Chapter 12

The Twelfth Fragment

Gazing at the three pale fingers immersed in the bottle, Dorothy remained silent for a moment, neither opening the bottle nor shifting her gaze. She sat motionless on the chair, as if she had turned into a statue.

According to the note, these three fingers were equivalent to nine adults’ worth of “Cup,” and by consuming all of them, she could instantly accumulate enough Spirituality to enter the realm of Extraordinary. With just one ceremony, she would be able to cross that threshold, gaining immense strength…

It was impossible for Dorothy not to be moved by this prospect.

Having unexpectedly crossed over to this unfamiliar world and being targeted by a dangerous cannibalistic organization, Dorothy’s sense of security was severely lacking.

The fear she felt when she died was deeply imprinted in her memories. The panic during the pursuit, and the despair when falling into the valley, still affected her present self. Added to this was the strangeness of this world, which constantly made her feel uneasy.

This unease… could only be dispelled by power…

Humans inherently yearn for the power to control their own fate, especially after experiencing d*ath once, making this desire even stronger.

In her memory, having died once, coupled with being in this strange world, and being targeted by a dangerous organization, Dorothy urgently craved power that could bring her security.

Therefore, it was obvious that the three fingers in the bottle held great appeal for Dorothy. She had gone through great lengths to obtain this “reward” meant for Edric, all for the sake of the extraordinary power mentioned in the letter.

Now… this power was right before her eyes… all she needed was to open the seal and consume it, as simple as eating takeout.

Gazing at the bottle, Dorothy felt her breath quicken slightly. Her hand slowly rose and reached out towards the box containing the bottle.

Then, there was a “click” as she closed the lid of the box.

“Huff… it still feels somewhat disgusting. Eating this would make sleeping even harder, right? Perhaps I should find another way to become extraordinary…”

Sighing deeply, Dorothy made up her mind, resisting the temptation to consume the so-called “Cup” Spirituality.

Humans… ultimately need some principles…

Clearly, although the easily attainable power was tempting, the way to obtain it was hard to accept. As a civilized person from modern society, Dorothy could never bring herself to eat human limbs.

Although what she saw now was just a few dead fingers, what about the future? If she wanted to advance further, would she have to eat living people? This was unacceptable…

Power must be pursued, but the method also needs to be considered. The path of the “Cup” violated Dorothy’s moral principles too much, so she could only give it up.

“What a pity, it seems I’ll have to find another way later…”

Sighing, Dorothy shook her head helplessly, feeling a bit regretful as she flipped through the note and noticed that there was writing on the back.

…

By the way, let me remind you, Mr. Edric. Many Extraordinary Items come with side effects or a cost. Your Corpse Puppet Ring is no exception. Once activated, the ring requires a sacrifice every six lunar cycles to feed it “Cup” Spirituality.

Based on your description of the ring’s state, we estimate that its next sacrifice period will be this month, very soon, around the 11th. You should wear the ring on the selected sacrifice’s hand at 3 AM on the 11th, or else you will become the sacrifice yourself.

Finally, we sincerely welcome you to join the Crimson Eucharist. We await your arrival in Igewent.

…

Seeing the content written on the back of the note, Dorothy was startled. She immediately turned to look at the calendar and clock on the wall. The calendar showed April 11th, and the clock read just past 2:50 AM.

Isn’t it almost time?

Dorothy was alarmed. She quickly removed the Corpse Puppet Ring from her finger, a process that was somewhat difficult. After removing it, she discovered that the inside of the ring had grown a circle of fine “teeth.”

Just as the note said… the time for the ring’s sacrifice was approaching…

Sacrifice! It needs a sacrifice… but where can I find an appropriate one?

At this moment, Dorothy had an idea and looked toward the box she had just closed.

According to the note, this ring fundamentally craves “Cup” Spirituality…

Hastily, Dorothy opened the box, took out the glass bottle inside, unscrewed the cap, and used the tongs provided to extract one finger.

Holding it firmly, Dorothy put the Corpse Puppet Ring on the wet severed finger and waited silently, watching the clock on the wall move towards 3 AM.

Finally, the hands of the clock aligned. The “teeth” inside the Corpse Puppet Ring on the severed finger suddenly elongated into sharp spikes, piercing deeply into the flesh. Then, the outside of the ring turned bright red, and the engraved figures of holding hands began to move, circling the ring and dancing.

As the engraved figures danced strangely, the severed finger began to visibly dehydrate, stopping after shrinking slightly. At the same time, the figures on the outside of the ring stopped dancing.

Seeing this, Dorothy removed the ring. The spot where the ring had been on the severed finger now had a neat row of bl**d holes.

Throwing the severed finger back into the glass bottle, Dorothy sighed in relief. Based on the note, the Corpse Puppet Ring required at least one person’s worth of “Cup” Spirituality for each sacrifice, or the equivalent of three people’s worth in this case. This meant the finger could provide the ring with at least three sacrifices…

“These fingers, though I won’t eat them myself, can serve as a power source…”

Dorothy mused, relieved that with these few fingers, she wouldn’t have to worry about the ring’s sacrifices for a long time. In the future, if she obtained more items requiring “Cup” Spirituality, she could use these to recharge.

At least they served a purpose.

After this incident, Dorothy realized that the source of Extraordinary Items’ power was Spirituality, which was the essence of Extraordinary in this world…

However, compared to the Corpse Puppet Ring, what truly alarmed Dorothy was the organization known as the Crimson Eucharist.

‘F*ck… leaving such important information about the sacrifices in the reward after the task is completed. Clearly, Edric would be screwed if he didn’t cooperate…’

The Crimson Eucharist knew about the side effects of the ring, but they hadn’t explicitly told Edric beforehand.

This meant that if Edric refused to cooperate or failed the test, without receiving the reward, he would be consumed by the ring. At that point, the members of the Crimson Eucharist could easily gain possession of the Corpse Puppet Ring.

‘They’re really cunning… almost tricked me as well…’

Looking at the Corpse Puppet Ring on the table, Dorothy felt relieved, then she placed the glass bottle back in the box and flipped through the booklet’s peculiar contents. Just as she was about to pack everything up and go to sleep, a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

‘High Spirituality knowledge confirmed, “Sacred Body Deconstruction Technique” fragment, recommended for cultivation…’

Without any emotion, it sounded like a chorus of voices whispering together. Dorothy recognized this voice; it was the “System” that appeared after she had crossed over.

Since it hadn’t spoken in a while, Dorothy had almost forgotten about this “System.” Now, it had spoken again, likely because she was reading this gruesome booklet.

According to the “System,” the content recorded in this booklet was a fragment of the “Sacred Body Deconstruction Technique”? High Spirituality knowledge?

Not just flesh, but knowledge is also imbued with Spirituality?