Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
Don't Make Deals with the Dead
墨書 Inktalez
I was applying makeup to the singer when I suddenly froze. I caught a whiff of the Corpse Stench—an unmistakable scent unique to Rogues—and my lipstick went askew.
"What’s going on? Emily! Do you want to get fired?" Bernadette shouted impatiently.
I stared at her and calmly replied, "Bernadette, have you slept with the Dead Rogue?"
"Emily! Are you out of your mind? You’re the one who slept with the Dead Rogue! Your whole family has slept with him!" Bernadette shot up from her chair and shoved me aside.
The other two staff members in the makeup room turned to see what was happening.
"Emily, what do you mean? Doing your makeup is a privilege, and you dare to talk nonsense?"
"Exactly! You can eat whatever you want, but don’t say whatever comes to mind! If this gets out, we’ll sue you for defamation!"
Just as I was about to explain, Bernadette burst into tears.
"Emily, I know you’re jealous that I got to be a guest and can star in a dating show with Mitchell Pritchett… Waaaah…"
She cried dramatically, her performance exaggerated to the extreme. Yet, there were those who fell for it.
As soon as Bernadette started crying, the surrounding staff erupted in outrage.
"So that’s how it is! Emily, is this necessary? Just because you’re jealous of Bernadette, you spread rumors about her?" one staff member looked at me with disdain.
"Mitchell Pritchett is someone an Omega like you could only dream of! Have you even looked at yourself?" another staff member rolled their eyes.
"With your looks, you don’t even deserve to carry Bernadette’s shoes!" a third staff member mocked.
"A toad wanting to eat swan meat! You should take a good look at yourself!" a fourth one sneered.
I was utterly speechless. I had merely watched a video of Mitchell Pritchett’s concert; how did that turn into me wanting him? Besides, I have a partner!
"You lowly Omega, so scheming—no wonder no one wants you!" spat a fifth staff member.
I could no longer hold back and slammed my hand on the table. "Everyone shut up!"
Years of dealing with Rogue corpses had given me an imposing presence, and the staff members instantly fell silent, fear flickering in their eyes.
I turned back to Bernadette with an icy tone. "Stop pretending."
"You… you’re the one pretending!" Bernadette's face flushed red, and the tears at the corners of her eyes vanished in an instant as she glared at me in anger and embarrassment.
I couldn't be bothered to deal with her and merely cast a fleeting glance in her direction. The stench of Rogue's Corpse was even stronger now.
Taking a deep breath, I asked in a low voice, "Bernadette, have you been having the same dream every night? Dreaming about the same man? And waking up exhausted each morning?"
Bernadette's eyes widened in shock. Her reaction spoke volumes—she had indeed been in contact with the deceased Rogue!
"One last question, answer me, and I might still be able to save you. Which Rogue have you been sleeping with recently?"
My words drew curious glances from the remaining staff directed at Bernadette. Suddenly, she jumped up, shouting, "You’re the one who’s been sleeping with a Rogue! Your whole family has slept with a Rogue! Emily, get out of here! Mark! Mark! Emily is slandering me! I’m going to fire her! I’m going to sue her!"
She called out for her manager and raised her hand as if to slap me. I stepped back, avoiding her swing.
Not wanting to escalate the situation, I turned to leave, leaving behind only one sentence: "Stubbornness leads to self-destruction."
The next afternoon, I arrived at the entertainment company, intending to pack my things and leave. As soon as I entered the makeup room, I noticed everyone pointing and whispering about me.
The two girls at the workstation next to mine were gossiping. "Hey, is she new? Let me tell you, she's just jealous of Bernadette and spreading rumors about her private life."
"Really? That's some serious jealousy! Spreading rumors can cost you!"
"Exactly! Bernadette is single and has never had any scandals; how could that be true?"
Had yesterday's incident spread already? I scoffed; Bernadette knew very well whether she had slept with a Rogue or not. She could have died with dignity, but now it seemed she would face disgrace even after death.
As I finished packing my things and prepared to leave, I spotted my boyfriend Gunther coming out of the restroom—he hadn't come home all night. He seemed to be saying something to me.
I froze. I caught a faint whiff of Corpse Stench from him, identical to what lingered on Bernadette!
Snapping back to reality, I heard Gunther say, "Emily, you’ve gone insane! Apologize to Bernadette right now! Plead with her not to fire you! Hurry up, what are you waiting for..."
He reached out as if to pull me along.
I slapped him hard across the face.
Gunther covered his cheek, staring at me in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind?! I asked you to apologize for your own good! What about marriage, a house, kids—do any of those come without money? How dare you hit me?!"
He reached out to grab me again.
I slapped him once more. "Marriage? What a joke! Get your filthy hands off me! I find you disgusting!"
I pulled out a tissue to wipe my hands.
"Emily, what do you mean?"
I pulled out a chair and sat down. "What do I mean, Gunther? You said you have no money and need to save up to marry me. You eat my food, wear my clothes, live in my place—I'm fine with that; I can support you. But..."
I paused, my gaze shifting to Bernadette, who was pretending to be innocent beside us. My eyes turned icy. "What does it mean that you slept with him?"
Gunther's face turned pale, and he stammered.
"No, no, Emily, let me explain! Bernadette and I have nothing going on..."
As he spoke, he nervously rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around.
Bernadette crossed her arms, appearing completely unconcerned. She casually fiddled with her phone, her long fingers gliding swiftly across the screen.
After a moment, she put down her phone and looked at me with a cold smirk at the corner of her mouth.
At that moment, Gunther's phone chimed.
"Emily, I let yesterday's incident slide, but now you're slandering me? What do you mean by that? Are you looking for a lawsuit?"
Bernadette raised her voice, feigning authority as she questioned him, far calmer than the flustered Gunther.
I didn't want to argue with them; I just wanted to leave this nauseating place as quickly as possible.
Just then, a male staff member handed Gunther the phone he had forgotten on the makeup table and happened to see the message on the screen.
The male staff member whistled in envy. "Wow, Gunther! Nice! A hundred thousand dollars! You're hitting it big!"
A female staff member leaned over to take a look and read aloud. "Your account has received $100,000. Sender: Bernadette..."
Once she finished reading, she realized something was off and quickly covered her mouth.
Her words drew everyone's attention in the makeup room; all eyes turned toward Gunther's phone before shifting back to Bernadette with complex expressions.
Bernadette's face went from ashen to ghostly pale as her carefully crafted facade crumbled completely.
Under everyone's gaze, she resembled a fox stripped of its skin—nowhere left to hide.
I couldn't help but laugh at Bernadette's embarrassed expression.
"Gunther, only 100,000? You charge her that much for just one night? Well, I suppose that's all you're worth!"
As I turned to walk towards the door, I leaned closer to Gunther and whispered,
"By the way, your job was arranged by me. My worth is over a hundred million."
Reaching the door, Bernadette shouted furiously,
"Emily, just wait! I will make sure Mark sues you! I'll sue you for defamation! For slander!"
I shrugged nonchalantly, glancing at her heavily perfumed body with a slight smile.
"Go ahead and sue, because..." I paused for effect, saying meaningfully, "you won't be around much longer."
Back in the apartment I shared with Gunther, I had no desire to linger.
Looking at myself in the mirror—"Hmm, truly beautiful."
With my wealth and looks, what kind of man couldn't I attract?
All I wanted now was a shower to wash away Gunther and start anew.
I spent nearly two hours in the shower; my skin turned red from the heat as I felt nauseous.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I paused and surveyed the empty room, coldly stating, "Come out; don't hide."
A tall, muscular figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
He had the distinctive gray-blue eyes of a werewolf, and his sharp teeth glinted ominously in the dim light.
Unlike ordinary werewolves, he was surrounded by a faint mist of deep blue—an indication of his Wolf Spirit.
He leaned lazily against the doorframe, a smirk playing on his lips.
"My Rogue cleanup is done; I came to see you. Emily, you look different today."
"How so?"
"Well... you have a scent of a mate about you, but it's all mixed up, as if..."
He paused, seemingly searching for the right words, "you've been tainted."
I rolled my eyes and replied irritably, "Yes, tainted by that pile of mud named Gunther."
Suddenly his eyes lit up.
"Click!" The front door was unlocked with a key.
"You're not my true soulmate; you're a disaster—Gunther."
"What do you want?" I asked impatiently.
"Emily, I..."
"Don't call me that, it's disgusting."
"Emily, I—I didn't know you were so wealthy..."
"Bernadette offered me a hundred thousand. I was just trying to marry you sooner; I was momentarily blinded!"
"I don't love her; I have no feelings for her. I only love you! Emily, please forgive me and give me another chance!"
Gunther pleaded desperately, nearly on the verge of tears.
Beside us, the Wolf Spirit let out a low, mocking laugh.
I felt a wave of nausea wash over me.
"Once unfaithful, forever untrustworthy. This lease expires in a year, and I'm moving out tomorrow. I don't want to see trash in my eyes."
With that, I shut the door.
"Emily! Please..."
Gunther refused to give up, banging on the door and shouting.
I was utterly exhausted. How could I have ever been attracted to someone like him?
Was it because I'd dealt with Rogues too much that my instincts had dulled?
Any remaining fondness I had for Gunther vanished completely.
The Wolf Spirit stretched lazily, blue mist swirling around him as he sneered.
"Daring to disturb my Emily? Just watch how I teach him a lesson."
What? Your Emily?
Before I could process his words, he shot through the door like a bolt of blue light.
Soon after, Gunther's screams and the low growl of a wolf echoed from outside as he fled in panic.
"What did you do to him?" I asked.
"What else could I do? Let him experience what it's like to be torn apart by a ghost wolf," he said, waving his hand innocently.
Then he took a deep breath and stepped closer to me.
"He has the Rogue's Corpse Stench on him. Although it's not the main body, the Corpse Curse has already coalesced, which is a bit troublesome."
He chuckled playfully, "Emily, you've been negligent. This is going to increase my workload."
"It's all because of that foolish woman..."
Wolf Spirit Luke Dunphy complained, a mist of deep blue swirling around him, making him look sulky. I distanced myself from the eerie blue fog emanating from him and sat down beside him.
"Honestly, Bernadette brought this upon herself. But..." I sighed, "I really have poor judgment when it comes to people. My grandmother could tell at a glance that my grandfather was a worthy lifelong partner, yet here I am..."
I shook my head, unwilling to recall Gunther's hypocritical face.
He chuckled, nearly losing his balance. "At least you have self-awareness if you settled for someone like Gunther. What’s next? Planning to find another jerk?"
I rolled my eyes. "No more searching; there are no good men left in this world."
He feigned a deep sigh. "Oh, there are none here, but plenty in the underworld. Care to consider it?"
He winked at me, his gray-blue eyes glinting with mischief.
I shot him an exasperated look. "Come on, your underworld buddies are all scarier than you."
Then I remembered the serious matter at hand and adopted a grave tone. "Seriously, Luke Dunphy, that Dead Rogue drained Bernadette's moonlight; he’s probably becoming a Super Rogue. You’re joking around while ignoring that?"
Only then did he drop the playful tone and his expression turned serious. "Don't worry; I've already dispatched people to keep an eye on him. He won't cause too much damage."
Indeed, he was not an ordinary werewolf.
He was one of the three guardians under the Moon God—Wolf Spirit Luke Dunphy.
As for me, besides being a makeup artist, I was also a Moon Pattern Master, a profession passed down through generations in my family.
My job was to assist Luke Dunphy in eliminating Rogues.
Typically, within ten days after a Rogue's death, I would inscribe Moon Patterns on them.
This would seal their evil powers and prevent them from turning into malevolent spirits that could harm the living.
Afterward, Luke Dunphy would send them to the gates of hell.
Rogues who had done good deeds in life could be reincarnated;
Those who committed numerous wrongs would be cast into the Eternal Night Purgatory.
I occasionally carve the Moon Pattern on living beings. It emits a lunar glow that can dispel the Rogue's Corpse Stench, protecting them from harm. This is how my Billion Fortune came to be.
Having been a Moon Pattern Master for many years, I have carved the Moon Pattern for countless Rogues. Each time, it was Luke Dunphy who teleported me there. Over time, I grew familiar with this guardian.
Other Wolf Spirits say Luke Dunphy is even more terrifying than the Moon God—cold and ruthless, he never blinks when killing Rogues. But to me, he’s just a laid-back jokester who enjoys hanging around and teasing me.
Like now.
“Emily, I didn’t expect you to care so much about me,” he said with a smirk.
“Don’t worry, even if I absorb a person’s lunar essence, that kind of Rogue won’t be too strong,” he added confidently.
I thought about it and agreed.
“The Corpse Stench on Bernadette is dark red,” I said, taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the nauseating stench of decay. “It represents Sexual Desire.”
After death, a person's intense desires are magnified infinitely, becoming the Corpse Curse that manipulates the corpse's movements. The color of the Corpse Stench corresponds to different desires: bright red represents anger, dark green represents jealousy, and deep black represents hatred. The dark red on Bernadette signifies intense Sexual Desire.
The source of Bernadette's Sexual Desire and Corpse Stench comes from that Dead Rogue she had contact with. This is why I initially concluded that she had slept with the Dead Rogue.
If I had discovered this yesterday, perhaps I could have carved the Moon Pattern on her to dispel the Corpse Stench and prevent her lunar essence from leaking away. But now...
I sighed; even without saying anything, Luke Dunphy understood that Bernadette was beyond saving in her current state.
“So, where is that Dead Rogue?” I asked Luke Dunphy, who wore a smug expression.
He smiled mysteriously. “Not far—right where you used to work.”
Comment 0 Comment Count