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"…It’s a poisonous resin extracted from the Jedzar grass." Anom started explaining according to what he read at the Safaira Family's library about the herb. "But the Red Jedzar is only produced when certain… conditions are fulfilled." The herb known as Jedzar grass is not something very useful. Its flowers emanate a sweet scent which, though quite unattractive to humans, appeals greatly to various insects and small animals. This has resulted in a snake species named after the herb – Jedzar snakes occupying these plants as their abode. The plant attracts creatures and provides meals for the snakes, while the snake in turn guards the plant from harmful animals. After thousands of years of mutual development, the snakes are even able to differentiate between the animals that harm the plant and the pollinators that help the plant breed. Similarly, the male snakes occupying the plant with more flowers are able to become the top choice of many females. But on the opposite end, some male
A smile crept behind the attacker's mask as a sensation of flesh being pierced was transmitted through the dagger. But before a sense of victory could be achieved, the person who was supposed to have his neck pierced through, turned around. Anom grabbed the masked person's arm and, with a twist, the dagger was in his hand. Letting the dagger drop to the floor, he used his empty hand to grab the masked person's leg, and with a bit of force, made his assaulter fall. "Your skill-set is good, and the timing was also quite nicely calculated." Anom started analyzing the assassin's skills. "But you are too impatient and inexperienced." His hand reached for the mask on the assassin's face while he continued speaking, "You know, information and reality might have many differences and you should act acc-" He stopped abruptly as his hand, which was holding the mask, also froze. Behind the mask was a pretty girl, glaring at him with her shapely brows furrowed. Her violet eyes moved as she tri
THUD!The next sound he heard was surprisingly not of his flesh getting pierced.Before the dagger could reach its aim, the assassin girl lost all her strength and fell to the floor. She tried to grab the dagger but even crawling proved to be difficult for her. Although immune to the Muscle Contracting drug, the smoke from the candle still caused her some discomfort. She had to constantly divert her attention to deal with the fumes that had entered her body.Seeing her unstable state, Anom didn’t waste time anymore. Closing his eyes, he took this chance to focus on healing himself. His energy ran through the channels as he concentrated all of it to gather the drug particles, preventing them from getting absorbed by his organs and muscles.Inner strength moved through his energy channels, gathering the mixed substance and expelling it towards his pores.But the process of expelling was easier said than done. Anom's control over his inner strength was still not fine enough. The degree of
She opened her eyes and traced the sound to its source. What she saw had her eyes widen in surprise. She saw the man who was about to assault her holding a short blade in his hand. The blade was currently stabbed in his shoulder as blood dripped from the wound. Confusion filled her eyes as she couldn't fathom the reason he would do so. She was clearly at a disadvantage earlier, totally at his mercy. He could've taken this chance to deal with her however he liked. She couldn't comprehend why he would harm himself instead of just venting it out. She suddenly remembered him talking about not being who she thought he was. Maybe it was not all false. As her confused and somewhat relieved eyes observed him, Anom took a deep breath before pulling out the blade from his shoulder. Blood spluttered out, some of it falling on the girl's smooth cheek. The cut was not very deep but the pain was sharp enough for him to abandon the urges raging within him, giving him enough time to regain control
His stupefied expression amused Della, making her chuckle. It felt good to know that he cared about her opinion… Well, not like she didn't already know it.Wrapping her arms over his neck, she continued slowly, "You don't have to act so surprised. It was not your fault in the first place. Just that things happened in such a way that it was bound to happen.""What do you mean?" Anom asked. He was unable to trust his own judgment as he couldn't be sure whether the conclusion he would reach would not be affected by his unstable state. Therefore, he needed her help to analyze and overcome his problems.Della didn't keep him waiting and explained, "As I have already seen your memories, I can say with certainty that your soul changed the moment you touched the World Stone. No, it can't be said to have changed, just that its original nature was broken free, and it's not being suppressed anymore.""The emotional changes that you experienced only started happening during the period you stayed i
Anom lowered his head, resting it on the goddess' soft peaks while digesting the bunch of information she had thrown out.Taking a whiff of the divine fragrance, Anom lifted his head slightly and asked, "Did they also get affected due to my presence?"After clearing all of his doubts, the only worrying thing left was whether his soul could affect those around him or not. Even if it's unintentional, he doesn't want to keep creating deviations everywhere he goes."No, you silly thief." Della hugged his head and comforted him. "Those two are special cases. You don't have to worry about affecting anybody else. Besides, it won't be long before you gain some basic control over your soul and then you won't have to worry about something or someone affecting you either."After Della finished clearing up his doubts, they both talked for a while more as Della explained a bit more about the situation with Loreana before Anom got ready to leave."Are you sure about this though?" He suddenly asked.
Two shadows fluttered through the desolate alleys before stopping in front of an intersection. "Get ready. We will reach there after passing through this block." Anom turned to look at the assassin-girl who was carrying the blonde girl on her back. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry her?" "No need." The purple-haired girl replied in her usual cold tone. Sweat covered her forehead, but she still gritted her teeth while tightening her hold on the blonde. "There's no way I would put my friend in the hands of a pervert like you." "..." "That extra comment was unnecessary," Anom muttered as he crossed the empty alley. After deciding to leave, they waited till nightfall before leaving the Giro Gang's base. The blonde girl was still unconscious, so they had to carry her with them. Anom had asked the assassin-girl to let him be the one to carry the weight but was straightforwardly refused. Carrying the blonde on her back, the assassin-girl was having a hard time following him. The
"So?" Anom said, leaning back against the plush cushion, his gaze fixed on the two women who appeared nervous, particularly the blonde woman. The purple-haired assassin girl seemed poised for action, her hands raised as if ready to strike at any moment. "What do you want to know?" The blonde woman finally took a calming breath and asked, subtly signaling her friend to relax. "I understand that all you want is to leave," Anom said, his tone relaxed. "And believe me, even if you were to leave right now, I wouldn't stop you." The assassin girl was momentarily taken aback before blurting out, "Really?!" Anom shrugged. "Nah, just kidding. I want to know everything that can help me before I allow both of you to leave." "You...!" The assassin girl seemed on the verge of losing her temper and engaging in a fight. Thankfully, her companion swiftly restrained her. "You're not toying with us, are you, Mr. Anom?" The blonde woman asked, her voice tinged with skepticism. "Don't worry. I mere