Chapter 64: Antidote

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Antidote

Afraid that his train of thought would drift too far away, Jeremy reined in his mind and focused on the main point. This guy said there was a problem with his scent?

Jeremy frowned slightly, instinctively pulling up his collar to take a sniff. He bathed with cleansing magic every day; apart from the faint herbal scent of his body wash and soap, where would any strange odor come from? At least his sense of smell didn’t detect anything.

He narrowed his eyes to assess Lucius. Seeing his tense appearance, with green veins bulging on the back of his hand like that... it didn’t look like he was acting at all.

Jeremy tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, the clicking sound echoing steadily. He asked calmly: "You said before that getting close to me made the air fresher, was that also because of this scent?"

Lucius pressed his lips tightly together, tacitly acknowledging it.

Jeremy pressed his advantage: "At that time, you also mentioned ’the chaotic sounds in your head’. What on earth is it? Can you be honest now?" His intuition told him that tonight was the best opportunity to uncover the truth behind why this guy clung to him like glue.

This time, Lucius no longer gave ambiguous answers or looked for excuses to evade. He gave up, his deep, hoarse voice, carrying extreme exhaustion, breaking the space:

"...It’s nothing major. Just the screaming and sorrowful weeping of vengeful ghosts. Since I can remember, those chaotic, filthy sounds and obscene curses have never ceased for even a second. They cling to my eardrums day and night. The air around me is always thick, reeking of rotting corpses and the nauseating stench of blood, suffocating me.

I don’t know since when my skin, flesh, bone marrow, and even my soul have been torn and gnawed upon. That clawing pain has never spared me for a single moment, but ridiculously enough, there isn’t a single scratch on my body. Even when using empathy magic, others cannot feel what I am enduring. It’s like a cruel hallucination targeting only me. Even the greatest Spirit Master on the continent had to stand by helplessly in the face of this wicked curse."

Lucius swallowed dryly, his Adam’s apple bobbing with great difficulty. He looked up at Jeremy, his blue eyes resembling a collapsing glacier:

"But ever since I set foot in this academy, from the moment I was drawn by that strange scent on you... I lost control. Just being near you, all those disgusting sounds suddenly fall dead silent. The foul stench disappears, and the air becomes clean. The pain also subsides. But the moment you leave my line of sight, that nightmare returns to bite and tear at me.

Your existence, to me... is the antidote."

Lucius’s breathing became rapid. He bowed his head low: "Even if I intentionally try to avoid you, my body still unconsciously yearns to get close to you. Once we make contact, your scent clings tightly to me. At first, I thought that as time passed, my sense of smell would get used to it. But I was wrong. The more time we spend together, the more dependent I become, and the more I can’t control my own behavior."

His voice choked up, filled with indignation: "...But what I hate the most is that I absolutely cannot bring myself to hate this dependency."

Having poured his heart out, Lucius’s chest heaved violently, the frustration radiating from him suffocatingly thick.

Jeremy took in all of the other’s reactions into the depths of his eyes. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, getting straight to the point: "In short, you consider me an antidote, which is why you cling to me like your life depends on it?"

Lucius’s fingers unconsciously dug into each other, the force so strong that his nails pierced deep into his flesh and fresh blood seeped out, but he felt absolutely no pain. A long while later, he finally nodded, gritting his teeth to spit out a few words: "...Let’s just say that."

In reality, Lucius himself didn’t understand his own heart. He shouldn’t have lost control and laid these matters bare in front of someone else. But standing before Jeremy, he felt as if he were under some dark spell; his mind grew foggy, and he continuously made stupid moves, pushing their relationship into this ridiculously awkward situation.

Jeremy, upon hearing this, didn’t show any anger. Being used by someone didn’t bother him, because up to now, this guy hadn’t harmed his interests in any way. Most importantly, he hadn’t lost a single hair. However...

"You consider me an antidote, yet your attitude is condescending, openly showing your disgust for me. Is there anyone in this world who begs others while acting as arrogant as you?" Jeremy tilted his head, a teasing glint in his eyes: "Normally, shouldn’t you have bowed your head, served me tea and water, and tried every possible way to win my favor the moment you realized that?"

Lucius was stunned. He completely didn’t expect Jeremy’s attitude to be so nonchalant. A complex mix of emotions surged within his chest. He frowned and asked back: "I approached you with filthy intentions and used you. Are you truly not angry?"

Jeremy raised an eyebrow, lazily resting his chin on his hand: "What are you talking about? Of course I’m angry."

That was a lie. He truly wasn’t angry. From the very beginning, he knew this guy’s approach carried a motive, so he harbored no illusions. He even silently thanked the heavens that this wasn’t some horrifyingly melodramatic "love at first sight" script. But Lucius’s arrogant face was truly asking for a beating; it would be a waste not to tease him a bit.

"But I have to say, you really are stupid." Jeremy smiled faintly: "An ordinary person encountering this situation would hide it to the death. Yet you loudly confessed everything. Should I praise you for being honest, or scold you for being foolish?"

"..." Lucius’s eyelashes drooped slightly; it seemed he was struck right in the weak spot and rendered speechless.

Jeremy’s gaze shifted downward. What caught his eye were Lucius’s slender, originally flawless white hands, now seeping bright red blood. Blood trickled along the crevices of his fingers, yet its owner mindlessly continued to dig in, like an unconditioned reflex.

Were his words a bit too harsh? No, this guy’s skin was as thick as a wall; he wouldn’t be easily hurt by a few sarcastic remarks. But letting him continue to self-harm like this, having his flesh mangled later on, would be very troublesome. Being harsh on oneself should have its limits.

Jeremy stared for a moment, seeing that the other still had no intention of stopping. Thanks to Griffin’s damn empathy magic from before, he could still vaguely feel the pain transmitting from the other’s hands. It was hard to ignore even if he wanted to.

With a helpless sigh, Jeremy abruptly stood up. He stepped forward, bent down halfway, and reached out to grab Lucius’s wrists.

Under Lucius’s wide, astonished eyes, Jeremy looked down at him, his clear voice unable to hide its mockery:

"Alright, I yield. I’m actually not angry, nor do I intend to blame you. Stop abusing yourself; looking at it makes me hurt for you."

"..."

The words spoken carried a strong sense of casualness, without half a point of gentleness. However, the moment he faced those dark eyes harboring a faint smile, Lucius felt as if his chest were being suffocated by an invisible hand. His heart skipped a beat, then pounded wildly, transmitting a sudden, inexplicable pang of pain.

He hurriedly looked away in a panic. What was with this heartbeat? He couldn’t distinguish it. He only vaguely realized one thing: An "antidote" could sometimes become a "poison." If it wasn’t because the poison was seeping into his blood, then why, at this moment, did his chest ache so much he couldn’t breathe?

The scent on Jeremy, originally something that dispelled the miasma, right at this moment transformed into a rope tightening around his neck, making him restless and yearning to the point of madness.