The Original Sin of Gluttony

Chapter 47: The Original Sin of Gluttony

"Sally, what do you think true fear is?"

Lu Minghao asked Sally as he deactivated 'Shadow Prison'. The four members of Linus's Squad, who had been suspended in mid-air, crashed heavily to the ground. The stinging pain from their wounds made them instinctively cry out.

But that was all they could do. Their blood was almost drained, their limbs had turned to bone, and they could only writhe on the ground like maggots.

"True fear?"

Sally looked at Lu Minghao with wide, curious eyes. The praise she had just received had made her very interested in learning, and she eagerly perked up her ears, wanting to learn more from Lu Minghao. Sally was determined to become a cultured witch!

"It's when everything you desire is right before your eyes, but you can never obtain it. You can only watch it disappear and reappear, forever unable to change it, unable to escape. There's no help, and you're powerless to change it yourself. There's no hope, no goal, and you eventually become an empty shell, having lost everything."

Lu Minghao spoke of the most despairing and terrifying things with the gentlest words. Beside him, Sally excitedly nodded her little head, wearing an expression of "Oh, so it can be like this. I've learned, I've learned."

"But, Minghao, how do you do that?"

The next second, Sally, who loved learning, raised a hand and looked at Lu Minghao with a face full of curiosity. Although she now knew what true fear was, she still didn't know how to achieve it.

"There are many ways to do that. For example, the simplest pain, whether physical or mental, any normal life form will feel fear. Death is also a source of fear, though there are many ways to die."

As he spoke, Lu Minghao activated the passive ability of the 'Gluttony' Talent. An unspeakable power emanated from his body, and instantly, everything around him seemed to come alive. Flesh and blood grew from the wooden floor, and the insects living in the corners crawled out.

"Sally, remember that true fear is different for every life form. Whether it's helplessly watching your loved ones die before your eyes, the despair after losing everything, or..."

"All of this is the most real despair and fear. As for how to specifically do it, that's something Sally needs to observe and learn for herself, so you can become a cultured, knowledgeable, and profound big boss."

Saying this, Lu Minghao looked at Linus and the others in front of him.

Having already devoured everything edible around them, the four, now dominated by endless desire and hunger, turned their attention to each other. Their bodies writhed, inching forward like maggots until they could reach each other, opening their mouths once more.

In the dim room, chilling sounds echoed continuously. Nearby, a mass of flesh with gaping mouths and blood-red tentacles covered in orifices crawled closer. Finally, a strangely shaped insect from the corner joined this feast of gluttony.

"And now, this is the ultimate fear I have bestowed upon them. They will descend into madness from endless hunger and desire, but I will command them never to eat, forcing them to suffer in eternal hunger and desire. This is 'The Original Sin of Gluttony'."

Lu Minghao turned to face Sally. Behind him, a monster with four heads, its body covered in gaping mouths and bloody tentacles, appeared. The four heads were those of Lester and the others, and they continuously repeated:

Kill me, please kill me! So hungry, so hungry, so hungry. Eat, eat, eat.

"Now, Sally, do you understand?"

"Not really."

Facing Lu Minghao's question, a conflicted expression appeared on Sally's small face. She finally shook her head, indicating she didn't quite understand.

"It's good that you don't understand. It proves that Sally still needs to learn and think."

Lu Minghao wasn't surprised by Sally's answer. After all, Sally was just a child who grew up scavenging for food in garbage heaps. Although she had experienced all sorts of 'evil,' she was still a girl not yet ten years old.

"Then, Minghao, who should we inflict true fear upon?"

At this moment, Sally hugged Lu Minghao and tilted her small head, asking with a conflicted expression.

"As for that, what do you think they are, Sally?"

Lu Minghao didn't answer Sally's question directly. Instead, he pointed at the monster behind him, which was gnawing on the wooden floor.

"They are the ones who killed Mom and Dad! They are enemies!"

Sally looked at the monster that was disgusting both physically and psychologically. But no matter what it had become, to Sally, its identity was singular: it was the enemy that had killed her parents and caused her to grow up in a world filled with 'evil.'

"Yes, they are enemies. Sally, remember, we don't need mercy or kindness towards any enemy. What we need is to use any means necessary to bestow upon them true fear and death. As for those who are not enemies, we can get along well. After all, I am a kind slime."

Lu Minghao looked at Sally, who was hugging him. These words might be too cruel for an ordinary ten-year-old child, but for Sally, who was half-human, half-ghost, and had lived amidst endless malice since childhood, this was the reality she should and must know.

Sally could possess childlike innocence and kindness, but that was reserved for friends and those who were kind to her. It was not for enemies. Mercy towards enemies was the greatest cruelty to oneself. This was what Lu Minghao wanted to tell Sally.

"Sally understands. Sally can get along well with Grandma Oran and Grandpa Kenny. As for enemies like Lester, they will all be killed."

After speaking, Sally looked at Lu Minghao with wide, happy eyes, awaiting praise.

"Yes, that's right. Sally is indeed the smartest."

Hearing Sally's words, Lu Minghao couldn't help but smile. Indeed, her childhood experiences had given Sally a way of thinking completely different from ordinary children, and it was the most suitable way to survive in this world.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing."

The next second, Lu Minghao looked at the monster that had already gnawed a large pit in the floor. Lu Minghao was very interested in the great noble who had issued the mission to take Sally away. Moreover, it had been some time since he advanced to Middle Demon, and it was time to harvest some new nourishment.

Ahhh, this is the third time. I'm incredible. And the editor just told me my read-through isn't enough, so there won't be any promotion in the next round. I'll have to wait until the read-through is sufficient before they can arrange it.