The Arcadia System

Chapter 202 – The Curse Of Nimiel(2)

Situated in the palms of the twins, there was a black monster…No, a black slime?

The best description would be that this vileness took the form of a black, gooey substance that was just as alive as any other living being.

It reminded Kimon of the slimes he used to fight with back in the forest of Azea. This black substance pulsed as it sucked on a stream of energy coursing into the twin's palms. 

It was the source behind the squeaking sound that Kimon kept hearing, and the way it pulsed when eating was damn ghastly. Kimon reckoned if he wasn't used to such sight, he would vomit his bowels right now.

'This is the true identity of the curse.'

Kimon was just about to look into it more when veins popped on his head. The headache he was feeling was too much, and he smartly deactivated all his skills.

The others watched the different gestures Kimon showed. They couldn't understand what he was doing, and this was even tougher as he wore a mask concealing his expressions.

Kimon finally spoke, "Let's start the process. I have a tight schedule today. Lord Gawyne, as I was saying, the green reagent is our means of stalling. I would supply you with lots of it."

"How can I be sure that the green reagent is not poisonous?" asked the skeptical Lord Gawyne. 

Kimon sighed as he was expecting this, "How about this…"

He manifested another green reagent in his palms and threw it to Knight Villaime, "Pick one of them randomly. I would drink the one you pick and you would drink the other. Surely, you have no issues with testing the green reagent for your lord?"

"Yes," mouthed Knight Villaime as he caught the green reagent. 

He wasted no time deciding on the one to pick. After he gave Kimon one reagent, he opened the other and drank it without hesitation. 

Kimon did the same.

He certainly felt weird drinking a potion that was mixed with his blood.

What was the term for this peculiar situation?

Was it self-cannibalism?

Maybe not.

Anyway, Knight Villaime's eyes shone with whitish-green light. The same shade that was on the body of Kimon's real form.

The Knight spoke his heart, "This is wondrous. I can feel a sort of energetic substance bubbling inside me. It's like within me is an infinite amount of energy, begging to be released. Ahhh."

'…'

Kimon did not know what to think of this. 

Did the knight know he was getting high off his blood?

How strange it was…

He certainly didn't expect to hear the knight describe the magical properties of his blood like that. It was accurate, but it just felt perverted.

The knight's cheek became rosy as he ascertained, "With that said, there is no poisonous substance in the potion. It is just like Kimon had said. The energy in the blood will sustain the curse while the curative process is ongoing."

Kimon said, "Lord Gawyne, you have your answer."

Lord Gawyne told his children to drink the reagent.

Quickly, the substance entered their body, and their body shuddered for a second. Their eyes shone with the same whitish-green hue while their grey hair became tame.

They could feel it. Something in them had been paused. A sense of relief surfaced as they sighed happily. 

Ever since they had found out the truth, they had never been the same. The truth made them sad and gave them something to fixate on. They fixated too much, to the extent where they became paranoid of every single moment. 

They would watch each strand of their hair just to see if another one was turning grey, just to graph the progress of the curse.

Seeing this, Kimon clapped, "This can't do much. I estimate that the effects of the reagents would wash away after a day or half a day. You would need to constantly consume the reagent before we start the curative procedure."

"You are not beginning today?" queried Lord Gawyne. 

"You don't have sufficient equipment and resources. It would be foolish to start without being prepared," warned Kimon. 

He said more to re-assure Lord Gawyne, "We have already stalled the curse. So, we have all the time in the world right now. We might as well use it to acquire the best materials."

"With that said, I demand that you pay for every single reagent I supply to you. Unlike you, I'm not a wealthy noble. I have used my treasured money to produce the reagents I came here with today."

Kimon manifested a crater in his hand. Inside the large crater were rows of green reagents with the same exact appearance.

After getting guidance from Circe, Kimon purchased a lot of average green reagents from a local alchemy shop. All he had to do was mix his blood and the super-value green reagent was created.

It was super convenient, but Lord Gawyne didn't need to know that. All he needed to know was that the reagents were valuable.

"How much is one?" asked Lord Gawyne.

"Ten pieces of silver," shamelessly replied Kimon. 

Lord Gawyne stuttered, "I will compensate that by increasing the limit of my financial support on your organization. Is that okay?"

"I suppose so," sighed Kimon. 

He had expected to be paid right here, but Lord Gawyne was smarter than that. 

Kimon turned to the twins and gave them the crate, "I suggest two reagents a day. Take three if you feel it coming back. Never overuse it, though. Also, it would be wise to stay away from meaningless fights. You should know the reason."

"Yes," responded Lyra.

She wasn't a kid. A lot of things could go wrong in a fight. They could end up provoking the curse. 

Their previous fight with Kimon had proven that was possible. The number of gray strands in their hair had doubled.

Kimon gave them one last look before focusing on Lord Gawyne, "If I remember correctly, we have a deal. Now is the time to honor it"