The painter's messy head poked out of the well, and the light of the flashlight illuminated the basement.
Although his physical condition is gradually becoming that of a ghoul, he currently does not have the ability to see in the dark.
Wilson, on the other hand, could see clearly in the dark.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." The painter crawled out of the well, still carrying the smell of some earth remaining in it.
"Nothing." Wilson smiled gently and cast his gaze behind the painter.
What came out behind the painter was a monster that looked similar to the one in the painting, with pointed ears, a hateful face like a dog, densely packed fangs that were exposed, limbs with scales, and skin similar to glue.
It's texturey, covered with mold, and its bald head is covered with wrinkles, like a mangy dog.
The bloodshot eyes looked at Wilson critically.
Wilson was observing the ghoul.
This one seems slightly different from the others. There is an ornament that seems to be made of a human skull hanging around her neck. Her figure is also stronger than that of other ghouls. There is a cunning look in her small dark eyes.
brilliance.
This seems to be a ghoul with a higher status among them.
Wilson didn't know much about ghoul culture, and it wasn't hard to pin down.
The ghoul made a strange gurgling sound from its throat, which seemed to be squeezed out of the moldy chest.
The painter also made a strange "miji" sound.
Human vocal organs cannot accurately use the language of ghouls, so they can only imitate it as much as possible.
But the ghoul still understood the painter's words.
They chatted for a few words, and then the painter turned to Wilson and said with a smile: "They are happy to meet a new friend underground."
As he spoke, the painter introduced the ghoul who came with him.
This ghoul's name is "Ji Guji", and its pronunciation is very strange.
Jiguji crouched on the ground, grinned at Wilson, and the transparent haze dripped onto the ground.
"Jiguji has a good temper." The painter introduced seriously, "and is also very popular in their society."
Wilson stared at the skull on Jiguji's neck, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and his mind couldn't help but think of the nine skulls worn by Sha Monk.
This ghoul also blames the trend.
He hesitated, thinking about whether to reach out and shake the other person's hand.
But looking at the black paws that hadn't been washed for who knows how long and the mold on them...Wilson finally gave up on human etiquette.
He leaned slightly and bowed: "Nice to meet you, Mr. Jiguji, my name is...south"
Wilson was stuck for a moment and did not report the name of the human body. Because he was not sure whether these mythical creatures had the ability to target their real names.
Moreover, his human body is quite famous in the academic field. He is not sure if he has heard of this painter.
He doesn't want to reveal his identity for the time being. As an expert in ancient research, Howard Wilson can just be an ordinary university professor.
So he made up a temporary pseudonym.
The painter turned around and translated it to Jiguji in the language of ghouls.
The ghoul didn't think there was anything wrong with the name. After all, the name was just a code name. Moreover, it thought human names were very strange and sounded unpleasant.
"Jigu, mixin." The ghoul responded, as if responding to Wilson's words. It also knocked on the skull on its body, not knowing what it was doing.
Wilson was confused and quietly glanced at the analysis progress on the blue light screen. Unfortunately, it was only at 20%. He still couldn't understand what the ghoul was saying.
Thanks to the painter who acts as human translator here.
"Well, Mr. South, Chi Gu Chi is expressing welcome." The painter scratched his head, "It is willing to share food with you."
"..."
Wilson's face turned green.
He stared at the skull on the ghoul's body, the black eye sockets staring straight at him, and the drool from the ghoul's big mouth full of fangs flowed onto the bones.
"I'm sorry, I appreciate your kindness." Wilson struggled to squeeze out the words through his teeth, "but I can't accept it."
The painter gave truthful feedback to Jiguji.
The ghoul also meowed twice, seeming a little dissatisfied and feeling that the person in front of him was ignorant.
The corners of Wilson's mouth twitched.
"Cough." The painter could also understand Wilson's reaction. He coughed awkwardly, "Actually, this is a sign of friendship among the ghouls. They are happy to share the food they find and usually feast together."
No... the taste was too strong and he couldn't stand it.
Wilson was on the verge of tears.
"But food has become increasingly scarce recently." The painter sighed, "Their number is increasing, and the nearby cemeteries have been dug up."
"Then if there is no food, will they attack humans?" Wilson was a little worried, "Just like what you painted."
"Oh, don't you know that works of art are not equivalent to reality?" The painter showed an incomprehensible expression, "Why do they attack humans?"
"What?"
"Fresh humans are hard to eat. Especially healthy people, they prefer rotting corpses. The taste processed by microorganisms is very perfect." The painter explained.
"To them, a fresh person probably tastes like smelly fish. And an old corpse tastes like fine wine that has been stored in a cellar for many years."
"Would you attack a rotten piece of shit?"
"Even if food is extremely scarce, they will only choose to attack humans, and they will only be injured and unhealthy humans. But even then, few will eat unless they are extremely hungry."
While listening to the painter recounting the ghoul's recipe with relish, Wilson's face became increasingly distorted.
Sure enough, these non-human creatures cannot be measured by common sense.
He felt his stomach twitch just by hearing the description.
He couldn't understand why the painter was so interested in talking about these things. As expected, this guy's body and mind had begun to change.
It seems that this guy is still enjoying it.
Although Wilson didn't really want to interrupt his interest, he really couldn't listen anymore.
"Okay." Wilson interrupted with a distorted expression, "I probably understand. Can you please stop talking? I can't accept it."
"Huh?" The painter looked at Wilson strangely, "Mr. South, you are not a human being, so you should be able to try the ghoul recipe..."