Chapter 51: Taste (Please Follow!)

Hm?

Hm.

Hm...

Xie Shen Jiang first looked confused, then hesitant, and finally puzzled... after a long while, she tentatively asked:

【“Um, you said ‘taste’? Do you mean... uh, you smelled it?”】

“No.”

Herbert rolled his eyes and replied irritably: “I mean the smell on my body.”

You’re the pervert obsessed with scents!

Your whole family is!

“Judging from the reactions of Valentina and others, my body must emit an attractive scent—let’s call it fragrance.”

“Natural affinity, combined with this alluring fragrance, mutually reinforcing each other—I can’t believe she wouldn’t react at all.”

These two traits aren’t simply additive—they absolutely cause a qualitative shift, delivering a powerful visual and olfactory impact on first-time encounters with monster girls.

Whether you call it confidence gained from knowledge or naive self-delusion, Herbert was utterly certain in his heart.

No monster girl could resist a white-haired beauty of a boy.

Even if she doesn’t immediately drool over my body, she certainly wouldn’t act this cold!

【“Oh... you’re right, these two traits are indeed highly attractive.”】

“And besides, to put it another way.”

After speaking, Herbert unconsciously sniffed lightly—but detected not a trace of scent from the figure before him.

“She really has no smell... uh, cough, never mind, I didn’t say anything.”

Oh no, that’s bad.

Isn’t this a bit awkward?

At this moment, Xie Shen fell unusually silent.

After a long pause, She sincerely advised in a soothing tone: 【“I think... you’re a bit strange.”】

【“Maybe you should go see a doctor first?”】

“Get lost—”

Herbert snorted irritably.

If I really went to see a doctor, wanna guess what my biggest ailment is?

It’s you!

Herbert was about to retort further, but at this moment he narrowed his eyes.

The staircase had reached its end.

The avatar ahead had silently dissolved, leaving only a wooden door slightly ajar—just a gentle push away.

Herbert paused for three seconds, then laughed mockingly: “Hah, now you’re being mysterious?”

At this point, you still play such childish tricks?

You think I’ll back down now?

He gave a light snort, strode forward, and shoved open the door, striding inside with his head held high.

Creak—

“Hello! I’ve come to see you... uh!”

The instant he stepped into the room, before Herbert could even make out its contents, his expression changed drastically.

A foul stench slammed into his nostrils!

The air reeked of the decay of various meats.

The intense, almost burning odor flooded into his body through his nose, mouth, ears, and eyes all at once.

Hss—

Herbert faintly heard an ominous corrosion sound—he couldn’t tell where in his body it was rotting.

He forced his eyes open and saw the room’s interior—it was nothing but a slaughterhouse.

No, even “slaughterhouse” was too civilized.

It was a mass grave!

All kinds of decaying corpses lay scattered haphazardly on the ground; some were grotesquely stitched together.

Crimson vines coiled around the corpses, slowly grinding against them like chewing.

Holy shit!!?

What kind of father’s nest is this?!

A wave of nausea surged up, making Herbert want to vomit.

But just as he was about to erupt into violent retching, the Holy Mark on his wrist glowed faintly.

Hum—

As a warm current surged rapidly through his body, all discomfort vanished instantly!

!!!

Herbert’s eyes widened, disbelieving his own senses.

Though he could still see the scattered remains, the stench was gone entirely.

Or rather, he had inhaled the odors—but felt nothing, unaffected in the slightest.

“Maintaining bodily purity—this too is a kind of purity... incredibly useful.”

If this discovery holds, could it mean—perhaps I’m immune to toxins?

Praise the Oath of Purity!

Family, isn’t this seriously powerful?

Herbert sighed inwardly, then stepped forward, crossing over the scattered chunks of flesh toward the center of the mass grave.

At the heart of this corrupted, decaying place lay a sanctuary, containing a large wooden table.

Or rather—a surgical table.

Lying face-down on it, bare-chested, was none other than Svan Ni , whom he had just seen.

“Lord Herbert, you’ve come.”

Svan Ni did not rise; instead, she directed the vine tendrils to glide gently over her back, spraying green fluid that fused the severed flesh together, leaving no wound.

At this moment, Herbert couldn’t help but recall her title—【Forbidden Scholar】!

This sister really does this kind of sanity-shattering research!

“Mm, I’m here.”

Herbert replied casually, walking slowly to the side of the surgical table, studying the prisoner’s true form.

Though her true form matched her avatar’s appearance, clear differences were visible.

The first thing that caught his eye was her skin tone.

Though she still bore the dark elf’s darkness, her skin was far lighter than before, taking on a distinctive wheat hue.

And most importantly...

She looked much younger than before—barely eighteen or nineteen, completely like a girl who hadn’t yet grown up.

Herbert blinked, unable to help asking: “Lady Svan Ni , what’s with this appearance of yours?”

Faking youth?

Uh, no—good skincare?

Svan Ni knew exactly what he meant and replied casually: “Just an accident from an experiment. The form you saw before was my true appearance.”

“Oh, I’m just a bit surprised. Either way, your beauty hasn’t changed.”

Svan Ni pulled on a robe, covering all exposed skin, and studied the first visitor to enter this space.

“You, however, have surprised me again.”

Svan Ni looked at Herbert, whose expression remained calm, and shook her head: “No one has ever remained this composed after seeing this.”

She knew full well how horrific her laboratory looked—and understood how impossible it was for Herbert to stay composed.

She gazed at Herbert and couldn’t help but sigh: “Lord Herbert, your courage and willpower truly inspire me.”

Herbert blinked, then understood, smiled faintly, and shook his head:

“It’s nothing. Most researchers who dedicate themselves to seeking truth deserve respect.”

“Even if their work sometimes seems... well, not exactly reassuring.”

“But as long as they don’t harm others or cross true boundaries, they aren’t evil in my eyes.”

Herbert narrowed his eyes at Svan Ni . Though surrounded by corpses, he felt no evil emanating from her.

“You agree... right?”

Thank you to Lintuan’s support!

...

Today’s follow-up reading is extremely important—thank you all! I love you!

Hope I don’t die again in round two... keep going!

...

Recommendation:

《Non-Reality Prevention Manual》

Seedlings bound by shared suffering! The opening is highly engaging—





(End of Chapter)