Chapter 32: Do You Believe in Gods?

As Sky placed the last snack on the table and sat down, he noticed that the scallion pancakes from before had already been devoured by the duo. The sight of another dish on the table prompted Lumiya to quickly reach out, only to be stopped midway by Lilianna: "Haven't you had enough already? Sky hasn't even started eating."

Lumiya immediately retorted, "And you're accusing me of eating a lot? I saw you eating more than me. Aren't you vampires supposed to feed on blood? Why steal my scallion pancakes?"

Lilianna hit back, "And shouldn't you silly wolves be feasting on meat instead of scallion pancakes? Remember, I'm from the Bloodline, not some blood-sucking vampire. We gain strength from blood but can eat human food normally."

"Well, I am a shape-shifting dog demon, no, a wolf demon. Being able to take human form means I can enjoy human food too," Lumiya argued proudly.

"Little girl, I've told you before, you are a pure-blooded werewolf. You must trust my 6000 years of experience – your werewolf aura is unmistakable," said Lilianna.

Lumiya countered, "Even if I have werewolf lineage, it doesn't conflict with being a wolf demon. My master said, any animal or plant in the world, given enough time absorbing the essence of nature and a stroke of luck in awakening intelligence, can embark on the path of demonic cultivation. I fit the profile of a demonic cultivator perfectly. Plus, I've got certification from the Cultivation Association."

Sky awkwardly interrupted their bickering, "It's okay, I'm not very hungry. I'll just taste a piece; the rest is for Lumiya."

Lumiya cheered, leaving just one pancake for Sky and hoarding the rest. After a thought, she grabbed one more and placed it back on his plate, "Here, landlord, I'll give you one more."

Rolling her eyes, Lilianna said to Sky, "She's not your pet dog, you know. You're spoiling her."

Lumiya slammed the table, "Who are you calling a dog?"

"You did, from the very beginning, claiming you were a dog," Lilianna pointed out.

Lumiya, finding herself unable to retort, finally squeezed out, "I meant a dog demon, now a wolf demon. But still a demon." She then muttered in Chinese, "I think you're a demon too, a blood-sucking bat demon."

"I am from the Bloodline," Lilianna said through gritted teeth, her pronunciation impeccable.

"Wow, you can speak Chinese?" Lumiya exclaimed, surprised, while not forgetting to stuff another pancake into her mouth.

Sky, foreseeing another argument brewing, quickly intervened, "Let's get to the point. Have you figured

out the situation yet? I'm totally lost here. Can someone fill me in?"

Lilianna glanced at Lumiya, who was still eagerly devouring the scallion pancakes, and then turned to Sky, "I'll explain. Lumiya's master is an Eastern cultivator. About 100 years ago, he found her in her juvenile state in the Arctic ice fields. At that age, werewolves can't shift into human or werewolf forms and only have the form of a wolf, though with intelligence akin to a human child.

Around that time, for some unknown reason, the Eastern cultivation world frequently found demon dog pups with Husky or Alaskan bloodlines in the Arctic. So, it became fashionable among Eastern cultivators to adopt a demon dog. Probably due to this trend, Lumiya's master mistook her for a Husky demon dog and raised her accordingly. That's why this perfectly good werewolf girl ended up as dim-witted as a Husky."

Lumiya protested, "Who's dim-witted? My master says I'm a once-in-a-millennium genius."

Lilianna scoffed, "That's because your master thought you were a beast demon. Beast demons typically take 300 years to shape-shift into a human, while plant demons take over a thousand. You transformed in just 30 years, so of course, he thought you were a prodigy. But do you know at what age werewolves can shift into humans? Short-lived species at 3 years, long-lived ones at 20. You taking over 30 years even among long-lived species... well, that's not a sign of genius."

"You're the slow one, no, you're senile, a 6000-year-old senile," Lumiya shot back.

Lilianna just smirked dangerously.

Sky hurriedly intervened as the argument escalated, "Let's not get worked up, let's stick to the main topic."

With a huff, Lilianna continued, "Because Lumiya was raised as a beast demon, she embarked on the path of demonic cultivation. That makes her a long-lived werewolf demon cultivator, which is quite intriguing. There has been little interaction between Eastern cultivators and the West, so a hybrid like her is unprecedented in my memory. I'm curious to see how far she can grow."

"Sounds impressive, like something out of a movie or novel," Sky remarked, looking at Lumiya.

"See, I told you I'm amazing," Lumiya beamed, wagging her fluffy tail, her face smeared with food.

Turning back to Lilianna, Sky asked, "So what's your story? I know you're from the Bloodline, but why come to my castle? Don't tell me it was just for a holiday."

"And why did you attack me?" Lumiya chimed in.

Sky, baffled, turned to Lumiya, "You've been talking this whole time and you know nothing about her?"

"Well, she kept asking me questions," Lumiya replied.

Facing Lilianna, Sky asked, "What's her age equivalent in human terms?"

Lilianna pondered, "As a long-lived werewolf, at around 100 years, she's akin to a

13 or 14-year-old human, a teenager."

Lumiya wagged her tail happily, "Yep, I'm still young."

Sky muttered, partly to himself, "Youth is bliss, carefree…" He didn't finish the thought aloud: in such a short time, a stranger had unraveled her entire background.

Lilianna, catching Sky's drift, reassured him, "Don't worry too much. First off, I mean no harm to either of you, and I have no ulterior motives. I attacked because I sensed a werewolf's presence and thought Lumiya was harming you. When I heard Sky recognizing my voice, I realized my mistake. A human under mental control can't reason logically.

Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Lilianna Nocturne, one of the oldest of the Bloodline. Werewolves, elders of the Bloodline, and some magical families with heritage should recognize my name. I've only recently awakened from a long slumber and am still acclimating to this new world.

Oh, and to educate you both, we of the Bloodline spend most of our time in slumber. Each awakening usually lasts a few decades, followed by centuries of dormancy."

Lumiya exclaimed, "So it's like a pure electric vehicle, running for a while before needing a recharge? But your charging time is quite long, and the mileage seems short."

Lilianna glared at her, "Don't speak if you don't understand. This slumber is not just about regaining strength for the Bloodline; it's a crucial part of our growth."

"Growing stronger by sleeping? Do you Bloodline folks cheat in games?" Lumiya quipped.

Ignoring her, Lilianna continued, "Our growth is unique, but generally, each successful awakening strengthens us, so the older we are, the stronger we tend to be."

Lumiya mumbled, "Less boasting. You said you've lived over 6000 years; you should be very strong. Yet, you were taken down by my ice spear."

Lilianna didn't get angry this time, instead she spoke after a pause, "My case is a bit special."

"A special case?" Sky asked, curious, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. I feel like each time I wake from my slumber, I lose a part of my memory, and with it, a portion of my power fades too," Lilianna said, frowning slightly.

"Feel? Think? You can't be certain?" Sky prodded.

"Too many memories are lost, and there's no pattern to it, leaving my current recollections in disarray. It's hard to make definitive conclusions," she shook her head.

Lumiya raised her hand excitedly, "I know this, I know this."

As both turned to her, Lumiya proudly said, "That's Parkinson's disease, or senility."

The air suddenly froze, the temperature inside the room dropped instantly, and a faint scent of blood began to permeate the space. Lilianna slowly stood up, her voice cold and foreboding, "Little werewolf girl, it seems you won't live to see adulthood."

Sky quickly jumped up, positioning himself between the two. He first addressed the young werewolf, "Stop talking now!" Then he turned to Lilianna, trying to placate her, "She's just a child, don't take her words to heart. Kids say the darndest things, you know."

The ancient vampire matriarch took several deep breaths, managing to suppress her anger, and sat back down, reassuring herself, "Can't take a child's words too seriously... Kids say the darndest things."

Sky cleverly changed the subject to distract Lilianna, "So, why did you come to my castle?"

Lilianna calmed down, looking seriously at Sky, "Do you believe in gods?"

Sky's expression became solemn. In his mind, he summoned the system task information panel to check once more. He carefully reviewed the first system task of this world, "The Charming Guest of the Castle." At the bottom of the task prompt, it read, "Do you believe in gods?"