Chapter 327: Walking with the Gods (42K Bonus Update 110)

In the laboratory beneath the clock tower.

A naked young girl was covered by a wide cloak, hiding her newly reborn body.

Teresa lay quietly on the enormous experimental table, her chest rising and falling gently, breathing faintly, looking as if she were asleep.

Only her face lacked a bit of color, as if all the blood in her body had been drained dry — well, this wasn't "as if," it was the truth.

Beside the experimental table sat two glass jars of blood, one a vivid red, the other tinged with a blackish purple.

These were the two portions of blood extracted and separated from Teresa's ruined flesh — the part representing humanity, and the part representing the monster.

And beside Teresa, Herbert likewise had his eyes closed, his head lowered, pressing his forehead against hers.

In the corner of the laboratory, Quinn crouched uneasily.

"How is it? How is it going? So anxious… Hiss! So cold!"

She had already transformed into another appearance, and the injuries on her body had been healed by the potion Swani tossed her; she was no longer in that previous wretched, mummy-like state.

After lifting the weakening curse she had specifically asked someone to place on her "to confuse others and infiltrate the depths of the Shadow Lands," the flesh on her body rapidly swelled and recovered.

She had changed into the standard burly-woman look unique to the Mist Monastery that Herbert was familiar with — thick, powerful thighs, a six-pack, astonishing pectoral muscles…

Well, compared to the disciplinary sisters who could stand a person on their arms, Quinn was still a bit more petite, so she could only be called solidly built.

And now, this leopard-like, muscular woman was wearing an outfit so revealing it was barely a step shy of being eighteen-plus.

After her tattered hemp clothes were thrown away, she had been forced to change into a set of clean, dark-elf-style robes.

A few small scraps barely covered the vital parts, exposing most of the healthy skin built up through training, looking not much different from a bikini armor.

As for why it was forced?

That was because this outfit was one Herbert had expressly ordered her to wear.

Don't want to wear it? Then put it on obediently.

"Earlier that was outside — you questioned me like that, plenty of outsiders around, I gave you face and didn't pick on you."

"But there are no outsiders here now, don't you know any better? Don't you know to offer an apology?"

Don't you know that apologizing to someone means showing your belly!!?

Besides, a female knight should look exactly like this!

Not letting you keep going 'Grr, kill me!' is already quite something.

After hearing Herbert's righteous-sounding (crooked and fallacious) explanation, Quinn, though crumbling inside, had no choice but to brace herself and accept it.

Who told her to have offended the other party at just the wrong moment?

Fortunately, Herbert's demands weren't that devilish; he had no intention of making Quinn actually go out dressed like this.

When it was time to leave, he mercifully allowed her to throw on another long robe.

To make herself feel a bit better, Quinn could only crouch in the corner of the laboratory, hugging her own body, trying to hide her figure as much as possible…

But in fact, her efforts were useless.

On the contrary, because of that posture, her rear was stuck up high in the air, making her look quite risqué at the moment.

Swani saw it, but kept silent and didn't point it out on purpose.

She wasn't clear on Herbert and Quinn's relationship, and assumed this was a bit of private fun between the two of them — for a dark elf, this was already considered extremely mild play.

Swani took note of it in her mind, secretly recording it, waiting for a chance in the future to verify it personally…

Just as Quinn waited in a panic with a chill between her legs, Herbert finally slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze wandered for a moment, then he nodded to Swani and said: "It's confirmed. No need to discard the monster portion, just pour it into her body normally."

When reshaping Teresa's body, Herbert had asked Swani if she could forcibly separate the mixed bloodlines.

Herbert had actually only asked casually, without holding much hope.

Logically speaking, this operation simply couldn't be done — the difficulty was far, far too great.

But as a former divine-chosen of the God of Depraved Desire, a flesh-and-blood master who had studied the Way of Flesh for hundreds of years, Swani had actually pulled it off, bright as you please.

Judging by her relaxed look, she hadn't even expended much effort.

According to Swani's explanation, when she was previously at the Third Precept, experimental materials were limited, and she often repeated such separation and fusion operations to produce blood samples of pure-bloods and half-bloods.

Swani, while controlling the experimental table to pour the blood into Teresa's body, asked Herbert: "You had already determined the outcome long ago, didn't you?"

She saw not the slightest surprise on Herbert's face, but rather a smugness that said "just as I expected."

"Pretty much."

Herbert didn't deny it, stretched and said: "Although the world of the extraordinary is quite dangerous, with annoying existences like Miss Xie Shen running around being unreasonably strong, this world really is very attractive."

"I don't think any young person who has seen all of this could accept a mediocre life from before again."

Because they had seen power that transcended mortal things, and witnessed the overbearingness of the strong.

Once their horizons broadened, their ambitions naturally broadened too.

Unwilling to remain mediocre, unwilling to remain weak.

This path would be very difficult?

Of course they knew that, and they would not shrink back.

Even if the road ahead was a rugged one bristling with thorns, they would endure the pain and keep walking.

At this point Quinn could no longer be bothered by embarrassment; she rushed to the experimental table, stared at the girl's gradually coloring cheeks, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

And as she relaxed, the taut fabric across her chest nearly split open with a dangerous ripping sound.

"Eeek!"

Fortunately she panicked and caught herself halfway, so the female knight didn't completely go down the irreversible path of exhibitionism.

To cover her embarrassment, Quinn, addressing the two who were looking at her, changed the subject and asked: "But Teresa is just a child…"

She's still so young — has she really thought through what this choice means?

"So what if she's a child? Weren't you a child once too?"

Herbert smiled and asked in return, "What were you thinking about when you were little? Surely you had goals you wanted to achieve?"

"I, uh… you're right." Quinna blinked and obediently shut her mouth.

Back then, she had always been lugging a wooden sword around, brawling with all the village lads like a street ruffian.

At that time, her dream was to become a legendary holy knight, and then beat up every single bad guy soundly!

Yes, who says children can't have dreams?

Who says a village girl can't have ambition?

Everyone is allowed to dream.

Most people are unwilling to be ordinary, and don't believe they will be losers.

Even if there's a moment of dejection, that's only a temporary rest.

One day, they will pull themselves together again and challenge the difficulties blocking their way once more.

Herbert stood up, raised his hand to gently stroke Teresa's cheek, and chuckled softly.

Did I give her three choices?

No.

From the very beginning, there was only one path laid out before Teresa.

This wasn't a multiple-choice question — she would definitely choose that one path.

Even if it would be the most arduous road.

【"Truly a greedy child; the road ahead will be very hard to walk."】 Nie Nasha's sigh rang in his ears, tinged with a touch of emotion.

"That's nothing — everyone is greedy."

Herbert replied calmly, saying casually, "Whether mortal or god, they're all the same."

【"What about you? And how did you choose?"】

"Asking when you already know the answer?"

He raised an eyebrow slightly, finding it rather amusing, and teased, "You insist I say it out loud? Are you acting coy?"

【"Hehe, let's just say I am — so go on~"】 Miss Jester pleaded in a coquettish tone.

Herbert laughed as well, turned and walked toward the outside of the bell tower, saying casually, "If I absolutely had to choose, then I would choose to walk alongside you."

"No matter where this road leads."

He lowered his eyes, tucked away the playfulness at the corner of his mouth, and said softly, "Whether it's the abyss or paradise, let us walk it together."

Herbert was not without chances to choose.

After recognizing that the Archbishop's temperament was not that of a madman who would readily sacrifice kin for righteousness and purge his own house, Herbert actually had the chance to speak the truth.

Not only was there a chance — there were many!

He also believed that, while in the Sanctuary, as long as the Archbishop stepped in, he would most likely come out unscathed.

But Herbert mentioned nothing, gave him no hint at all.

Was it because of an ambition unwilling to settle for mediocrity? Or a greed wanting to gain more? Or the keeping of a promise?

Or was it, out of sympathy for Nie Nasha, not wanting Her to be utterly destroyed?

Reasons can be many, excuses can be many, but no matter how one explains it, it won't change the fact that Herbert kept his mouth shut.

Listen to their words, but watch their deeds even more.

Herbert chose to stand on Nie Nasha's side, even though She represented some evil deity.

This was Herbert's choice.

"How about this answer, Miss Nie Nasha — are you satisfied?"

【"Aiya, so-so~ just so-so satisfied!"】

Nie Nasha pretended to be reserved and bumped him once, then couldn't hold it in and laughed with uncharacteristic delight.

After laughing proudly for quite a while, Nie Nasha coughed, trying to be more serious, but still said with a grin: 【"Hmph~ don't worry, I'll walk alongside you too, always~"】

【"No matter… hehe."】

The deity whispered, silently making a promise in Her heart that She had never mentioned to anyone.

No matter what danger lay ahead, She would protect Her own ally.

Even if the price would be Her own life, waiting for the next revival.

Nie Nasha did not want to slumber again, but this time She was not afraid at all.

Because She believed Her ally would surely not let Her down, and would definitely try hard to revive Her!

"Don't go thinking about all sorts of nonsense."

Herbert noticed Nie Nasha's untimely pause and said calmly, "Don't imagine the worst when nothing has happened yet — that only adds to your worries."

"Even if you have no confidence in yourself, surely you still have confidence in me?"

"I won't die easily, and neither will you."

【"Okaaay~ then I'll listen to you~"】 Nie Nasha fell silent for a moment, deliberately drawing out her voice in a lazy reply, tucking away the dangerous thoughts at the bottom of Her heart.

As for what She would actually do when the moment of crisis truly arrived, only She herself knew.

【"Oh right, although I expended quite a bit of power this time, I also gained a lot from that fellow's avatar — I really do need to digest it for a while."】

"You're going to slumber for another stretch?"

【"Mm, this time it's for real — don't miss me too much, okay~"】

"Heh, go on and sleep."

【"Aiya, shy now~"】

Nie Nasha's voice grew weaker and weaker, her breath gradually fading into silence.

Only after Miss Jester had completely gone still did Herbert shake his head slightly and speak his true thoughts.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely think about it."

And just after he finished speaking, Herbert faintly heard a smug, caught-in-the-act giggle flash past his ear.

【"Hehe~ I heard that~"】

He wanted to listen more carefully, but then felt it might have just been the wind.

"Probably the wind, yeah, probably."

Heard it and that's that, what do I care about all your nonsense!

Herbert didn't feel any awkwardness; with a calm expression, he walked out of the bell tower alone.

Quinna naturally stayed behind to look after Teresa, who was about to wake, and to find a robe to cover her.

And Sveinie still had a bit more research to do—she had kept some of Teresa's blood samples, preparing to carefully analyze the specific racial composition.

Although he was alone, relying on his previous residual might, he didn't think anyone in this city would dare show him disrespect.

If there were, he'd be looking forward to it.

The healing of Teresa didn't take much time; even adding in the time spent asking her thoughts within her soul, altogether less than two hours had passed.

When Herbert came out, he happened to see Eliza fighting.

No, using the word "fighting" to describe it isn't quite appropriate; there's a bit of descriptive inaccuracy.

She was single-handedly beating up her opponent.

Eliza drew out a blood-colored long whip and whipped the giant puppet, which was two stories tall, furiously.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Not only that, she was also laughing wildly while saying very dangerous lines:

"Ha↑ ha↑ ha↑"

"Keep resisting! You disobedient male pet! Keep resisting! Hahaha!"

"Ha↑ ha↑ ha↑"

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Herbert:???

Buddy, what are you doing?

Alright, looks like our vampire Young Lady is fantasizing again.

Fantasizing that she's still that disguised caravan master, treating that sandbag as some white-haired youth.

"Using a puppet as my substitute meal, are you? You really are… eh? Wait, what the hell is that thing?"

Herbert had wanted to complain, but instead rapidly blinked and widened his eyes.

He saw Eliza's opponent—that wasn't a construct puppet, but a giant… mushroom?

A mushroom!!?

A mushroom with four limbs was slowly taking the whipping.

Moreover, looking at how the wounds on its body were changing color, it seemed to be a "see-hand-blue" mushroom!

Eh.

No, buddy?

"Mushroom King above! Mother Goddess above!"

"What am I seeing? Is that a… mushroom person?"

Behind that super-large mushroom person, Herbert also saw a short, hooded figure with a pointed top of the head.

"Eh, why is your head pointy… oh, that's a hat, never mind then."

"No, that's not right either."

Herbert narrowed his eyes, stared at that two-head-tall hooded figure, and thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"That shape, is it a mushroom cap?"

"So…"

"Could this be the Mushroom True Person?"

(End of Chapter)