đ˛ Chapter 17: The Cursed Appetite
(A thick fog lingers. The coffin creaks open slowly. A girl with fiery red hair and pale frozen skin rises. Her eyes are still shutâbut the scent of warm soup reaches her.)
đ§ Girl (softly):
â "...Warm⌠like a dreamâŚ"
đ Gu LĂĄng (whispering in fear):
â "Oh no⌠a dead kid just woke up. I'm not ready to raise a child!"
đ Xiao Feng (smirking):
â "If she's satisfied with just soup, we're fine."
(The girl gently raises her icy hands. She grabs the soup with both palms. For a brief second, peace returns to her face.)
đ§ Girl:
â "You⌠made this? For me?"
đ Xiao Feng:
â "Y-Yeah⌠just don't eat meâŚ"
đ System:
> đŻ Mission Complete: [Awaken the Sleeper]
đ Reward: +1 Unknown Ally
đ§ Skill Unlocked: [Spiritual Taste Sense]
đ Gu TÄng (grimly):
â "Be careful⌠That's no ordinary child. She's a broken seal."
(The girl opens her eyesâcompletely black. Hollow. Endless.)
đ§ Girl (with eerie calm):
â "But I'm still⌠hungry."
đ Xiao Feng:
â "Oh great⌠the soup was just an appetizer?!"
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đ System Alert:
> â ď¸ Status: [The Cursed Appetite] Triggered
đ Danger Level: Class A
đ Options: "Feed" or "Flee"
â Warning: Both may fail.
đ Gu LĂĄng:
â "Waitâboth options might fail?!"
đ Xiao Feng (half-laughing):
â "Fine. I'll cook her something special⌠Either she calms down, or the world ends."
(He lights up the sacred flame. A forbidden recipe flashes in his mind.)
đ Ultimate Recipe Unlocked â Demon-Silencing Dumplings
(The girl stares at the flame and licks her lips.)
đ§ Girl:
â "My name⌠is XÄŤliĂ . If your food's not good enough... I might just eat you instead."
đ Xiao Feng (frozen):
â "What?! My first female companion is threatening to devour me?!"
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đĽ End of Chapter 17