On the other wall is a portrait of a despised content, with deer heads and wolf heads hanging on either side. What worries Rick the most is that there are several shriveled human heads underneath them.

On closer inspection, these heads are different from humans, and some of their teeth are unusually large and thick.

Rick pointed at the heads, then stared at the monster without speaking.

"This was killed by my grandfather. Some werewolves and vampires who want to break into our territory. ”

Seeing that Rick was curious about the heads, the monster explained as he picked up a few logs and threw them into the fireplace, and then muttered a word about ignition, and the logs in the fireplace were ignited by the flames that appeared out of thin air.

After a while, the room was surrounded by a warm atmosphere.

"It seems that your grandfather is a very powerful man."

Rick thought about something, nodded and sighed.

"I hate wizards! Even if your grandfather was a wizard, it was no exception! ”

The monster sat at the table, head down, covering his stomach with his furry claws, and chanting incantations in a deep voice that Rick didn't understand, while tapping on the table with his long, sharp, slender nails.

When the incantation was finished, the paw scratched a shallow mark on the table. I saw silver cutlery appear on the table out of thin air, and crystal clear wine glasses made a tinkling sound and flew in the air.

Then the air filled the air, wafting through the aroma of unbridled food, which made Rick have a gluttonous appetite.

"Nice magic, it's fun." Rick applauded. His interest in the unknown monster grew.

"As much as I hate wizards, these spells are really good. You see, I don't even need a servant to have these delicacies, this duck, this boar leg, and this casserole..., uh. Well, I don't know what kind of dish it is. Anyway, as long as I want to eat food, as long as I say the mantra, a bunch of food that I don't know will appear. Sit down and eat. It's all real food, and it's not poisonous. You can rest assured. ”

"This should be a dish of braised pork. It was full of flavor and taste, and it really tempted my taste buds. ”

Rick didn't hesitate, he sat down, opened the casserole, looked at the boxy crimson piece of flesh inside, and said its name to the monster.

"I forgot that you were so bold. What should I call you? ”

The monster gripped the fluttering crystal cup in its furry hand and smiled at Rick.

"Rick Graves. What about you? ”

"Achilles, but it's been a long time since no one has called me that, and they all call me the Black Hand."

The monster named Achilles poured a large glass of wine, plunged his hand into the boar's leg, and dragged a piece of meat into his bloody mouth.

"Black hand? It seems that you have done a lot of shady things. ”

Rick chuckled and forked a piece of braised pork with the silver fork on the table and put it in his mouth.

Fat but not greasy, with a moderate sweetness, it is just in line with Rick's appetite.

"Cheers, Achilles!"

"Cheers, Rick!"

The two of them touched their glasses, making a tinkling sound. Then drink the wine in the glass.

"Yes, Achilles, you're delicious. Your magic is amazing. Did your grandfather learn more? ”

"No, it's only after I've been like this. It's simply a conspiracy. I don't even know how I got to be like this. When I wake up, I find that everyone is gone, and I have become a monster. I was scared at first, but then I realized that this room could fulfill my wishes, so I didn't resist it so much. Summoning food, drinks, clean clothes......"

Hearing Rick tell him if he had learned the magic from his grandfather, Achilles angrily threw the crystal cup on the table. Begin to tell Rick about his experience.

"Conspiracy? Have you found out who is behind the scenes? ”

"No, it's been almost two hundred years. I've always lived here and don't dare to go out. I'm afraid that the wizards outside will kill me like a monster. As for the wizards and dark creatures that have broken into my house, they have become the nourishment of my flowers. Well, don't worry, you won't. My instincts tell me that I can't hurt you even if I use the power of this whole room. ”

Perhaps it was Rick who complimented him on the deliciousness of his wine, and Achilles directly told him that he could not defeat Rick.

"Can you tell me if anything unusual happened before you became a monster?"

Rick had roughly guessed that Achilles was a magical creature that had been transformed into a magical creature by some kind of spell by some wizard. He suspected that the man was Achilles' grandfather or an enemy.

"No, I've been thinking about it for more than a hundred years, and I realize that my life was the same every day before I became a monster. Father, mother, and the obnoxious grandfather, they all behaved as usual. No suspicious behavior found. ”

Achilles continued to fill himself with a glass of wine, then grabbed a chicken leg with his paw and shoved it directly into his large mouth. He was used to this life and didn't want to look for the reason why he became a monster.

No, it's that he's desperate. Over the years, he had tried countless methods, all of which had failed.

"I've never seen a wizard so strong to you. If the wizard I met before was compared to the moon, then you were the sun. Can you tell me why you're so strong? ”

"Maybe I'm a genius. Go to bed early and wake up early every day, and never miss three meals a day. ”

After listening to Rick's answer, Achilles was directly stunned and was silent for a moment. "It's not magic at all."

"Haha! Nice to meet you. Cheers! ”

Rick picked up the crystal glass, filled it with wine, raised his glass and Achilles' glass to slam, and the two of them drank the wine in the glass again.

Silence fell again.

The candle flame danced and trembled in the darkness, reflecting a little light on the crystal clear wine glass. Candle tears flow like a cascade onto the candlestick.

Achilles was still sitting, but the big ears began to twitch slightly. "You wizards must be very fond of monsters like me, tie me up, torture me with all kinds of spells, and then wait until I'm dying. Kill me again, my head, hands, and feet are separated from my body, and my heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and all my other organs are soaked in the foul-smelling solution. Hold my soul in a broken stump and make it seem like they're still moving. ”

Rick peeled off the cork from the glass bottle, poured himself some wine, took a sip, and leaned back in his chair. He squinted at Achilles and smiled grimly.

"Is this the story of the farmer and the snake? I have been kind to you, but you are hungry for my body. ”