"...…"
To be honest, sitting together in a broken shack during a thunderstorm was more than a little awkward.
Everyone sat close together, while the woman in a red cloak sat silently on the other side, simply staring at them without saying a word.
"Excuse me, miss, are you also planning to go to the castle?"
Mistlina was the first to break the silence, smiling as she spoke to the woman. But the other trembled slightly and shrank back.
"N–no... I'm just a coward... I don't dare…"
As she spoke, the woman lowered her head.
"...Everyone's been grafted."
"???"
Hearing that strange and fragmented sentence, everyone froze. The woman continued staring into the firelight and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Those who came with me into the Lands Between, those who fought for me... their hands, feet, and heads were all cut off—turned into parts of a spider."
"Uh..."
"Ugh..."
"Ew..."
Even without fully understanding her words, just the image made the girls' faces pale. Mistlina looked confused, not sure what to say. Lorena's expression was lost, while Bambi squeaked in fright and dove into Duanmu Huai's arms. Seeing this, Olgis thought for a moment, then calmly put down her book and also crawled into Duanmu Huai's embrace.
The woman, however, paid no attention. She lifted her head slightly, her dull eyes staring through the flickering fire.
"Did you know? After being grafted to the spider, people look like cocoons... It's really quite fascinating, isn't it?"
"That... is pretty fascinating," Duanmu Huai replied dryly.
What the hell? A giant spider made of dismembered humans? If that's what's waiting in that castle, that's going to be a nightmare.
"Hehehe..."
The woman let out a soft, eerie laugh. Her blank eyes seemed unfocused, as if they were looking through them all and into the void beyond. Though her face was turned toward Duanmu Huai and the others, her gaze clearly wasn't seeing them at all.
"You're heading for Stormveil Castle, aren't you? Did that white-masked man send you? Or do you want to become a part of the spider too? If so... then you're just like me."
"Uh... miss, you actually want to become that... grafted thing?" Lorena asked timidly.
Her words seemed to pierce the woman's fragile heart. The woman lowered her head again, muttering softly.
"But I don't have the courage... To have your hands, feet, and head cut off... it's just too terrifying. I really wanted to be like them, but I was too scared. I'm such a coward..."
Well, at least she's self-aware.
Then again, any sane person would run from that kind of "ritual."
"Oh, right."
The woman suddenly looked down, as if remembering something. She reached into her cloak and took out a small glass bottle, handing it to Duanmu Huai.
"Could you take this little one along with you? It's so pitiful, having to stay with someone as weak as me..."
"This is...?"
Duanmu Huai accepted the small bottle and glanced inside. It seemed to contain some kind of fine, silvery dust. At the same time, a system message appeared before his eyes.
[Obtained Special Item: Soul Jellyfish Ashes]
Ashes that house a lingering soul. Can summon the spirit of a Soul Jellyfish that floats in the air and illuminates its surroundings. The weeping jellyfish girl searches for her faraway home and will spray poison to protect her companions. Her name is Kurara.
Jellyfish? Girl? Spirit?
How the hell is this thing supposed to work?
Thinking that, Duanmu Huai focused his energy into the bottle. A soft purple glow filled the air, and a moment later, a massive jellyfish-like spirit appeared before them. Its translucent body shimmered with violet light as it floated gracefully, long tendrils swaying gently.
"Waaah! It's so pretty!"
Bambi immediately popped out from Duanmu Huai's arms, staring wide-eyed at the luminous creature. Lorena also reached out curiously, and as if understanding her intent, the spirit jellyfish extended a soft tendril and brushed her fingertips.
"It's adorable, my lord," Lorena said softly.
"Yeah... it's actually kind of cute," Duanmu Huai admitted.
He reached out and poked it. The jellyfish quivered slightly, then floated back toward him, glowing faintly in the dark room.
See? I knew I'd get a pet eventually.
Looking at the soul jellyfish drifting nearby, Duanmu Huai felt unexpectedly pleased. He'd joked before about wanting a little animal companion — and now here it was. A glowing, floating jellyfish. Cute enough.
"Thank you, miss," he said politely.
The woman waved her hand weakly.
"It's fine. And the spirit seems to like you. I think it'll be happy traveling with you."
"Even so, we still owe you one," Duanmu Huai replied. "Is there anything we can do for you in return?"
"Hm... if you're really going to Stormveil Castle," the woman murmured, pausing to think, "then please, tell those who've become cocoons that I love them. I'm still scared... but one day, I'll be just like them... I'm finally... not so afraid of pain anymore."
...Is that really necessary?
Everyone was left speechless. Duanmu Huai could only nod awkwardly. Satisfied, the woman gave a small bow, then curled up once more beside the fire, closing her eyes and drifting into sleep.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
"My lord... you're not actually going to deliver that message, are you?" Lorena whispered.
"We'll see when we get there," Duanmu Huai sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Just from her story, I can tell Stormveil Castle is going to be a damn mess... Anyway, get some rest."
One by one, they settled down and fell asleep. Duanmu Huai remained awake for a while, staring into the dim firelight — until Olgis's quiet voice broke the silence.
"Master."
"Hm? What is it, Olgis?"
"What... does pain feel like?"
"Eh—ah..."
It took him a moment to realize what she meant. Olgis was, after all, a doll. She couldn't feel pain. For her, even having her limbs torn apart wouldn't mean anything. The woman's story about the grafting ritual must have stirred some strange curiosity in her.
"Well... how should I put it? For living beings, pain is... a kind of instinctive reaction. When your body's hurt, you feel it. It's the body's way of saying something's wrong, a warning..."
"...???"
Olgis's expression was blank. Her unblinking eyes watched him, clearly not understanding. Duanmu Huai scratched his head helplessly.
Explaining pain to someone who can't feel it was like trying to describe color to a blind person.
If she asked what breathing felt like, he wouldn't know how to answer that either.
"Do you remember Jasmine?" he asked after a moment.
"...Yes."
At the mention of the name, Olgis's eyes dimmed slightly, and she nodded.
"When you think of her, what do you feel?"
"I... don't know," Olgis murmured, placing a hand against her chest.
"I just feel something strange here... like I have no strength, and I don't want to move... I don't want to think about it."
"That's called sadness."
Duanmu Huai reached out and gently patted her head.
"When your father died, how did you feel then?"
"Almost the same as with Jasmine... but stronger," she said softly, her brows furrowing.
"It felt like... my whole body was being torn apart. I can't really describe it... it was... unbearable."
"That's pain," he said quietly.
"But I wasn't hurt."
"That's emotional pain. It's similar to physical pain."
"I see... so that's what pain is..."
Olgis pressed her hand over her chest, whispering faintly. Then she leaned gently against Duanmu Huai's shoulder.
"But... this way, it feels a little better."
She closed her eyes slowly.
"Please let me stay like this for a while, Master."
"Of course," Duanmu Huai replied softly. "Rest well."
He stroked her hair, leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes.
Darkness fell — smooth and soft, like silk wrapping around him.
When Duanmu Huai opened his eyes again, everything had changed.
He was lying on a bed, completely unclothed. Beside him, a white figure embraced him tightly.
"Ah... my king..."
The room was dim, lit by a single lantern. Soft warmth pressed against him, mingled with a woman's breath and a gentle whisper in his ear.
"Let me hold you... let me feel your warmth, my king... I can feel your power... that overwhelming power of destruction and death... Please awaken... become ours..."
Her voice faded into nothingness.
A moment later, Duanmu Huai sank once more into the depths of sleep.
(End of Chapter 201)