Is This Cheating?
"She didn't give us names, she didn't give us a purpose, she simply abandoned us, and after giving us abilities, she chose to fall into a deep sleep."
"And one day, she'll wake up and take everything back from us..."
Shu spoke slowly, his tone gradually becoming melancholy.
She sighed a few times, then looked up at the sky.
"At that time, our lives will also come to an end..."
Are you scared?
Maria blinked and looked at the millet.
But Shu just smiled.
"I'm not afraid of death... but I don't want to go back either."
"Um?"
"If it were the same person I was at the beginning, perhaps I would have accepted this fate, but things are different now..."
Shu lowered his head, reached out, and gently stroked the rice paddies that resembled waves, his eyes slightly downcast.
"I have found the meaning of my life... and I am trying to achieve it. I don't want to leave here until I fulfill this wish..."
As he spoke, his tone gradually became firm, and his gaze sharpened.
Maria, who was standing nearby, also lowered her eyes slightly when she saw this.
"Is this... your choice?"
"Um."
"I see."
Let's go back to the present.
After the millet discovered the unusual trickle of water beneath the ground, Maria's voice gradually rose.
She remained silent, gazing at the girl before her.
His calm demeanor revealed nothing about his true feelings.
Only then did Shu realize that blood was dripping from Maria's left hand, as if it were free, continuously sliding onto the ground and gradually seeping into the earth...
"What's this?"
Gradually, Shu realized something, and his pupils slowly widened.
"My blood..."
Maria's tone was very calm, as if she had done something completely ordinary.
Meanwhile, blood donations gushing from underground gradually gathered around.
They approached step by step, gradually enveloping Shu in her terrified gaze...
Surprisingly, when the millet was enveloped in this donated blood, it didn't feel that uncomfortable, sticky, or dense sensation...
On the contrary, she could feel an indescribable sense of security!
It's as if...
She returned to a gentle, motherly embrace...
What surprised her even more was...
As blood seeped in, she suddenly realized that her body was gradually becoming heavy.
She could feel as if there was a huge rock inside her body.
She is no longer the kind of dandelion floating in the air, but has gradually become a tree with its own roots!
She... can feel her own physical form!
Maria... snatched her from the clutches of the old woman?!
"These things."
The more he felt it, the more incredible he realized just how amazing what was happening to his body was.
She stared blankly at Maria, her eyes gradually filling with awe...
But Maria didn't say much; she simply shook her head and stepped forward.
And Shu also noticed that Maria's body was gradually becoming illusory.
This made her pause in her breathing.
She wanted to say something.
But the surging blood gradually overwhelmed her strength.
Her voice gradually faded away.
As if sensing Maria's presence, the distant Daemon ceased its madness and crouched tremblingly on the ground, silently watching Maria.
It breathed, its scarlet eyes gradually sharpening.
In dire straits, it seemed as if its biological instincts had been awakened.
It stopped hiding and instead gritted its teeth, glaring angrily at Maria!
Several Sui Family members nearby also couldn't escape Maria's 'poisonous hand', being enveloped in the blood Maria released.
Their bodies gradually slipped out of age's control...
Hopefully she won't be angry afterwards.
Maria sighed, blinked, and turned her head again to look at the ferocious Great Beast in front of her.
"However, before that..."
"You should rest..."
330
Chapter 330: Is it about infidelity?
When Maria opened her eyes again, time had returned to reality.
In her hand, a small, shriveled section of Umbilical Cord lay quietly.
Inside the fireplace beside them, the campfire still flickered, and the Doll still stood there calmly, smiling at Maria.
"Welcome back, kind Hunter..."
"Um."
Maria stood up, rubbed her temples, and handed the Umbilical Cord to the Doll.
The Doll, without any hesitation, took the item with both hands, held it quietly in its hands, and then closed its eyes.
The radiance gradually gathered in her palm, then transformed into specks of starlight, gradually merging into the entirety of New Yharnam.
Maria regained some of her strength.
After doing all this, the Doll raised its head again and looked at Maria.
"How did the operation go?"
"... I find it hard to describe, Doll."
Maria slowly rose to her feet.
The Doll beside her quietly served Maria a glass of wine.
But Maria refused.
"If we must define this operation as success or failure, then I think it should be considered a failure..."
"Did it fail?"
The Doll tilted its head, as if to express its dissent.
After all, she and Maria are fundamentally one.
Therefore, she was also aware of what Maria saw and heard during her second time traveling through Yan.
In her view, this action was not a failure.
Of course, if we really have to use the initial goal as the standard, then it might indeed be a failure...
Maria still hadn't figured out how to pull the Skyborne Great Beast Gordan down to the ground.
Only...
"You've witnessed another event, and you've reclaimed the power that rightfully belongs to you... Isn't that wonderful?"
The Doll smiled, its eyes narrowed.
Maria shook her head and sighed helplessly.
"I'm not as optimistic as you think, Doll... Retrieving the Umbilical Cord is certainly something to be happy about, but that can't replace the original purpose. Failure is failure, there's nothing more to say."
"Is that so..."
The Doll shook its head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"But in my opinion, recovering the Umbilical Cord isn't the biggest takeaway from your trip..."
"Um?"
Maria turned her head.
If even the Umbilical Cord isn't considered a gain... then what is?
"You've seen your friend again, haven't you?"
The Doll squinted, its expression mocking.
Maria was stunned for a moment, then shook her head helplessly.
"Sorghum is not a year... none of them are years..."
"Besides... Doll, I think you're overthinking it. I don't have any particular feelings for any one person; I treat everyone equally."
Maria spoke calmly, her composed tone fully demonstrating her composure and calmness as a special being.
But the Doll simply uttered a name quietly.
"Lamaline."
"..."
Maria remained silent.
Clearly, although Maria spoke decisively, she wasn't truly treating everyone equally, as she claimed.
At least, she couldn't do that with Lamaline.
The Doll's eyes blinked playfully a few times.
After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly.
"Your love... is truly heavy..."
"No need to remind me, Doll, I know."
Maria rubbed her temples, her face unusually embarrassed, and her thoughts were somewhat jumbled.
"Besides, that wasn't love..."
"So how do you plan to explain that child named Logos?"
The Doll didn't directly refute Maria... because she knew that Maria was just that kind of stubborn person.
She's fine with normal things, but when it comes to personal feelings or other issues, she becomes noticeably hesitant and confused.
This ultimately leads to feelings of denial.
That won't do.
People still need to face their own feelings squarely!