Chapter 303

【Painting: “Family Gathering”】

【Type: Equipment · Accessory】

【Quality: Exemplary】

【Durability: 100/100】

【Maximum Sanity -50%】

【The Cannibal’s Affection (Active): Consumes 1 point of Maximum Sanity daily and cannot be turned off; permanently increases Life, Mana, and five core attributes upon consuming human corpses】

【Decaying Family (Passive): For every month the painting is held, one of the five core attributes randomly increases by 1, while Maximum Sanity decreases by 10】

【The Parent’s Meal Delivery (Passive): When consuming rotten human corpses, there is a 1% chance to receive the Blessing of the Buried One】

【Cannibalistic Craving (Passive): Damage dealt to humans increased by 500%】

【Great Gourmand (Passive): Each human corpse consumed grants 1 Gaze of the Buried One; when progress reaches 100%, quality improves. Progress: 0%, Evolution Count: 0】

【Equipment Requirement: Human】

Chu Danqing glanced at the equipment and without hesitation shoved it into his storage space.

It was undeniably powerful, with immense potential—starting at Exemplary quality made it an excellent growth item.

If not for its ties to human corpses and the cost of his own Maximum Sanity, Chu Danqing would have gladly nurtured it.

But these were secondary; the real danger lay in the Blessing and Gaze of the Buried One.

The Buried One was undoubtedly a deity.

As for him taking the painting? Put bluntly, he was already entangled—whether he took it or not, he’d already drawn attention.

He’d already put it in his storage space; if the Buried One had real power, let him clash with Paradise directly.

He was but an ant before the Buried One, but the Buried One was likely less than an ant before Paradise.

“This equipment truly defies heaven and humanity,” Yang Qianyuan said after a glance, his face twisted in revulsion.

“From Elliot’s tone, he seems to regard Brother Chu as a confidant—this could become a hidden threat later.”

Yang Qianyuan added a warning.

The item was valuable, but taking it invited endless troubles.

“Whether you take it or not, the threat was already planted the moment he came knocking,” Chu Danqing smiled. “The Ikram Monastery is suspicious.”

“Elliot warned us.”

“Besides, your divination didn’t fail,” Chu Danqing knew that refusing the item would reduce entanglement—but in his view, things had reached this point; it was only a matter of how to fight.

“Rats devouring corpses—the corpses here must be these flesh-eaters.”

“Rats—Elliot already said the monastery is noisy with them at night,” Chu Danqing said, trying to reassure Yang Qianyuan.

Yang Qianyuan clearly understood Elliot’s warning and replied: “Nightfall won’t be peaceful.”

“I think, Brother Chu, you should summon Brother Guo before things escalate further.”

“Otherwise, with just you, me, and Dabao, we’re likely doomed,” Yang Qianyuan warned Chu Danqing.

Chu Danqing hesitated, then finally chose to summon: “Alright!”

Previously, with the Feeder as a deity present, he dared not summon directly—now was the perfect moment.

【You summoned Alliance Object #1. This action consumes 1,568 Paradise Points.】

【Alliance Object has responded.】

【Alliance Object’s cognitive rationalization for identity has been completed.】

Guo Ming stepped out from the vortex, his face initially smiling—but in the next instant, the smile vanished, replaced by grim seriousness.

His eyes scanned the surroundings warily, Su Nü Sword in hand, the Twelve Zodiac Swords swiftly drawn.

“What’s going on?” Chu Danqing had never seen Guo Ming like this.

“Two entities, as terrifying as Huang Tian, have cast partial Gaze upon this place,” Guo Ming said tightly.

He couldn’t perceive the true strength of these Gaze-bearers—he simply had no frame of reference beyond Huang Tian.

Even as he spoke, his mind processed the new identity and memories.

His appearance and sword equipment, like Yang Qianyuan’s, had been disguised—he no longer looked like himself.

“But perhaps I’m overthinking—beings of this caliber see us as ants; they wouldn’t bother with vengeance.”

“Still, if these two entities clash—even a fraction of their residual energy would kill us.”

“Brother Chu… oh, Mr. William, this place is dangerous. We can’t stay long,” Guo Ming adjusted his tone and demeanor according to his new identity.

But he wasn’t as smooth as Yang Qianyuan—in fact, his performance was even more awkward than Chu Danqing’s.

“Brother Guo, why not say less? Let’s switch to a cold, stoic guard captain persona,” Chu Danqing suggested.

Yang Qianyuan’s role was Scholar Advisor; Guo Ming’s was Guard Captain.

“Fine,” Guo Ming paused briefly, then immediately hardened his expression.

“As for leaving—there are probably gods everywhere,” Chu Danqing briefly summarized the world’s situation.

Guo Ming’s face twisted into a bitter smile: “Brother Chu, you’ve picked a hell of a job.”

The Yuanping King’s tomb had already been a shock—this was worse.

This trial world wasn’t just higher-level than his own—it wasn’t even under Paradise’s jurisdiction.

If exposed, they’d die instantly.

“High risk, but the reward is rich,” Chu Danqing understood: the bigger the storm, the bigger the fish.

Otherwise, why would Paradise reimburse you and give you so many benefits?

Precisely because it’s dangerous that these rewards exist.

“Alright then—since we can get reimbursed, let’s try…” Guo Ming reached for something.

Chu Danqing quickly stopped him: “Only legitimate expenses are reimbursed—I estimate it’ll cover your maintenance costs and gear, item, or consumable losses during the mission.”

“If you try to use this to get me cultivation items, Paradise won’t reimburse you.”

Paradise could reimburse ammunition, medicine, or equipment losses—but never profit-seeking expenses.

Guo Ming’s expression turned regretful—he’d already planned what to give.

“Also, reimbursement requires me to pay upfront first—it’s not free.”

“If I go too wild and end up with negative Paradise Points and no reimbursement, how will I pass the next rank promotion trial?” Chu Danqing knew reimbursement wasn’t a license to spend recklessly—it was a safety net.

Guo Ming gave a wry smile; he wanted to exploit loopholes, while Chu Danqing preferred steady progress.

“Someone’s coming,” Yang Qianyuan interrupted.

Everyone immediately adjusted their personas.

A knock came, followed by Rudolf’s voice: “Mr. William, Bena’s condition is dire—she’s unconscious but babbling incoherently.”

The door opened; Chu Danqing stepped forward, with Dabao, Guo Ming, and Yang Qianyuan following behind.

Rudolf glanced at the sudden appearance of Guo Ming, whose armor bore the Hamlet family crest.

Seeing Yang Qianyuan had already arrived, he assumed Guo Ming was another noble guard.

“After you administered the noble’s secret remedy to Bena, the monk-physician treated her.”

“Her fever subsided, and her condition improved.”

“But shortly ago, Bena suddenly woke up, staring in terror at the walls, screaming about rats.”

“Yet Phila and the others checked—there were no rats.”

“The more Phila and the others soothed her, the more terrified and frantic she became.”

“I suspect the earlier trauma caused a mental breakdown, compounded by physiological factors, triggering severe hallucinations and auditory delusions.”

“To prevent her from harming herself, we restrained her.”

“Her condition deteriorated instantly—she collapsed into unconsciousness, fever returned, and delirium set in again,” Rudolf led the way, explaining as he walked.

Their quarters were far apart, and since the Ikram Monastery also served as a sanatorium, soundproofing was exceptional.

Once the top-tier sanatorium of the Golden Eagle Federation, its clients were all nobles and wealthy merchants—its facilities were unquestionably superior.

Besides, Chu Danqing had been absorbed in “admiring” the painting with Elliot, so he hadn’t noticed.

“Did you call the physician?” Chu Danqing asked.

“He’s here—praying over Bena,” Rudolf said helplessly.

In his view, Bena needed medicine or a noble exorcism incantation—not useless prayers.

Before entering, they heard the monk-physician’s loud chanting.

Inside, a monk in a hooded hemp robe danced and sang, his movements exaggerated and theatrical.

On the bed lay Bena, the female lawyer, eyes tightly shut, bound down.

“I swear by blood—you vermin! I curse you to never crawl out of the pit!”

“Get away, you horde of plague-ridden monsters, feasting on corpses and the living, oozing with greed!”

“No, let me out! I don’t want to be locked in this cell!!”

Bena screamed unconsciously—sometimes shrill, sometimes piercing, sometimes heart-wrenching.

As if multiple nightmares were playing at once.

Beneath her, the sheets were drenched in sweat.

Bound tightly, her body writhed like a maggot struggling to break free.

Beina cried out unconsciously, her voice sometimes high, sometimes shrill, sometimes piercingly shrill.

It was as if she were enduring multiple nightmares at once.

Meanwhile, the sheets beneath her were completely soaked in sweat.

Bound tightly, she looked like a writhing maggot trying to break free from some restraint.

Chu Danqing took out a sedative and injected it into her while having Bai Bai treat her.

“Where are the rats Bella just mentioned?” After completing this, Chu Danqing asked the female lawyer Phila, as Bella gradually calmed down.

But this was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause; once the sedative’s effect wore off, the condition would recur.

To resolve it, one must find the source.

This was not only for Bella, but also for himself.

(End of Chapter)