Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 338 City dwellers can't eat this
The two red-eyed ghouls were very efficient. Ethan and Ivy had just settled into the inn when the ghouls downstairs started making noise.

Before their "Mother" even got close, the ghouls parted to make way for her. Looking towards the end of the road, they saw a noblewoman in a black dress. She wore a black hat, half of her face was covered by a thin veil, her skin was pale and bloodless, and the hem of her fluffy dress trailed on the ground.

Ivy's expression changed slightly upon the appearance of the wealthy woman.

She clutched her chest, her breathing becoming much more rapid.

As she walked downstairs, the lady felt the gaze from the second floor and glanced up at Ethan by the window.

The sound of high heels on the wooden floor grew closer and closer until it stopped in front of the door. About three seconds later, there was a knock on the door.

"Thump, thump thump".

"Come in."

Ethan decides to keep his identity as the ghoul of the capital a secret.

The lady's gaze didn't linger on Ethan after entering the room, but instead fell on Ivy. She made no attempt to hide the surprise in her eyes, looking Ivy up and down as if she were a work of art. Then, she excitedly came to Ivy and gently placed her hand on her face.

"What a beautiful girl! I have many dresses that would suit you; you'd look stunning in them!"

Ivy subtly took half a step back; she didn't like having her face touched by others without permission.

The lady didn't seem to mind. She glanced at Ethan indifferently and said, "As for you, arrogant 'white-eyed' gentleman, if you have anything to say, you can start now."

Clearly, she wasn't a ghoul in the traditional sense. Ethan couldn't quite explain what kind of creature she had mutated into. As the lady spoke, a section of her fingernail suddenly grew out, looking as sharp as a blade. This seemed to indicate that the mutations happening to them had entered a controllable range.

Unlike the previous two red-eyed ghouls, the noblewoman looked like a city dweller; the identity of "Ghoul of the Capital" didn't work on her.

“We are investigating the whereabouts of a human. The village witcher said she came to your territory.”

"Witcher?"

The noblewoman feigned confusion, then suddenly exclaimed with a look of realization, "Oh, you're talking about the followers of the God of Truth."

"Where is she?"

"Her will is very strong, perhaps the strongest human I have ever met, so I kept her here. She is in a place you will never be able to find. You can earn the chance to see her by showing your abilities, especially you, lovely doll girl. If this is also your wish, I can grant you this small request."

The lady paused for a moment, then said, "I can show you the way."

Ethan wasn't feeling well.

The "capital city tycoon's" tactics failed when faced with the wealthy woman, who also came from a big city, and he always felt that the woman's gaze towards him had ulterior motives.

She was very fond of Ivy. Based on how the red-eyed ghouls had addressed the noblewoman, he guessed that she probably wanted to develop Ivy into her "daughter." A mother and child without blood ties is actually quite common among dark creature families. Those dark creatures that can still retain their thoughts are few in number and have to resist the hunting of witchers, so they often unite in the form of families. The family members will respectfully call the patriarch "father" or "mother."

"Of course, you can stay here as well."

Seeing that Ethan did not respond, the lady continued, "It seems you have nothing more to say."

Almost simultaneously, two notifications popped up in front of Ethan:

Shadow Bolt: If your identity is revealed, you will be eaten.

Shadow Bolt: Please don't get eaten! If I absolutely have to be eaten, it can only be me (^_^).

This was the first time Ethan had encountered a situation where a natural elemental communicated with him through the skill list. The emoticon at the end of the conversation seemed to be the signature emoticon of Shadow Arrow, a harmless smile that uttered some strange words.

Something's wrong with this element.

Ethan's intuition told him that it was best not to summon it unless absolutely necessary.

In the Academy's course on "spells," it is described as a way for humans to establish a connection with the elements of nature. In simpler terms, when someone uses Shadow Bolt, an invisible door is opened, summoning out the eerie element that says, "Shadow Bolt, only Shadow Bolt."

Given its sudden appearance in the skill bar and the crowding out of other elemental spirits, Ethan did not consider it a benign elemental.

The next moment, another dialog box appeared.

Shadow Bolt: Don't always have these random ideas. I was the first, and we're the perfect match.

Shadow Bolt: Next time I remind you, remember to say "Thank you, baby," instead of having an ungrateful "Where did you come from?" kind of thought.

Shadow Bolt: I'll forgive you this time (^_^).

This situation is quite serious now.

Ethan was feeling somewhat anxious.

"Ethan, Ethan."

Seeing his silence, Ivy patted Ethan on the shoulder. "That ghoul has already gone downstairs. Are we going to follow him and then take the opportunity to set fire to her house? What's with that look on your face?"

From the moment the lady entered the room, Ivy felt that Ethan's reaction was a bit strange. His previous "Emperor of the Capital" aura had diminished sharply, and he had a complicated expression. If she had to describe it, it was like... being caught by Winter in the act of whispering intimately with another woman.

"The situation is a bit complicated right now. If conditions permit, it's best to avoid conflict with the ghouls here."

Ethan felt that the shadow elementals were the biggest problem, more so than the noblewoman and the ghouls in Mirror City, to the point that he couldn't help but wonder if this was a trap and whether the target was Ivy or him.

"I see."

Ivy nodded, "But we have to see Professor Valerie first." ...

The noblewoman's castle was located in the same area as Duke Bellamor's. When they entered the "noble quarter," the poor, ordinary ghouls disappeared. They were stopped at the bottom of the ramp, and above that was an area accessible only to red-eyed ghouls, where they were all given the same status.

The mother's child.

The noblewoman is the ruler of all the ghouls in Mirror City. Judging from the number of ghouls in Mirror City, their numbers are extremely unbalanced with those of humans. If the noblewoman so desires, the defenses set up by the Witchers in the villages are completely ineffective, as the ghouls are enough to overwhelm them simply by sheer numbers.

Van Fleet mentioned that they had never been to the ghouls' territory and knew nothing about the "Red Eyes'" dwelling place. Perhaps they had no idea that there was a mirrored Darkhearth City deep in the mist. However, this was not necessarily a bad thing. Otherwise, if the villagers knew how many ghouls were hiding deep in the mist, they would only feel despair.

"A new member?"

"Wow, what a pretty little girl."

"That one over there must be the 'white-eyed' guy they were talking about, right?"

"Apart from the eyes, there's nothing different."

Along the way, Ethan encountered many "red-eyed" people. They were quite friendly, and many even waved to them as they passed by. This overturned Ethan's understanding of ghouls. This place actually looked like a warm and welcoming family.

However, the characteristics of ghouls still left their mark on them.

Ghouls dislike light and fire, so there are no torches in the castle. The lighting is provided by lanterns that emit a dark red light, and the wicks are some kind of energy-storing crystals.

The moment the two entered the castle, a long horn blared from above.

The red-eyed ghouls along the way didn't seem surprised by this; they put down what they were doing and walked towards the castle one after another.

The banquet hall is located on the second floor of the castle. The stained-glass windows have a religious feel. On both sides of the banquet hall are two statues of the goddess of life, but the statues look completely different. Crimson liquid flows continuously from the eyes of the statues and flows into the pool below. This pool, which is less than half a meter wide, surrounds the entire banquet hall, and the light reflected in the pool is the only lighting in the banquet hall.

A banquet bathed in blood.

Everyone arrived quickly.

The noblewoman raised a goblet filled with crimson liquid and announced to everyone in the hall, "Today, the Blacklev family will welcome two new members."

"13."

Ivy whispered behind Ethan, adding that the Blackleaf family had thirteen official members, including the two red-eyed ghouls they had met before. Most of them looked very young, except for one old man with messy hair and a thick beard. He was at the very end of the family and, although he was also red-eyed, he seemed humble in front of the other family members.

"To celebrate this wonderful moment, we will gather here today to enjoy a feast."

With a wave of the noblewoman's hand, the old man lowered his head and silently walked out of the banquet hall.

A few minutes later, he returned, holding a rope with five people whose wrists were bound. Their faces were covered by linen bags, and the sounds coming from under the bags indicated that their mouths were tightly gagged.

They were wearing matching cloaks, the attire of the village's witchers.

As the group being led past Ethan, he heard sobbing coming from under the sack.

The red-eyed ghouls were thrilled; they were about to revel in the pleasure of feasting on this wonderful night.

The lady's gaze fell on Ethan once again.

Clearly, she didn't buy into the "eye roll" argument, but she didn't intend to break ties with the two of them, so she resorted to this tactic.

Regardless of whether Ethan is one of them or not, as long as he consumes the flesh and blood of his own kind, he will undergo a transformation.

Ivy held her breath nervously, but couldn't think of an excuse to leave the banquet.

She was even less willing to eat these sobbing people.

She could only look to Ethan for help, hoping he would continue the magic of the past.

"Wait!"

At the crucial moment, Ethan stepped forward once again, and all the ghouls' eyes were immediately drawn to him.

"Have these foods been vaccinated?"

vaccine?!
An uproar erupted in the banquet hall.

Ethan's expression turned cold. "So, you didn't vaccinate them, and you didn't do the most basic quality control on the food."

His questions were forceful: "And who is the chef, and what cooking techniques are they planning to use?"

He was met with silence once again.

The red-eyed ghouls looked at each other, seeing this as the best food. When the feast began, they would swarm forward, awakening their long-dormant desires, and tear their prey to pieces amidst the pitiful cries of their prey—a spectacle that only happened when a new member joined the family.

Ethan's shock and disgust were palpable. He asked incredulously, "You're just going to make me eat this?"

Look at these people, their shabby clothes and thin bodies.

The people of the capital can't eat this.

(End of this chapter)