CHAPTER 358: CHAPTER 358: COME ON, I’LL GIVE YOU THE TITLE OF GLUTTON_1

"So, you’re saying you came out of some hospital. The Shadow of Devourer is your fellow patient—he has pica—and you have a binge eating disorder."

Wang Linchi thought it was quite reasonable. After all, in the Weird World, insane bosses often lurked in certain hospital wards, and the Hospital Director was always exceptionally powerful—that was the standard setup.

It was perfectly understandable for others to plagiarize—ahem, to draw inspiration from it.

"Your Hospital Director clashed with the Game System, and the Director even managed to repel the Game System. As a result, you were snatched away."

"Sheesh! So all the Erroneous Sins in that hospital have their own consciousness? Oh, that must be the Director’s achievement."

Listening to this, Wang Linchi was rather perplexed. Where did this heaven-sent powerhouse, even more ferocious than Ye Tian, suddenly pop up from?

"Well... it’s said the Director has a Stone Heart, which is how he possesses such power." The shadow, named the Shadow of Gluttony, had been granted a complete human consciousness by the Director through the Stone Heart.

This humanity, naturally, wasn’t about kindness. Instead, it comprised twisted, cruel, wrathful, and other such personality traits. After all, they were no longer human; they were a band of lunatics.

"’Stone Heart.’" Wang Linchi stroked his chin, pondering. The last time he’d encountered a Stone Heart, it was a meteorite that had granted him the Dragon Soul Saint Main.

Could this one be a complete World’s Core? In other words, the Mother God’s brain matter?

Otherwise, how could it be so overwhelmingly powerful?

Heh, a delivery of fortuitous opportunity has arrived! Wang Linchi felt as if he was about to usurp someone else’s fated chance once again.

The Shadow of Gluttony was rather bewildered. What opportunity?

"Do you know how to get to your hospital?" Wang Linchi asked amiably.

The Shadow of Gluttony can’t be eaten. At least, not before I find that Hospital Director. Definitely can’t eat him yet.

The look on Wang Linchi’s face instilled fear in the Shadow of Gluttony. Possessing human traits, he was naturally afraid.

"I... I... I know!" The Shadow of Gluttony stammered. He had no desire to return to the hospital. Although he had the Director’s protection there, the Director’s torment was so excruciating it was worse than death.

The problem was, if he didn’t agree, Wang Linchi would probably torture him too. After all, the Director’s torture could at least make him stronger, whereas Wang Linchi’s torture would not only be painful but also fatal.

"As the old saying in my hometown goes, ’He who understands the times is a wise man.’ You’re quite the wise one!" Wang Linchi patted the Shadow of Gluttony, very pleased with his attitude.

[Error Soul Type - Shadow of Binge Eating (Epic Level)]

Seeing the words ’Epic Level,’ Wang Linchi couldn’t help but gulp again, looking for all the world like someone caressing a prime piece of fatty pork.

However, this action caused the Shadow of Gluttony’s skin to ripple wildly, clearly terrified.

"Um, could you rein in your appetite a bit? I’m a little scared." The Shadow of Gluttony could naturally discern Wang Linchi’s thoughts; after all, he too was an expert in eating.

"Heh, what are you afraid of? You’re called the Shadow of Gluttony, yet you’re scared of appetite?" Wang Linchi chuckled.

"I... I’m timid." The Shadow of Gluttony didn’t dare argue with Wang Linchi. He wasn’t afraid of his own appetite, but when Wang Linchi showed an appetite for *him*, how could he not be terrified?

"A very valid reason. I accept it."

"Rest assured, this behavior of mine is called ’eyeing greedily.’ Besides, as an Erroneous Sin, you can’t die. You need to toughen up!" Wang Linchi said, looking as if he thought the Shadow of Gluttony was the real powerhouse.

The Shadow of Gluttony paused, then it instantly dawned on him.

Holy crap! I’m an Erroneous Sin! I’m a fundamental rule; I can’t die! So who should I be afraid of?

With that thought, his courage surged.

"I never thought I’d actually be..." The Shadow of Gluttony hadn’t finished speaking when he saw Wang Linchi take an Erroneous Sin from the Saint Master, casually bite its head off, and begin chewing.

"’What?’ Wang Linchi asked, turning back as he swallowed its head in one gulp."

"N-nothing..." The Shadow of Gluttony twitched internally. Can’t die, huh? I might not be old, but I’m not blind! You’re there gnawing on an Erroneous Sin and still spouting such nonsense!

If I actually dared to ’toughen up,’ I’d probably end up as his dipping vegetable!

"’What nothing? Want some?’ Wang Linchi said, finishing off the Erroneous Sin in a couple of bites. Then he added, ’You’ll have to catch your own. I’m not giving you any.’"

The Shadow of Gluttony felt suffocated. He hadn’t expected Wang Linchi to actually eat it, and the Erroneous Sin he consumed was dead beyond dead.

This act directly shattered the ironclad rule that Erroneous Sins were immortal.

"You’re fine? How can you possibly be fine?!" The Shadow of Gluttony simply couldn’t accept it.

As they spoke, Wang Linchi accepted another Erroneous Sin from the Saint Master and began to gnaw on it, his words slightly muffled, "’What’s so impossible? Let me tell you, with these things, you don’t even need to remove the head or innards. Their protein content is six times that of beef—six times!’"

The Shadow of Gluttony was now regretting wanting a human consciousness. Faced with such a terrifying situation, there was no way to escape the horror.

Erroneous Sins like these, without a self, wouldn’t even react if eaten alive—at most, they’d struggle once or twice.

While casually imparting horrifying knowledge to the Shadow of Gluttony, Wang Linchi continued to gnaw on an Erroneous Sin.

Soon, all the Erroneous Sins in the entire Human Skin Inn had been devoured by Wang Linchi, leaving none behind.

"’By the way, I haven’t asked yet, why did the Game System throw you in here?’ Wang Linchi only remembered this after he finished eating. He saw the Shadow of Gluttony in a daze and was about to reach out to snap him out of it."

"’Don’t touch me!!!’ The Shadow of Gluttony abruptly came to his senses, shrieked, and staggered backward. ’Let me recover for a moment! Just let me recover!’"

He still hadn’t recovered from Wang Linchi’s previous discussion on how to mitigate the foul taste of Erroneous Sins.

"’Alright, take your time to recover. As they say, ’extreme fear damages the kidneys.’ Don’t always be so timid; it’s easy to run into trouble,’ Wang Linchi kindly advised. However, he suspected the Shadow of Gluttony wouldn’t take it to heart, as the creature probably had more than one kidney."

Of course, those kidneys definitely weren’t its own; they were gouged out from others.

"’The Game System intends to use me to kill someone with a borrowed knife,’ the Shadow of Gluttony said."

"’Huh? With just you?’ Wang Linchi was speechless. With its meager abilities, it didn’t even qualify as a nail clipper, let alone a real knife. At best, it was a flimsy plastic toy knife, the kind that breaks at the slightest touch."

"’I have the hospital’s medical records inside me. If you kill me, these records will attach to you, and then the hospital will...’" The Shadow of Gluttony’s voice grew softer and softer as he realized he had made a monumental mistake.

Wang Linchi wants to go to the hospital, and he needs me to lead the way. But if he finds a way there without me... he could just eat me! Wouldn’t that be perfect for him, getting to the hospital *and* a meal?

Seeing Wang Linchi’s smiling expression, the Shadow of Gluttony quickly added, "’But you’re so strong, the hospital might not even take you in! The medical records might even get damaged! It’s still safer for me to lead the way for you.’"

The Shadow of Gluttony wished he could slap himself twice. What kind of time is this to be blurting things out without thinking!

"’Mm, good, good, good. I’m very pleased that you’re considering this for me, kid. But your attitude...’"

Before Wang Linchi could finish, the Shadow of Gluttony hastily interjected, "’I guarantee there won’t be any problems! If there are, you can eat me!’"

"’Actually, I don’t genuinely want to eat you. I just wanted to see your attitude,’ Wang Linchi said. He felt this fellow was quick on the uptake and decided to spare his life for now."

The main reason was that the Shadow of Gluttony had a point: having a guide would indeed make finding the hospital much simpler.

Otherwise, relying solely on the so-called medical records, Wang Linchi wasn’t very confident.

As for the Game System’s ’kill with a borrowed knife’ scheme, Wang Linchi couldn’t care less. Just because the System arranged something, did that mean he had to obey?

I’ll have to wreak havoc in a few instances first, at the very least.

"’Do you know which major instances the Game System values highly?’ Wang Linchi changed the subject."

The Shadow of Gluttony jolted, then hastily replied, "’I know, I know! I’ll lead the way!’"

It was a case of ’better your friend dies than this poor Daoist.’ He already held a grudge against the Game System, so he certainly wouldn’t conceal information for it.

After being dragged out of the hospital by the Game System, he had been forced through several instances, serving as an instance BOSS. If it weren’t for his human consciousness, he might have been tricked by Players long ago, crashing like some other Erroneous Sin, and eventually assimilated by the Game System.

"’Alright then. Wait for me to finish this last one, and then we’ll hit the road,’ Wang Linchi said, as the Saint Master had already begun dismantling the inn."

The Shadow of Gluttony didn’t dare to disobey. He actually really wanted to say that the phrase ’hit the road’ sounded incredibly ominous, especially now that he had become Wang Linchi’s reserve food supply. He was terrified that if Wang Linchi suddenly got a craving and took a bite out of him, it would be a disaster. Given Wang Linchi’s temperament, he might find the taste so addictive that he’d take a few more bites, and then he himself would be gone.