Chapter 425: Ugh

Xing suddenly let out a dry retch, his stomach churning like a raging sea, his vision went black, and he almost fell headfirst again.

She hurriedly covered her mouth and nose, but the smell seemed to seep into her skin, lingering without dispersing.

"Damn! What the heck?!"

Xing's voice changed pitch, filled with terror and disbelief, "Who?! Who smeared something… what did they put on my face?!"

The odor was horrific, as if someone had concentrated an entire skunk family and a waste‑treatment plant and smeared it all over her face!

She couldn't recall anything that happened while she was unconscious—had she been ambushed by some pervert?

Just as Xing was reeling from the dreadful stench on his face, dizzy and questioning his life, a boisterous laugh rang out, growing louder as it approached.

"Hahaha! Look who this is! Isn't this our famed Pioneer? What, looking like a Salted Fish? Could it be a summoning failure, with not even a decent Servant?"

The newcomer wore exaggerated round black sunglasses, a crisp corporate uniform, hair slicked glossy, and a smirk of unabashed mockery at the corner of his mouth.

Two similarly dressed corporate employees followed behind him.

It was Scott, famed for his "lone wolf" style and cutting tongue.

He was clearly also a participant in this Holy Grail War, and had long taken a dislike to that ever‑troublesome Pioneer.

Scott swaggered forward, eager to savor his opponent's embarrassment and, incidentally, give him a few more kicks.

He opened his mouth, about to unleash an even louder jeer—

"Ugh——!!!"

A retching sound, even more sudden than Xing's, erupted!

Scott's laughter abruptly halted, replaced by violent dry retching and coughing!

He bent over sharply, feeling the indescribable, terrifying stench strike his throat and stomach like an invisible heavy punch!

The lavish dream‑feast he ate at noon now seemed to rebel inside his stomach, clamoring to erupt!

"Ugh——!"

"Cough! Ugh——!"

The two employees behind him were no exception, also assaulted by the sudden stench, bending over and vomiting messily.

The scene instantly turned absurdly abstract and reeked intensely.

Xing (covering his face, barely holding himself together): "……"

Saber (standing at a safe distance, expressionless): "……"

The Scott trio (mid‑vomit): "Ugh——!!!"

Saber watched the familiar yet absurd tableau, a faint twitch flickering at the edge of her jade‑green eyes.

This scene… feels oddly familiar.

She couldn't help recalling the recent battle in Dongmu City, a clash filled with insects, chaos, and a strange odor.

Especially that gray‑haired guy wielding a Salted Fish that exuded a hellish aura…

…and the Salted Fish's effect, comparable to a biochemical weapon.

It seemed some enemies also vomited on the spot after smelling it?

No, it appeared more due to some weird thing infected by insects…

In any case, they were all unbearable memories tied to that "smell".

Saber's gaze fell again on Xing, especially the aura on his face that could be faintly sensed even seven or eight meters away, and that oddly familiar "stink".

A warning bell rang softly in her mind.

(Could it be… that one too? That Salted Fish… no, impossible, right?)

(This is Pinokanni, a completely different place, the timing's off…)

(But this Master before me looks so much like that gray‑haired one, aside from a slightly different gaze… a so‑called "counterpart"?)

(And this smell… just a coincidence? Yes, definitely a coincidence! That nightmarish experience is enough once!)

Saber forced down the ominous premonition in her heart, silently reassuring herself.

She truly didn't want to face that Salted Fish again, nor the chaos it represented.

Xing finally regained a bit of composure after the foul assault and saw Scott's trio's misery, instantly understanding why Saber stood so far away—she was a Prophet Seer, having pre‑emptively avoided the "toxic gas" zone!

"Saber! Wh—what's going on?"

Xing wanted to cry but had no tears, pointing at his own face, too afraid to touch it again.

Saber paused, then spoke in as calm a tone as possible, "Master, this… is a long story. The immediate priority may be that you need… a thorough cleaning. Also,"

She glanced at the still‑dry‑retching Scott and the others, "We'd better leave this place first."

Xing nodded vigorously; she also didn't want to stay at this "toxic gas site" any longer.

But how to clean it?

The smell seems already marinated into everything!

Scott finally managed to halt his vomiting, his face pallid, pointing at Xing, his fingers trembling, lacking the strength to curse, he hissed in a strained voice, "You… what despicable method did you use… Ugh…"

Another wave of nausea.

Saber ignored them, saying to Xing, "Master, follow me. I spotted a relatively secluded water source nearby."

She clearly didn't want her Master to parade around with a "biochemical‑weapon" face—far too…

Xing, as if granted a reprieve, quickly covered half his face, half‑running to keep up with the turning‑around Saber, leaving the trio behind to continue battling their physical distress.

Perspective shift.

Chang Ye Yue held her Black Umbrella, crimson eyes calmly scanning the street, her figure blending into Pinokanni's night‑splashed shadows, silent.

She had already "randomly encountered" and successfully delivered a "small gift" to Robin.

The process went smoothly; using a tiny Memory Suggestion trick, she got the other party to gladly accept the "fan's gift".

The only surprise for Chang Ye Yue was that when Robin lifted a hand to fix his hair, she caught sight of the vivid three‑stroke Command Spell on the back of his hand.

"Master…"

Chang Ye Yue felt a slight stir in her heart at the time, but did not probe further.

The Holy Grail War is an event unfolding in this world, and it is normal for people to take part.

Her Task is merely "delivering a gift," and does not involve the war itself.

At this moment, she is strolling along a relatively quiet street, contemplating how to approach the next target on the list in a "natural" way.

Just as she passed the entrance of an elegantly decorated bar, a lazy yet uniquely magnetic female voice came from her side‑rear and called out to her.

"Miss… please stay a moment."

Chang Ye Yue's steps did not halt, but the hand holding the umbrella paused ever so slightly.

She slowly turned around, the umbrella's canopy lifting just a bit.

The one who called her was leaning against a column of the bar's porch.

She was a tall, graceful woman with long, wavy hair that faded from purple‑black, shimmering with a mysterious sheen under the Nihong.

Her eyes displayed an even stranger gold‑purple gradient, so deep they seemed able to absorb all surrounding light.

She wore attire dominated by purple‑black tones— a draping veil, elongated purple gloves, and knee‑high black boots— together outlining a uniquely bewitching and mysterious aura.

A gentle smile rested on her face as her fingertips toyed with a tarot card whose edges glimmered faintly.

She is the certain hand‑wielding woman, Black Swan.

"What a surprisingly delightful encounter,"

Black Swan's voice carried a perfectly timed smile, yet the scrutiny in her eyes was unmistakable: "I never realized when the lively, cute San Yue from Star Rail had switched to such… uniquely personal attire, even her aura becoming so… profound?"