CHAPTER 47: 47 TASTE~(SEEKING TO FOLLOW UP!)

Hmm?

Yeah.

Hmm...

Harmonious God was first bewildered, then hesitant, and finally puzzled... After a long pause, it tentatively asked:

["You mean the smell? Are you saying... uh, you smelled it?"]

"No."

Herbert rolled his eyes and replied irritably, "I mean, the smell on me."

You’re the one with a fetish for smells, freak!

Your whole family is!

"Judging from the reaction of the others with Valentina, I must be emitting a kind of alluring aroma, let’s just call it fragrance."

"Natural affection combined with an enticing aroma, with both complementing each other, I can’t believe she wouldn’t react at all."

These two traits aren’t just a simple addition; they’re bound to cause a qualitative change, giving a strong visual and olfactory impact to any Monster Girl I meet for the first time.

Call Herbert full of confidence after gaining knowledge, or say he’s naively narcissistic, either way, he’s absolutely convinced of it.

No Monster Girl can resist a fair-haired handsome youth.

Not saying they’d drool right away, but they wouldn’t act this aloof!

["Oh... you’re actually right, those two traits are quite attractive."]

"And, well, to bring it back to the point."

Herbert unconsciously sniffed lightly after speaking, not catching any scent from the figure in front of him.

"She really has no scent... um, ahem, forget I said anything."

Uh oh, this is a bit embarrassing, isn’t it?

And at this moment, Harmonious God uncharacteristically fell silent.

It was silent for quite a while before sincerely advising in a tone of reprimand: ["I think... there’s something a bit strange about you."]

["Maybe you should see a doctor?"]

"Shoo, shoo—"

Herbert snorted irritably.

If I really need to see a doctor, care to guess what my biggest ailment is?

It’s you!

Herbert wanted to continue the confrontation, but at that moment he squinted his eyes.

The staircase had come to an end.

The avatar ahead had silently vanished, leaving just a slightly ajar wooden door, a simple push away.

Herbert paused for three seconds, then chuckled mockingly: "Huh, still playing games at a time like this."

Still pulling these petty tricks at this point?

Do you think I’d back off now?

He huffed slightly and strode forward, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Squeak—

"Hello! I’m here to see you... uh!"

And the moment he stepped into the room, before he could even take a proper look inside, his expression changed dramatically.

A stench assaulted his nostrils!

The air was filled with the putrid smell of rotting flesh.

The strong, even burning odor poured into his body through his nose, mouth, ears, and eyes.

Hiss—

Herbert vaguely heard an ominous corroding sound, unsure of what had been corrupted.

He managed to open his eyes and took in the sight of the room—a complete butcher’s den.

No, calling it a butcher’s den is too civil.

It’s a charnel house!

Various decomposing bodies were strewn across the floor, some even grotesquely pieced together.

Scarlet vines snaked around the corpses, slowly grinding like chewing.

What the heck!!?

What kind of abhorrent nest is this!

A wave of nausea surged, making Herbert want to retch.

But just as he was about to become a vomiting maniac, the Holy Mark on the back of his hand glowed softly.

Buzz—

Accompanied by a warm flow rapidly coursing through his body, all discomfort vanished in an instant!

!!!

Herbert’s eyes widened, doubting his own perception.

Though he could still see the scattered remains in front of him, he could no longer smell them.

Or rather, though he inhaled those odors, he felt nothing and was not affected.

"Maintaining bodily purity unchanged, that’s a kind of purity too... truly useful."

If inferred from this discovery, does it mean—he might be immune to toxins?

Praise the Purity Oath!

Guys, this is really powerful, right?

Herbert reflected on this momentarily, then took a step forward, stepping over the scattered meat crossing his path, heading toward the center of the charnel house.

At the heart of this decaying, fallen place lay a Pure Land, where a large wooden platform stood.

Or rather, an operating table.

And at this moment, laying naked from the waist up on that operating table was none other than Svanni, whom he’d just seen!

"Lord Herbert, you’ve arrived."

Svanni didn’t get up, vine tendrils gently slithering on her back, releasing green liquid to fuse the cut flesh on both sides, leaving no wounds.

At this moment, Herbert couldn’t help but recall her title —[Forbidden Scholar]!

This woman really dabbles in this sanity-draining research!

"Yes, I’m here."

Herbert casually replied and slowly walked to the side of the operating table, examining the body of the prisoner.

Though appearing similar in her transformed guise, the Dark Elf’s true form was noticeably different.

Her skin was the first thing to notice.

Though it still bore the dark hue of the Dark Elf, her skin was a much lighter, unique wheat color than before.

And, most importantly...

She seems much younger than before, appearing only eighteen or nineteen, completely undeveloped.

Herbert blinked, unable to resist asking: "Lady Svanni, is this your current appearance?"

You trying to look young?

Uh, no, well-maintained?

Svanni, of course, knew what he meant and said nonchalantly, "It’s just an unexpected result of an experiment, the form you saw earlier was my original appearance."

"Oh, I was just a bit surprised, but regardless of the form, your beauty remains unchanged."

Svanni put on a coat and sat up, no longer exposing any skin, scrutinizing the visitor who entered this space for the first time.

"You, however, surprised me once more."

Svanni looked at Herbert, astonished by his calm demeanor, and shook her head: "No one has ever remained so composed after witnessing this."

She knew all too well the grisly sight in her laboratory, so she understood how challenging it was for Herbert to stay calm.

Looking at Herbert, she couldn’t help but express admiration: "Lord Herbert, your courage and will are truly commendable."

Herbert blinked at that, then understood, smiled slightly, and shook his head:

"It’s nothing; most researchers who dedicate themselves to the pursuit of truth deserve respect."

"Even if sometimes their research seems, um, not so... comforting."

"As long as they don’t harm others or cross any true boundaries, they are not evil in my eyes."

Herbert squinted at Svanni, even though she was amidst corpses, he couldn’t sense any wickedness from her.

"Don’t you agree?"