Chapter 64: Whispers of the Love God (Part 4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 64: Whispers of the Love God (Part 4)
Dust and smoke filled the air.
The aftershocks of the impact kicked up a fierce wind, tousling Muen’s hair into a mess.
His heart was in a similar state of disarray.
Fortunately, his heart was made of stern stuff.
Muen held his grilled fish, pondered for a moment, and then silently turned his head back around.
—Let’s just pretend I didn't see that.
It was just a measly meteorite impact. It wasn't like a symbiotic alien was going to crawl out of it to take over the world or anything. There was no need to make a fuss.
He was a man who had survived the "Baptism of the Mud Truck" and experienced the wonders of transmigration. How could he lack the composure to handle something like this?
Eat the fish, eat the fish. Just ignore it.
Creeeeeak—
Muen was just about to take a bite of the fragrant grilled fish when a sharp, ear-grating sound suddenly erupted from the impact site shrouded in dust.
It sounded like metal sliding open.
Huh?
Muen’s mouth hung open, his expression freezing.
Metal sliding?
How could a mere meteorite make a sound like that?
Could it be...
Is it...
A spaceship?!
Muen’s eyes widened.
It wasn't a meteorite that hit; it was a lost spaceship!
And the sound he just heard was the hatch opening. An alien was about to step out for a thrilling first walk on the planet's surface.
This is one small step for me, but one giant leap for all Zentradi-kind.
Wait, sorry, got sidetracked.
But aliens! He really wanted to see...
No, wait, how could there be aliens? This was a world with a Western fantasy setting. If an alien actually showed up, the readers would probably flame the author for writing random bullshit.
It had to be something else.
But that didn't matter.
Today, he was going to finish this fish first.
He’d said it—not even Jesus himself could stop him.
"Cough, cough..."
Just as Muen tried once more to put the grilled fish in his mouth, he heard a sudden cough from behind him, muffled by the dust.
That voice... it sounded so familiar.
It sounded like An.
Haha, impossible. He’d run so far; how could An possibly find him?
An didn't have the nose of a bloodhound; she couldn't just sniff him out from kilometers away.
"..."
However—and he meant however—what if there was a tiny, microscopic chance that it really was An?
If that metallic sliding sound was part of An’s ability... then it would make sense.
Muen looked down at the fish in his hand, remained silent for a moment... and then suddenly slammed it onto the ground.
"Curse this thing! It’ll be the death of me!"
Without another word, he greased his heels, ready to bolt.
Jesus couldn't stop him, but An was far more terrifying than Jesus.
Jesus wouldn't try to subject him to confinement play!
But—
"Young Master?"
It seemed he was too late.
A familiar, questioning voice came from behind him.
It really was An!
"Haha..."
A dry laugh escaped Muen’s throat. He turned his head stiffly and said awkwardly:
"Long time no see, An. How have you been... lately?"
Muen had intended to lead with the "Scumbag’s Triple Play" to stabilize An first, but before he could launch his combo, he silently withdrew it.
Something seemed wrong with An.
Her hair was a mess, her expression haggard, and her usually pristine maid uniform was covered in filth. There were even several tears in the fabric, revealing patches of pale skin.
Behind her, in the massive crater formed by the impact, the metal sphere An must have condensed was lying still. However, the surface of the sphere was covered in hideous gashes and dents, as if it had been subjected to a savage assault.
"An, what happened?"
No matter how dense he was, Muen realized there was a problem. His smile vanished, and his expression turned grave.
"Were you fighting someone?"
"..."
An didn't answer immediately. She stared intently at Muen for a while, then took a deep breath. Her expression returned to normal as she forced a smile.
"It’s nothing, Young Master."
"Don't lie to me. Look at the state of you..."
"I just had a bit of a fall."
"Do you take me for an idiot?"
"I'm telling the truth."
An paused, then said:
"Besides, aren't you going to run away, Young Master? If you don't run, I’ll have to take you back."
"This time, I’m going to lock you in a specially made cage so you can never escape again."
As she spoke, An took two steps forward, as if she really intended to seize him.
But Muen didn't move.
He stared straight at An.
He watched her approach step by step.
His face took on a rare look of authority—the dignity belonging to the son of a Duke, the heir of the Campbell family.
"Then come and catch me."
"..."
"An, come and get me. I won't run!"
"..."
An’s hand reached out halfway, but just as she was about to touch Muen, it suddenly dropped despondently.
A helpless, bitter smile appeared on her face.
"At a time like this, shouldn't you be taking the chance to slip away, Young Master? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"I only run when you're chasing me. Why would I run if you aren't?"
Muen shrugged, giving a reason even he didn't believe, then asked softly:
"Answer me. What exactly happened, An?"
"Actually..."
An sighed helplessly. She was about to say something when she was interrupted by a massive roar.
From behind the small hill facing Muen, a sound like the earth trembling erupted.
At the top of the hill, countless trees suddenly toppled over. Migratory birds that hadn't yet left the forest took flight in a frenzy, as if fleeing from something.
"Shifu—"
"Where are you? Come and accept my love."
"I love you."
It sounded like hundreds of people shouting in unison. The voices blended together, echoing through the mountains and forests, making Muen’s ears ring with pain.
Muen instinctively covered his ears. Before he could even process the meaning of those words, he saw it...
A monster, nearly as tall as the hill itself, slowly emerged from the other side.
"What the hell is that—"
Muen stared at the monster, his eyes bulging and his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a whole duck egg.
Deformed flesh grew wildly, forming grotesque limbs that flailed about at random. Its body, which looked like a patchwork of countless human corpses, crawled slowly across the ground. It left behind a trail that looked soaked in blood, and any plants it touched withered instantly.
Countless twisted hands and feet twitched erratically across the monster’s skin, like weeds blowing in an autumn wind.
And on the monster’s chest, hundreds of human faces were packed densely together. Some were crying, some were laughing; some were sad, some were angry; some were numb, and some were in despair.
But regardless of the emotion in their eyes, their lips were curled into smiles as they called out affectionately:
"I love you..."
"Holy shit."
Looking at the monster, Muen couldn't help but shudder, feeling his SAN value plummet.
He’d just been minding his own business fishing—where the hell did this "exquisite-looking" thing come from?
In his memory, there wasn't a single magical beast that looked this "fresh and refined."
Was it a new species mutated by nuclear wastewater?
No, wait, there was no Japan in this world.
And...
Muen’s gaze swept over the monster again, specifically the dense cluster of human faces on its chest. He felt his trypophobia starting to flare up.
No matter how he looked at it... this thing had to be related to humans.