469 Can you be selfless for your loved ones?
[Master. Zero. Thirsty.]
Zero didn’t change after placing the seed on its stem. It looked like a ribcage, yet not at the same time.
Zero was small, while the seed was large to become hidden by tiny vines. It made Zero look bloated as if it was about to give birth.
Vincent was intrigued by this sight. He decided to use Overheat and feed Zero to see what happens out of curiosity.
The excited Zero absorbed the mutated blood and grew in size. The now four-inch Zero grew more vines from its stem-like body while becoming marginally ticker as well.
Something else was happening. A thing that the naked eye could not perceive.
The tiny vines started to penetrate the Seed Guardian’s seed. It didn’t take long for one of the tiny vines to penetrate into the seed. However, this could only be seen by a microscope.
[Zero. Happy.]
Vincent stopped using Overheat and looked at Iris. “I guess that’s it for today.” He said with a faint tone of disappointment.
.....
“Patience is needed with plants...” Iris tried to cheer Vincent, but when she saw his gaze land on her, she nervously fiddled with her hair.
“B-but I, too, am a little interested to know what will happen next. V-Vincent... do you think it is bad if I am a little impatient to see a plant grow quickly?”
“There is nothing wrong with becoming a little impatient.” Vincent tried to cheer her next. He caressed her back gently and continued, “It means you care for Zero and wish it to grow healthy.”
“You think so?” Iris said with a beaming smile. Being praised for caring about plants made her heart flutter.
[Ahem. Not to break your lovely mood, but I feel quite bored.]
[Sigh. Zero didn’t change, nor did anything interesting happen. I had high hopes for the Amalgamation trait to work and provide excellent results...]
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt[But I feel a little disappointed now.]
Vincent understood what Kazumi meant, but after hearing Iris mention patience, he believed only time could tell when the Amalgamation trait could become helpful.
Later that night, Zero managed to penetrate another of its vines into the seed and absorb the magic seed’s nutrients slightly quicker.
*Day 134 – 20 October – Tuesday*
*Day 135 – 21 October – Wednesday*
*Day 136 – 22 October – Thursday*
*Day 137 – 23 October – Friday – Current Day*
Friday morning’s dawn basked sunlight on Zero. Vincent and Iris approached the garden together, and they smiled at the ten-inch tall Zero looking at them.
On Zero’s stem-like head was a glittery green flower growing. The Seed Guardian’s seed was wrapped in thicker vines, and it looked more like a ribcage now. From the main stem were growing many hair-like vines. As if it was preparing to grow dozens of vines like the Seed Guardian has.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday had passed. Zero was starting to look like a hairy flower in these three days.
The one who allowed Zero to grow was none other than the blood bank Vincent. He regularly fed Zero a couple of drops of his altered human blood and doused it in his mutated blood.
From Tuesday to Thursday, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Everyone trained normally and lived their life normally, unlike Vincent.
Vincent was assigned the punishment of intense training. It was so harsh that it made Vincent feel one lesson was similar to a week of lessons jampacked into one.
Class A students who participate in the morning physical class learned... No. It was more appropriate to say ingrained in their souls. Breaking the rules meant a bitter end to both their bodies and sanity.
Nick worriedly looked at Vincent and prayed for him whenever he had the chance.
The four-hour intense morning physical class training menu consisted of intent and combat sparring with Ollie, Energy Flow training with Ton, and Force Shock and CQC training with Biro. All you can train in one four hour lesson.
Fortunately, Vincent had improved his strength, agility, and perception. This was the first time he thanked Sakura for being so wild and unrestrained with her strength.
Nick would approach Vincent and ask how he was feeling and if he needed any assistance whenever the lesson was over.
Vincent would grin while heavily breathing and later go to Maria’s class, where he could rest his body on lots of cushions.
Vincent would sometimes fall asleep. Fortunately, he doesn’t get caught because everyone would be in a deeply meditated state. Kazumi was also his sleeping assistant. She would wake him up when someone started to notice.
In the evening, Vincent would spend the remaining time of the day trying to replicate the so-called Lion’s Roar based on Kazumi’s memories somewhere alone on the island.
Fortunately, Biro was a compassionate man. After being asked, Biro allowed Vincent to take his Friday off and recuperate his body.
“A body without proper rest would not be able to grow.” This was the excuse Vincent came up with. An excuse that Biro to fancy in.
Today Friday morning, Vincent decided to let Lilith go to the history lesson with Nick, Clair, and Jun Ye Rim.
Vincent planned to visit the library and spend a day skimming stories for Kazumi to memorize. He hoped at least an informative book would lay in his hands.
A person followed Vincent to the library. Vincent looked behind him and found no one suspicious. He smirked and entered inside.
White hair swayed and a pair of black eyes with no reflection poked from behind a bush. A pair of long ears slightly twitched, and a sigh of relief escaped this person’s mouth.
Soon, the door of the library opened. In front of the entrance door were two librarians waiting to greet the visitor with a welcoming smile. As if they knew someone was about to visit.
“Good morning, book lover from afar. Welcome to the library. ” Gusto enthusiastically greeted.
“Good morning, student Jun Ye Rim. Vincent already informed us how you came with him and how you were shy to enter together.” Alessia added with a friendly smile.
Jun Ye Rim couldn’t think for a moment. Previously, she saw Vincent walking casually, without displaying any hint of realizing being followed. She didn’t even hear Kazumi mentioning being followed by her.
‘It was all an... act?’ Jun Ye Rim thought with a blank stare.
The dazed Jun Ye Rim responded, “... Yes.”
The two librarians looked at each other and smiled. A moment later, a tear of joy appeared welling in their eyes. Gusto and Alessia were happy to have the third library member.
“Follow us to sign your membership document.” Gusto requested.
Alessia went behind Jun Ye Rim and gently pushed her to the librarian’s desk. “Vincent already told us how you need a little push to admit your love for books.” She mentioned to the bewildered Jun Ye Rim.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmJun Ye Rim was no match for the insistence of the married couple. She became a member of the library a few minutes later.
“Vincent should be at the center of the library. ” Alessia informed with a slightly bothered tone.
Jun Ye Rim didn’t know what was happening anymore. She gulped and went to the center of the library. There she saw Vincent stopping from his page-flipping activity and looking at her.
“Want to read a book beside me?” Vincent teased. He patted the seat beside him and signaled with his head.
Jun Ye Rim flustered and took a step back. She bumped into a bookshelf, and her hand picked a random book.
[I didn’t think you were of the romance type, hehe. ] Kazumi teased next.
Jun Ye Rim lifted the book to read the title. She blushed, and her eye almost popped. The title of the book was. “Fifty shades of cuddles.”
“T-this isn’t what I like!” Jun Ye Rim nervously stuttered. She placed the book on the shelve and swiftly took another one.
[That might be a side story of the original because the title isn’t too much different.]
*Gulp* Jun Ye Rim raised the book to read the title. Her heart was racing, and her thoughts were chaotic. Soon, the title appeared in front of her eyes. “The adventures of the cuddleman.”
Jun Ye Rim swiftly placed the book in its place and rushed to a corner of the library where Vincent and Kazumi couldn’t see her from the center of the library.
“I guess Lilith really likes reading these dangerously erotic books. ” Vincent concluded after witnessing the reaction of a like-minded person when it came to the strange romance genre in this world.
[Yeah. Nobles have a lot of wild imaginations about love. Be it the main or side plot. Every book has romance in it.]
“Nobles?”
[If ordinary commoners aren’t thought to read, then nobles are the main sales targets.]
“You have a point.” Vincent agreed that this was the most probable reason.
A few hours passed. Jun Ye Rim sneakily approached Vincent with a book in her hands. The title was. “The knight in shining armor and the princess trapped by the evil cannibal demon king. ”
“It... it’s not like I care, but... would you fight for your wife even if you might die?” Jun Ye Rim asked out of the blue. Her gaze could tell Vincent and Kazumi how much the answer was, making her feel emotional.
Vincent looked at Jun Ye Rim and answered in a reassuring tone, “The answer is yes. I will do what I can to save my family. Even if I have to place my life on the line. ”
Jun Ye Rim looked satisfied with Vincent’s answer. After studying Vincent’s expressions for an unknown long time, she perceived how his gaze didn’t look deceiving.
Jun Ye Rim concluded Vincent was speaking truthfully.