Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 364 - Leah's Punishment

“…Us?” Nekai pointed to himself, disbelief flashing in his eyes. “You mean, I’m going to go with you to explore that mansion—who knows how many traps, guards, and supposedly haunted it—and then risk being killed by that princess to rescue Hikari?”

She waved her arms wildly, her expression exaggerated.

“You don’t have to go.” Wu Chen put the last bite of food on his plate into his mouth and looked at her quietly. “The task I’m asking you to do is to investigate the disappearance of a girl from Paris Academy. Theoretically speaking, you’ve already done the basics and can barely be considered to have completed the task. However, the completion rate is a bit low, and there are some follow-up matters that I’ll need your help with.”

“You…” Nekai glared at him, then looked deflated.

"Alright, alright, whatever you say. Anyway, I can't beat you, so I can only obediently listen to you!"

Wu Chen simply answered slowly and deliberately.

“There may be more than one girl trapped in the Hime-en mansion, besides Hikari Mi Brown. I will take her directly to the Adventurers' Guild to complete the quest. There are others who need to be settled and dealt with—I think you can do that, send those academy students who have some background or talent back to their own homes.”

"What's the difference between this and dancing on Princess Leah's face...?"

"You can keep the profits and favors you gain as a result. Our engagement can also be concluded perfectly here. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can contact me, and I may help you out if the situation warrants."

“…I like challenging work.” Nekai’s expression changed swiftly. The next moment, a piece of fruit cake, perhaps not very delicate, but with an enticing aroma and generous ingredients, clearly made with a great deal of care, suddenly appeared in her hand.

She tossed it over, and Wu Chen caught it. The pastry was fragrant with the aroma of Papton sweet sesame.

“Here.” Nekai raised his chin slightly. “The girl you saved was trying to show her kindness. She originally planned to cook it and serve it to you as breakfast, and maybe chat with you. But I felt I needed the opportunity to talk to her more, so I did it for her before she mustered the courage to bring the plate up.”

Wu Chen tilted his ear and heard the girl's bewildered and sad expression as she frantically searched the kitchen. Clearly, Nekai had simply taken the entire plate. As a result, the tavern girl, who had initially mustered the courage to make her move, instantly lost all will to fight.

It's really nasty.

Wu Chen raised his hand and tasted the fruit cake. The flavor profile was actually far from perfect. But when Wu Chen tasted it, he felt that its deliciousness far surpassed the courtly banquet brought by Marys.

He needed to find an opportunity to comfort the girl—after all, such a pure sentiment couldn't just be thrown away. Wu Chen nodded slightly and added a new item to his to-do list. He swallowed all the pastries and gave them a definite evaluation.

“It tastes great,” he said.

Then came the time to set off.

Half an hour later, Wu Chen and Nekai arrived at the Fei Yuan mansion. After casually solving some puzzles and defeating several controlled monsters that had been given automatic guard commands, all the secrets of the mansion came into Wu Chen's view.

Many of the abducted girls were already dead. They had suffered greatly before their deaths and did not die peacefully. Many of the instruments in the torture chamber were still stained with blood that had not yet completely congealed; perhaps they had been used just yesterday during the day.

Many of the abducted girls are still alive. But their bodies and minds have suffered severe trauma. So much so that they will scream in agony at the sight of any living person, or cower in a corner, trembling and unable to utter a complete sentence.

Guang Mi Brown was among them. She was tightly bound, her body bearing injuries that, while not horribly serious, were still extremely painful. By the time Wu Chen freed her, her attention was already scattered. It wasn't until Wu Chen used healing magic to restore the marks of torture on her body that she came to her senses, letting out soft cries of pain while tears streamed down her face.

Leah really went too far.

Knowing something and seeing it are two completely different things. After that, Wu Chen and Nekai spent quite a long time settling the rescued girls in.

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do,” Nekai suddenly said to Wu Chen before they parted. “But this kind of thing is actually quite common on this land. If you want to seek justice for them, I support you in doing so. But it’s best not to get too caught up in this kind of thing… it’s bad for your heart.”

She was indeed a seasoned adventurer, having witnessed far more brutal scenes. This world had existed from the very beginning as a pastime for the Void Whale, a place to observe the world through tragedy. And even now, it tirelessly fulfilled the function the Creator had designed for it.

Wu Chen didn't answer—he simply waved goodbye to Nekai, who still had many things to do. His steps shifted, and he returned once more to the depths of the Fei Yuan mansion. And in his eyes, the Sea of ​​Souls rippled slightly here.

"Come forth." The power belonging to the soul manager stirred up this wave. And many resentful, unwilling, and desperate young girl souls appeared in front of Wu Chen's palm.

The suffering of the living can ultimately be compensated with material things. However, the torment endured by the dead can only be repaid with blood.

and so……

He glanced at the vengeful spirits of the young girls, their limbs broken, blood streaming from their eyes, and wounds in their chests and abdomens that would never heal. He showered them with the light of healing souls.

“Come with me,” he said. “All resentment will be repaid.”

He led them back to the luxury room.

He saw Leah kneeling quietly in the center of the living room—she could see them with his permission, and the vengeful spirits who had died because of her were now letting out silent screams.

“I will be leaving here and won’t be back until at least tonight.” Wu Chen looked at Princess Lisas, who seemed to have come to her senses, and said calmly, “This room has been enchanted by me. You can’t escape or use your powers. Of course, they can’t understand what you’re saying or any of the ideas you’re trying to express. If you’re still alive when I return, then we can discuss some other matters.”

(End of this chapter)