Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 684 - 76: Boys Need to Learn to Protect Themselves When Away from Home

Ethan felt the aura of a horror movie.

A deserted path, shrouded in mist, surrounded by eerie silence, and a young ghoul with its head twisted 180 degrees, acting as a guide, leading him to an unknown destination.

"Maybe we should go back the way we came."

He tentatively suggested.

"Go back?"

Peter looked at him with a puzzled expression, his gaze meaningful, "It's already too late to go back."

Ethan followed Peter's gaze behind him and finally noticed the clue—the path they came from had vanished, replaced by a void engulfed in darkness; with each step forward, the land beneath his feet was devoured by darkness.

"You're not Peter."

From the eyes of the young ghoul in front of him, Ethan saw darkness swirling, something far beyond the capabilities of a ghoul.

"Indeed."

The ghoul in front of him decided not to continue the disguise; its skin peeled off bit by bit, revealing its true form—a shadowy figure constructed from darkness. The peeling process lasted half a minute until the shadow figure suddenly realized something and asked, "What do you want me to look like?"

The voice of the shadow figure gradually transformed into a female one; she paused, then suddenly understood, "Ah, right, just like before."

The shadow figure's body contorted, human skin returned to her form, presenting a black-haired girl with a single ponytail, wearing a dark-themed mage robe that was slightly tight, outlining a figure not typical of her age.

Her eyes squinted into slits, displaying a gentle smile on her face.

Ethan had to admit the horror movie atmosphere had disappeared. Though the mist still lingered, and the path behind remained lost, the vibe transitioned from horror movie to magical film.

The single ponytail girl furrowed her brow, "Horror movie? What's that? Why do you have all these strange things in your head?"

It was Ethan's first encounter with the black-haired girl; however, from her words, it was easy to deduce they knew each other before, and their relationship seemed quite good, and he felt familiarity with her face.

"I've had some issues with my memory."

Ethan said, "We might have known each other before, but now I can't remember."

"I know."

Unexpectedly, the black-haired girl looked very calm; she did not question the reason for his memory loss, nor did she become upset because Ethan forgot her, maintaining a smile on her face, "Follow me."

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Ethan felt the black-haired girl paid attention to her appearance after changing form, no longer displaying the grotesque 180-degree head twist; in this form, her movements appeared much more coordinated.

Ethan did not refuse again; he also wanted to investigate the source of this familiar sensation.

The scenery along the way was monotonous; following behind the black-haired girl, he pondered the possible destination. To date, he had visited many planes; it might be a cottage, or a cave, a castle. Regardless of what the black-haired girl was about to show him, he was mentally prepared...

Ten minutes later, Ethan retracted his previous thoughts.

He was still too young, after all.

When the building within the mist came into view, he inevitably fell into a state of shock.

The roof of the building was intricately carved with a heart motif, glowing pink, and beside the pink heart were three striking, illuminated characters in the same pink hue—Love Nest.

It was more terrifying than barging into a haunted house at midnight. Even more frightening was that this spooky place cut off the Elemental Elves, implying he couldn't call Lindong tonight or the following nights as promised.

"Don't think of other women!"

The black-haired girl opened her eyes, identical to Lindong's crimson pupils; shadows crept up Ethan's arm, pulling him toward the suspicious house within the mist, the two of them rushing inside one after another. It resembled a Victorian Era inn, brimming with a mix of classic and Steam Technology ambiance.

But there wasn't another soul besides them in the inn.

"Want to eat something?"

The black-haired girl escorted him to a seat on the first floor like a hostess, "Here, you have your favorite Shepherd's Pie, beef stew, and strawberry pudding."

No cook or waiters were present, nor were they needed, for the black-haired girl snapped her fingers, and several steaming, delicious dishes magically appeared on the table. Having dealt with ghouls for so long, unexpected human meals made Ethan's mouth water.

Yet, he did not succumb to the allure of the meal.

Food conjured from thin air wasn't trustworthy; this was one of the classic horror movie scenes, where lost individuals find a cozy mansion, meet a beautiful woman, and are treated to sumptuous food. They converse happily, but upon waking the next day, find themselves in a cemetery, and the delicious food turns to bugs and dirt.

"Who taught you all this?"

The black-haired girl was incredulous, "You've become entirely corrupt. Why would the food turn to dirt and bugs? Have you forgotten? You taught me this. That time we did eat Shepherd's Pie and strawberry pudding."

As an example, she was the first to pick up the plate of Shepherd's Pie, the melted cheese mixed with minced vegetables and meat, emitting a tempting aroma.

"So, that letter was actually sent by you and has nothing to do with Valerie or Ave."

Ethan voiced his suspicion.

The other expelled Elemental Elves were also a long-term plan of the black-haired girl. She created a pollution zone that allowed no other Elemental Elves, intending to lure him into it.

"That's right."

The black-haired girl boldly admitted.

"Why?"

"I missed you. Isn't that reason enough?"

The black-haired girl spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, enjoying her meal leisurely, completely relaxed. She swallowed a piece of Shepherd's Pie down with some beef soup and then snapped her fingers to make a knife and fork appear before Ethan, "It's as delicious as ever. Eat up. Why aren't you eating?"

"What's the meat inside?"

"Lean beef mixed with minced lamb to enhance texture. The vegetables are potatoes, green beans, and mushrooms."

After hesitating for a moment, Ethan used the knife and fork to pick up a piece of Shepherd's Pie and put it into his mouth.

At least the taste was normal, even approaching delicious. A warm feeling spread from his throat throughout his body.

The black-haired girl tilted her face and waited until Ethan swallowed a piece of Shepherd's Pie before revealing a satisfied smile, "Eat more, only when you're full will you have the strength to do things."

"You mentioned before that I taught this to you, but I've forgotten all memories related to that."

"Peel and clean the potatoes, boil them until soft, and take them out. After cooling, mash them into mashed potatoes. Add butter and stir, season with salt and pepper, and set aside; then put two tablespoons of butter in the pot, sauté onions and garlic until fragrant, and then add the minced beef and lamb..."

This is the recipe for Shepherd's Pie. The black-haired girl described it in great detail, as if recalling some happy memory. Her eyes softened as she spoke, her gaze distant, as if someone was there demonstrating the Shepherd's Pie making process to her step by step.

If you overlook the black-haired girl's yandere tendencies and the minor details like her ability to shed her skin at any time, Ethan found her relatively easy to get along with. At least so far, no one had shown obvious hostility.

Ethan simply cast aside his abundance of questions and merged into the warm dinner atmosphere.

He savored the Shepherd's Pie and strawberry pudding, attempting to use these familiar flavors to awaken the blank parts of his mind, but the effect was minimal. Instead, it triggered a headache and tinnitus, isolating all memories related to the black-haired girl. He couldn't help but suspect it was deliberate, otherwise, such a large segment of memory wouldn't vanish so cleanly. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Before long, the delicacies on the table were cleared by the two.

"You once said that after a meal, you should clean the table."

The black-haired girl was the first to stand up, picking up the plate originally used for the Shepherd's Pie and heading towards the inn's kitchen. Ethan got up and followed, "It's a good habit."

After careful evaluation, although this inn had a somewhat... peculiar structure and a name that sparked imagination, their interaction felt more like an elder treating a younger. It seemed he had taught the black-haired girl many things, such as the Shepherd's Pie recipe and some principles for living.

This secretly eased his mind; the atmosphere relaxed, and he had completely taken control of the situation.

Next, he only needed to treat the black-haired girl as he would a sister or a child, just like before—

Ethan's thoughts abruptly stopped.

In front of the black-haired girl, he once again miscalculated the situation.

Standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes, the black-haired girl, having finished her cleaning work first, brushed past him. Just as he fell into contemplation, someone attacked him from behind, locking him in an embrace. Ethan saw black shadows trailing along the skin of his arms, coalescing into the shape of hands that interlocked with his fingers as he held the plates.

This was clearly not behavior appropriate for a sister or other younger relative.

"Wait."

"No waiting."

The black-haired girl's voice came from behind, "You can't remember."

"I am trying."

"It's useless, once lost, it can never be retrieved."

The black-haired girl's tone gradually heightening, her speech becoming more impassioned—a complex mix of excitement and resentment.

Ethan truly felt the touch of the shadows, causing a tingling pain in his palm.

"I never blamed you... This time, engrain it in your body."