Brain bloom

"I have a pretty fierce owl at home, so we've never had any mice..."

"Say whatever you want, but don't think that nice words can absolve you of your guilt."

After saying that, Morey took out a few more gold coins and put them in Fufu's pocket. Then, he took out another slip of paper, which was a rare item that was only useful within the territory of the Holy Coffin Kingdom; it could be understood as a token for the gold coins.

An ordinary piece of paper, painted with exquisitely crafted gold horizontal stripes, each stripe representing ten gold coins.

At that time, these gold patterns can be removed at a designated location and exchanged for money.

It has ten gold stripes on it.

"Go live a better life, that's all I can do for you."

"Wow……"

Morey still had tears in his eyes, and his tone was full of emotion.

“This is not enough to make up for even a fraction of my guilt. Don’t squander it. Go to Silvermoon City… oh no, there’s something wrong with that city.” He smiled and changed his words. “Go to the capital of the Holy Coffin Kingdom, buy a small house, hire a few Rasts as maids, and buy a few combat slaves. These people are always reliable.”

Fu Fu listened silently, because the man in front of her was crying again.

"Haha... I'd forgotten all that. You were the one who taught me these common sense things back then. You're so smart, you can survive in this world all by yourself. I don't think I need to say so much or worry too much."

"Humans are truly affectionate creatures," Fufu murmured.

"Well then, I have one last trip to complete... I hope you can take good care of yourself. I'll be back in a few days, and then I'll bother you again. Maybe then... you'll accept my loyalty."

What are you going to do?

He didn't answer, but with a tired smile, he turned and left.

Perhaps because he was no longer burdened, he left quite freely.

As he walked away from the alleyway, he saw several of his companions standing at the door, seemingly having overheard everything that had just happened. They were all standing with their arms crossed and smiling.

"Morey, you've run out of money, haven't you? How are you going to pay for my clothes? That pot of fish soup soaked through my pants and scalded my little guy. That's serious."

"So where are you planning to go? Our adventurer's group can't do without you."

"Do you want me to pay for your travel expenses along the way? As long as you don't suddenly smash the table again."

He wiped away the unnatural tears around his eyes, and with a stern face, he resumed his previous taciturn and tough demeanor.

But I still couldn't help but laugh.

“I plan to go to Marillion and tell Claire’s family that she is still alive… to see if I can reunite the family and bring them to a reconciliation. They are not bad people; losing a child is an immense pain…”

Everyone expressed their understanding, but they all wore wry smiles because it was a long way off.

Morey thought for a moment, then continued—

"Also, we'll probably visit 1848 along the way, right? The main temple of the sea god is located there."

"To thank the sea god for releasing her?"

"That's the idea, and also a request for the sea god to lift the curse. I guess the reason Claire is still so small is because the sea god paid the price for her freedom."

Volume 1 #280: Prelude to Leisure

This little rascal's antics have slightly diminished the crispness of the freshly baked pancakes, but I still happily popped them into my mouth. The honey and pepper coating still made them delicious.

This allowed her to truly feel that she was still alive.

There were other gains as well.

"Fufu, how much money did you get?"

"Several gold coins, and this piece of paper... I've never seen this before, but it sounds like it's very valuable."

"You can stay. After all, it's for you. Let Mori and the others handle it later. But aren't you a salt elf? Why... did that person seem to know you and treat you like a human?"

Fu Fu looked helpless and told Yuan what he had guessed most likely.

After hearing Claire's story of falling into the sea, Yuan finally understood the situation and how that human had gotten there. It was a coincidence, like meeting an old friend in a foreign land. Although it was a complete misunderstanding, it was still a happy occasion for that human.

Yuan, on the other hand, showed an admiring expression of "you're so smart" to Fufu, who had deduced the situation.

Fu Fu carefully put away the gold coins and the paper money, and also changed out of her clothes and transformed back into the Salt Sprite.

He licked his fingers, lost in thought.

"The sacrifice of the sea god... Hodge has harmed many people."

"I wish my sister knew too?"

"Hmm, Hodge, the evil god who rules the sea; Hodge, the king of waves and sea beasts; Hodge, the fisherman's nightmare and best friend. Or perhaps, Hodge, the benevolent god who brings a good catch..."

"What a surprise, I didn't expect people outside the ocean circle to know these things." Fufu hid in her hair.

"Because my dad taught me a lot of things."

"I thought we were the only ones who knew this..."

As the daughter of the sea, Fufu naturally knew the names Yuan spoke of; they all referred to the same person. But such information about the sea god was rarely known elsewhere.

The ocean is a world far larger than the land and islands combined, and although it has never given birth to a brilliant civilization, its wise creatures always exchange messages with each other.

Hodge—this god is always the first one mentioned.

Its strength varies greatly, ranging from not even reaching the threshold of demigod to a true god who governs two concepts, making it an extremely difficult opponent. Similarly, corresponding to its level, it also has many facets, from the most benevolent to the most malevolent.

This is because the ocean is so vast, and the number and diversity of people who believe in it are so numerous and varied. Each place projects its own belief in the sea god onto it, and the essence of these beliefs is different.

Therefore, it has multifaceted characteristics, and various forces are constantly vying with each other, making it difficult for people to know what kind of deity now reigns over the sea.

As for the one who craves young girls as sacrifices, it is the evil god Hodge, who is wicked to the core.

This guy is extremely powerful; he is a true god through and through, and also an evil god representing power, greed, and rage.

“I never expected humans to be so affectionate, it makes me feel a little guilty,” Fufu said quietly. “Should I change my appearance? This girl’s appearance is deeply admired by others, maybe I shouldn’t give him any illusions—after all, she’s already dead.”

These words were heavy, but they were something Fufu had witnessed firsthand.

Perhaps there's a different perspective: "It's just a body that contained a soul, which was probably swallowed up by the sea."

"What about the soul? Many sea monsters devour souls..."

"As for the souls, they're with Hodge. My father once took me to see the sea god, who had a strange sea theater. It was Hodge's hobby, and all the sacrificed souls lived there, performing or singing for Hodge day after day."

"The soul is still alive..."

"But it's no different from being dead, since neither of us can see them anyway."

Yuan slowly walked out of the street, touching the gold coins in her pocket, pondering which restaurant to eat at. But the lingering echo of their earlier conversation still lingered, and her slender feet, chained by thoughts, slowed down.

"But it's not like there's no chance."

"Huh?" Fu Fu's voice was filled with surprise.

“Dad told me that some Evil Mist ran to Hodge’s territory, trying to win it over… When that happens, your sister Sen Shi, my lazybones, and Little Melia’s Ancient Evil Dragon, these three true god-level monsters will be there to solve the problem.”

"Wow...that sounds amazing! Is Mori-shita-neechan really that amazing...?"

Yuan's hand swayed her long hair, looking neat and elegant, but in reality she was tapping Fufu.

Because she was also somewhat proud, she wanted to be remembered by Fu Fu, and did not want to be remembered by her in a wrong way after her death.

"Hmph, apart from your Morishi-neechan, none of the others can beat me."

"I hope my sister also enjoys bragging."

"No, I'm extremely strong."

"Once Sister Senshi helps you purify the curse, then you can show it to me, right?"

"okay."

……

The woodpecker master had about a third of his feathers plucked by Mori, and then was forced to prepare breakfast at knifepoint.

Its culinary skills were indeed superb, but they were basically done not with its hands, but with its mouth. The knife that Mori had designed according to its requirements was attached to its beak... It removed its lower beak and then painstakingly replaced it with the kitchen knife, turning it into a brand new beak.

The top part is the original, while the bottom part was forged by a true god.

With each opening and closing, a metallic clanging sound rang out.

When it cuts vegetables, it lies on its side on the cutting board and separates its beak. The original bird's hand, which acts like a pressing hand, holds down the ingredients, while the newer bird's hand moves up and down with its body and wings, cutting the cabbage extremely quickly.

In Sen Shi's opinion, the way he cooked was particularly bizarre.

Woodpeckers also have a unique advantage when it comes to crushing food. They can poke ten times in one second, and after ten seconds, any food will turn into a pile of paste.

Sen watched in astonishment the whole time, while Master Woodpecker wanted to show off his skills to this person, so he worked very hard.

"By the way, when will you set me free?"

"Your information may not be true or false. It's impossible to confirm it beforehand. Or you can pay me."

"it is true."

"Even if it's true, it's not enough."

"How greedy! Well then, how about I give you a few more pieces of information? They're all locations where powerful treasures or magical artifacts are hidden. You could easily sell them for tens of thousands of gold coins!"

After a moment's thought, Sen Shi made it confess everything. He figured he could just say, "Oh, that? I already know that," and get as much information as he could. Even though the guy had a terrible personality, he seemed to possess quite a bit of knowledge.

But before they could get any answers, dandelions appeared.

"Good morning, Mori."

"morning."

"I've been thinking about the Four Seasons Ones all night..."

"I know you keep fidgeting around on my pillow, and your hair keeps getting all over me. How am I supposed to sleep? It's obvious you're not asleep..."

Dandelion had stayed up all night and wasn't in good spirits. But upon hearing this, her dark circles and weariness vanished, replaced by a shy yet eager expression.

"So, you pretended to be dreaming and stole my blanket as revenge? You even patted me every now and then, or ran over and hugged me, and I thought you were really dreaming."

Sen Shi suddenly blushed a little.

Actually, she just wanted to use her dream as an excuse to take advantage of someone and make up for the psychological trauma left from that time. For some reason, the black dandelion from that time still exuded an overwhelming terror in her heart.

Dandelion crossed her arms, smiled happily, and then got back to the main topic—