Inside the bowl, a purple liquid bubbled ominously.
An indescribable scent—a mixture of floral fragrance, fruity sweetness, and a hint of metallic brine—rushed into Lynn’s nostrils.
He swore he could even see several red fruits slowly expanding and contracting in the soup.
‘They’re still alive!’
Lynn’s expression was more twisted than if he were crying.
He stiffly turned his head to look at Alicia.
The Saintess was currently gazing at him with her azure eyes, which were filled with anticipation.
[Alicia’s Blackening Value: 85%]
The value wasn’t at its peak yet, but Lynn had no doubt that if he dared to say the word “no,” the number would instantly surge to 100.
Then, this bowl of soup would be forced down his throat and straight into his stomach.
On the other side, Vivian stood with her arms crossed, a cold, mocking smile playing on her lips.
[Vivian’s Blackening Value: 80%]
She was waiting.
She was waiting for Lynn to refuse, waiting for a conflict to break out between him and Alicia.
Then, she could step in with full justification to “protect” him and snatch him away from Alicia’s hands.
It was a dead end.
‘If I eat it, I might die.’
‘If I don’t eat it, I’ll die right now — and both of them will be the ones to kill me.’
Trembling, Lynn took the bowl.
The temperature of the bowl was very high, causing his palms to sting with pain, but he couldn’t feel it.
All of his senses were focused on that lethal purple liquid.
“What is wrong, Lord Lynn?” Alicia’s tone carried a hint of confusion. “Is it not to your taste?”
“The value was rising!”
“86%… 87%…”
“No! It’s not that!”
Lynn shuddered in fear, nearly dropping the bowl.
He squeezed out a smile that looked more like a grimace.
“I… I’m just too moved! Alicia, I can’t believe you made such a… such a beautiful bowl of soup for me!”
He praised her against his conscience.
Alicia’s expression softened, and the Blackening Value stopped at 87%.
“As long as you like it.”
She smiled and made a “please” gesture.
Lynn knew there was no escaping it.
He picked up the silver spoon and scooped a mouthful of the thick, bubbling purple liquid.
Closing his eyes, he steeled his heart and shoved it directly into his mouth.
“BOOM!”
An indescribable flavor exploded across his taste buds.
It was as if someone had mixed 100 sugar cubes, one pound of salt, and half a bottle of vinegar together, then added a bit of rust and soil for good measure.
It was cloyingly sweet, bitterly salty, and so sour it made his teeth ache.
Even more terrifying, one of the red fruits burst in his mouth, instantly filling his oral cavity with a scalding, blood-like juice.
Lynn’s eyes snapped wide open. He nearly vomited on the spot.
He used every ounce of his strength to control his throat muscles, forcing himself to swallow that poison-like substance.
A scorching current slid down his esophagus and crashed into his stomach.
His stomach began to convulse.
“How is… the taste?”
Alicia asked expectantly.
Lynn’s vision had already begun to double.
He felt as though his soul was about to leave his body.
But he had to answer.
Using his last shred of sanity, he gave Alicia a thumbs-up.
“…!”
He didn’t feel like he was speaking; he felt like he was coughing up blood.
“It’s delicious! Alicia, this is absolutely the best soup I’ve ever had in my life! I feel… I feel like my entire body is overflowing with power! Holy Light! I can see the Holy Light!”
He began to ramble incoherently.
Half of it was acting, and the other half was due to actual hallucinations.
Upon hearing his praise, a look of immense satisfaction and a happy smile bloomed on Alicia’s holy face.
“[Alicia’s Blackening Value: 80%]”
“It went down!”
Lynn felt a surge of wild joy in his heart.
“He had survived!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Alicia pushed the bowl forward a bit more.
“There is still plenty in the pot, so please, make sure to finish it all.”
Lynn’s smile froze on his face.
‘There’s… there’s more?’
Just as he was falling into a new round of despair, a piece of fragrant, charred dried meat was suddenly held out in front of him.
Vivian had walked over at some point and was now looking down at him.
“Eat some real food.”
Her tone carried a hint of mockery.
“Don’t actually start thinking of yourself as some kind of Sacrificial Offering that needs its soul purified.”
Lynn was stunned.
He looked at the dried meat in front of him, then at Vivian’s expressionless face.
Then, he felt another gaze.
Alicia’s gaze.
The smile on the Saintess’s face was disappearing bit by bit.
She looked at the dried meat, then at Lynn.
In those azure eyes, the Blackening Value that had just dropped began to climb upward again, slowly but steadily.
[Alicia’s Blackening Value: 81%… 82%…]
Holding the piece of meat that gave off an enticing aroma, Lynn felt as if he weren’t holding food at all.
Lynn gripped the dried meat; it wasn’t heavy, yet it weighed him down until he couldn’t move.
The Saintess’s Blackening Value continued to rise like a column of mercury in a thermometer, climbing slowly but surely.
[Alicia’s Blackening Value: 81%… 82%…]
Lynn observed Vivian.
She remained expressionless, but the corners of her mouth were turned up slightly.
It wasn’t a smile; it was more like a victor’s provocation.
The dried meat she offered wasn’t an act of charity; it was a blade, accurately piercing Lynn’s fatal weakness.
He understood that he couldn’t eat this meat.
If he did, Alicia would explode on the spot.
But if he didn’t eat it, Vivian’s gesture would be for nothing.
“What would she think?”
She would be angry, and her Blackening Value would also skyrocket.
He was currently sitting between two volcanoes about to erupt, and he was the one holding the fuse.
“Lord Lynn, do you feel… that Alicia’s soup isn’t delicious enough?”
Alicia’s voice was sickeningly sweet, but a chill rose from the depths of her throat.
Lynn shuddered.
He desperately needed a plausible reason.
“No, that’s not it!”
Lynn shook his head quickly, nearly dropping the meat.
He scrambled to tuck the meat between his fingers while picking up the silver spoon to scoop another mouthful of the thick purple soup.
“Alicia, your soup is simply too delicious! I’ve never tasted anything like it! I just… I was just thinking, if I take a bite of soup and then a bite of meat, would the flavor have… more layers? When adventuring outside, you have to try new flavor combinations!”
Lynn steeled himself and brought the meat to his lips while holding the spoonful of soup ready.
He moved with the intensity of a tiger, attempting to process both at the same time.
He took a bite of the dried meat first.
It was roasted to a crisp and had a light spice to it; the taste was normal.
He felt his stomach finally receive a sliver of comfort.
Then, he quickly poured the second spoonful of purple soup into his mouth.
He felt his stomach let out a wail of mourning.
Another hot surge rushed through his throat—sour, salty, bitter, spicy, and sweet, combined with that heavy metallic and bloody taste.
It was quite literally the taste of hell.
He forced himself to endure the discomfort, even closing his eyes for a moment as he swallowed the soup.
[Alicia’s Blackening Value: 80%]
the Blackening Value dropped again.
Lynn breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
His strategy had worked; at least for now, he had maintained the balance.
He was like a magician, carefully balancing two bombs that could explode at any second.
Vivian retracted her hand.
She gave Lynn a look, her eyes filled with amusement.
Alicia, on the other hand, smiled—a smile that looked innocent and pure.