Chapter 47: Where can I get the drugs?
“Hah?”
Mortifil whipped toward the black-haired big sis beside her, but crumbled under that earnest gaze.
“Y-You… with that wild angle, that offbeat idea… Hiss~ Don’t say it—actually, don’t say it…”
Yeah, if she sweet-talked that saintess… might just worm her way in.
“But, but she’s a bleeding heart, sure—doesn’t make her a fool, right?” Mortifil knit her brows tight, drawing in her dangling legs to stand, dusting off her rear.
“Plus, as a church saintess—core-circle access—how could she drop her guard on us? One slip, a nick on the arm, and out spills black blood instead of red… We’d be done for! Deep in church turf, escaping’d be a nightmare.”
Veleris rose too.
She fidgeted irritable, fishing tobacco from her pocket, lighting up for a drag.
“Phew~”
Smoke curled lazy; Mortifil wrinkled her nose in disgust, stepping back half a pace.
“Weird habit—darkborn don’t need that junk to unwind!”
“Old ways.” Veleris clipped cool.
The black-haired woman mulled, then said: “But Mortifil, face facts—we start from grunt priests, still gotta spiral inward, killing ring by ring. You think… that ain’t risky? Won’t expose us?”
Veleris’s ruby eyes iced over Mortifil.
“Truth is: risky as hell, exposure bait, and ripe for counter-kill—the closer to core, the worse. But our orders: get as near as can be, mandatory—priest rank minimum. You figure ring-by-ring slaughter’s a cakewalk?”
The retort left Mortifil speechless.
Spot on.
But Mortifil was a coward at heart; she’d meant to fudge the mission…
Who knew Veleris’d tag along, forcing her to hustle—no slacking, no phoning it in—even making her, who’d never killed, take lives. Way too much for a scaredy-cat.
Yeah, all that bravado? Fronting.
Deep down, Mortifil was pure chihuahua.
“Fine, you got a point.”
She conceded the words—but held firm on targeting Liang Lai.
“We’ve got time plenty—adults gave two years prep; three months down, no rush… I’ll brainstorm other angles. If push comes… yeah, that softie saintess.”
After all, saintess outranked priest; conning one… Mortifil felt the nerves, the reluctance—plus terror of blowback kill.
She was just a little lung-fog, scraping by in this world—no grand dreams.
Sure, she’d toyed with making it better… but that clashed darkborn creed, so she’d never voiced it.
Veleris eyed Mortifil a beat, then sighed soft.
“Alright~ Can’t force you—but I’m giving it a whirl. What if it sticks?”
With that, Veleris vaulted off the tower.
Mortifil watched her vanish in a blink, her clenched fists unknotting at last; she exhaled faint, reclaiming her perch—fishing a candy from her cute bag, popping it in.
“Being human’s still best.”
She sighed wistful.
Meanwhile.
Liang Lai herded the four little ones home.
Duoluosa spotted the Immaculate Courtyard and finally breathed easy.
Safe return at last—no random tomcat or tabby eyeing Liang Lai, no fresh girl mooning after her. Bliss!
Those prior kid pickups? Flukes, surely—no need for this jumpy vigilance.
World lacked endless strays to scoop! Really! No more outing paranoia…
Duoluosa smacked her cheeks firm.
Her mood soared—but glancing back at Iluci clamped to Liang Lai’s arm, refusing to unstick… her face fell flat again.
These past days, assessments had swamped her—no “favor fights,” so she’d glossed any Liang Lai cozies with the rest.
Now, first hurdle cleared—next trial four months off, ages away—she finally had bandwidth to settle scores.
“Liang Lai.”
Duoluosa mustered a smile fresh, sidling to Liang Lai—leveraging height to sling an arm ’round her shoulders.
“Assessments kept me from playing with you forever… Now they’re done—hang out with me a bit, yeah~?”
Duoluosa wheedled—actual coquetry.
She’d never played cute before; first go at this syrupy-sweet left her cheeks aflame, awkward.
Duoluosa aimed the words at Liang Lai—but her stare bored straight into Iluci.
Iluci jolted at the look, shrinking back half a step instinctive—quailing.
But she wouldn’t loose her grip on the saintess’s hand; she just ducked her head low, eyes anywhere but her “big sis.”
Liang Lai missed the kids’ weirdness entirely—just found Duoluosa’s wheedle adorable, and figured the girl’d burned out hard lately—so she greenlit it easy.
“Sure~ Little Duo’s so good—whatever you want~”
Whatever she wanted?
Duoluosa’s mind reeled at the phrase, flashing unairable scenes unbidden.
“Flush!”
Her face blazed hotter; she jerked her head aside, desperate to hide from Liang Lai.
The blind lead the oblivious; the peanut gallery sees all.
Liang Lai clocked zilch—but Asteris and Delucia caught the whole show.
Duoluosa stayed clueless; her head swam with that one time Liang Lai’d dosed on Asteris and Delucia’s brew—out cold in bed, dead to the world…
God, she craved another night like that—if only next time, she wouldn’t stop at a peck.
But… where to score that stuff?
Duoluosa drifted foggy, gaze drifting unbidden to the shadowkin twins.
Guess… gotta hit ’em up?“Hah?”
Mortifil gawked at the black-haired big sis beside her, but buckled under that sincere stare.
“Y-You… with that quirky angle, that bizarre idea… Hiss~ Don’t say it—actually, don’t say it…”
Yeah, if she played the saintess right… might just slip in smooth.
“But, but she’s a soft touch, sure—doesn’t make her an idiot, right?” Mortifil furrowed her brows deep, pulling in her dangling legs to stand, brushing dust from her butt.
“Plus, as church saintess—core access—how’d she drop defenses on us? One slip, a slash on the arm, black blood spills instead of red… We’d be toast! Holed in church heartland, breakout’d be hell.”
Veleris stood too.
Irked, she dug tobacco from her pocket, lit up, took a drag.
“Phew~”
Smoke wreathed lazy; Mortifil crinkled her nose in revulsion, stepping back half a pace.
“Freak habit—darkborn don’t need that crap to chill!”
“Creature of habit.” Veleris clipped cool.
The black-haired woman pondered, then said: “But Mortifil, face it—we infiltrate from grunt priests, still spiral in ring by ring, kill by kill. You think… that’s safe? Low-exposure?”
Veleris’s ruby eyes iced over Mortifil.
“Reality: risky as sin, exposure magnet, counter-kill bait—the deeper the core, the deadlier. But orders: burrow as close as can be, non-negotiable—priest tier floor. You figure ring-slaughter’s a breeze?”
The pushback shut Mortifil down cold.
Nailed it.
But Mortifil was coward core; she’d plotted to half-ass the gig…
Who knew Veleris’d glue to her side, forcing full throttle—no slacking, no coasting—even making her, zero-kill virgin, take lives. Asking too much of a fraidy-cat.
Yeah, the tough act? Bluff.
At root, Mortifil was chihuahua incarnate.
“Fine, point taken.”
She yielded the words—but balked at greenlighting the Liang Lai play.
“We’ve got buffer—adults slotted two years prep; three months ticked, no panic… I’ll mull backups. Worst case… yeah, that do-gooder saintess.”
Saintess topped priest, after all; conning one… Mortifil felt the jitters, the drag—plus dread of backlash slaughter.
She was just a wee lung-mist, clinging to this world—no lofty aims.
Sure, she’d daydreamed bettering it… but that bucked darkborn doctrine, so she’d zipped it eternal.
Veleris scanned Mortifil a moment, then sighed faint.
“Alright~ Won’t twist your arm—but I’m testing it. What if it clicks?”
With that, Veleris leaped from the tower.
Mortifil tracked her blink-fade, her balled fists unspooling at last; she exhaled soft, retaking her seat—plucking a candy from her cute pouch, popping it in.
“Human life’s still tops.”
She sighed wistful.
Meanwhile.
Liang Lai ushered the four little ones home.
Duoluosa sighted the Immaculate Courtyard and finally deflated.
Safe at last—no alley cats or strays mooning after Liang Lai, no newbie girls circling her. Heaven!
Prior kid hauls? Coincidences, plain— no call for this twitchy guard-dog routine.
World ran short on scoopable young’uns! Swear! No more outing freak-outs…
Duoluosa slapped her cheeks crisp.
Her spirits soared—but glancing back at Iluci latched to Liang Lai’s arm, glued fast… her face sagged anew.
Assessments had buried her lately—no “pet wars,” so she’d skimmed any Liang Lai snuggles with the pack.
Hurdle one cleared—next trial four months out, eons away—she finally clocked bandwidth for payback.
“Liang Lai.”
Duoluosa summoned a smile anew, edging to Liang Lai—height edge slung ’round her shoulders casual.
“Assessments stole you from play forever… Now it’s done—hang with me a spell, yeah~?”
Duoluosa cooed—actual baby-talk.
Never wheedled before; this maiden voyage at cloying-sweet left her cheeks scorching, stiff.
Duoluosa pitched the plea at Liang Lai—but her glare drilled Iluci straight.
Iluci flinched at the stare, instinctive half-step back—quivering.
But she wouldn’t unclutch the saintess’s hand; she just bowed her head mute, eyes off her “eldest sis.”
Liang Lai blanked on the kids’ vibe entirely—just clocked Duoluosa’s coo as cute overload, and figured the girl’s burnout ran deep lately—so she okayed it breezy.
“Sure~ Little Duo’s gold—anything goes~”
Anything?
Duoluosa’s skull spun at the phrase, unspooling uncensorable reels.
“Blush!”
Her face inferno’d hotter; she snapped her head aside, frantic to shield from Liang Lai.
Blind to the game, sharp from the stands—Liang Lai saw squat, but Asteris and Delucia lapped the show whole.
Duoluosa stayed blind; her noodle brimmed with that time Liang Lai’d swigged Asteris and Delucia’s brew—comatose in bed, wake-proof…
God, another night like that? If only next round, she wouldn’t quit at lip-brush.
But… where to snag the juice?
Duoluosa fogged out, gaze drifting unwitting to the shadowkin twins.
Guess… gotta shake ’em down?