Chapter 222 ·Pig Teammate

“Burn ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍it.”

Dora ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍stared at the broken box on the ground, two streams of black smoke puffing out of her nostrils. It was obvious she harbored deep hatred for this thing that had nearly turned her into a rag doll.

Violence ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍filled her dark golden vertical pupils. If Lilia hadn’t stopped her just now, she would’ve already blasted this place apart with a single breath of dragon fire.

“Don’t.”

Lilia ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍reacted quickly. Before Dora could open her mouth, she directly stored the eerie black box into her system backpack.

The ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍whole sequence flowed smoothly like water, so fast it left afterimages—she was afraid that even a second slower and this spendthrift dragon would’ve destroyed their loot.

What a joke—this was an item capable of trapping even a creature like Dora.

Although she didn’t know the exact mechanism, the effect was simply outrageously overpowered.

If they ever encountered some blind tough opponent or an enemy they truly couldn’t defeat, she could just toss this box out, shut them inside for a few days and nights, and let them get stitched into a doll as well.

This was called “fighting poison with poison.”

“Why keep something so filthy?” Dora was dissatisfied, her tail smashing irritably against the ground and shredding that small patch of expensive carpet. “Just looking at it ruins my appetite. Smells like rotten fish and shrimp.”

“What if it’s useful someday?”

Lilia dusted off her hands, her expression unfathomable.

“Think about it—if someone tries to hurt you again, we just slap this box over their head and let them go inside to become a doll. Isn’t that way more satisfying than you breathing fire a couple of times?”

Dora tilted her head, imagining that scene.

It… did seem to make some sense.

“Indeed… it does seem… very reasonable.”

Although this evil dragon had a bad temper, her thinking was surprisingly simple. As long as you went along with her, there was basically no difficulty.

“Let’s go. Since that ‘keeper’ isn’t inside the box, it must be deeper inside.”

Lilia kicked Xiao Hong, who was still trembling in the corner.

“Stop playing dead, or I’ll stuff you back into the box.”

“I’m going! I’m going!”

……

The deeper they went, the more oppressive the surroundings became.

The stone walls on both sides of the passage were no longer rough rock, but instead had a strange fleshy texture. Occasionally, vein-like patterns could be seen faintly pulsing beneath the surface.

Lilia could even hear faint sounds of flowing liquid from within the walls, like the circulatory system inside some enormous creature.

“What kind of cursed place is this…”

Lilia muttered inwardly.

After walking for about ten minutes, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

At the end of the narrow passage was a massive circular hall.

The dome of the hall was extremely high, embedded with countless glowing deep-sea gems. At first glance, it looked like a brilliant starry sky—but with closer inspection, those gems were arranged in shapes eerily resembling eyes staring down below.

And directly ahead of the hall, there was no path.

Instead, there were four doors.

Four identical giant black iron doors, with no keyholes and no handles—only intricate and twisted patterns carved onto their surfaces.

Although Lilia couldn’t understand them, the system kindly provided a translation.

【Each door can only be entered by one person.】

Lines of blood-red text flickered across her retina, carrying a pretentious, ominous tone.

“Isn’t this just telling us to split up and die?”

Lilia’s mouth twitched. This trope was way too cliché.

In horror movies, whenever there was a “let’s split up” plot, it basically marked the beginning of a total wipeout.

It was obvious—they wanted to split up their hastily formed team and defeat them one by one.

There was definitely nothing good behind those doors—either traps or setups designed to exploit individual weaknesses.

“Don’t move.”

Lilia raised her hand to stop Dora, who was about to step forward.

“This is obviously a trap. Only an idiot would go in.”

Her current strategy was simple: respond to change with constancy.

After all, they were here to “take” something, not to play a dungeon-clearing game.

Since this was a necessary path, there had to be another way. At worst, she could just have Dora smash all four doors and break through the wall—forcefully carving a path forward.

“Bulara, can you destroy it directly?”

Lilia turned to look at her artificially stupid maid.

Bulara began scanning the four doors.

However, before she could reach a conclusion, Dora suddenly sniffed sharply.

“So fragrant!”

Dora’s previously vigilant pupils instantly widened, and drool started flowing from the corner of her mouth.

“What smell?”

Lilia froze.

She smelled nothing except the lingering fishy and moldy stench.

“Meat! It’s roasted meat! And it’s the kind of whole roasted cow sprinkled with top-grade spices!”

Dora became completely excited, pointing at the leftmost door, her tail trembling with excitement.

“It’s behind that door! I can smell it!”

“That’s an illusion! It’s bait!”

Alarm bells rang wildly in Lilia’s mind as she grabbed Dora by the collar of her cloak.

“Snap out of it! There’s barely any living people here—where would roasted meat come from? That’s a trap!”

This was straight-up fishing enforcement!

A custom trap designed specifically for this gluttonous dragon!

“Let go of me! I want to eat meat!”

At this point, Dora couldn’t hear a word of reason. That tightly shut black iron door had already turned into the gateway to a paradise of food in her eyes.

Her mind was filled only with sizzling roasted meat. What was reason? Could it be eaten?

“Dora! Stop right there!”

Lilia held onto the cloak tightly, her heels carving two grooves into the ground.

But her strength—enhanced by the Seed of Life—was nothing more than an accessory in front of a crazed dragon.

“Rip—!”

With a crisp tearing sound,

only half a piece of black cloak fabric remained in Lilia’s hand.

Dora was like an unleashed wild dog, charging forward with a determination never to turn back, crashing straight into the leftmost door.

The tightly shut black iron door silently slid open the moment Dora approached.

Like a massive mouth that had been waiting for a long time, ready for its prey to deliver itself.

“Dora!”

Lilia shouted, reaching out to grab Dora’s tail.

Too late.

The moment Dora’s figure rushed inside, the door slammed shut with a “bang,” as if it had never opened.

Sealed completely tight.

Not even a trace of air escaped.

The entire process took less than two seconds.

The hall returned to a deathly silence, with only the half piece of cloak in Lilia’s hand still swaying slightly.

“……”

Lilia remained frozen in place, her hand still outstretched.

After a long moment, she slowly withdrew it, staring at the tightly shut black door as veins bulged on her forehead.

Better a godlike enemy than a pig-like teammate.

The ancients did not deceive.

It hadn’t even been five minutes since they escaped danger, and this idiot had already thrown herself back in?

Lilia rubbed her temples, her head buzzing.

Now it was great—their strongest combat power was gone.

This door was clearly a one-way passage—easy to enter, hard to exit.

“That idiot has already taken one slot. If I go push the door now, who knows what kind of destruction mechanism it’ll trigger. We might all end up dead together.”

Since it said only one person per door, it meant these four rooms were independent instances.

Since Dora had entered, she could only rely on that brain of hers—barely bigger than a walnut—to break through the situation.

Although the chances were slim, considering how thick-skinned she was, and her astonishing obsession with food, maybe she could just eat her way through the trap?

Lilia took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

Don’t panic.

The more this kind of situation, the less she could afford to lose control.

She walked to the door and pressed her ear against the cold metal surface.

Dead silence.

Not a single sound came from inside.

The soundproofing was outrageously good.

“Are we just going to wait here?” Bulara asked.

“We wait.”

Lilia plopped down on the ground, took out a piece of dried meat from her system backpack, and bit into it fiercely—as if she were chewing on Dora’s skull.

“Give her ten minutes.”

“If she’s not out in ten minutes…”

Time passed second by second.

The air in the hall seemed to solidify.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Five minutes…

The door that had swallowed Dora remained completely motionless.

That stupid dragon… didn’t actually get turned into braised dragon ribs, did she?

Just as Lilia was about to stand up and ignore the rules entirely to forcibly break the door—

“Click.”

A soft sound.

Not Dora’s door.

But the far-right door—the one that had been ignored the entire time—suddenly opened a crack on its own.

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