Chapter 28: Bloodblossom

After thoroughly searching Count Fox’s bedroom, Lin Xun acquired another crimson sunflower seed.

It was the standard kind that restored fatigue—not the rare one that increased Shell defense.

Seeing no more value in the room, Lin Xun exited and pressed on.

[You continue down the hallway and find a staircase leading to the top floor of the castle.]

[Through the crack beneath the door at the top of the stairs, the noonday light of the Blood Sun bleeds in. You hear the sound of a harp and the soft, melodious singing of a woman.]

[Would you like to ascend and enter the castle’s rooftop?]

Lin Xun’s vigilance shot through the roof.

Taking into account Count Fox’s notebook and the leftover sunflower seed in the bedroom…

Whatever was singing on the rooftop was very likely the final boss of this castle!

After a moment of hesitation, he clicked “Yes.”

[You step onto the staircase, your footsteps echoing through the deep corridor, interweaving with the eerie melody of harp and song—a bone-chilling harmony.]

[You push open the top floor doors. The music cuts off instantly.]

[The crimson sunlight stings your eyes. A noontime breeze, thick with the scent of blood, sweeps in. The castle’s rooftop dome has been entirely torn off, turning the area into a vast, open-air platform strewn with rubble and broken tiles.]

[The platform is overrun with thick, gnarled blood-colored vines, and blooming crimson sunflowers cover the entire space.]

[At the far end of the platform stands a gargantuan creature, so large it blots out the sky. Its thick stalk would take several people linking arms to encircle, and its surface is covered in bristly, blood-red hairs. Every oppositely arranged leaf is as large as a carriage.]

[A massive, crimson flowerhead slowly dominates your entire field of vision. Its central disk is packed with plump, spherical ‘seeds’. The stench of rot and decay pours from the descending flowerhead, filling your nostrils.]

[It is only then that you realize—the ‘seeds’ within the flowerhead are twisted, malformed human heads. You understand now: the missing corpses from the castle were all fed to this towering plant. Their skulls, imbued with corrupting power, became its seeds.]

[From within the monstrous flower, a naked female upper body parts the mass of heads and emerges. Her face is breathtaking, her chest voluptuous. In her hands is a harp half as tall as a human.]

Lin Xun stared at the horrifying game text, his mind conjuring a vivid image of this “sunflower.”

Before he knew it, his hairs stood on end, and goosebumps ran down his arms.

[‘Bloodblossom Siren—Serina’ locks her crimson eyes onto you.]

[What will you do?]

[1. Shout “To die beneath a sunflower is worth it!” as you raise your massive scepter, ready to savor the Saint Rance Rose one more time.]

[2. Kneel and plead, “One day as husband and wife, a hundred days of grace.” The bishop may have been old, but he tried his best.]

[3. Give the ‘Bloodblossom Siren’ a thumbs-up and cheer her on: “If you want to sing, sing loud!” then join her in singing praises to the Sun.]

[4. Wave your hands erratically in front of you and pretend to be blind, muttering “Aba aba aba” as you retreat from the rooftop.]

Lin Xun stared at the ridiculous options, twitching at the corners of his mouth, dark lines forming above his head.

The game text was still as delightfully sarcastic and offbeat as ever.

The last three options were clearly surrender, flattery, or escape—not combat options. It seemed clear that none of them would let you actually defeat the boss.

He had just gotten a mage shell—of course he had to give it a proper fight. A full-frontal PK!

He selected Option 1.

[Fearless Apostle, you raise your scepter and begin chanting…]

[The ‘Bloodblossom Siren’ appears to be enraged by your actions. Countless thick, gnarled vines lash toward you…]

[A red flash…]

[You are dead!]

“…”

“As expected.”

Lin Xun had anticipated a quick death—but was surprised to find the Yellow-Robed Bishop had actually finished casting.

Even so, not even a devastating skill like Corrupt Sunlight had changed the outcome. The boss still stood.

Rubbing his chin, he mused—if one cast wasn’t enough, maybe multiple casts could take the boss down?

As long as he could dodge the boss’s vine attacks, he should be able to fire off more spells.

He did have one Moonlight-Infused Sandpaper left—a rare item that could nullify vine attacks.

But it was his last one. If he used it and still couldn’t beat the boss… he’d be screwed.

“I’ll need to think this through carefully. I can’t waste this item unless I’m absolutely sure it’ll work!”

He made up his mind.

Seeing it was nearly noon, Lin Xun got dressed and left his apartment.

—

“Working man, working soul—can’t go a day without that job patrol…”

Lin Xun arrived at the Special Office of the Cultural Bureau in Wen City precisely on time.

Stepping into the elevator, he felt a subtle sensation—as though countless eyes were watching him from the corridors on both sides of the first floor.

Ding~ The elevator reached the second floor.

The rows of workstations were empty, but on a nearby couch sat a girl he didn’t recognize, quietly reading a book.

Huh? A new colleague in the Intelligence Division? He didn’t remember seeing her before.

He walked over and greeted her.

The girl looked up—and Lin Xun was instantly stunned.

She had a delicate, doll-like face. Her features were soft and exquisitely pretty—like a dream girl straight out of his school days.

Her jet-black hair hung freely down her back, unbound.

Though petite, she was remarkably curvaceous. The sight of her full chest beneath a pure white pleated dress hit like a truck—leaving a strong visual impact.

What do you get when you combine a first-love face with a “stepmom-tier” figure?

This girl… embodied that contradiction perfectly.

“Good afternoon, Senior,” the girl stood and greeted him politely. Her cheeks were flushed, and she gave a slight bow.

“Ah—actually, I’m the new one in the Intelligence Division. You should be the one I’m calling Senior.”

Lin Xun blinked. Had Ye Xiaoqi not mentioned anything about a new colleague joining the team?

“Oh… is that so?”

The girl studied him closely for a moment. Her brows drew together slightly in disbelief.

“You’re… Lin—Lin Xun?”

He nodded. She clearly recognized him.

But why was she looking at him like that? Was it because she hadn’t expected him to be this good-looking?

Following standard social protocol, Lin Xun was ready for her self-introduction.

Instead, her expression abruptly turned stern.

“Mr. Lin,” she said seriously, “may I ask you a question?”

Though somewhat confused, he nodded.

“Why did you… stand me up on our blind date?”