Strange Markings

Under Hopp's touch, Carl clearly felt that the patch of skin was different from the areas around it.

Yet before this, she hadn't noticed anything unusual at all.

No, that's not quite true. I did notice something strange. This seems to be the same spot that hurt several times before, but I didn't pay attention to it back then. Judging by Hopp's expression, could the injury here be serious?

In a place where food and clothing were both scarce, if someone fell ill, they could only rely on their immune system to pull off a miracle.

They said that surviving a great disaster meant good fortune would follow. After escaping from the Mind Flayer base and gaining a physical cheat ability formed from the Mind Flayer Tadpole...

Although Carl still couldn't see any possibility of returning to the surface, she still held hope for the future.

Besides, they had already survived the most difficult period. As long as they developed steadily, they might even be able to live an unconventional pastoral life in this underground city.

They had overcome so many difficulties. If Carl died here from some illness of unknown origin, she would truly die unwilling.

So she was starting to panic a little.

"Can you get a clear look at what this is? Maybe it's just something I left behind after bumping into something."

Carl turned around and did her best to present her back to Hopp.

"No. An impact couldn't leave an injury like this. It looks more like a scar left by repeated cuts that scabbed over, but you shouldn't have suffered that kind of injury recently."

Staring at the markings on Carl's back, Hopp gave her assessment.

Naturally, this answer did nothing to put Carl at ease. Instead, it made her imagination run wild.

Allergic reactions, fungal infections, skin diseases—every possible cause Carl could think of, she went over in her mind.

The more she dwelled on it, the heavier Carl's mood became.

It was just like those people in her previous life who searched for symptoms online. They might have had nothing more than a minor cold, yet the more they read, the more convinced they became that they had some serious illness.

Just as Carl was anxiously wavering between hope and fear, Hopp suddenly gave the scarred area a heavy smack.

The crisp sound echoed through the wooden hut, followed closely by Hopp's vigorous voice:

"Stop letting your imagination run wild, damn it. I shouldn't have brought this up. We've basically finished dealing with everything today. Want to sleep? If you're scared, I can hold you while you sleep."

As she spoke, Hopp directly wrapped her arms around Carl from behind and leaned to the side, making them both fall onto the floor.

"That's how you comfort me?"

To be honest, this method was quite effective.

At least Carl's attention was now focused entirely on the pair of front plates pressed tightly against her back.

Injuries, illnesses—at this moment, Carl's mind had already been filled with all kinds of erotic material from her previous life.

"This is how the mercenaries of Graywall City comfort each other. Or... do you want to take things further?"

When she said "take things further," Hopp's arm had already wrapped around Carl's neck and was gradually tightening.

Carl had no doubt that if she lost her head to lust right now, Hopp would choke her unconscious without hesitation.

"Come on, you were the one who started this. How are you threatening me now? If you keep this up, I'm going to fight back!"

As she spoke, Carl gave a token struggle.

Hopp released her arm once she had made her point, though her body remained pressed tightly against Carl.

"Don't worry. If something really happens to you, before you die, you can do whatever you want to me. Consider it repayment for saving my life back then. Of course, that is, if you don't mind that I'm a Tiefling."

Even without using psionics, Carl could sense the sincerity in Hopp's voice.

I suppose this is what you'd expect from a girl raised in Zhuomu. She really doesn't mince words.

Thinking this, Carl coughed twice and tried to defend herself.

"Ahem! I'm touched that you'd say that, but even if nothing happens to me, if we remain trapped in this underground city, it's only a matter of time before you and I develop a physical relationship. There are plenty of examples of people in situations like ours... and the outcome is astonishingly consistent."

At that moment, Carl naturally cast herself and Hopp in the roles of Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu.

"Hey! You don't really think that way, do you? I'm a Tiefling."

At Carl's words, Hopp pressed herself even more tightly against her.

"Emmm... and?"

Recalling the various illustrated books with complicated tastes that she had browsed through in her previous life, Carl didn't understand for a moment why Hopp cared so much about that point.

Hopp didn't answer Carl directly. Instead, she began talking about her past.

"When I was little, I often couldn't get enough to eat... I hadn't taken up the Barbarian class back then. Once, when I was starving, I even thought about selling myself and becoming a slave."

"I couldn't afford to care about my dignity anymore. All I wanted then was something to eat."

Hearing this, Carl couldn't help wanting to turn around and look at Hopp.

But Hopp held her head firmly in place, making it impossible for her to turn.

"I still remember what that slaver said: 'No one likes Tieflings, and even fewer people would buy a Tiefling as a slave. The only way for a Tiefling to survive in this world is to become stronger.'"

Hopp's deep-red tail coiled around Carl's wrist. As she imitated the slaver's words, her tail began tightening continuously.

"I thought I could trade my dignity for a meal, but I never expected my dignity to be worthless. I fled the entrance of that slave market like a stray dog with its spine broken."

"I ran into the wilderness outside the city, intending to end my life there. But I couldn't even manage to kill myself properly. I continued to cling to life."

"I was furious at my own incompetence and my cowardice, at how badly I wanted to wag my tail and beg for mercy. Then, when I was on the verge of death, I felt the power of Rage and became a Barbarian."

At this point, Carl finally gained a deep understanding of the status Tieflings held in this world.

She had previously known only that Tieflings faced discrimination in other regions. She had never had a clear idea of just how severe it was.

Hopp's heavy breathing sounded beside Carl's ear, and the places where their bodies touched gradually began to heat up.

Carl had no doubt that if some beast suddenly appeared right now, Hopp would activate Rage and chop it to death.

Gradually, the strength in Hopp's arms eased slightly.

Their breathing gradually slowed, and amid the seemingly endless sound of rain, they each drifted into sleep.

"Whew~, I need to hurry up and find a way to make some spare clothes. If something like that happens again, I really won't be able to hold back."

The Dream World, second layer.

Lying on the ground of the Dream World, Carl gazed up at the sky, giving literal meaning to the phrase "when a person dies, their bird faces the sky."

If psionics weren't restraining her thoughts, this dreamscape would have already begun playing out scenes forbidden to minors.

After calming herself for quite some time, Carl rose from the ground and habitually summoned her status panel.

Carl gave the panel a cursory glance and was about to close it when she felt that something had appeared in one of its sections.

She went through it again line by line from the top. But when she reached the race section, Carl immediately noticed what was different from before.

"Race: Human (Scouting Dragon Mark)? Wait! That strange marking on my back is a dragon mark?!"