Chapter 212 The Temptation of Monsters
The story begins on the day Dorina entered the city.
She was a poor girl who grew up in the mountains, with only her grandmother to raise her. She had never seen the outside world until she turned sixteen, when her yearning for the outside world finally became uncontrollable and she asked to go to the city to see the world.
Her grandmother said that life outside was complicated and wouldn't let her leave. But Dorina had been locked up in the mountains for so many years that she felt like a bird in a cage, longing for the sky and freedom.
My grandmother had a big argument with her, but she couldn't win over her in the end. She just said that people in the city are very powerful and will look down on you if you dress poorly.
She took out the best clothes from her youth and gave them to Dorina.
It was a cotton and linen skirt. Even after many years and even though it was a little faded, it was still very beautiful. Just like the grandmother was old, but in Dorina's eyes, she was still the most beautiful person in the mountains.
Dorina put on her skirt and walked into the city outside the mountains with a yearning for the outside world.
Back then, she was young and beautiful, like a white rose drenched in morning dew. The moment she entered the city, she attracted the attention of many. Young men stared at her until they bumped into pillars; ignorant children stared at her, refusing to move a step; and strange women gazed at her with envy and yearning...
There are few people in the mountains. That day was the first time Dorina met so many people, the first time she was surrounded by so many eyes, and the first time she realized her beauty.
Soon, the commanders of the guard camp stationed in the city were also alarmed by her. Many of them came and warmly invited her to be their guest, giving her jewelry, clothes and food that she had never seen before.
She was too young at that time and thought that when people smiled at her, they meant they were kind to her.
She followed them without any suspicion and was fooled by them until one day, a maid changed her into a new cotton and linen skirt. The bright color awakened her memory. It turned out that the cotton and linen skirt that had just been made was this color. She wondered what color her grandmother's skirt was before. Was it more beautiful than this one?
She suddenly woke up and realized that she seemed to have been bewitched by the devil. Such a long time had passed and she had never thought of going home.
Just like she longed to get out of the mountains at the beginning, this time she longed to return to the mountains.
However, these kind and friendly people around her suddenly became ferocious. They scolded her harshly and forbade her to leave.
But Dorina was not one of those pale-skinned noble ladies in the city; she was a wild child who grew up in the mountains. She threw away her heavy jewelry, tore off her gorgeous skirt that was in the way, and rushed out like a mad woman amid the exclamations of passers-by on the street.
She ran for a long, long time and finally ran back to the mountains, but the wooden house under the big tree was covered with dust, and the vegetable garden in front of the door was unattended and was overgrown with weeds at some point.
The neighbor complained to her, "Where have you been? Your grandmother went down the mountain to look for you, but her eyesight was poor. She mistook the ravine for a path and fell headfirst into it. She never woke up again..."
Dorina knelt in front of her grandmother's grave and cried bitterly, crying for her vanity and her greed for pleasure...
Not long after, people from the city came and took out a contract for selling Dorina's body and forcibly abducted her. She cried and shouted that she was illiterate, but no one paid any attention to her.
Soon she was imprisoned in a high tower. People said that monsters had been wreaking havoc outside the city recently and many people had died. If this beautiful girl was presented to a transcendent, he would be able to kill the monsters and bring safety to the city.
Dorina was trapped in the tower, waiting unwillingly for the visit of the extraordinary master.
Suddenly one night, a blurry shadow, like a ball of sticky muddy water, flowed into her room from the window.
Dorina just looked at it calmly without reacting.
"Why aren't you afraid?" a voice came from the shadow.
Dorina simply asked, "Are you a monster?"
The shadow said, "Monsters are just a self-consoling term used by ignorant mortals. They think that by giving us an obscene name, they can become righteous. In reality, we are part of the flesh and blood of the great Lord God, and the most noble race in the world."
Dorina: "I've heard a lot about monsters. They say they are bloodthirsty and brutal, and that anyone who encounters them will be eaten by them. Will you eat me?"
"No, beautiful lady, I would never do that. On the contrary, I hope I can be eaten by you," the shadow said. "Your noble soul is emitting a rich fragrance. If we can merge into one, I will surely achieve the highest happiness."
Dorina was surprised because she found that her friendly compatriots with smiling faces pushed her into hell, and the monsters rumored to be extremely evil were now saying to her sweet words that only lovers would say.
Unexpectedly, the shadow became excited and asked, "Do you think we are lovers?"
Dorina stared at it in astonishment, not understanding why the monster was so excited, and even less why it said that. Could it be... that the monster could listen to her mind?
This discovery made Dorina feel horrified for a moment, but soon, this fear turned into longing. If, if she also had the extraordinary ability to hear other people's voices, would she have seen through those hypocritical smiles at the time, and would she still be living a happy life with her grandmother?
As Dorina fell uncontrollably into fantasy, the shadow gradually stood up from the ground and turned into an extremely handsome man, so handsome that he even revealed a bit of divinity.
Dorina found it difficult to describe his appearance. She only felt that there was brilliance all over his body, with long golden hair, gentle eyes, and a smiling mouth. As long as he wanted, he could bewitch any girl's heart, but that did not include Dorina.
She even raised the scissors on the bedside table and pointed them at him.
"How strange," the monster said. "You're not afraid of strange shadows, but rather of the perfect skin of your own kind... Beautiful lady, you are truly the most unfathomable human I have ever met. I can clearly hear your thoughts, but I can't read you."
During the long confrontation, the monster said to her: "As long as you are willing to eat me, I can do anything for you. I can help you kill that extraordinary person, kill those who forced and imprisoned you, and kill all those you hate.
Dorina: "Anything?"
The monster smiled, "Yes, anything."
Dorina: "I want to read. I want to learn to read."
The handsome Mr. Monster was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Words are the worst of all. They are man-made barriers, invisible knives that kill, and shackles that bind the soul. Beautiful lady, although your body is bound, you will always have a chance to escape the tower and regain your freedom. But if you learn to read, your soul will never be free."
Dorina still insisted: "I want to learn to read."
"Okay!" Finally, the monster agreed.
From that day on, every night, this demon would arrive on time to teach Dorina the language. It was clad in an incredibly handsome human skin, and its speech and demeanor were graceful, even more radiant and magnificent than the Son of God chanted in the scriptures. It could even recite the church's scriptures and was familiar with every glorious record of the righteous gods in history.
Dorina sometimes felt as if the clergy in the church who only served the privileged class were monsters, and the monster in front of her was the merciful and compassionate priest.
During the day, she read the books brought to her by the monster, and secretly found a literate maid who sympathized with her to compare the texts. At night, she accumulated a bunch of questions and asked the knowledgeable monster to answer them for her.
Before they knew it, the extraordinary person finally arrived in this city. The maid who delivered the food told her that the rich man would give her to the extraordinary person tomorrow.
The monster who came on time every night also came to her window and asked her to fulfill her promise.
Dorina asked it, "I've never seen other monsters like you. Are all monsters as knowledgeable as you and can transform into handsome humans? If so, I really can't imagine how humans can defend against you?"
Mr. Monster chuckled softly, "Beautiful Dorina, how do you know that humans have defended against us? And how do you know that the king and nobles who rule you now aren't transformed monsters?"
If someone else heard this, they might be horrified, but Dorina didn't. She just thought that some humans seemed to be no different from monsters in human skin.
Dorina: "Can I ask one more question?"
Mr. Monster politely raised his hand, indicating that she could ask any questions.
Dorina: "I heard that monsters eat humans directly through their mouths. Why do you want me to eat you? What's the difference?"
Mr. Monster sat by the windowsill, his legs hanging outside, his long golden hair hanging inside, touching Dorina's skirt again and again with the wind. His face, turned sideways in the moonlight, was more gentle than any lover in the world.
He answered every question, "Of course there are. Monsters gain strength by devouring humans. Low-level monsters devour human flesh and blood, while high-level monsters devour human hearts and minds. Beautiful Dorina, you possess a powerful soul. To deal with a human like you, simply devouring your flesh and blood would be blasphemy. I must make you actively devour me. Because the most powerful and beautiful food in this world can only be broken from the inside."
"I will devour your entire soul, flesh and blood from the inside out. At that time, I will obtain all your beautiful qualities. Just like I once devoured this skin." He pointed to his face, and even his fingers were extremely beautiful.
Dorina pondered, "You will become me."
"No." He took her hand. "We will merge into one. You will not disappear. You will merge with me. We will become completely different individuals and be reborn together."
He smiled gently, "I will become your favorite food. I will never embarrass you, and I will never let you suffer."
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