Staring at the three pale fingers soaking in the bottle, Dorothy fell silent for a moment. She did not immediately open the bottle or look away, simply sitting in the chair and watching, like a statue.
According to the note, these three fingers contained the equivalent of the "Cup" found in nine adults. If she ate them all, she could instantly accumulate sufficient Spirituality, requiring only a ritual to step into the Transcendent realm. Once she became Transcendent, she would possess greater power... Dorothy knew it was impossible not to be tempted by this.
Having unexpectedly transmigrated to this unfamiliar world and being targeted by a dangerous cannibalistic organization, Dorothy severely lacked a sense of security deep down.
The terror of Dorothy's original death was deeply imprinted in the memories she retained—the panic of being hunted, the despair of falling into the valley—which still affected her now. Coupled with the strangeness of this world, a constant sense of unease lingered in her heart.
Such unease... could only be eliminated by power. Humans inherently crave the strength to control their own destiny, and this craving becomes even stronger after experiencing death once.
Having died once in her memories, being in this strange world, and targeted by a dangerous organization, the anxious Dorothy desperately craved power that could bring security.
It was clear, therefore, that the three fingers in the bottle held immense appeal for Dorothy. The reason she went to such lengths to acquire this "reward" that originally belonged to Edrick was precisely for the Transcendent power mentioned in the letter, wasn't it?
And now... this power was within reach... she just needed to unseal it and consume it, as simple as ordering takeout.
Staring at the contents of the bottle, Dorothy felt her breathing quicken slightly. Her hand slowly rose and reached toward the bottle inside the box.
Then, with a "snap," she closed the box.
"Haa... I still feel a bit disgusted. Eating this stuff would probably make me sleep even worse. I should find another way to step into the Transcendent realm..."
Taking a deep breath, Dorothy hardened her resolve, deciding to resist the temptation before her and not absorb the Spirituality of the so-called "Cup."
People... ultimately need some boundaries. Clearly, while power within easy reach was tempting, the method of obtaining it was hard to compliment. As a civilized person from modern society, Dorothy simply could not bring herself to consume human limbs.
Although what was in front of her were just the fingers of a corpse, what about the future? If she wanted to advance to a higher domain later, would she have to eat living people? That was unacceptable. While power must be pursued, the method must also be considered. The so-called Path of the "Cup" violated Dorothy's moral code too severely, so she had no choice but to give it up.
"What a pity. It seems I'll have to look for other methods later..."
Sighing, Dorothy shook her head helplessly, turning over the note in her hand with a touch of regret, only to find that there was content written on the back. "...Oh, and one final reminder, Mr. Edrick. Many Transcendent Items have side effects or require a price. The Corpse Puppet Ring you found is no exception. Once the Corpse Puppet Ring is activated, every six and a half lunar cycles, a sacrifice must be offered to allow it to gorge itself on the Spirituality of the 'Cup.'"
"Based on the state of the ring you previously described, we estimate its next sacrifice requirement period is this month, and very soon, around the eleventh. You had best place the ring on the hand of the chosen sacrifice at 3 AM on the eleventh, or else you yourself will become the sacrifice."
"Finally, we sincerely welcome you to join the Scarlet Communion. We await your arrival in Egwent..." Seeing the content 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 the date as April 11th, and the clock showed the time as just past 2:50 AM.
Isn't that almost here?
Startled, Dorothy quickly took off the Corpse Puppet Ring from her hand. The process was somewhat difficult, and only after removing it did she realize that the inner side of the Corpse Puppet Ring had grown a circle of fine "teeth."
Just as the note said... the time for the ring to demand a sacrifice was approaching... A sacrifice! She needed to give it a sacrifice... But where could she find a suitable sacrifice now?
At that moment, a thought flashed through Dorothy's mind, and her gaze turned to the box she had closed.
According to the note, the ring was essentially craving the Spirituality of the "Cup," right? Hurriedly, Dorothy opened the box, took out the glass bottle inside, unscrewed the lid, and used the tweezers included in the box to pick out one finger.
Keeping the finger clamped, Dorothy placed the Corpse Puppet Ring onto the wet severed finger, and then waited silently for the clock hand on the wall to point to three o'clock.
Finally, the hands aligned with the mark. The "teeth" on the inner side of the Corpse Puppet Ring worn on the severed finger suddenly elongated, turning into sharp spikes that plunged deep into the flesh. Subsequently, the outside of the ring was stained crimson, and the small, hand-holding figures carved onto it began to move. They held hands and started dancing around the ring.
As the small, hand-holding figures carved on the ring performed their eerie dance, the severed finger that had been pierced visibly shriveled. It stopped shrinking after flattening slightly, and simultaneously, the figures on the outside of the ring ceased their dance.
Seeing this, Dorothy removed the ring. The spot on the severed finger where the ring had been now had a neat, round blood hole.
Throwing the severed finger back into the glass bottle, Dorothy looked at the Corpse Puppet Ring and sighed in relief. Judging by the note, the Corpse Puppet Ring needed to consume at least one person, or one person's "Cup" Spirituality, per sacrifice. Since one finger here contained the "Cup" of three people, that meant this single finger could feed the ring at least three times... "Even if I don't eat these fingers, they can still be used as power banks..."
Dorothy remarked wistfully. At least with these few fingers, she wouldn't have to worry about the ring's sacrifice requirements for a long time. If she acquired other items that required the Spirituality of the "Cup" in the future, she could use these things to "charge" them as well.
They served a purpose, at least.
After this incident, Dorothy understood that the source of power for Transcendent Items was also Spirituality; Spirituality was the essence of the Transcendent in this world. However, more alarming to Dorothy than the Corpse Puppet Ring right now was the organization named the Scarlet Communion.
'Damn it... They actually saved the crucial information about the ring needing a sacrifice until it was part of the reward after the task was done. This clearly shows they planned to screw Edrick over if he didn't cooperate...'
The Scarlet Communion knew about the ring's side effects but did not explicitly tell Edrick during their prior communication.
This meant that if Edrick refused to cooperate or failed the test mission, he would definitely be consumed by the ring in his hand since he wouldn't receive the reward. In that scenario, the members of the Scarlet Communion could effortlessly acquire the Corpse Puppet Ring without shedding blood.
'What a treacherous bunch of guys... They almost screwed me over too...'
Looking at the Corpse Puppet Ring on the table, Dorothy thought thankfully. She then put the glass bottle back into the box and flipped through the bizarre contents of the booklet a few more times. Just as she was about to pack everything up and go to sleep, a familiar voice sounded in her mind.
'Highly spiritual knowledge confirmed: Incomplete Scroll of the Sacred Body Deconstruction Art. Recommended for study...'
Devoid of emotional tone, sounding like countless people whispering in unison, Dorothy recognized the voice. This was a "System" that had suddenly appeared after she transmigrated.
Since it hadn't spoken for a long time, Dorothy had almost forgotten about this "System." Now, it suddenly spoke again. Was it because she was looking at this morbid booklet?
According to this "System," the content recorded in this booklet was the Incomplete Scroll of the Sacred Body Deconstruction Art? Was it highly spiritual knowledge?
Not just flesh and blood, but knowledge also possessed Spirituality?