about it.

If she weren’t here with Mr. Lynn, then for an ordinary ghost like her, this would be no cozy castle. It would be an endless hell filled with terror.

No matter where you put this castle, it would be an utterly evil and terrifying place.

“Mr. Lynn, h-how did you… how did you turn such a terrifying place into your property in the first place…?”

She swallowed and asked stiffly.

Lynn smiled as he pinched his Monocle. “Ah, that’s a long story! I first met that kid Bai Yi right here. But now I’m the Male Host of this place, so you don’t need to be afraid.”

Lynn’s gaze then shifted to the various creatures hanging from the iron hooks.

There were sticky, humanoid stitched-together creatures, as well as writhing octopus-like monsters covered in tentacles. There were even shrieking souls hanging upside down. The ingredients were quite the assortment. The moment Lynn came in, all of them began making various restless sounds, and the chains rattled noisily.

Lynn looked them over.

Then, in the very next moment, his gaze abruptly locked onto one of the iron hooks, where a faceless humanoid creature was hanging.

“Just as I thought.”

He smiled mysteriously and adjusted his Monocle.

“A servant of the Flesh and Blood Cult.”

The entire body of the creature hanging upside down from the iron hook was covered in skin that writhed and pulsed. Though it bore no obvious insignia, Lynn only had to glance at it to clearly sense the aura of the Flesh Domain emanating from it. A panel slowly appeared before his eyes.

【Flesh and Blood Humanoid】

【Level】: 63

【Alignment】: Chaotic Evil

【Race】: Flesh Amalgamation/Flesh and Blood Offspring

【Combat Ability】: Excellent regeneration and close-combat abilities

【Introduction】: One of the Flesh and Blood Dominator’s billions of offspring, basic Flesh and Blood Humanoids are scattered throughout the Dark World. They generally have no names of their own. They devote themselves to helping the Flesh and Blood Cult expand and carry out various menial tasks. They are low-level members of the Flesh and Blood Cult, expendable at will, and also capable of gathering intelligence and corrupting living beings. It is simply unclear why they have appeared on Soul-Severance Street…

【Ding! Congratulations, you have triggered a quest: The Flesh and Blood Cult’s Purpose. Quest rewards: Skeleton Coins x200, base experience points 500, special reward x1】

【Quest Introduction】: Investigate from the “ingredients” why the Flesh and Blood Cult has extended its claws to this place, and obtain further information about the “Summoning Ritual.”

Lynn smiled and adjusted his glasses.

He had actually triggered a basic quest?

It seemed he had come to the right place. This really was a breakthrough.

“Put it down.”

He smiled and snapped his fingers, issuing an order to the castle.

Clatter, clatter, clatter—

The authority of the Male Host of Happy Home took effect at that very moment. The long chains holding the creature upside down clanked as they lowered it slowly to the floor. The crimson hook was pulled from its spine, making a series of sounds as flesh peeled away that set one’s scalp tingling.

The Flesh and Blood Humanoid struggled, and the wound on its back began to close at a visible rate.

Lynn smiled, propped his chin on his hand, and tapped a finger against the wheelchair.

“A servant of the Flesh and Blood Dominator? You seem to have a pretty tenacious life force. How long have you been hanging here?”

The Flesh and Blood Humanoid writhed and slowly turned its face toward him. Its smooth, bare cheeks split down the middle, gradually forcing out an eyeball that took up a third of its face. It stared at Lynn, seated in his wheelchair.

A brief silence.

And then, in that very instant—

Whoosh!

The Flesh and Blood Humanoid suddenly sprang into action, nimble as a leopard. A huge maw lined with sharp teeth opened beneath its eyeball, and it lunged at Lynn with ferocious speed.

Yin Yi’s face turned deathly pale. She hurriedly cried, “Mr. Lynn, watch out!”

But just as the Flesh and Blood Humanoid was about to reach Lynn, he kept smiling as a tentacle shot out from his shoulder.

Splurt!

Lynn’s tentacle pierced straight into the creature’s wide-open maw, pinning it in midair.

Lynn said sternly, “Come on, even if you’ve got no brains, you shouldn’t charge in without knowing anything about your opponent. Sure, the person in front of you looks pretty weak, but how can you be sure you can beat him? Are you an idiot?”