"Remember when I once explained to you that the avatar of envy or the hair to the throne of envy can even steal someone's life signature? That's what happened."
Cranberry explained with a big bright smile...
"GHAAAAAAAAAA...! NOOO! LET ME GOO! I NEED TO HELP MY HUSBAND!"
...while grabbing on Salak's hair and forcefully pulling her away from Rambutan's headless corpse, causing the elven woman to scream and struggle with all of her might.
"Shut up."
*SLAM*
*SPLATTER*
Zombie scoffed at the elf and stomped at her lover's body, turning it into a paste with a single attack.
"...!"
*plop*
Salak trembled as the hand of her deceased husband flew past her head and hit the window where it slowly slid down the glass before falling onto the floor with a pitiful sound.
"Zombie – check the fort with your signature detection now – with the avatar dead, everyone who changed their appearance and life signatures thanks to him will now reveal themselves."
Cranberry added looking back at her blue undead knight and smiling.
"..."
Zombie nodded and his eyes instantly started glowing with murky red light.
"No – no changes... If they have another accomplice they aren't hiding by using the same skill... Or it's Mason – he is the heir... well, now he is the avatar, right?"
The blue undead knight reported before walking towards the red-haired girl – or rather the elven woman that she was holding down.
"..."
Then, the blue undead lifted his leg with the clear intention of ending Salak's life.
"AUUGHHH!"
"Stop – I know that you are angry but she needs to mention someone else so that Mason's special quest could begin."
...but he was stopped by Cranberry who pulled the elven woman from right under his foot.
"I was sure that we were supposed to start another special quest first – or at least have the hub village set up."
Zombie furrowed his brows and took back his leg.
"This one can be started before any of that other nonsense – which you should know about since you almost triggered it before."
The red-haired girl scoffed shaking her head in disbelief.
"First of all – no, Mason is definitely not involved in any of that nonsense – though he must be pretty shocked to suddenly receive the title of the avatar. And if those two didn't have another ally here then... check her pockets."
"ARGH...! S-stop it! Release me you murderous beast! You killed my Rambutan! You won't get away with this I swear!"
Cranberry declared, before shaking Salak's head a little bit, causing the female elf to call out in pain and fury.
"Pfff...! Khahahaha! Did you hear that? A fucking spy and a robber entered our fort and stole our property and now has the guts to threaten us?!"
The blue undead laughed mockingly before shaking his head and stepping over the elf to search.
"D-don't touch me you filthy undead! I – GUH-HUAGH...!"
*SMASH*
Salak tried to throw him off but Cranberry pulled back her head and slapped her with just enough power to break two of her teeth.
"You really don't understand your situation now, do you? Even if you somehow forgot about your previous encounter with my Zombie, the priestess Caramel surely must have warned you about us... or at least about him."
The red-haired girl pulled Salak's head even further back and asked staring into her eyes.
"How did you learn about the priestess...?!"
Salak gasped in disbelief – making the red-haired girl smile triumphantly since her guess was confirmed without any effort.
"I called it earlier, and you said I was in the wrong – why are you acting as if you knew from the start?"
"...haa..."
Zombie frowned, staring at the red-haired girl with accusation – at which she reacted with a heavy sigh.
"You were just guessing because you hate her with all your heart and want her dead – I was making an educated guess based on all the memories at my disposal."
Cranberry frowned and stared right back at the blue undead knight.
"Hmm...?"
Zombie frowned, raising his brow, and pulled his hand out of the inner pocket of the already way too tight shirt of Salak's vest.
"There it is... So, you were leaving because your dear late Rambutan passed you the ring – if you two weren't so cautious and slow, then who knows? Maybe he would be still alive."
The blue undead knight scoffed, putting the ancient wedding ring right where it belonged – on his left hand's ring finger.
He even ended up putting his armored glove over it just in case.
"...bastard...!"
Salak gritted her teeth and her eyes filled with tears once she glanced at the mass of gore that was once her husband.
"H-hey...! Aren't you curious what happened to that woman – Laura? If you harm me you will never find her!"
Suddenly the elf changed her approach and called out with an evil smile.
"Huh...? And why should I care?"
"Eh...?"
...but the indifferent response from the blue undead made her gasp in confusion.
"Don't 'eh' me now. The weird emotional mess you saw before was merely caused by that repugnant filth's skill – what was it called again? Suggestion? What is it exactly?"
Zombie smirked right back at the shocked elven woman before glancing at the red-haired girl.
"Suggestion is the skill of the person with the support character role – in the game, a question mark would appear by some of the words or in certain situations and Caramel would talk straight to the person in front of the skill. In our world that works in a way that she can directly put some thoughts into her target's conscience without them realizing anything. It leaves no trace, it's not a control type of skill or a charm – it just plants a suggestion that the brain will start following."
Cranberry fulfilled her role as a tutorial guide and explained instantly.
"I didn't hear her voice or anything though – and that would definitely piss me off enough to make me activate superbia."
Zombie made a sour expression and looked to the side with a hint of shame.
"That's not how it works – suggestion affects the subconscious – of course, you didn't hear anything that's not how influencing the subconscious works."
Cranberry smirked and waved her hand dismissively.
"Alright... you will have to save the rest for later – now..."
Zombie added and a cruel, evil grin bloomed on his face as he looked at the wall of the room with his eyes glowing with murky red light.
"I really want to see her die already – and the person who will definitely share my opinion is already coming here..."
"...!"
He revealed cheerfully.
"Ha? Weren't Lairs still injured?"
"Lairs?!"
Cranberry raised her brows – and Salak gasped and her face became even more pale than it was before.
"Rotte is helping her walk to here – I wonder if she somehow sensed her dearest mother being near or something~"
Zombie giggled glancing down at the horrified elf.
"N-no! Not her! Just kill me already if you have to! I beg of you...!"
Salak gasped in panic – still trying to free herself despite her own words.
"Ah~! That's the reaction I love to see~! You know that she became strong, right? I wonder how will she repay you for abandoning her~?"
The blue undead knight chuckled over the elven woman's despair.