Diary of Guarding Monster Girls-Chapter 535 - 321 Hungry Dragon Awakens! (Extra 111, requesting votes!)

Chapter 535: 321 Hungry Dragon Awakens! (Extra 111, requesting votes!)

"And you?"

After sending off Cyril, Herbert once again encountered the "kind mushroom person."

He turned back to Misser, who had been hiding earlier, and with a smile asked, "Miss Misser, do you wish to become my friend? Or my enemy?"

Though he spoke with a casual tone, the question he posed was not one that could be answered lightly.

This was a dangerous question, a wrong answer could cost one’s life!

Herbert was somewhat weary, he didn’t want to drag things out any longer, and needed an immediate and clear answer from the mushroom merchant.

Upon hearing the question, Misser did not answer Herbert, but instead posed a rather peculiar question herself, "Herbert, I’m curious, which version of you is the real one?"

Herbert: ?

What’s this now? Are you answering a question with another question?

Just as Herbert was furrowing his brow, about to speak, Misser continued:

"Is it the you that seems as fierce and powerful as the scorching sun? Or the you that forces others to serve you with your might? Or perhaps the humorous and witty you?"

"Can you tell me, which one is the true you?"

?

Herbert initially felt impatient, but soon raised an eyebrow.

Wait a minute, something’s off; am I hearing flattery?

"Are you... Are you complimenting me? Uh, thanks?" he asked Misser, somewhat unsure.

This mushroom merchant, it’s unclear whether this was honed over many years or came naturally.... However, she is undoubtedly a great candidate for the system.

In dealing with people, she is genuinely natural and poised.

She really knows how to speak and act!

After all, the leaders aren’t oblivious; anyone can easily see who’s being deliberate or trying to flatter.

But, even knowing it’s an intentional compliment, they still tend to like people who know how to handle things.

It’s human nature.

Herbert’s displeasure quietly dissipated. He coughed lightly and casually asked back, "Miss Misser, I know you’re curious about me, but we’ve just met and you’re asking so many private questions, isn’t it a bit... hasty?"

He didn’t give a direct answer but instead diverted the topic to another direction.

The power to digress!

Oh, Miss, I know I’m outstanding, but you’re a bit too hasty!

"Huh?"

Misser: ???

What on earth are you saying?

The mushroom merchant couldn’t hold her expression, grimacing as she gritted her teeth, "You know we’ve only just met, but still want me to become your subordinate?!"

So you knew all along!

"Haha."

Herbert looked at the somewhat flustered Miss Mushroom with satisfaction and nodded, "Just kidding, don’t be so worked up."

Look, she’s panicking.

It seems that her composure isn’t deep enough yet.

Maybe go back and train some more!

After teasing the mushroom merchant a bit, Herbert stopped his banter, collected his smile, and spoke seriously, "Although I was joking earlier, there is truth in what I said... you are way too hasty."

"What is real? What is false? Does what I believe about myself truly reflect the real me?"

"You’ll naturally know the real me if you’re familiar with me; I don’t need to give you the answer."

"Conversely, no matter how I self-evaluate, you wouldn’t believe it, would you?"

Herbert’s tone was exceedingly light-hearted, yet it pierced through the final veil in their conversation.

Their contact had been too brief, yet not enough to build sufficient trust; neither would truly believe the other.

Misser was silent for a moment, her gaze complex as she looked at the young man before her and slowly said:

"Yes, we’ve only met once... But you saw through my true thoughts inside. How do you manage to do that?"

In those abyss-like profound eyes, she eventually candidly admitted her true thoughts.

Herbert was correct; this mushroom lady indeed yearned for human life.

As Herbert said, she was genuinely curious about the human world and aspired to be part of it.

For that reason, she founded the Shadow Mushroom Trade Association, mimicking human appearances, trading with others, enjoying the feeling of blending in.

As for how it was accomplished... it was simply a guess.

Herbert didn’t have X-ray vision to know Misser’s true thoughts.

It wasn’t a blind guess but a reasonable deduction after summarizing some vague clues and details.

The most compelling point was Misser’s impeccable imitation of human behavior and mannerisms.

Breathing, eye-rolling, sighing, rubbing one’s eyebrows... One could only replicate this after very careful observation, and integrate it into their daily unconscious actions.

For someone who hides their body, cloaked and trades with people, these are entirely unnecessary skills.

As for the reasoning process, Herbert, of course, did not lay it all out, he merely smiled mysteriously and said, "I can see it just by using these eyes, quite surprising, huh?"

"...Honestly, very surprising, I thought I hid it well." Misser nodded helplessly, deeply looking into Herbert’s eyes.

Could this ability to perceive human hearts originate from the Sun God?

Herbert purposely emphasized that the eyes were the key; it was meant to direct Misser’s thinking towards the eyes, making her believe Herbert possessed the ability to see through.

To reinforce this assumption, Herbert further questioned, "By the way, if I’m not mistaken, you’re a special entity, right?"

Misser’s surprise became even more pronounced as she slowly nodded, acknowledging her identity, "You can tell even this? I thought I had disguised myself well enough to be indistinguishable from ordinary shadow mushroom people."

To her, this was the most incomprehensible point.

While her imitations of human beings might still get detected, how could a special entity be identified?

Miser was firmly convinced that she was indistinguishable from other Shadow Mushroom people in appearance, even to herself.

How did Herbert manage it?

"I don’t rely on appearance to judge, but on other aspects, like the certain aura I’m very familiar with from you." Herbert smiled slightly.

That sense of alienation, incompatible with the surrounding world, was glaringly obvious to Herbert.

This time, Miser remained silent for a longer period.

Finally, she shook her head helplessly with a bit of a headache: "You know so much about me, yet I know nothing about you... Don’t you think this is unfair?"

Fair?

Herbert laughed upon hearing this.

"But you know I’m a Paladin, a strong one capable of exterminating you without any penalty."

In this world, justice and truth are important, but what’s most important is strength.

Without strength, the justice upheld by the Paladin is futile.

But with strength, the actions of the Paladin are just.

"And as such an existence, I still extend an invitation to you, doesn’t this prove my sincerity?"

Herbert asked with an arrogant, yet friendly demeanor: "Miss Miser, do you want to try to trust me?"

"Perhaps, I can truly help you become a member of the society you want to be part of."

Trust?

"Sigh..."

In fact, from a momentum perspective, Miser had long accepted the reality; her previous words were merely a resentful struggle, with no real hope of success.

"I understand humans; I don’t think they can accept a strange existence like mine."

"Sir, I can agree with you, but can you really find a place that will accept me?"

Hearing these essentially yielding words, Herbert revealed a satisfied smile and extended his right hand toward the mushroom merchant.

"I can."

"I happen to know a place that fits your needs."

Exactly!

It’s my happy hometown.

See, I told you.

She definitely wants to go home with me!

"Speaking of going home..."

As Herbert explained his plan to Miser, he thought of a certain sleepy Hungry Dragon.

"Has Valentina woken up? Advancing to Epic—I really don’t know how long it will take, hopefully not decades!"

"If it really doesn’t work out, should I provide her with some help?"

"I recall that even when she’s asleep, she can eat unconsciously..."

As Herbert thought about it, he suddenly remembered something he must pay attention to.

"Hiss, wait! She wouldn’t be grinding her teeth, would she?"

...

...

Mist Monastery, Third Commandment Hall.

Just as Herbert pondered whether Valentina might use him as a chew toy, there was a response from her side.

Gurgle gurgle.

Miss Hungry Dragon, curled up on the bed, rolled slightly, then slowly stretched out, sprawling unceremoniously across the quilt.

"Hmm—"

She first twitched her nose, then suddenly straightened her legs, even her toes were taut!

Pink toes pressing against the bed, her hands stretched forward, pressing on the pillow, then her whole body exerted force, entering into the Thorny-backed Dragon form.

"Hmm—ha!"

After stretching for several seconds, she suddenly opened her eyes.

The Hungry Dragon was awake.

And upon waking, the first thing she did was not anything else but alertly scanning her surroundings.

Of course, Valentina wasn’t bewildered about where she was—there wasn’t even that word in her vocabulary; she didn’t even have a vocabulary in her mind!

She was trying to find a familiar figure.

Unfortunately, after a look around, no traces were found.

Sniff sniff, sniff sniff.

Valentina twitched her nose, sniffing around.

And after confirming that the other had really been gone for a long time and wasn’t secretly hiding, she couldn’t help but let out a humph. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"...Humph."

She grumbled discontentedly: "He said he’d come back when I woke up; liar!"

Herbert, you big liar!

She bared her teeth at the non-present young man, then prepared to go back to sleep and wait for his return.

But just when she was about to lie down, an unsatisfied rumbling sound came from her stomach.

Gurgle gurgle—

Valentina paused for a moment, looked down at her stomach, and pouted.

"...Hungry."