Home Sweet Home

Morning had already begun and many people were walking around. The streets were very well made and had systems of near-Roman quality.

When his mother heard him say those things about David, she sent him to her house and gave him the key. She was going to start a more focused treatment on David, and he would become someone worthy of living in society.

It didn't take long to find her house. It was in the northeast, and the large number of guards on the wall was very noticeable.

"The people who run this city are kind of paranoid, huh?"

"Actually, they're on the right path. This place is a good starting point for you, Oliver. Maybe it's a good idea to establish a base here. The more you support the beginning of an enterprise at its birth, the more you can claim in the future." Sometimes the viper spoke more seriously than usual, and Oliver had started to take into account everything it didn't say as a joke.

It didn't take long before they stood in front of a house that matched the descriptions his mother had given. It was small, like a cabin, but still very organized. Built entirely of concrete, with a garden that surrounded the whole house in a geometric pattern.

As soon as Oliver saw there was no one on the street, he entered the house and quickly closed the door. It would be awkward to report to Sebastian what he was doing in the supposed only doctor's house in the city.

His mother hadn't told him if she worked with anyone else, and he hadn't asked.

Upon entering, he found a living room connected to a kitchen and a staircase on the side, as well as a back door. Everything seemed very well arranged, and several pieces of furniture from his old house were here, probably a courtesy from Nikki to make his mother more comfortable.

Upstairs was a second floor with a hallway leading to three doors. Two were open, revealing a bathroom and his mother's room, filled with women's clothing.

Curiosity got the best of him, and he opened the other door. The door was unlocked, and when he opened it, a few tears slipped down his face.

"You need to stop crying, or you'll die of dehydration."

"Shut up, you evil, insensitive snake!"

He could tell the viper was laughing and ignored that scaly, heartless creature.

What stood before him was practically his room. Just more organized. All the furniture was here, though many pieces were broken or deteriorated. Clearly, his house had been destroyed and someone had pulled everything out from beneath the rubble.

It didn't take long before Oliver headed to the bathroom. Amazingly, they had running water, and he didn't want to know how that was possible.

Oliver took the longest shower of his life and finally relaxed. The world seemed to shut off for a few seconds, and he realized just how overloaded he felt.

He had nearly died, and something told him that maybe, he really had.

"Only your body was destroyed, but your soul is the same. Snake's oath!"

"Sure, because a viper's word holds so much value!" Oliver shouted back. He hadn't yet developed the habit of thinking mentally and keeping his thoughts to himself, so when they were alone, it was better to talk out loud anyway.

Still under the shower, his mind began to work.

"I need to find a way to save David, and the only tool I have is Herbalism. But how am I going to find any useful herb? Even inside a near-divine realm they were rare... I don't think Earth will be better."

"I think you'd better break into the Initiate realm first. At that point, you'll start to feel Nature's Energy more clearly and might get some ideas." The viper's voice was sinuous, like he didn't want to reveal everything to Oliver.

"You have a solution?"

"I'm a powerful runic master, not a potion master..." Its voice was still slippery, as if something was being hidden and Oliver needed to figure it out.

A few minutes later, Oliver stood in front of the bathroom mirror, wearing black pants and a long-sleeved white shirt.

"The weather changed... Even with long sleeves, I still feel a bit cold."

"Yes, the weather..." That damn snake's tone was starting to give him chills. Everything was irony or a joke to him.

Oliver left his room and headed to the living room table. He threw his faithful coat on it and heard the sound of something hitting, just as he was opening cabinets looking for food.

He turned his gaze and saw white fragments.

"You teleported the fragments of the ivory fang?"

"I brought everything that was with you. It's curious how the fang of a common beast survived all of that."

Oliver began to search his coat, and soon several pieces of broken ivory were scattered across the table. But the most shocking thing was that something else had come along.

"Blood Rose!" Oliver shouted, surprised it had survived all the chaos. A true sign it was something special, and he quickly ran to the garden behind the house.

It was full of grass and various common plants, with a hedge wall that offered minimal privacy. The only standout was a tree in the center of the yard. Using his own hands, he dug a hole and placed the rose's roots into the soil.

"She needs water." Oliver muttered to himself and ran toward a small reservoir nearby.

Even after several minutes of watering and preparing the soil, the Blood Rose didn't seem to come back to life.

"Damn! I think it's gone. I lost it. Not that I wanted a herb made with the blood of dangerous creatures..."

"Sure, and I'm a blue-winged mammoth." The viper's sarcasm was obvious, but he seemed to be having fun. Something told Oliver that his life had turned into a novel or book for the viper's amusement.

"I think she needs more than water, Oliver... She needs beast blood."

"And where am I supposed to get that in time to save her?!"

"Oh, come on... It's simple, my ignorant disciple. Just cut your own wrist!"

"Huh?"